Friday, May 30, 2008

My Way News - Africa, Japan pledge to tackle food crisis
AP reports: "African leaders, Japan and development organizations agreed Friday that there is an urgent need to boost agricultural productivity in Africa and pledged to tackle the widespread impact of soaring food prices."
My Way News - Britain looked to Israel when studying military deception
AP reports: "After Egypt blocked the strategic Straits of Tiran and expelled U.N. forces from the Sinai Desert, Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on June 5, 1967, against Egyptian and Syrian air forces, destroying them on the ground. In six days of one-sided battles, Israeli forces captured the West Bank, Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and Sinai from Jordan, Syria and Egypt."

Comment: I thought this was an interesting article, but the part I noted was posted because I like to see the historical facts in black and white. It's so easy to buy into the political spin that Israel has been "occupying" Palestinian territory and really should just give it back. Israel won territory in a war, and historically the rule is, if you win it, it's yours, you don't have to give it back. Of course, this standard is held not to apply, because it's Israel, and the rules never seem to be applied fairly to Israel. Also note the specific countries that lost territory, and then consider to whom Israel has been asked to give territory back to. Instead of giving Gaza back to Egypt they gave it to the Palestinians - look how well that worked out. I think a good strategy for Israel to pursue would be to abide by a strictly legalistic approach: give the territory it won back to the country that lost it, and then leave it up to that country to decide if they want to give it to the Palestinians, who really have no legal, diplomatic, or historic standing in this.
My Way News - Brazil's top court approves stem cell research
AP reports: "Brazil's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that scientists can conduct embryonic stem cell research, which holds the promise of curing Parkinson's disease and diabetes but raises ethical concerns about the limits on human life."
My Way News - Nurse charged with injecting patients with bleach
AP reports: "A former nurse accused of intentionally injecting bleach into two patients at a dialysis center was arrested Friday, police said."

Thursday, May 29, 2008

My Way News - World Bank warns tidal flood may hit Jakarta

AP reports: "The World Bank warned Thursday that an exceptionally high tide could inundate the Indonesian capital next week, forcing thousands of people to flee homes and cutting off the highway to the international airport. [...] Rising sea waters especially pose a threat to coastal cities like Jakarta, which has sunk at least 7 feet in the last three decades because of excessive ground water extraction, said Hahm."
My Way News - US: Report increases Iran concerns
AP reports: "An IAEA report Monday said Iran may be withholding information needed to establish whether it tried to make nuclear arms."
My Way News - Report: World food prices will remain high
AP reports: "The report is based on a forecast of the cereals, oilseeds, sugar, meats, milk and dairy products markets for the period 2008 to 2017. It reflects agriculture and trade policies in place in early 2008 and includes an assessment of the biofuels markets for bioethanol and biodiesel."
My Way News - Tajikistan faces severe food shortages
AP reports: "The crisis comes as skyrocketing food prices, famine in Africa, and the urgent aid needs of cyclone-hit Myanmar put pressure on humanitarian efforts to alleviate hunger around the world."
My Way News - World Bank, UN ask for more food aid for Africa
AP reports: "High oil prices, surging demand, flawed trade policies, extreme weather, growth in biofuel production and speculation have inflated food prices worldwide, trigging protests from Africa to Asia and raising fears of widespread malnutrition and economic instability."
My Way News - 10 states act to stop teacher sex abuse
AP reports: "Ten states have taken action in recent months to crack down on sexually abusive teachers following a stream of arrests and reports that have documented the problem of educators victimizing students."
My Way News - Iceland shaken by magnitude 6.1 earthquake

AP reports: "A strong earthquake shook southern Iceland on Thursday, causing more than a dozen injuries as it rocked buildings in the capital, touched off landslides and forced evacuations in outlying towns, officials and local media said. [...] The U.S. Geological Survey said Selfoss was near the epicenter of the magnitude 6.1 quake, which hit at 3:46 p.m."

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

My Way News - Gut superbug causing more illnesses, deaths
AP reports: "The number of people hospitalized with a dangerous intestinal superbug has been growing by more than 10,000 cases a year, according to a new study."
My Way News - US makes progress in Iraq's `triangle of death'
AP reports: "The U.S. military says violence across Iraq has reached its lowest level in more than four years after successes this year in breaking al-Qaida's and other Sunni insurgents' hold in western Iraq and - more recently - government crackdowns in the southern city of Basra and northern city of Mosul."
My Way News - Germans ponder string of infant killings
AP reports: "Babies stashed in freezers. A tiny skeleton found in a fish tank. Infants suffocated in plastic bags. Germans are reeling over a recent string of cases involving mothers accused or convicted of killing their babies"
My Way News - Cyclone survivors victimized by Myanmar soldiers
AP reports: "Three weeks after the storm, survivors say they are being victimized again, by a military regime that has forced some to return to flooded, collapsed homes and others to labor on reconstruction projects."
My Way News - Thousands seeking refuge near Cape of Good Hope
AP reports: "Nearly 19,000 people are in shelters after fleeing Cape Town over the weekend as the violence spread from Johannesburg to the so-called Mother City, which prides itself on tolerance and is the jewel in South Africa's tourist crown."
My Way News - EU targets move to longer Internet addresses
AP reports: "The EU's internet commissioner said more addresses were needed if Europeans were to use Internet-enabled devices such as smart tags in shops, factories and airports or intelligent heating and lighting systems in their homes. The addresses include long series of numbers to identify a Web connection."
My Way News - 7 scientists share $1 million prizes for research
AP reports: "Three prizes worth $1 million apiece were awarded Wednesday to seven scientists for their discoveries in neuroscience, astrophysics and the study of vanishingly small structures."
My Way News - Scientists warn of rising Pacific Coast acidity
AP reports: "The increasingly corrosive water threatens the survival of many organisms, from microscopic plants and animals at the base of the food chain to shellfish, corals and the young of some marine species, the researchers told a congressional field hearing Tuesday at the Seattle Aquarium."

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

My Way News - Iranian aid seen growing among militants on Israel's flanks

AP reports: "Rockets and weapons bearing signs of Iranian paint, lettering and serial numbers are making their way into the Gaza Strip and Lebanon - helping Tehran cement its powerful role within militant movements on Israel's northern and southern flanks, senior Israeli security officials say."
My Way News - US on track to break record for tornadoes
AP reports: "With the year not even half done, 2008 is already the deadliest tornado year in the United States since 1998 and seems on track to break the U.S. record for the number of twisters in a year, according to the National Weather Service. Also, this year's storms seem to be unusually powerful."
My Way News - Iowa tornado rated state's strongest in 32 years
AP reports: "A tornado that leveled half a town in northeast Iowa and killed seven people was the strongest to hit the state in 32 years, the National Weather Service said Tuesday."
My Way News - Dutch scientists claim sequencing of female DNA
AP reports: "Dutch scientists claim they have completed the first sequencing of an individual woman's DNA."

Friday, May 23, 2008

My Way News - European Union's new treaty approved in Germany

AP reports: "The treaty would alter the EU's decision-making process, envisioning more decisions by majority vote rather than unanimous endorsement. It would also provide for an EU president and a more powerful senior foreign policy official to give the bloc a stronger voice in global affairs."
My Way News - South America creates regional union
AP reports: "A new South American union was born Friday as leaders of the region's 12 nations set out to create a continental parliament. Some see the new organization, Unasur, as a regional version of the European Union."
My Way News - 5 Palestinian militants killed in strike
AP reports: "Clashes on Friday between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip left five militants dead, further undermining efforts to bring a brief truce to the violence-wracked area."
My Way News - China's Wen: Earthquake deaths rise above 60,000
AP reports: "China's earthquake death toll has passed 60,000 and could rise to 80,000 or more, Premier Wen Jiabao said Saturday as he and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the disaster area."

Thursday, May 22, 2008

My Way News - Israelis express skepticism on Syria peace talks
AP reports: "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's dramatic announcement that he is negotiating a peace deal with Syria was greeted Thursday with overwhelming skepticism in Israel."
My Way News - Israel minister to French counterpart: Shun Hamas
AP reports: "The Quartet of Middle East mediators - the United States, United Nations, Russia and the European Union - has demanded Hamas renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept previous peace accords as a condition for any talks. The militant group has refused."
My Way News - Palestinian suicide bomber attacks Gaza crossing
AP reports: "Although the bomber killed only himself, the magnitude of the explosion - which shook buildings for miles - raised fears that Palestinians are adopting tactics used by al-Qaida, Hezbollah and other extremist groups."
My Way News - Facts about China's May 12 earthquake
AP reports: "Latest facts about the May 12 earthquake that struck China's Sichuan province, the country's worst in 30 years."
My Way News - Russia's Medvedev travels to China for talks
AP reports: "In recent years, China and Russia have made highly symbolic political overtures to one another, holding joint military maneuvers and engaging in high-level talks on creating a 'multi-polar world.' They have taken a coordinated stance on several global issues, sharing opposition to Kosovo's independence and U.S. missile defense plans, and taking a similar approach to the Iran nuclear issue."
My Way News - Tornadoes rip through Colorado, Kansas; 1 killed
AP reports: "A large tornado skipped through several northern Colorado towns on Thursday, destroying dozens of homes, flipping tractor-trailers and freight rail cars, and killing at least one person."
My Way News - Bangladesh reports 1st human case of H5N1 bird flu
AP reports: "Bangladesh's Health Ministry says the nation's first human case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected."
My Way News - Common virus blamed for 5 infant deaths, CDC says
AP reports: "A common virus traditionally viewed as mild killed at least five U.S. infants last year, government health officials said Thursday. [...] The virus comes from a family of infections causing a deadly outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in children in China."

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

My Way News - Israel engages in indirect peace talks with Syria
AP reports: "Israel and Syria unexpectedly announced Wednesday the resumption of peace talks after an eight-year break, saying they have been speaking indirectly through Turkish mediators 'in order to achieve the goal of comprehensive peace.'"
My Way News - Deal in Lebanon a win for Hezbollah
AP reports: "Hezbollah secured veto power over Lebanon's Western-backed government on Wednesday, leaving the militant group virtually free to build up its weapons, including rockets aimed at Israel."
My Way News - China estimates 4,000 children orphaned in quake
AP reports: "Last week's deadly earthquake in China has created more than 4,000 orphans, a Chinese official said."
My Way News - Company offers to clone dogs for 5 highest bidders
AP reports: "A Northern California biotech company announced Wednesday that it will clone dogs for the five highest bidders in a series of online auctions. Some ethicists condemned the offer, fearing it could lead to human clones."
My Way News - Calif. quake scientists detail impact of 'Big One'
AP reports: "A team of about 300 scientists, governments, first responders and industries worked for more than a year to create a realistic crisis scenario that can be used for preparedness, including a statewide drill planned later this year. Published by the U.S. Geological Survey and California Geological Survey, it is to be released Thursday in Washington, D.C."
My Way News - Scientists witness start of star's explosive death
AP reports: "In a stroke of cosmic luck, astronomers for the first time witnessed the start of one of the universe's most fiery events: the end of a star's life as it exploded into a supernova."
Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign - Yahoo! News
AP reports: "'My friend and I are both Christians so our immediate reaction in a life-threatening situation was to ask for God's help,' Stubbs told The Associated Press on Wednesday."
Times Online - ‘Big Brother’ database for phones and e-mails
The Times Online reports: "A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. Internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office under plans put forward by officials."

Comment: The UK is inching closer to a total surveillance society. They already have public security cameras that pretty much guarantee that all public - street level - activities are recorded, now personal communication will be timestamped. They are not recording actual content (phone conversations)...yet. What does this have to do with the MOTB? We are moving toward a society in which one can't engage in the normal commerce of life without being monitored and validated by the system.
CNN - Food costs strain efforts to save starving Ethiopian children

CNN reports: "UNICEF estimates that 6 million Ethiopian children under the age of 5 are at risk and that more than 120,000 have only about a month to live. The World Food Program supplies the emergency food for UNICEF, but rising food prices mean it could not guarantee aid for all the areas in need."
Discovery News - Shroud of Turin's Authenticity Probed Anew
Discovery News reports: "The Shroud of Turin, the 14- by 4-foot linen believed by some to have been wrapped around Jesus after the crucifixion, might not be a fake after all, according to new research."

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

U.S. cites growing China space and cyber threat - Reuters
Reuters reports: "The U.S. military painted China on Tuesday as posing a growing threat to the United States and others in space and cyberspace."
My Way News - Report: Iran's nuclear program feeding proliferation
AP reports: "Iran's disputed nuclear program has sent a wave of interest in atomic energy across the Middle East, a think tank said Tuesday, warning that it risked setting the scene for a regional nuclear arms race."
Space War - A Kinetic Response To Managing The Stans
UPI reports: "Pakistani officials made clear to their U.S. counterparts they have no interest in stopping cross-border attacks. Predictably, a surge of Taliban attacks against allied forces followed days later. Violent incidents in the Afghan east were up 50 percent over the same period last year."

Monday, May 19, 2008

Flu bugs growing resistance to drugs, studies find - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Seasonal flu viruses are developing the ability to evade influenza drugs globally, but how and why this is happening is not clear, experts told a conference on Monday."
My Way News - Palestinians cool to embrace from al-Qaida leader
AP reports: "In Sunday's recording, bin Laden mentioned the blockade of Gaza, which was imposed by Israel and Egypt last June after Hamas fighters seized control of the coastal strip. Israel has tightened sanctions in recent months trying to pressure Gazans to halt daily rocket fire at Israeli towns, causing widespread shortages of fuel and basic goods in Gaza."
My Way News - France confirms informal talks to Hamas
AP reports: "Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States. Fatah had dominated Palestinian politics for decades, but was trounced by Hamas in 2006 parliamentary elections. In June 2007, the militant Islamic group took Gaza by force, triggering a crisis among Palestinians."
My Way News - Warning of major aftershock sparks panic in China
AP reports: "A government warning of a major aftershock sent thousands of panicked survivors running into the darkened streets Monday night following an unprecedented display of mourning for more than 34,000 people killed in a powerful earthquake one week ago."
How To Help China Earthquake Victims
Are you interested in helping the victims of the massive China earthquake? Network For Good has put together this directory of organizations that are rushing emergency aid to the region. These are all reputable aid organizations that have already been vetted so you should have no fear of donating to these groups.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

My Way News - Bush: Mideast must push back against Iran, Syria
AP reports: "His emphasis on Iran reflects Bush's desire to counter Tehran's quest for greater influence in the region. New urgency was added to that task by recent turmoil in Lebanon that the U.S. and many Sunni Arab countries believe has been fomented by Shiite-dominated Iran, as well as Syria."
My Way News - Israeli, Egyptian leaders to seek Gaza cease-fire
AP reports: "Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday to discuss efforts to work out a cease-fire between the Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip and Israel, officials said."
My Way News - Thousands flee China quake area over flood fears
AP reports: "Two rivers blocked by landslides threatened to flood towns shattered by China's massive earthquake, sending thousands of survivors fleeing Saturday in a region still staggering from the country's worst disaster in 30 years."
My Way News - High-level Lebanese talks in Qatar
AP reports: "Lebanon's ruling coalition demanded Saturday that talks to end the country's 18-month-old political crisis tackle the issue of Hezbollah's weapons, a demand the militant group rejected. Hezbollah insisted the group's arsenal remain untouched, saying it was necessary for fighting Israel..."

Friday, May 16, 2008

My Way News - Christians fearful after bomb at Gaza school
AP reports: "The explosion, the most recent in a series of attacks against Christians in overwhelmingly Muslim Gaza, was heard in surrounding neighborhoods about 4 a.m. Damage was visible at the entrance to the Zahwa Rosary School, which is run by Catholic nuns but serves predominantly Muslim students."
My Way News - Bin Laden says Palestinian cause at heart of jihad
AP reports: "Osama bin Laden vowed Friday to fight Israel for the liberation of the Palestinians, claiming their cause is at the heart of al-Qaida's holy war with the West."

Comment: You know, historically, the Jews were the Palestinians. I mean, just ask the Romans. So, in a way, if you say you are fighting for the Palestinians, in the historical context, you should mean you are righting for the Jews. History is kinda weird, huh?
My Way News - Last doomsday cult members abandon cave in Russia
AP reports: "The cult leader, Pyotr Kuznetsov, declared himself a prophet several years ago. An engineer, Kuznetsov goes by the title Father Pyotr. He left his family and established the True Russian Orthodox Church and recruited followers in Russia and Belarus."

Comment: Well, you probably already know what the ancient Jewish custom (and Biblical injunction) was for dealing with false prophets, I wonder what the Russians will do with him.
My Way News - 3.1-magnitude quake reported in Coffeeville, Ala.

AP reports: "The southwest Alabama town of Coffeeville has been shaken by a small earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey says the 3.1-magnitude quake struck about 1:39 p.m. Friday in the rural area about 75 miles north of Mobile."

Thursday, May 15, 2008

My Way News - Web site: Bin Laden to release Israel message
AP reports: "Osama bin Laden, who has threatened to extend al-Qaida's terror to Israel, will release a new Internet message dealing with Israelis and Palestinians, a terrorism monitoring group said Thursday."
My Way News - Palestinians mark 1948 uprooting with rallies
AP reports: "Israel's government, meanwhile, came under mounting pressure to try to oust Hamas, after a rocket fired from Gaza hit a medical clinic in an Israeli shopping mall and seriously wounded four people, including a 2-year-old girl. Israel's intelligence chief warned that within two years, Hamas would be able to extend the range of its rockets to 25 miles and put more Israeli cities at risk."
My Way News - Russia, Georgia joust over talk on Abkhazia base
AP reports: "Tensions between Georgia and Russia got a jolt Thursday when a news agency quoted the head of the Russian air force as saying he favored putting military bases in a breakaway region of this former Soviet republic."
My Way News - New Russian president vows to fund nuclear weapons
AP reports: "Putin has threatened to point nuclear missiles at countries that take part in the U.S. missile defense shield, and he opted out of a key Soviet-era arms control treaty. Topol-M missiles are capable of hitting targets more than 6,000 miles away. They are deployed in both silo-based and truck-mounted versions."
My Way News - China: Quake death toll could reach 50,000
AP reports: "Troops dug burial pits in this quake-shattered town and black smoke poured from crematorium chimneys elsewhere in central China as priorities began shifting Thursday from the hunt for survivors to dealing with the dead. Officials said the final toll could more than double to 50,000."
The Associated Press: Text of President Bush's speech to the Israeli parliament
AP provides this transcript: "Text of President Bush's speech to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, as provided by the White House."

Wednesday, May 14, 2008


Israel at age 60 - Berkshire Eagle Online

An editorial in the Berkshire Eagle Online:
On May 14, 60 years ago, David Ben Gurion declared the existence of the state of Israel and became its first prime minister. Britain, after decades of battles with Zionists and Arabs in Palestine that caused domestic turmoil at home, threw its hands up and left. The United States and its Cold War enemy the U.S.S.R. recognized the new state but the Arab League declared war, leading to a fight for independence that ended a year later in 1949 with reconciliation with Britain and admittance to the United Nations. Israel entered the world fighting for its existence, and the fight continues today.
Here are some additional resources learn more about Israel's history:

Text of the declaration by David Ben-Gurion:
Primetime Politics - The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel

Reuters - FACTBOX-Arab-Israeli conflict of 1948 [I'm noting here the chronology, not endorsing Reuters obvious bias, which is well known]

BibleGateway - Isaiah 66:8 (New International Version)

8 Who has ever heard of such a thing?
Who has ever seen such things?
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
than she gives birth to her children.
My Way News - Bush links optimism for Mideast reform to democratic Israel
AP reports: "Bush has expressed confidence, though more tempered lately, that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement would be struck before his term ends."
My Way News - Gaza rocket strikes Israeli city, 14 wounded
AP reports: "A rocket fired from Gaza exploded in a shopping center in this southern Israeli city Wednesday, wounding at least 14 people, as President Bush wrapped up talks in Jerusalem with Israel's prime minister."
My Way News - Ahmadinejad says Israel doomed
AP reports: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that Israel is dying and that its 60th anniversary celebrations are an attempt to prevent its 'annihilation.' [...] Iran doesn't recognize Israel, and Ahmadinejad has repeatedly called for Israel's destruction."
My Way News - Red Cross: Up to 128,000 may have died in Myanmar
AP reports: "The Red Cross estimated Wednesday that the cyclone death toll in Myanmar could be as high as 128,000 - a much larger figure than the government tally."
My Way News - AP video shows China earthquake's first moments
AP reports: "Exclusive footage shot by John Dkar, a Peruvian resident of Chengdu, and obtained by AP Television News shows the terrifying first moments of Monday's quake as he motorbiked with friends in the hills outside the city."
My Way News - Beijing reports first child virus death
AP reports: "China's capital reported Wednesday its first death from the hand, foot and mouth disease virus that has sickened tens of thousands of children across the country and killed at least 42 people."

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Jerusalem Post - Jerusalem planners approve route of new bridge to Temple Mount

The Jerusalem Post reports: "Jerusalem's City Hall said Sunday that its planning commission has approved the route of a new bridge to the most hotly disputed holy site in the region - the Temple Mount - the Old City site holy to both Muslims and Jews."
My Way News - Israel Museum puts Dead Sea scroll on rare display
AP reports: "One of the most important Dead Sea scrolls is going on display in Jerusalem this week - more than four decades after it was last seen by the public. The 24-foot scroll with the text of the Bible's Book of Isaiah had been in a dark, temperature-controlled room at the Israel Museum since 1967."
My Way News - In 1st visit in 37 years, Queen Elizabeth praises Turkey
AP reports: "Queen Elizabeth II praised Turkey's role as a bridge between the West and the Islamic world on Tuesday during her first visit to the predominantly Muslim country in 37 years."
My Way News - Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
AP reports: "The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones."
My Way News - Police report 80 killed by bombs in western India
AP reports: "A series of bombs exploded across the ancient city of Jaipur on Tuesday, killing at least 80 people and transforming busy markets, a jewelry bazaar and a Hindu temple into scenes of carnage."
My Way News - Saudis sends sharp warning to Iran over Lebanon
AP reports: "Saudi Arabia sent Iran a sharp warning over Lebanon Tuesday, saying Tehran's support for Hezbollah will damage its relations with other Muslim and Arab countries."
My Way News - China moves quickly to deal with quake
AP reports: "Within 24 hours of China's deadly quake, some 20,000 troops converged on the disaster area to help dig out the dead and injured, and military planes and trucks ferried in another 30,000 reinforcements."
My Way News - Britain releases batch of files on UFO sightings
AP reports: "The National Archives is releasing the files because of numerous freedom of information requests seeking information about the government's UFO reports. [...] Officials said they did not try to solve UFO riddles once an enemy attack had been ruled out."
My Way News - Genetically modified human embryo stirs criticism
AP reports: "News that scientists have for the first time genetically altered a human embryo is drawing fire from some watchdog groups that say it's a step toward creating 'designer babies.'"
WND - China preparing for nuclear war
World Net Daily reports: "Defense analysts for the British intelligence service MI6 believe China is preparing for the 'eventuality of a nuclear war.' The conclusion follows evidence that Beijing has built secretly a major naval base deep inside caverns which even sophisticated satellites cannot penetrate, says a report in Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin."

Monday, May 12, 2008

SpaceWeather.com - Erupting Solar Prominence
SpaceWeather reports: "Today, astronomers are monitoring an unusually active prominence on the sun's eastern limb. Even veteran observers are impressed, using words like 'amazing' and 'jaw-dropping' to describe the activity they have seen. One onlooker described the fountain-like eruptions as 'volcanic in appearance.'"
My Way News - China quake death toll rises to nearly 10,000

AP reports: "A powerful earthquake toppled buildings, schools and chemical plants Monday in central China, killing nearly 10,000 people and trapping untold numbers in mounds of concrete, steel and earth in the country's worst quake in three decades."

Friday, May 09, 2008

My Way News - Hezbollah fighters sweep over much of Beirut's Muslim sector
AP reports: "Unchallenged by Lebanon's army, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah routed Sunnis loyal to the U.S.-allied government and seized control of large swaths of Beirut's Muslim sector Friday in a telling demonstration of its military prowess."
My Way News - Russia puts tanks and missiles back in Red Square parade
AP reports: "Russia's military spending increased eightfold to an annual $40 billion during Putin's eight-year tenure thanks to the nation's oil bonanza. Analysts, however, say the military suffers the same problems that dented its capabilities and prestige since the Soviet collapse."
My Way News - Palestinian mortar shell kills Israeli man
AP reports: "Palestinian militants fired four mortar shells at Israel from the Gaza Strip late Friday, killing an Israeli man and wounding three other people, police and rescue officials said."

Thursday, May 08, 2008

My Way News - Iraqi officials say leader of al-Qaida in Iraq arrested
AP reports: "Iraqi police commandos captured the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq in a raid in the northern city of Mosul, Iraqi officials said Thursday, in what could mark a significant blow to the Sunni insurgency in its last urban stronghold."
My Way News - Israel celebrates its 60th birthday
AP reports: "Six decades after rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish state is still plagued by threats from abroad and an identity crisis at home. Its 41-year occupation of Palestinian territories has invited international condemnation. Yet it also is a thriving democracy that has provided a haven for the world's Jews."
My Way News - Putin signals he intends to stay in charge of Russia
AP reports: "Putin, who became prime minister Thursday, has signaled that he intends to remain Russia's principal leader, at least in the short term - and possibly much longer. He is keeping the trappings of his presidency and many of its powers as well."
My Way News - Sectarian street clashes in Beirut boil up into gunbattles
AP reports: "In a grim reminder of Lebanon's devastating 1975-90 civil war, factions threw up roadblocks and checkpoints dividing Beirut into sectarian enclaves on the second day of clashes between Sunni Muslims loyal to the government and Shiite supporters of Hezbollah."
My Way News - Overlooked in the global food crisis: A problem with dirt
AP reports: "The cause of the current global food crisis is mostly based on market forces, speculation and hoarding, experts say. But beyond the economics lie droughts and floods, plant diseases and pests, and all too often, poor soil."

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

My Way News - Israel at 60: Proud but facing an uncertain future
AP reports: "Israel is marking its 60th Independence Day, which began at sundown Wednesday, with a great sense of pride but also uncertainty about its future and doubts about prospects for peace with the Palestinians. Six decades after rising from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish state is still plagued by threats from abroad and an identity crisis at home."

Comment: The rebirth of the state of Israel is one of the most important fulfillments of Bible prophecy. Which prophecy? Well, there are many, but perhaps some of the most impressive come from the prophet Ezekiel, who foretold the gathering of the Jews out of many nations into their own ancient homeland thousands of years before it happened. Take a look at Ezekiel 36, starting with verse 24:
" 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.' [...] This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it. 35 They will say, "This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited." 36 Then the nations around you that remain will know that I the LORD have rebuilt what was destroyed and have replanted what was desolate. I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.'"
Notice also that in this passage it indicates that the cities are fortified, in contrast to a later prophecy in Ezekiel 38:10-13 in which the walls and fortifications are removed, which tempts the Gog Alliance to invade Israel seeking plunder. This tells us two things: (1) there will be a Mideast peace agreement and Israel will relax her defenses; and, (2) Israel will continue to prosper.
My Way News - Sirens wailing, Israel comes to a halt to mark Memorial Day
AP reports: "Sirens wailed across Israel Wednesday, bringing the nation to a standstill in a solemn two-minute ritual on the country's Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of Palestinian suicide bombings and other attacks."
My Way News - Medvedev sworn in as Russia's president, but will he rule?

AP reports: "Medvedev has promised to strengthen democratic freedoms and suggested he will move Russia in a more pro-Western direction, raising the hopes of those who want to see the country shift away from Putin's authoritarian rule."
My Way News - US envoy says toll from Myanmar cyclone might reach 100,000
AP reports: "Hungry people swarmed the few open shops and fistfights broke out over food and water in Myanmar's swamped Irrawaddy delta Wednesday as a top U.S. diplomat warned that the death toll from a devastating cyclone could top 100,000."
My Way News - Earthquake 100 miles away wakes up residents of Tokyo

AP reports: "A strong earthquake struck off the coast of Japan early Thursday, the national Meteorological Agency said, waking up people 100 miles away in Tokyo."
My Way News - Japanese and Chinese leaders pledge warmer ties
AP reports: "The two pledged to work together on everything from climate change to North Korea and territorial disputes, and Fukuda hinted - without elaborating - that the neighbors were on the verge of settling a spat over maritime gas deposits."
My Way News - Apple inks Latin American deal for iPhone
AP reports: "In another step in the worldwide march of Apple Inc. (AAPL) (AAPL)'s iPhone, the top mobile phone operator in Latin America said Wednesday that it has inked a deal to bring the multimedia gadget to more than a dozen countries starting later this year."
My Way News - China steps up fight against virus sickening young kids
AP reports: "China announced Wednesday new rules that require health care providers to report all cases of a viral illness that has killed 28 children and sickened thousands in outbreaks across the country."
MarketWatch - New 'super-spike' might mean $200 a barrel oil
Market Watch reports: "With $100-a-barrel here for now, Goldman Sachs says $200 a barrel could be a reality in the not-too-distant future in the case of a 'major disruption.'"

Comment: I think the "major disruption" they are talking about is if the U.S. decides to attack Iran.
Putin passes power to protege, or does he? - International Herald Tribune
IHT aks: "Will Putin remain the nation's preeminent politician and policy setter? Or will Medvedev, whose career has been spent in his sponsor's shadow, have the ability and latitude to choose the country's course?"

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

My Way News - Hitting age 60, Israel gets nostalgic for the old days
AP reports: "As it celebrates its 60th birthday Thursday, Israel has never been richer or stronger. It has weathered assaults that would have crippled some societies and has even thrived. But Israelis are increasingly alienated from a political system that suffers from deadlock and corruption and seems devoid of leaders able to garner the public's respect. An end to Israel's conflict with its Arab neighbors, which appeared around the corner a decade ago, is now widely seen as a naive dream."
My Way News - Hundreds turn out for second day of food protests in Somalia
AP reports: "Hundreds of youths in Somalia's capital lobbed stones at shops and cars and set tires ablaze Tuesday in a second day of violence over soaring food prices."
My Way News - Church leader arrested on sex charges in northeast N.M.
AP reports: "Bent, who goes by the name of Michael Travesser and claims to be the Messiah, is the leader of The Lord Our Righteousness Church, whose members moved in 2000 to a remote, former ranch near the Colorado line that they call Strong City."
My Way News - Pandemic flu threat remains substantial, health experts say
AP reports: "The world still faces a substantial threat of a flu pandemic and countries need to speed up preparations for a global outbreak, health experts said Tuesday."
My Way News - New disease outbreaks in China; 12K children infected
AP reports: "New outbreaks reported Tuesday in three Chinese provinces and Beijing put the number of children infected with hand, foot and mouth disease above 12,000 and the death toll has risen to at least 26 across the country."
ottawasun.com - Fuelling a famine
The Ottawa Sun reports: "Aid workers have watched helplessly these past weeks as the escalating cost of staples translated into less food globally for those who need it most."
China defends maritime rights, but silent on nuclear sub base report - Space War
AFP reports: "China on Tuesday refused to comment directly on reports it was building a major underground nuclear submarine base, but defended its right to protect its maritime and territorial interests."
75% of population: War within next 5 years - Israel News
Ynetnews reports: "As Israel stands on the brink of its seventh decade of independence, security issues continue to worry the majority of its citizens. Seventy-five percent of the Jewish population in the country assume that Israel will find itself at war with at least one Arab state within the next five years, 66% do not believe there is a chance for peace with Syria, and 70% do not believe an agreement with the Palestinians will be reached."

Monday, May 05, 2008

Russian Military Faces Growing Budget And Constrained Bandwidth - Space War
Space War reports: "Last year, Russian national defense spending surpassed $32 billion, compared with less than $3 billion in 1998. Looking forward, Russian defense spending is expected to trend upward; however, Moscow's strategic bandwidth may be constrained by a confluence of defense economic factors."
NATO secretary supports US missile shield - Space War
AFP reports: "NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Monday the alliance supports the installation of an American radar base in the Czech Republic as well as a missile shield for its allies."
My Way News - Iran rejects nuclear inspections unless Israel allows them
AP reports: "An Iranian envoy said Monday his government will not submit to extensive nuclear inspections while Israel stays outside the global treaty to curb the spread of atomic weapons."
My Way News - Israeli president likens Iranian nuclear threat to Hitler
AP reports: "In sweeping comments Monday before Israel's 60th anniversary, Israeli President Shimon Peres compared the Iranian nuclear threat to Hitler's Germany and said engaging Gaza's Hamas rulers would be like talking to a wall."
My Way News - US: Hezbollah training Iraqi Shiite extremists in Iran
AP reports: "Iraqi Shiite extremists are being trained by members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in camps near Tehran, a U.S. military spokesman said Monday."
My Way News - Experts say Red Square parade masks weakened Russia military
AP reports: "And indeed, for all the investment in the military - an eightfold increase to an annual $40 billion during Putin's eight years in office - experts say it still has a long way to go to restore its Soviet-era might."
My Way News - Large wave in South Korea kills 9, injures 14

AP reports: "The wave - believed to have been as high as 16 feet - slammed over the breakwater near a beach southwest of Seoul where dozens of people had been fishing and sightseeing, said Lee Won-il, a local Korea Coast Guard officer."
My Way News - 2 killed as troops fire into Somali riot over food prices
AP reports: "Troops fired into tens of thousands of rioting Somalis on Monday, killing two people in the latest eruption of violence over soaring food prices around the world."
My Way News - Iran calls off more security talks with US about Iraq
AP reports: "Iran called off further Iraq security talks with Washington until U.S. forces stop their crackdown on Shiite militias, but the military brought more air power into the fight Monday and escalated its accusations of Iranian backing for extremists."
My Way News - UN kicks off long-delayed headquarters renovation
AP reports: "The United Nations kicked off the long-delayed renovation of its landmark headquarters complex Monday led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wearing a hard hat and wielding a shovel to break ground for a temporary conference building. [...] The glass-and-steel headquarters overlooking the East River has not had a major overhaul since the buildings opened in 1952 and now violates several key New York safety and fire codes."
My Way News - Austrian police: Suspect's dungeon plans date back to 1978
AP reports: "Josef Fritzl may have been plotting the design of the basement dungeon six years before authorities say he took his daughter Elisabeth captive in 1984 when she was 18, investigators said. He is accused of detaining and raping her for 24 years, and fathering seven children with her."
My Way News - 3 dead infants found in freezer in Germany, mother arrested
AP reports: "A 44-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of killing three of her babies after their bodies were discovered in the family freezer by her grown children looking for pizza, police said Monday."
My Way News - Small earthquake shakes Missouri; no reports of damage
AP reports: "A small earthquake shook the St. Louis area Monday, causing some residents to awake to a disconcerting rumbling for the second time in less than a month."
My Way News - US, EU asked to reconsider biofuel goals as food prices rise
AP reports: "The U.S. and European Union should reconsider a shift to biofuels that has helped increase food prices worldwide by turning agricultural land over to energy crops, American economist Jeffrey Sachs said Monday."
My Way News - China says hand, foot and mouth disease spreading
AP reports: "China reported a jump Monday in the number of children sickened with hand, foot and mouth disease, saying more than 9,700 cases have been reported."
My Way News - Who should MDs let die in a pandemic? Report offers answers
AP reports: "Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia."

Sunday, May 04, 2008

My Way News - Rice pushes for peace progress; Israel denies hidden agenda
AP reports: "Rice emphasized that a year-end goal for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is still achievable, even though both sides question whether the target is realistic."
My Way News - Cyclone kills hundreds in Myanmar; junta response a concern
AP reports: "A powerful cyclone killed more than 350 people and destroyed thousands of homes, state-run media said Sunday."
My Way News - China farms the world to feed a ravenous economy
AP reports: "As Beijing scrambles to feed its galloping economy, it has already scoured the world for mining and logging concessions. Now it is turning to crops to feed its people and industries."

Saturday, May 03, 2008

My Way News - Rice pushes for progress on Israel-Palestinian peace
AP reports: "The Bush administration also would like to see speedier progress toward a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, a goal of President Bush in his final year in office, Rice said en route to Israel and the West Bank for weekend meetings."
My Way News - Ex-Iranian president: Fomenting violence abroad 'treason'
AP reports: "Iraqi and U.S. officials accuse Iran of arming and training Shiite militias in Iraq but Tehran denies it. Senior Shiite Iraqi politicians are in Iran to confront authorities with evidence of Iran's involvement."
My Way News - US strike takes out suspected militant hideout in Sadr City
AP reports: "The U.S. military fired guided missiles into the heart of Baghdad's teeming Sadr City slum on Saturday, leveling a building 55 yards away from a hospital and wounding nearly two dozen people."
My Way News - As Putin apprentice takes over, Russians weigh an enigma
AP reports: "The 42-year-old attorney, who has long served as an adviser, fixer and friend to Vladimir Putin, will be inaugurated as Russia's president Wednesday. The ceremony will mark the start of three days of pomp and circumstance that will include Putin being named prime minister Thursday and the annual Victory Day parade Friday in Red Square. [...] On Friday, for the first time since the Soviet era, a major military parade through Red Square will include tanks and nuclear missile launchers."
My Way News - Calif. man accused of investment scam targeting Christians
AP reports: "Federal authorities arrested a man accused of running an investment scheme that netted more than $25 million by targeting Christian investors nationwide."
My Way News - China puts nation on alert to try to stop deadly virus
AP reports: "China's Health Ministry issued a nationwide alert Saturday calling for heightened efforts to control a virus that has caused the deaths of 22 children in one city and shows signs of spreading."
VOA News - Rice Beginning New Round of Middle East Talks
The Voice of America reports: "U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flies from London to Jerusalem Saturday for a new round of talks aimed at getting an Israel-Palestinian peace accord by year's end. Rice will lay the groundwork for President Bush's visit to the region later this month."

Friday, May 02, 2008

My Way News - Mideast Quartet urges Israel to stop West Bank settlements
AP reports: "The remarks came after the Middle East peace Quartet - the U.S., Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - urged Israel to cease all settlement activity in the West Bank. The diplomats called for more negotiations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
My Way News - High prices force UN to cut Palestinian refugees's food aid
AP reports: "Rising prices and funding shortages have forced the United Nations to stop providing emergency food aid to more than 13 percent of the 750,000 Palestinian refugees it feeds in Gaza, a U.N. official said Friday."
My Way News - Turkish warplanes bomb Kurdish rebel bases deep inside Iraq
AP reports: "Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel bases deep inside Iraq for three hours overnight, a rebel spokesman said Friday. Warplanes bombed Iraq's Qandil region as well as 10 other sites near the Iraq-Iran border in an operation that began Thursday night and stretched into early Friday, rebel spokesman Ahmed Danas said."
My Way News - A day of skirmishing for Marines in southern Afghan town
AP reports: "The British military is responsible for Helmand Province, but its 7,500 soldiers, along with 2,500 Canadian troops in neighboring Kandahar, hasn't been enough manpower to tame Afghanistan's south. So the 2,400-strong 24th Marines have come to help."
My Way News - Agreement reached on incentives for Iran on nuclear program
AP reports: "World powers agreed Friday to try again to lure Iran to the nuclear bargaining table with a repackaged set of carrots to accompany the stick of U.N. sanctions. [...] The Bush administration has been the chief advocate for U.N. sanctions against Iran, over the reservations of veto-holding members Russia and China. "
My Way News - Food crisis leaves many Afghans desperate
AP reports: "Rising global food prices have hit few places as hard as Afghanistan, where the cost of wheat flour has shot up 75 percent in three months, fueling anger against the U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai."
My Way News - Twisters tear up parts of 4 states; 7 killed in Arkansas
AP reports: "Greg Carbin, a meteorologist for the national Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said as many as 25 tornadoes may have cut through stretches of Oklahoma, Arkansas, eastern Kansas and western Missouri."
My Way News - Major Arctic sea ice melt is expected this summer
AP reports: "What researchers have concluded was happening, was that in the North, global warming and natural variability of climate were reinforcing one another, sending the Arctic into a new state with much less sea ice than in the past."

Thursday, May 01, 2008

My Way News - London conference on investment in Palestinian areas begins

AP reports: "British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his predecessor, Tony Blair, made a rare public appearance together Thursday to kick off 24 hours of Middle East diplomacy aimed at spurring investment in the Palestinian territories. [...] ministers from the 'Quartet' of Middle East peacemakers planned to meet on the sidelines of the conference."
My Way News - Irish prelates barred from Jerusalem's Western Wall
AP reports: "Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi of the Western Wall, said that while the site is open to all faiths, worshippers are expected not to offend the sensitivities of Jews by displaying symbols of other religions. [...] The Western Wall, in Jerusalem's walled Old City, is a remnant of the Second Temple compound built by King Herod in the 6th century B.C. and destroyed by Roman conquerors in A.D. 70."

Comment: This would be the Temple that the Palestinians deny existed. The Middle East is a weird place.
My Way News - Philippine troops wound top al-Qaida-linked militant
AP reports: "A top al-Qaida-linked militant long hunted by U.S. and Filipino troops was wounded during a military attack on a rebel encampment in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said Thursday."
My Way News - US missile strike kills reputed al-Qaida leader in Somalia
AP reports: "U.S. missiles destroyed the house of the man identified by the U.S. military as the top al-Qaida commander in Somalia, killing him and 10 others Thursday in a pre-dawn attack that analysts warned could torpedo peace talks."
My Way News - Rice raises new doubts about Iran's nuclear program
AP reports: "Analysts have suggested that Iran may be deliberately leaving ambiguities about its program as a negotiating tactic and to project strength as it competes with the United States for influence in the Middle East. Other analysts say it is probably inevitable that Iran will acquire the bomb."
My Way News - Iraqi team seeks halt to suspected Iranian aid to militias
AP reports: "Iraqi envoys stepped up pressure on Iran during a mission Thursday that seeks to bolster claims that Tehran is arming and training Shiite militias in Iraq and bring the suspected aid to a halt."
My Way News - Bush calls for approval of $770 million in food aid
AP reports: "President Bush urged Congress Thursday to approve $770 million to help alleviate dramatically escalating food prices that threaten widespread hunger and increasing social unrest around the world."
My Way News - Bush signs order to further crackdown on Myanmar
AP reports: "Last September, at least 31 people were killed and thousands more detained when the military cracked down on peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks and democracy advocates. Dissidents in Myanmar and exile groups elsewhere have urged voters to vote on May 10 against the constitution, saying it is merely a ploy to perpetuate more than four decades of military rule."
My Way News - Bush to visit Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt
AP reports: "President Bush will visit Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in May, a trip intended to hail Israel's 60th anniversary but also shove along Mideast peace talks that have stalled as Bush's term winds down. [...] His trip runs from May 13 to 18."
My Way News - Study: Warmer ocean water means less oxygen
AP reports: "Oxygen-depleted zones in the central and eastern equatorial Atlantic and equatorial Pacific oceans appear to have expanded over the last 50 years, researchers report in Friday's edition of the journal Science."
My Way News - CDC: Measles cases in US top 70, highest in 6 years
AP reports: "Measles outbreaks in several states have led to more than 70 cases so far this year, the worst in six years, health officials said Thursday."
Blood moon eclipses: 2nd Coming in 2015? - WND

WND reports: "A minister who promotes the Old Testament roots of Christianity suggests a rare string of lunar and solar eclipses said to fall on God's annual holy days seven years from now could herald what's come to be known as the 'Second Coming' of Jesus."

Comment: This is interesting. When I first read the report I was a bit skeptical and fearful that it amounts to date-setting, which is never a productive exercise. However, on re-reading it, I realize that he isn't date-setting, he is simply calling attention to a historical pattern of lunar and solar eclipse cycles falling on Jewish feast days, noting that this pattern is rare, and that the next occurrence of this pattern will be in 2014 and 2015. He isn't saying that the Second Coming will in fact happen then, he is simply saying that it opens up the possibility for the fulfillment of Bible prophecy on dates that are perpetually important to God and that we should pay attention to this. I don't think there's anything wrong with paying attention, do you?