Tuesday, November 25, 2008

My Way News - Some fearful Christians hope to flee Iraq
AP reports: "Both church spires and mosque minarets rise above the low-slung houses. Violence is rare. [...] And yet, many Christians here say they want to flee a town where their ancestors have lived for generations and, if possible, to abandon a country where their religion has survived for some 2,000 years - longer than in Europe - but one they fear is growing ever more violent."
My Way News - British government's identity card plan begins
AP reports: "The British government began its identity card program for foreign nationals Tuesday - six years after heated debate over whether the costly plan is an effective tool against terrorism, identity theft and welfare fraud. [...] The cards will contain a computer chip with fingerprint information and other data, including date of birth and nationality, but will not contain religious or ethnic data."
My Way News - UN urges aid for Zimbabwe despite political crisis
AP reports: "U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm Tuesday at the desperate humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe [...] U.N. officials say more than 5 million people face imminent starvation in Zimbabwe and cholera is spreading in the country and the region."
My Way News - UN reports more cholera deaths in Zimbabwe
AP reports: "More than 50 cholera deaths have been reported in Zimbabwe in the past day, bringing the toll to 366 since August, the United Nations said Tuesday."
My Way News - Thanksgiving sky: Jupiter, Venus, moon together
AP reports: "Starting Thanksgiving evening, Jupiter and Venus will begin moving closer so that by Sunday and Monday, they will appear 2 degrees apart, which is about a finger width held out at arm's length, said Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine. Then on Monday night, they will be joined by a crescent moon right next to them, he said."
My Way News - Study says HIV could be eliminated in a decade
AP reports: "The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model."
Israel: Hizbollah arsenal has tripled in size - Telegraph
The Telegraph reports: "Israel has accused Lebanon's militant Shia group Hizbollah of tripling its arsenal to 42,000 rockets, many with a range long enough to reach beyond Tel Aviv."
My Way News - Venezuela's Chavez welcomes Russian warships
AP reports: "Russian warships arrived in Venezuela Tuesday in a show of strength aimed at the United States as Moscow seeks to expand its influence in Latin America."

Monday, November 24, 2008

My Way News - Indonesian AIDS patients face microchip monitoring
AP reports: "Lawmakers in Indonesia's remote province of Papua have thrown their support behind a controversial bill requiring some HIV/AIDS patients to be implanted with microchips - part of extreme efforts to monitor the disease."

Comment: I think this is part of a larger trend of tech diffusion in which these things start out in small and powerless populations (children, the sick, the elderly, pets) before expanding to the larger population. It will be interesting to see if the Indonesian government is able to force people to get chipped against their will. You don't have to be a Christian to find that idea troublesome.
My Way News - Man killed at Scientology building had church ties
AP reports: "An Oregon man who was fatally shot as he wielded samurai swords and tried to attack guests at a landmark Scientology building was a former follower of the religion who had made at least a dozen previous threats against the church, officials said Monday."
My Way News - Siberian quake triggers false US seismic reports
AP reports: "A powerful undersea earthquake off Russia's eastern coast on Monday caused automated monitoring systems to falsely indicate small temblors in Idaho and California, scientists reported. The real quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 and struck the Sea of Okhotsk 195 miles west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered at a depth of about 300 miles."
My Way News - Witnesses: Large meteor streaks across Canada sky
AP reports: "Scientists say they hope to find remnants of a meteor that brilliantly lit up the sky before falling to earth in western Canada. University of Calgary planetary scientist Alan Hildebrand called it one of the largest meteors visible in the country in the last decade."

Sunday, November 23, 2008

World Net Daily - North Korea enraged by launch of Gospel gas balloons
WND reports: "North Korea long has had a record of banning Christianity and torturing and killing Christians. WND reported a Christian ministry launched a campaign seeking to have North Korean students who were caught reading the Bible freed from jail."
My Way News - Economy, not rights, rules the new China-US world
AP reports: "The crisis that Obama is inheriting has pushed aside the old points of contention and underscored how profoundly the power equation between Washington and Beijing has changed."

Saturday, November 22, 2008

My Way News - Strong quake hits waters off western Indonesia
AP reports: "The U.S. geological agency says a strong earthquake has struck in the waters off western Indonesia. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey put Saturday's preliminary magnitude of the quake at 6.8."
WND - Every language by 2025 is Bible translators' goal
World Net Daily reports: "A $50 million donation is being used to kick off an effort to reach an estimated 200 million people around the world with a Bible written in their own language by the year 2025."

Comment
: This sounds like a worthy effort, but I can't imagine it would cost that much, haven't they ever heard of the internet? If they translate and publish on the web, it should be much cheaper and faster than traditional publishing.

Friday, November 21, 2008

My Way News - Japanese Christian martyrs to be beatified
AP reports: "Samurai warriors, housewives and children were crucified, thrown into hot springs and tortured, but refused to renounce their religion. Japan's extraordinary but relatively unknown history of Christian persecution is finally receiving recognition in a beatification of 188 martyrs."

Comment: I'm really surprised to learn about this history of persecution. I knew that there was a long and storied history of missionaries in Japan, but I didn't know about the persecution, I'm glad they are being honored.
My Way News - Rocket hits Israeli city, Gaza still sealed
AP reports: "Palestinians fired a rocket at an Israeli city near the Gaza Strip on Friday but caused no casualties, police said, as the Israeli military continued its closure of all crossings into the coastal territory because of ongoing rocket fire."

Comments: The Palestinians really do want peace, they just have a lot of amateur rocket hobbyists with bad aim.
My Way News - Germany drops attempt to ban Scientology
AP reports: "Germany has said it considers Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution, calling it less a church than a business that uses coercion to take advantage of vulnerable people. A report on extremism last charged that Scientology 'seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally.'"
My Way News - Britain's Miliband calls Iran world threat
AP reports: "Britain's foreign policy chief said Friday that Iran continues to pose the most serious threat to the world, warning that Tehran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons risks an arms race across the Middle East."
My Way News - Germany bans Hezbollah television station Al-Manar
AP reports: "Government spokesman Markus Beyer said Al-Manar programming was forbidden on Nov. 11 under Article 9 of Germany's constitution, which says that organizations cannot operate with the purpose of violating 'international understanding.' Beyer was not more specific, but Al-Manar is known to be staunchly anti-Israel and frequently broadcasts footage of Hezbollah fighters."

Comment: Good for them! It's nice to see a European government take a realistic approach to the activities of Hezbollah.
My Way News - Syria all but rules out more UN nuclear inspection
AP reports: "A senior Syrian official on Friday all but ruled out new visits by U.N. inspectors probing allegations that his country had a covert program that could be used to make nuclear weapons."
Rumors of CyberWar
My Way News - Pentagon bans computer flash drives
AP reports: "The Pentagon has banned, at least temporarily, the use of external computer flash drives because of a virus threat officials detected on Defense Department networks. [...] military leaders have consistently warned of potential threats from a variety of sources including other countries - such as China - along with other self-styled cyber-vigilantes and terrorists."

My Way News - Panel: China has accelerated computer espionage
AP reports: "China has accelerated computer espionage attacks on the U.S. government, defense contractors and American businesses, a congressional advisory panel said Thursday."
Meteor lights up skies over Canada - Space- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "A massive ball of fire that lit up the skies over two Western Canadian provinces on Thursday evening was likely among the biggest meteor events to be witnessed in Canada this year, one expert said."
My Way News - The year 2025: Oil, dollar out; Russia, Islam in
AP reports: "The potential for conflict will be greater in 2025 than it is now, as the world's population competes for declining and shifting food, water and energy resources."

Thursday, November 20, 2008

NYT - Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon

The New York Times reports: "Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors."

Comment: When the usually anti-Israel MSM newspaper of record announces that Iran may have enough nuclear fuel for one nuclear bomb then I suspect the reality is a bit more worrisome. After all, an enormous amount of evidence would be needed to overcome the presumed editorial bias against that finding. Of course, they are merely reporting on the IAEA conclusion, but still, the paper decided not to intentionally cast doubt on the report, even as they note the chances of the nuclear fuel being weaponized immediately are remote.
My Way News - Palestinian leader appeals to Israelis in peace ad

AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas took his case for a peace deal directly to ordinary Israelis Thursday, assuring them in Hebrew-language newspaper ads that a withdrawal from the West Bank, Gaza and parts of Jerusalem would bring them full recognition by the Arab world."

Comment: How ironic. I'd think he would do better to take his case for peace to his own people, the people who voted for Hamas, the people who fire rockets at Israel, the people who smuggle weapons across the borders. Until the Palestinian people are willing to support peace, well, there will be no peace.
My Way News - Polls show Israel's Likud party leading
AP reports: "Netanyahu believes the U.S.-backed talks, which aim to establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, have been a failure and thinks negotiations should largely be limited to developing the Palestinian economy. Livni, who has been Israel's chief negotiator the past year, wants to continue the talks."
My Way News - Putin grabs spotlight, vows Russia will thrive
AP reports: "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin used a meeting of his powerful political party to take center stage Thursday, casting himself as an indispensable leader even as the global financial meltdown threatens the achievements of his boom-time presidency."
My Way News - China says 19,000 students died in May earthquake
AP reports: "China acknowledged Friday for the first time that more than 19,000 schoolchildren were among the dead in the massive earthquake that struck Sichuan province in May."
Threat Level - Teen Kills Self on Justin.tv
Threat Level reports: "About 1,500 people were viewing the feed on the San Francisco-based live-streaming service. But the teen apparently announced his pending suicide on a bodybuilding chat forum, left a suicide note, and viewers were said to have egged him on."

Comment: Suicide as entertainment.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

My Way News - Al-Qaida No. 2 insults Obama with racial epithet
AP reports: "Al-Zawahri did not threaten specific attacks, but warned Obama that he was 'facing a Jihadi (holy war) awakening and renaissance which is shaking the pillars of the entire Islamic world; and this is the fact which you and your government and country refuse to recognize and pretend not to see.'"
My Way News - IAEA: Syrian site could have been nuclear reactor
AP reports: "The U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Wednesday that a Syrian site bombed by Israel in 2007 had the characteristics of a nuclear reactor. It also admitted that its investigation into Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program is deadlocked."
My Way News - Israel boycotts UN racism conference, claims bias
AP reports: "The U.S. and Israel walked out midway through the 2001 World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, because of a draft resolution that singled out Israel for criticism and compared Zionism - the movement to establish and maintain a Jewish state - to racism. The resolution was not approved. Critics said that conference mostly ignored other conflicts around the world and focused on Israel. Livni said the 2009 gathering would be a repeat performance."

Comment: Hatred of Israel and of Jews has a spiritual source, but those who don't believe in the notion of anything spiritual will never understand that. Thus well educated international activists will convene in a bastion of Western tolerance to single out one country above all others as an extreme violator of human rights, and that country will not be a dictatorship, a kleptocracy or a thugocracy, it will be a liberal democracy named Israel. They will heap scorn on Israel and feel self-righteous about doing it, and will never once consider the notion that they are being used. It will be quite a spectacle to see. I, for one, hope the U.S. representative again does the decent thing and refuses to give an American sanction to such moral hypocrisy.
My Way News - Hungry in Zimbabwe: `If you rest, you starve'
AP reports: "These scenes from a food catastrophe are unfolding in Doma, a district of rural Zimbabwe where journalists rarely venture. It's a stronghold of President Robert Mugabe's party and his enforcers and informants are everywhere."

Comment: Like the famine in North Korea, this famine in Zimbabwe is purely man-made. Warning: dictators are dangerous to your health.
My Way News - Prosecutor says woman plotted Web hoax with others
AP reports: "A federal prosecutor says a Missouri mother hatched a plot with her daughter and an employee to stage an Internet hoax on a 13-year-old girl who later committed suicide."
My Way News - Mammoth task: Scientists map DNA of ancient beast
AP reports: "Bringing 'Jurassic Park' one step closer to reality, scientists have deciphered much of the genetic code of the woolly mammoth, a feat they say could allow them to recreate the shaggy, prehistoric beast in as little as a decade or two."
My Way News - Herod may have been buried among lavish artwork
AP reports: "Herod was the Jewish proxy ruler of the Holy Land under imperial Roman occupation from 37 B.C. and reigned for more than six decades. He is known to have had a taste for extravagance. [...] The Herod of Christian tradition was a bloodthirsty megalomanic, who flew into a frenzy when he met the three wise men on the way to Bethlehem carrying gifts for the baby Jesus and telling of the birth of a new king of Israel. Herod purportedly ordered the slaying of all children in his realm younger than 2. But historians are not convinced of the story's accuracy."

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

My Way News - Israeli tanks rumble into Gaza, raze farmlands
AP reports: "Both Israel and Hamas leaders have said they hoped the Egyptian-brokered truce could be preserved. But a small, Hamas-allied group said they consider the truce to have broken down, and Israel has threatened to hit hard if the rocket fire persists."
My Way News - Opposition to Russian military reforms grows
AP reports: "The reforms come at a delicate time for the Kremlin. Russian national pride has surged amid a decade-long economic boom. Extensive state-run TV coverage of military maneuvers - such as sending long-range bombers on trans-Atlantic missions or a naval flotilla to the Caribbean for exercises - have given Russians renewed confidence in their armed forces."
My Way News - China rejects sending troops to Afghanistan
AP reports: "China said Tuesday it would not send any troops to Afghanistan - rejecting recent speculation that Beijing might support the international coalition there."
My Way News - Man charged in death of retiree who befriended him
AP reports: "A wealthy retiree opened his three-story lake home to an out-of-work mechanic he had befriended, then was murdered and his possessions plundered, according to indictments against the mechanic and 15 other people."

Monday, November 17, 2008

Israel urges greater force vs Iran nuclear work - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called on Sunday for a stronger international campaign against Iran's nuclear programme to 'thwart it with greater force.'"
My Way News - Georgia calls for independent war probe
AP reports: "Georgia's U.N. ambassador Monday called for an international investigation to determine whether Georgia or Russia started the war in South Ossetia in August that badly damaged ties between Moscow and the West."
My Way News - Russian lawmakers back extending presidential term
AP reports: "Russian lawmakers moved to lengthen the presidential term from four to six years on Friday with a vote that opponents called a step toward Vladimir Putin's return to power."
My Way News - Diplomats: West opposed to IAEA nuke aid to Syria
AP reports: "The U.S. and key allies object to an International Atomic Energy Agency offer to help Syria as it considers building a nuclear power plant because of suspicions it secretly worked on a program that could make nuclear weapons, diplomats said Friday."
My Way News - World leaders at economic summit vow to cooperate
AP reports: "Leaders from 21 nations and four international organizations attended the emergency summit that was held as Washington was blanketed in a gray mist and which took on a workaday feel appropriate to the grim crisis that drew them together. At the conclusion of talks that took place over two days, they released a joint communique that was modest in scope but high in hopes."

Sunday, November 16, 2008

My Way News - Tsunami warning lifted after Indonesia quake
AP reports: "A powerful earthquake struck waters off eastern Indonesia early Monday, briefly generating tsunami warnings for coastlines within 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) of the epicenter."

Friday, November 14, 2008

My Way News - Al-Qaida in Yemen claims US Embassy attack
AP reports: "A group that monitors extremist Web sites says al-Qaida's branch in Yemen has claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing outside the U.S. Embassy there in September."
My Way News - Rockets from Gaza strike deep into Israel

AP reports: "Hamas militants bombarded a major southern Israeli city with rocket fire Friday, unleashing their most powerful weapons yet in a week of tit-for-tat fighting that threatens to destroy a five-month-old cease-fire."

Comment: Hamas rocket attacks into Israel from Gaza are the best proof that the idea of land for peace is not viable. Israel withdrew from Gaza voluntarily as a prelude to more withdrawals, as envisioned by the "road map" to peace. It was an experiment, and the results are in: the Palestinians do not use their land to build up their people and prepare for a peaceful state living side by side with Israel; they use their land as a launching pad for attacks on Israel. This is the record, this is the reality on the ground, it's simply can't be denied. Israel would be foolish to give up any more land until the Palestinians decide they want peace WITH Israel instead of peace WITHOUT Israel.
My Way News - World leaders move toward tougher financial rules
AP reports: "World leaders prepared Friday to adopt an early warning system for financial calamities, a commitment to tougher accounting rules and other modest steps to try to prevent future crises like the one now threatening the livelihoods of billions of people around the globe."

Thursday, November 13, 2008

My Way News - Iraq: UN envoy condemns killing of Christian women
AP reports: "The attack came after about 13,000 Christians fled Mosul, an ethnically mixed city of Kurds, Christians and Arabs, following a spate of threats and killings last month. Sunni insurgents are believed to be behind the campaign to drive them out."

Comment: Let's pray for the church in Iraq, that they will persevere in the midst of persecution and that there will be opportunities for reconciliation.
BBC NEWS - Bin Laden 'cut off from al-Qaeda'
BBC News reports: "The CIA says Osama Bin Laden is isolated from the day-to-day operations of al-Qaeda, but that the organisation is still the greatest threat to the US."
My Way News - Britain in shock over abuse death of toddler
AP reports: "The toddler was tortured for months by his mother's boyfriend and a lodger, Jason Owen, 36; they were both found guilty of causing or allowing his death."
My Way News - Russia sees EU talks as ray of hope for economy
AP reports: "The 27-nation European Union is Russia's No. 1 client and No. 1 investor - and Russia is the EU's biggest energy source. Nearly all the business players at Cannes welcomed the prospect of renewed partnership talks between the EU and Russia."
My Way News - Pakistan's leader backs moderate Islam
AP reports: "Abdullah, whose country bans non-Muslims from openly practicing their religion, has expressed interest in increasing inter-religious goodwill, encouraging meetings between sects of Islam and asking Muslims to reach out to their non-Muslim neighbors."

Comment: This report has it exactly right, Abdullah supports good will between Islamic sects, but I've seen no evidence that he supports tolerance for Christians and Jews within the kingdom or among the Gulf states. Holding a conference in one of the most cosmopolitan cities on Earth is a great place to preach tolerance for religious diversity, but the real test is what he and his coreligionists do in those countries that they control.
My Way News - Cast of millions puts on Calif. earthquake drill
AP reports: "The dress rehearsal served to remind Californians that they live on shaky ground that can rupture without warning. That southern San Andreas has not popped in more than three centuries, and scientists fear stress buildup could unleash a big quake."
My Way News - First fuzzy photos of planets outside solar system
AP reports: "Earth seems to have its first fuzzy photos of alien planets outside our solar system, images captured by two teams of astronomers. The pictures show four likely planets that appear as specks of white, nearly indecipherable except to the most eagle-eyed experts."
VOA News - Gates Criticizes Latest Russian Missile Threats
VOA reports: "U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rejected an offer by Russia's president not to deploy offensive missiles near its borders with NATO allies if the United States will cancel plans for missile defense system partly based in Europe."

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

My Way News - Iran tests missile - Israel in easy reach

AP reports: "Iran said it successfully test-fired a new generation of long range surface-to-surface missile on Wednesday - one that could easily strike Israel and as far away as southeastern Europe with greater precision than earlier models."
My Way News - Secular candidate wins Jerusalem mayor race
AP reports: "Residents of Jerusalem chose a secular businessman to lead one of the world's most revered and complicated cities, putting an end to five years of ultra-Orthodox Jewish control, election results showed Wednesday."
My Way News - 4 Gaza militants dead in clash with Israeli troops
AP reports: "Israeli troops and Palestinian militants fired missiles and mortars at each other along the Gaza-Israel border on Wednesday, killing four Gaza gunmen and further chipping away at an eroding truce."
My Way News - Iraq: Can ancient Babylon be rescued?
AP reports: "It was one of the world's first, greatest cities - a place where astronomers mapped the stars millennia ago and kings created an early code of law and planted what became known as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. [...] Now, for the first time, global institutions led by the U.N. are thoroughly documenting the damage and how to fix it."
My Way News - Reports: Kremlin rejects US missile defense
AP reports: "The Kremlin has rejected a second set of U.S. proposals offered to assuage increasingly strident Russian criticism of plans for an American missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic, news agencies reported Wednesday."
My Way News - Putin says term-extension bill not meant for him
AP reports: "The measure could pave the way for a new 12-year presidency for Putin if he decides to seek Russia's highest office again. Lawmakers are moving to fast-track the constitutional change that President Dmitry Medvedev submitted to parliament Tuesday."
My Way News - Massive malaria vaccine trial to begin in Africa
AP reports: "Researchers trying to create the world's first malaria vaccine are launching a massive medical trial as early as next month involving 16,000 children that could be the largest such trial ever conducted on children in Africa. [...] Malaria, caused by parasites and spread by mosquitoes, kills nearly 1 million people every year, most of them children in Africa."
My Way News - Bush to warn of protectionism at summit
AP reports: "In the final weeks of his presidency, Bush is convening representatives of some of the world's biggest industrial democracies, emerging nations and international bodies in Washington. The goal is to hasten a coordinated response to the most painful and deepening economic downturn in decades."
BBC NEWS - Holy City facing splits and decline
BBC News reports: "The future of Jerusalem, home to some 740,000 people and a pilgrimage site for Muslims, Christians and Jews, is hotly contested. Israelis see it as their capital, Palestinians want to have theirs here too."
AFP - Mediterranean Union agrees on HQ, Arab-Israeli role
AFP reports: "Foreign ministers from the new Mediterranean Union struck a deal Tuesday for Barcelona to host the forum's headquarters and for Israel and the Arab League to take part side-by-side."
GodTube-Banned Pastor Tackles 'Absurd Religion' in New Book - Christianpost.com
The Christian Post reports: "According to The Barna Group, there was around a 90 percent increase in the number of unchurched Americans in the last decade. In 1991 there were 39 million unchurched Americans compared with 75 million found in 2004. A more recent study released earlier this year further found that tens of millions of people are experiencing and expressing their faith in God independent of any connection to a conventional church. In his appearance on the 700 Club, Gray claimed that the decline in church attendance reveals the need for churches that are God-centered rather than people-centered."
BBC NEWS - Google searches track flu spread
BBC News reports: "Google's philanthropic arm Google.org has released a new site that tracks the incidence of flu in the US based on terms used in Google searches."
BBC NEWS - Google Earth revives ancient Rome
BBC News reports: "Ancient Rome is the first historical city to be added to Google Earth. Google's blog said the model contains more than 6,700 buildings, with more than 250 place marks linking to key sites in a variety of languages."
CNN - Blair: Obama can help forge Israeli-Palestinian peace
CNN reports: "Blair, envoy for the Mideast Quartet -- four international entities seeking peace between Israel and the Palestinians -- said Obama can capitalize on a recent international consensus on how to achieve peace in the Middle East."

Friday, November 07, 2008

My Way News - Bush punts unfinished Mideast peace deal to Obama

AP reports: "The Bush administration has conceded that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is no longer possible by the end of its term and is preparing to hand the fragile, unfinished U.S.-backed peace effort to President-elect Obama."
My Way News - US says al-Qaida regional leader killed
AP reports: "The U.S. military says U.S. and Iraqi forces have killed a senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader in the Tarmiyah area north of Baghdad."
My Way News - Syria congratulates Obama, hopes for dialogue
AP reports: "President Bashar Assad's note comes just weeks after the Bush administration ordered a U.S. helicopter raid into Syria near Iraq's border last month that strained relations between the two countries."
My Way News - Palestinians fire rockets at Israel, no injuries
AP reports: "Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired at least three rockets at southern Israel on Friday, the Israeli military said, fraying a five-month truce that has been tested sorely this week."
My Way News - Pakistan says 13 killed in US missile strike
AP reports: "A suspected U.S. missile targeting a Taliban commander killed 13 people near the Afghan border Friday, a sign that America's new general for the region is not heeding Islamabad's pleas for a halt to the strikes."
My Way News - US official: Taliban sought wedding party deaths
AP reports: "Taliban fighters held a wedding party captive and fired on U.S. forces in an attack designed to draw U.S. airstrikes on civilians and stoke anti-American sentiment, a U.S. official said Friday citing 'firsthand' reports."
My Way News - UN officials: Angolan troops fighting in Congo
AP reports: "Reports that Angolan troops joined Congolese soldiers battling rebels near the city of Goma raised new fears the conflict could spread in the region, but the U.N. chief holding a peace conference in nearby Nairobi denied the reports."

Thursday, November 06, 2008

My Way News - Putin's return? Russian parliament may allow it
AP reports: "Russia's constitution will be amended by year's end to extend the presidential term to six years, lawmakers promised Thursday - a move that could pave the way for Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin."
My Way News - Rice: Mideast peace by year-end no longer possible
AP reports: "The Bush administration conceded Thursday that an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by a year-end deadline is no longer possible."
My Way News - Israeli FM: US dialogue with Iran could be problem
AP reports: "Israeli officials describe Iran as the biggest threat to the Jewish state's existence, citing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's frequent calls for Israel's destruction and its development of long-range missiles capable of striking the Jewish state."
My Way News - Petraeus: Afghan tribes needed to fight militants
AP reports: "Afghan tribes are needed as crucial battlefield allies against the Taliban and other extremists in the same way local militias rose up to oppose insurgents in Iraq, the new military overseer of America's two wars said Thursday."
My Way News - Bombers kill 19 and wound dozens in NW Pakistan
AP reports: "Two suicide bombers attacked pro-government tribesmen and security forces Thursday in Pakistan's volatile northwest, killing at least 19 people and wounding dozens, officials said."
My Way News - Bush administration hopeful on summit
AP reports: "Europeans - led by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy- are seeking ambitious regulatory reforms coordinated among countries to prevent a repeat of similar housing, credit and financial debacles that are now imperiling the economies of the United States and the world. Instead, the Bush administration predicts world leaders will come together on broad principles of reform to better protect against future financial crises, promote regulatory cooperation among countries and identify the root causes of the crises at hand."

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

My Way News - Iran sees US choppers near its frontiers
AP reports: "The Iranian military said it would respond to any violation of its borders and warned the U.S. military to keep its distance."
My Way News - Israel airstrike imperils Gaza truce with Hamas
AP reports: "Gaza militants pounded southern Israel early Wednesday with dozens of rockets to avenge raids a day earlier that killed six militants, but the guns quickly fell silent with neither side appearing to have much to gain from renewed hostilities."
My Way News - Russia to deploy short-range missiles near Poland
AP reports: "Russia will deploy short-range missiles near Poland to counter U.S. military plans in Eastern Europe, President Dmitry Medvedev warned Wednesday, setting a combative tone that clashed with global goodwill over Barack Obama's election."
My Way News - Arab League urges Obama to act quickly in Mideast
AP reports: "Arab League head Amr Moussa has urged President-elect Barack Obama to act swiftly to try to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict."
My Way News - New "Euro-Med Union" takes a step to reality
AP reports: "For a Europe that fears unchecked immigration from Africa and hostility from the Muslim world, the new organization is an important outreach program. And for some Europeans, by including Israelis and Palestinians - which both border the Mediterranean - it also offers a forum for European diplomacy."
My Way News - Taiwan leader: Meeting with China envoy successful
AP reports: "Ma praised a landmark agreement signed by the rivals on Tuesday that many believe will greatly ease tensions between them. The deal increases aviation and shipping links between Taiwan and China. It also included measures for better cooperation with food safety issues."
My Way News - Thousands flee Congo fighting; Journalist seized
AP reports: "Associated Press journalists saw several thousand people on the roads, including mothers with babies on their backs, trying to find safety. As insurgents loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda searched houses, artillery fire boomed in the hills nearby, and rebels told the journalists to leave."
My Way News - Africa, and world, celebrate Obama victory
AP reports: "For many across Africa and the world, Barack Obama's election seals America's reputation as a land of staggering opportunity."

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Taking the night off to watch the U.S. election returns. Back tomorrow.

Monday, November 03, 2008

My Way News - Burning flags, Iranians cheer US Embassy takeover

AP reports: "Equal parts unofficial school holiday and angry demonstration, the commemoration came on the eve of the U.S. presidential election and was marked by anti-U.S. and anti-Israel chants and the burning of American, Israeli flags and an effigy of Uncle Sam."
My Way News - UAE challenges Iran with US-inspired confidence
AP reports: "The confrontational posture is rare among the conservative Gulf Arab sheikdoms, who normally are cautious about criticizing their massive neighbor. 'They look at Iran as an expansionist, bullying neighbor, but they don't like to say it clearly,' said Simon Henderson, the director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy."
My Way News - Protests mark China's envoy historic Taiwan trip
AP reports: "The highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Taiwan in six decades opened talks with his Taiwanese counterpart Tuesday on a sweeping trade pact that could help ease the threat of war between the rivals."
My Way News - UN says Rwanda tanks fired at Congo
AP reports: "Rwandan forces fired tank shells and other heavy artillery across the border at Congolese troops during fighting last week, the United Nations said Tuesday."
My Way News - US may airlift African peacekeepers to Darfur
AP reports: "The Darfur conflict began in early 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against Sudan's Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of discrimination. Many of the worst atrocities in the war have been blamed on the janjaweed militia of Arab nomads allied with the government."
My Way News - S&P: Global markets lose record $5.79T in October
AP reports: "World equity markets lost an estimated $5.79 trillion during October, the biggest monthly loss ever, Standard & Poor's Index Services said Monday."
More UFO sighting reports from small Texas town - FOX11AZ.com
Fox11AZ reports: "Over a three-month period this summer there were 1,000 UFO sightings filed with the National UFO Reporting Center. Some 75 of those UFOs were reported over the state of Texas."

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Mass Relocations Planned as Sea Levels Rise : Planetsave
Planetsave reports: "The government of Indonesia is preparing to do mass relocation’s of people living on islands considered vulnerable to rising sea levels over the next three decades."
My Way News - Libya's Gadhafi hails energy ties with Russia
AP reports: "Russia has hoped to persuade Libya to back its plans for a gas cartel that would also involve Algeria, Iran, Qatar and the countries of Central Asia. Such an OPEC-like organization could strengthen Moscow's energy leverage over Europe. Gadhafi is also expected to clinch a series of major arms deals on his visit."
My Way News - Fears of new war rise around separatist Abkhazia
AP reports: "A cease-fire ended major hostilities between Georgia and Russia after August's five-day war. But shootings and bombings continue - and nowhere more so than here along the poorly defined, porous border that separates Georgia proper from Abkhazia."
My Way News - Pakistan officials: toll from US strike reaches 29
AP reports: "U.S. drone aircraft are believed to have carried out attacks on suspected al-Qaida and Taliban hide-outs in Pakistan's lawless border zone. Scores of foreign al-Qaida members are believed to be based there. It is considered a likely hiding place for Osama bin Laden. U.S. officials have been frustrated at what they say is Pakistani inaction against extremists blamed for planning attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan - and perhaps Sept. 11-style terror strikes in the West."
My Way News - Iraqi Christians slowly returning home to Mosul
AP reports: "Attacks against Christians and other minorities in Iraq had tapered off amid a drastic decline in overall violence nationwide. But some 1,800 Christians families, or 13,000 people, were chased away by threats and extremist attacks in Mosul earlier this month."