Saturday, October 31, 2009

BBC NEWS - Turkey chastises the West on Iran
BBC News reports: "Turkey's prime minister has accused the West of treating Iran unfairly over its nuclear programme."

Friday, October 30, 2009

BBC NEWS | Americas | US jails al-Qaeda sleeper agent
BBC News reports: "An al-Qaeda sleeper agent has been jailed in the US for plotting to provide material support for terrorism."
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel endorses Iran nuclear plan
BBC News reports: "Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has praised a UN proposal to regulate Iran's uranium enrichment programme. [...] Under the plan, low-enriched fuel would be further processed outside Iran."
My Way News - Clinton to meet Abbas in Abu Dhabi
My Way News reports: "U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to the Persian Gulf city of Abu Dhabi to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of a weekend effort to push both Palestinian and Israeli leaders to resume peace talks, a U.S. official said Friday."
My Way News - Russia plans research to support Arctic claim
My Way News reports: "Russia is planning extensive research to support its claim to a broad swath of energy-rich territory beneath the Arctic Sea, a top official of the nation's icebreaker fleet said Friday."
My Way News - 4th typhoon in month lashes sodden Philippines
My Way News reports: "A powerful typhoon crashed into the Philippine capital Saturday with pounding rain and strong winds, causing a massive power outage, downing trees and bringing fresh floods to areas still partially submerged from a recent deadly storm."
My Way News - Pakistan military closes in on Taliban stronghold
My Way News reports: "Pakistani forces are closing in on a major Taliban base inside the militant stronghold of South Waziristan, the army said Friday, while announcing it had killed 14 militants in a day of fighting."
Reports: N. Korea behind cyberattacks on U.S. - Security- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "The North Korean government was the source of high-profile cyberattacks in July that caused Web outages in South Korea and the United States, news reports said Friday."

Security center opens to battle computer attacks - Security- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "The United States is well behind the curve in the fight against computer criminals, Sen. Joe Lieberman said Friday, as Homeland Security officials opened a $9 million operations center to better coordinate the government's response to cyberattacks."
My Way News - iPhone comes to China without key feature
My Way News reports: "Apple's iPhone is making its long-awaited formal debut in the world's most populous mobile phone market, without a key feature and at higher prices than widely available black market models. [...] Unicom's first iPhones lack WiFi, a possible handicap with sophisticated, demanding Chinese buyers."
My Way News - AP IMPACT: Troops already outnumber Taliban 12-1
My Way News reports: "There are already more than 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan working with 200,000 Afghan security forces and police. It adds up to a 12-1 numerical advantage over Taliban rebels, but it hasn't led to anything close to victory. Now, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan is asking for tens of thousands more troops to stem the escalating insurgency, raising the question of how many more troops it would take to succeed."
World Tribune - Iran, Turkey sign deal to develop world's largest gas field
The World Tribune reports: "Officials said Ankara and Teheran signed a memorandum of understanding that would pave the way for Turkish companies to develop Iran's natural gas reserves."

Thursday, October 29, 2009

My Way News - Qaida-linked group claims rocket attack on Israel
My Way News reports: "A Lebanon-based al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility Thursday for a rocket attack against Israel this week, saying it was in retaliation for the Jewish state's crackdown on protesters at a Jerusalem shrine."
My Way News - EU leaders agree on Czech treaty demands
My Way News reports: "The treaty would streamline decision-making and bolster the bloc's role on the world stage. It would also create the post of a fixed EU president, a job leading European figures are already jockeying for behind the scenes."
My Way News - Passports linked to 9/11 found along Afghan border
My Way News reports: "Pakistani soldiers battling their way into a Taliban stronghold along the Afghan border have seized passports that may be linked to 9/11 suspects, as they confront an enemy skilled in operating in a mountainous terrain with endless ways to wage a guerrilla war."
My Way News - Feds investigating Detroit Islamic group's motives
My Way News reports: "The FBI says Abdullah, also known as Christopher Thomas, was an imam, or prayer leader, of a local faction of Ummah, a group that seeks to establish an Islamic state within the U.S. Authorities say Abdullah preached hate for the government and encouraged his followers to commit violence, especially against police and federal agents."
My Way News - Hebrew, Hindi, other scripts get Web address nod
My Way News reports: "The nonprofit body that oversees Internet addresses approved Friday the use of Hebrew, Hindi, Korean and other scripts not based on the Latin alphabet in a decision that could make the Web dramatically more inclusive."
My Way News - Quake hits Afghan, Pakistan; no casualty reports
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake hit Afghanistan's Hindu Kush mountains Thursday, shaking large areas of the country and neighboring Pakistan, officials said. [...] The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.0, though Pakistani officials said it was 6.1."

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

My Way News - Lebanese army dismantles 4 rockets near Israel
My Way News reports: "Lebanese troops found and dismantled four rockets near the border with Israel on Wednesday, a day after a brief flare-up across the tense boundary, a Lebanese military official said. The Katyusha rockets, three of them ready to be fired, were discovered placed in a building under construction in the Houla area, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations."
My Way News - Car bomb in crowded Pakistan market kills 105
My Way News reports: "Suspected militants exploded a car bomb in a market crowded with women and children Wednesday, killing 105 people and turning shops selling wedding dresses, toys and jewelry into a mass of burning debris and bodies."
My Way News - Fla. teen accused of stabbing brother in squabble
My Way News reports: "According to police in Coral Springs, about 45 miles north of Miami, Matthew was playing music on a home computer. William was watching television nearby and complained the volume was too loud. He told him to turn it down. Matthew refused. The two yelled at each other, then fought. Then William went to the kitchen, grabbed a 7-inch knife and stabbed his brother in the upper left chest, Sgt. Joe McHugh said."

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Study: Megaquake looms over Seattle - Discovery.com- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "If the new findings are accurate, the fault will rupture within 68 miles of downtown Seattle, pouring seismic energy into a densely populated urban area, threatening to knock down buildings both large and small, and endangering the lives of the city's nearly 10 million residents."
My Way News - Israeli official: Clinton to hold Jerusalem talks
My Way News reports: "An Israeli official says U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to arrive in Israel at the weekend to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a fresh attempt to revive stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks."
My Way News - Iran backs uranium plan outline, but seeks changes
My Way News reports: "Iran accepted the general framework of a U.N.-draft nuclear deal Tuesday, but said it would seek 'important changes' that could test the willingness of world powers to make concessions in exchange for a pact to rein in Tehran's ability to make atomic warheads."

Comment: Is anyone really surprised that Iran uses this negotiating strategy? They intend to talk, to negotiate, and talk some more, and every day that goes by brings them closer to attaining nuclear weapons.
My Way News - US-Israel drill may shape European missile shield
My Way News reports: "A U.S. military officer said Tuesday that a major missile defense exercise staged by American and Israeli forces will help the development of a planned NATO missile shield for Europe. Some 2,000 U.S. and Israeli personnel are holding maneuvers this week and next to test technology that would protect Israel from a missile attack, setting up radar arrays along the coast and deploying naval vessels offshore. The allies plan to conduct a live-fire test during the exercise."

Comment: Contrary to what you may have been told, the U.S. - Israel alliance is as strong as ever and the U.S. is not on the verge of "turning against Israel."
My Way News - Luxembourg PM rejects Blair as EU president
My Way News reports: "Luxembourg's premier spoke out Tuesday against former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's candidacy to become the European Union's first-ever president. [...] The EU leaders, at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, will discuss who should fill the top jobs of a new EU that is emerging from a treaty to streamline decision-making in the 27-nation bloc."
My Way News - Ex-US diplomat: Russia balks at zero nuke talks
My Way News reports: "Russia is not ready to agree to a proposed new round of arms control talks that were to begin after a deal is reached on extending the START 1 nuclear treaty, a U.S. nuclear expert said Tuesday. [...] Russian officials appear to be concerned that steep cuts in their nuclear arsenal will leave them vulnerable to military threats."
My Way News - Church of Scientology convicted of fraud in France
My Way News reports: "A Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than euro600,000 ($900,000) on Tuesday, but stopped short of banning the group's activities. [...] The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology, founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, has been active for decades in Europe, but has struggled to gain status as a religion. It is considered a sect in France and has faced prosecution and difficulties in registering its activities in many countries."

Comment: New religions, always so cool and trendy, until they bilk you out of your money. Maybe they should have recruited Catherine Deneuve? Kidding.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Australia faces famine, expert warns - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
ABC Online reports: "A food production expert says Australia may face a massive famine if governments fail to address an impending global food shortage."

My Way News - Violent clashes erupt at Jerusalem's holiest site
My Way News reports: "The disputing claims to the man-made platform in Jerusalem's Old City lie at the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is revered as the holiest site in Judaism, home to two biblical Temples, and Jews pray at the foot of the compound at the Western Wall. In the Islamic tradition [emphasis added], it is the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven in a nighttime journey recounted in the Quran, and is considered the third-holiest site after the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina."

Comment: Although scholars, historians and archeologists agree on the status of Jerusalem as the capital of ancient Israel and the seat of the David's kingdom, it's status in Islamic culture is based merely on tradition. Jerusalem is not even mentioned in the Koran. Any impartial observer would find that Judaism and Christianity have a far greater claim to the Temple Mount than the later and much newer religion of Islam. We can only conclude that followers of Islam make an issue of it for political reasons born of spite and antipathy for the Jews. Some Palestinian scholars go so far as to deny that any Jewish temples ever stood on the site. Such willful deception should not be encouraged.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Spiritual Themes in ABC's "V" Remake?
It's hard to miss the spiritual themes in the following promotional video for the new ABC series that premiers tonight. Note, for example, themes of hope, faith, devotion, and brief glimpses of Jesus (the Christ The Redeemer statue in Rio, a crucifix falling inside a church). Also note themes of deception, false miracles, and temptation. And in the end, the serpent's skin is revealed beneath the lie.

Friday, October 23, 2009

My Way News - WHO: nearly 5,000 swine flu deaths worldwide
My Way News reports: "Nearly 5,000 people have reportedly died from swine flu since it emerged this year and developed into a global epidemic, the World Health Organization said Friday. Since most countries have stopped counting individual swine flu cases, the figure is considered an underestimate."

Comment: I'd like to ask a reader in the medical community to explain the logic of saying that swine flu is a serious threat to public health (a pandemic) but we are not going to count the number of cases. How does the medical establishment estimate the amount of vaccine needed to fight swine flu if they are not counting cases and tracking the outbreak? Thank you in advance.
My Way News - Palestinian president sets date for elections
My Way News reports: "The Palestinian president signed a decree on Friday calling for presidential and parliamentary elections on Jan. 24, a move likely to deepen the rift with the rival militant Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip."
My Way News - Pakistan militants hit air force base
My Way News reports: "A suicide bomber on a bicycle attacked a major Pakistani air base on Friday, killing seven people in an escalating campaign that strikes at the heart of this nuclear-armed nation's security forces."
My Way News - Strong earthquake rocks eastern Indonesia
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake shook eastern Indonesia's remote Papua province Friday, sending panicked resident fleeing outdoors and reportedly toppling a building. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the eastern province."

Thursday, October 22, 2009

My Way News - Ethiopia seeks urgent food aid for 6 million
My Way News reports: "Ethiopia said Thursday it needs emergency food aid for 6.2 million people, an appeal that comes 25 years after a devastating famine compounded by communist policies killed 1 million and prompted one of the largest charity campaigns in history."

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

U.S. officer: If Israel strikes Iran, U.S. will likely join - Haaretz - Israel News
Haaretz reports: "The United States would find it difficult not to join an Israeli air strike in the event that Jerusalem decides to strike Iran's nuclear facilities, a former top-ranking U.S. Air Force officer told participants at a conference this weekend organized by a Washington think tank."
My Way News - US envoy: Lip service for Mideast peace not enough
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration's ambassador to the United Nations told Israelis on Wednesday that it is not enough just to pay 'lip service' to peace and urged the government to immediately relaunch negotiations, without preconditions, aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state."
My Way News - Gates: N.Korea still threat to international peace
My Way News reports: "U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that North Korea continues to pose a grave threat to international peace and pledged to maintain a nuclear deterrent in the region."
My Way News - Islamists order Somali radio stations to shut down
My Way News reports: "A powerful Islamist group linked to al-Qaida on Wednesday ordered two radio stations in southwestern Somalia to stop broadcasts indefinitely. [...] Al-Shabab, which has foreign fighters in its ranks, is seeking to overthrow the fragile U.N.-backed government in the capital, Mogadishu. It controls much of southern Somalia where it imposes a strict form of Islam."
My Way News - Mass. man accused of plot to kill US politicians
My Way News reports: "Tarek Mehanna, who recently taught at a Muslim school in Worcester, was arrested early Wednesday at his parents' suburban Boston home. Mehanna was charged with conspiring with two other men - an American now in Syria and another man who is cooperating with authorities - to provide support to terrorists."
My Way News - Google CEO: Vast Web changes coming within 5 years
My Way News reports: "A Web where Chinese is the dominant language, and connections are so fast that distinctions between audio, video and text are blurred is perhaps just five years away, the head of Google said Wednesday."

Comment: The world that is emerging is one in which people seamlessly interact with the people and places in their world, and by their world I mean the entire world, always on, always in reach, always connected.
My Way News - Palestinian president to set Jan. election date
My Way News reports: "The Palestinian president said Tuesday he will set Jan. 24 as the date for presidential and legislative elections, despite objections from his rivals in the Hamas militant group. [...] Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement have been deeply divided since the militant group, which won the 2005 legislative election, expelled security forces loyal to Abbas from the Gaza Strip in a bloody conflict in June 2007. That left Abbas in control of a rival, Western-backed government in the West Bank."

Tuesday, October 20, 2009


Jerusalem Post - Kotel Rabbi: Arabs won't dictate when we can go to Temple Mount
The Jerusalem Post reports: "Jewish law, not the Arab world, determines when Jews can go up to the Temple Mount and when they cannot, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz said Wednesday in an interview with The Jerusalem Post [...] many rabbis, including Rabinovitz, believe that the Jewish people is still in a state of spiritual exile imposed by God. Therefore, it is still too early to rebuild the Temple or to renew the ancient traditions surrounding it, such as purifying ourselves through a ritual."

Haaretz - Share the Temple Mount
Haaretz op-ed: "Even at this late date, it is essential to equalize Jews' status on the Temple Mount with that of Muslims (excepting, of course, the right to enter the mosques). The Arabs will threaten a jihad and condemnations will pour in from all sides. But in time, Jewish determination will make the Muslims and their Jewish backers get used to the new reality."

Comments: It's good to see a more assertive spirit among the Israeli people regarding the Temple Mount.
Unique ID to soon become 'pervasive & ubiquitous'- The Economic Times
The Economic Times reports: "The proposed Unique Identification Number could eventually become mandatory, as it may be required for making a passport, getting Nandan Nilekani driving licence and opening a bank account. Though the 16-digit Unique Identification Number will not give citizenship rights, it will be used for identifying Indian citizens. At present, UID is completely voluntary, but it will become 'pervasive and ubiquitous' later, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) chairman Nandan Nilekani was quoted as saying by a news agency."

Comment: India is getting into the national ID card biz and setting itself up as a major test of how to store data and track the interactions of hundreds of millions of numbered citizens.
My Way News - Palestinian president to set Jan. election date
My Way News reports: "The Palestinian president said Tuesday he will set Jan. 24 as the date for presidential and legislative elections, despite objections from his rivals in the Hamas militant group. [...] Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement have been deeply divided since the militant group, which won the 2005 legislative election, expelled security forces loyal to Abbas from the Gaza Strip in a bloody conflict in June 2007. That left Abbas in control of a rival, Western-backed government in the West Bank."
My Way News - Arab League chief eyes Egyptian presidency
My Way News reports: "Arab League chief Moussa is wildly popular in Egypt and the Arab world for his frequent criticism of the United States and Israel on such issues as the Palestinians and Iraq. A career diplomat, he served as Egypt's foreign minister under Mubarak for nearly a decade before being named league secretary-general in 2002."
My Way News - US-Iran meet directly on nuke issue
My Way News reports: "Based on the present Iranian stockpile, the U.S. has estimated that Tehran could produce a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015, an assessment that broadly matches those from Israel and other nations."
My Way News - Pakistani university blasts kill 4, wound 18
My Way News: "Suicide bombers attacked an Islamic university popular with foreigners in Pakistan's capital Tuesday, killing four students in apparent retaliation for an escalating army offensive on a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold near the Afghan border."
My Way News - Rains finally come to Kenya, but hunger persists
My Way News reports: "The Kenya Meteorological Society says rains have ended the country's long drought but aid officials warn that millions of hungry people still need food aid."
My Way News - New info shows swine flu still hardest on young
My Way News reports: "Swine flu continues to be most dangerous to kids and younger adults and is largely bypassing the elderly, according to the latest and most solid government health information."

Monday, October 19, 2009

My Way News - Iran vows reprisals after bombing kills dozens
My Way News reports: "Iran has often claimed that Western powers use groups such as Jundallah to try to destabilize the country. But the direct finger-pointing at Pakistan - and the warnings of a stepped-up offensive - present a different and risky scenario for Iran's leaders."

Comment: I stand corrected, Obama is an excellent chess player.
My Way News - Diplomats: 1st day of Iran nuke talks inconclusive
My Way News reports: "Iran had signaled going into the meeting that it would not meet Western demands for a deal under which it would ship most of its enriched material out of the country. Tehran has said it needs enriched uranium for nuclear fuel. The West fears it could be used to make weapons, and the U.S. says Iran is one to six years away from being able to do so."
My Way News - Gorbachev: Russian elections mockery of voters
My Way News reports: "Gorbachev said the Oct. 11 vote had discredited Russia's political system, according to Novaya Gazeta newspaper. [...] The United Russia party, led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, swept the Oct. 11 ballot by winning more than 7,000 local elections in 75 of Russia's 83 regions. United Russia is a power base for Putin, who has not ruled out a return to the presidency in 2012."
My Way News - Europeans find 32 new planets outside solar system
My Way News reports: "European astronomers have found 32 new planets outside our solar system, adding evidence to the theory that the universe has many places where life could develop."
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iran accuses Pakistan over attack
BBC News reports: "Iran's president has accused Pakistani agents of involvement in a suicide bombing in south-east Iran targeting a group of elite Revolutionary Guards."

Friday, October 16, 2009

My Way News - Sweat lodge deaths cast negative spotlight on guru
My Way News reports: "James Arthur Ray led a group of more than 50 followers into a cramped, sauna-like sweat lodge in Arizona last week by convincing them that his words would lead them to spiritual and financial wealth [...] his technique is not just motivational speaking. It's a combination of new age spiritualism, American Indian ritual, astrology and numerology. The sweat lodge experience was intended to be an almost religious awakening for the participants."

Comment: Funny how these new age teachers are so compassionate and uplifting...all the way to the bank. I've never met a truly spiritual person that was obsessed with money, have you?

Thursday, October 15, 2009


AFP: Economic crises cause spike in world hunger: UN
AFP reports: "The food crisis in poor countries coupled with the global economic crisis have caused a spike in world hunger, with more than one billion people undernourished this year, the UN food agencies said Wednesday."
My Way News - Israel seeks UN allies on Gaza War crimes vote
My Way News reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday called on members of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council to reject a resolution endorsing a report accusing Israeli forces and their Palestinian opponents of war crimes during the fighting in Gaza last winter."
My Way News - Reports: Russia warns US on missile defense
My Way News reports: "Ryabkov's comments served as a warning that the United States should avoid taking steps that would threaten Russia or turning to its neighbors as potential partners in missile defense without consulting with Moscow."
My Way News - Turkey: 33 suspected of planning attacks detained
My Way News reports: "Turkish police detained Thursday more than 30 suspects allegedly linked to the al-Qaida terror network, saying they were planning to stage attacks on NATO facilities as well as U.S. and Israeli missions in the country."
My Way News - Men found guilty of Australian terror plot
My Way News reports: "The men, aged between 25 and 44, were arrested in a series of raids on their homes in 2005. Maidment said during the trial that the raids turned up bomb-making instructions and militant Islamist material - including footage of planes flying into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and images of beheadings."
My Way News - Okla. mom charged with locking son in closets
My Way News reports: "The mother of a 14-year-old Oklahoma boy who says he was locked away in apartment closets over four years was charged Thursday with 29 counts of child abuse for allegedly torturing and imprisoning the teen."

My Way News - Mom of Fla. teen set on fire says it's a nightmare
My Way news reports: "Now the 15-year-old whose family calls him Mikey has burns over two-thirds of his body and is fighting to live after authorities say five other teens - some of whom were at his house to play a month ago - doused him in rubbing alcohol and flicked a lighter."

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

My Way News - Israel: Turkish TV paints troops as child-killers
My Way News reports: "Israel's foreign minister has ordered ministry officials to summon Turkey's ambassador in Israel and protest to him over a Turkish TV series that reportedly portrays Israeli soldiers murdering children, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday."
My Way News - Warmer ties for Russia, China with big gas deals
My Way News reports: "Russia and China are closing in on a mammoth energy deal which could insure that Beijing has the fuel to run its factories and cities and Moscow has a vast new market for its natural gas empire."
My Way News - Putin: Iran sanctions talk premature
My Way News reports: "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that talking about sanctions against Iran could ruin negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear program. Putin said the threat of sanctions is unneeded at this point because it could scare the Iranians, scuttling chances that talks with global powers could end Tehran's recalcitrance. [...] Russia and China, veto-wielding permanent U.N. Security Council members, have opposed stronger sanctions against Iran, which the U.S. and allies say is seeking to develop nuclear weapons."
My Way News - Explorers: North Pole summers ice free in 10 years
My Way News reports: "The North Pole will turn into an open sea during summer within a decade, according to data released Wednesday by a team of explorers who trekked through the Arctic for three months [...] 'This could lead to flooding affecting one-quarter of the world's population, substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions from massive carbon pools and extreme global weather changes.'"

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

My Way News - Billy Graham's son visits North Korea to deliver aid
My Way News reports: "The son of veteran U.S. evangelist Billy Graham arrived in North Korea on Tuesday to deliver aid to the impoverished country more than six months after the isolated regime kicked out all American humanitarian groups [...] Widespread famine is believed to have killed some 2 million North Koreans, with more than 6 million North Koreans needing food handouts, according to the World Food Program."
My Way News - Palestinians say hopes in Obama 'evaporated'
My Way News reports: "The last round of Israel-Palestinian negotiations broke down late last year with no breakthroughs on the main issues dividing the two sides: final borders, the status of disputed Jerusalem and a solution for Palestinians who lost homes and other property in Israel after it achieved statehood in 1948. The dispute over ongoing settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem has blocked all efforts to get the sides to talk, let alone solve the intractable conflict."
My Way News - Russian FM: Iran sanctions threats won't work
My Way News reports: "Russia publicly pushed back Tuesday against U.S. efforts to threaten tough new sanctions if Iran fails to prove its nuclear program is peaceful, dealing an apparent setback to President Barack Obama's hopes for Moscow's backing for fresh penalties against Tehran."

Russia, China sign $3.5 bln of deals as Putin visits - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Russian and Chinese companies have signed deals worth $3.5 billion during Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit to Beijing, his deputy Alexander Zhukov said on Tuesday."

Comment: I don't think anyone is deceived by Russia, they have made their position clear. They are in an alliance with China to roll back American hegemony and they will use Iran and any other issue (like U.S. support for Israel - it's coming) they can to do that. They have a grand strategy. I'd like to think that the U.S. has the long game in mind as well, but I'm not seeing it. Obama may be good at basketball, but I don't think he is very good at chess. Do you see any indication that he is thinking three or four moves ahead? American allies need to be able to believe that he is. I bet the Israelis are very worried now, the "international consensus on Iran" is proving to be a mirage and every day that goes by means that Iran is closer to having nuclear weapons.
My Way News - Rev. Moon marries thousands in global mass wedding
My Way News reports: "Moon, a self-proclaimed Messiah who says he was 15 when Jesus Christ called upon him to carry out his unfinished work, has courted controversy and criticism since founding the Unification Church in Seoul in 1954."

Comment: Except that when Jesus was on the cross he said his work was finished.
My Way News - Pakistani jets soften up militant targets
My Way News reports: "Pakistani jets softened up militant targets along the Afghan border Tuesday ahead of what the government promises will be a ground offensive into the Taliban's main stronghold, authorities said."

Monday, October 12, 2009

Even the Maya are getting sick of 2012 hype - Science- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya Indians say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials — such as one on the History Channel that mixes predictions from Nostradamus and the Maya and asks: 'Is 2012 the year the cosmic clock finally winds down to zero days, zero hope?'"

Comment: Might as well get this out of the way before the hype starts: The world will not end on Dec. 21, 2012. In fact, students of the Bible will remind you that the world will not end at all. Because it is God's desire to redeem humanity through his Son, we will go on, there is no "end" for redeemed humanity. People who preach the end of the world just don't know their Bible. Blame the Mayans if you want to (incorrectly, as the article points out), but don't blame the Christians. We will all be here on New Year's Day 2013 and we will have a good laugh about it all. I'm sure that in the meantime there will be a lot of movie tickets sold, a lot of doom and gloom books and DVDs sold and TV preachers will make a fortune hyping the next doomsday on the calendar, but I'm sure that you, good reader, are far too smart to fall for that. The redeemed-human adventure has just begun, world without end. Amen.
My Way News - Report: North Korea fires 5 short-range missiles
My Way News reports: "North Korea reportedly test-launched five short-range missiles - and may fire more - in what analysts said is an attempt to improve its bargaining position ahead of possible talks with the United States."
My Way News - Reports: Russian general challenges US on missiles
My Way News reports: "A top Russian general aimed tough remarks at the U.S. on Monday before Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's visit, reconfirming plans for multiple-warhead missiles and warning Washington that refitting rockets with conventional warheads would raise the risk of nuclear war."
My Way News - Pakistan says 41 killed in market bombing
My Way News reports: "A suicide car bombing targeting Pakistani troops killed 41 people Monday, the fourth grisly militant attack in just over a week, as the Taliban pledged to mobilize fighters across the country for more strikes."
My Way News - Rev. Moon turning over Unification Church to sons
My Way News reports: "The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, now approaching 90 and still one of the world's most controversial religious figures, is handing over day-to-day control of his Unification Church to three U.S.-educated sons. [...] But Moon - who will preside over another series of his trademark mass weddings on Wednesday - remains in charge as the church's self-proclaimed 'Messiah.'"
My Way News - Pakistan bombs region once declared Taliban-free
My Way News reports: "Pakistani fighter jets bombed suspected militant hide-outs Monday in a tribal region where the military had previously declared victory over the Taliban, killing eight alleged extremists a day after a deadly siege of the army's headquarters."

Saturday, October 10, 2009

My Way News - Turkey freezes Israel out of air force drill
My Way News reports: "The Israeli military says Ankara has canceled an annual air force drill in Turkey this week because of Israeli participation. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since Israel's winter war in Gaza."

Comment: BP tells us that Turkey will eventually side with the anti-Israeli alliance we have called the Gog Alliance and that transformation seems to be happening as the traditionally secular political and military establishment in Turkey becomes Islamicized. This is a very important development that we should watch carefully.
My Way News - New Iran sanctions could strengthen Rev. Guard
My Way News reports: "Tougher sanctions against Iran that the U.S. and its allies are considering to pressure it over its nuclear program might only strengthen its hard-line president and the Revolutionary Guard, boosting the elite force's economic and political muscle, experts warn."

My Way News - Iran will enrich uranium further if talks fail
My Way News reports: "Iran warned Saturday it will enrich uranium to a higher level needed to power a research reactor if talks with the U.N. nuclear watchdog and world powers fail to help Iran obtain the fuel from abroad."
My Way News - Pakistan army frees 30 at army HQ, ending siege
My Way News reports: "Pakistani commandos raided their own army's headquarters Sunday to free 30 people held hostage by Islamist fighters who staged a brazen attack on the compound while wearing military uniforms. [...] The audacious assault on the nerve-center of the country's military establishment showed the strength of militants allied with al-Qaida and the Taliban ahead of a planned army offensive on their heartland in South Waziristan along the Afghan border."

Comment: In an unbelievably brazen attack, Taliban and al-Qaida forces actually took over the Pakistani army headquarters for a time. Wow.
My Way News - CDC: 76 children dead of swine flu as cases rise
My Way News reports: "Health officials said Friday that 76 U.S. children have died of swine flu, including 19 new reports in the past week - more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous for the young."
CNET News - Hadron Collider physicist arrested on terrorism charges
CNET News reports: "A 32-year-old nuclear physicist, part of the Large Hadron Collider project on the Swiss-French border, has been arrested by French police on suspicion of involvement with al-Qaeda. According to The Independent, the arrest was made after anti-terrorist police had followed his movements for more than a year. Le Figaro newspaper suggested that the man's name had originally come to light in connection with the 'Afghan network' of terrorist groups based in Europe."

Friday, October 09, 2009

My Way News - Iran to 'blow up the heart of Israel' if attacked

My Way News reports: "Iran will 'blow up the heart of Israel' if the United States or the Jewish state attacked it first, a top official with Iran's most powerful military force - the Revolutionary Guard - warned Friday [...] Tehran is equipped with Shahab-3 missiles which have a range of up to 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers). Israel is about 625 miles (1,000 kilometers) west of Iran."

Comment: While the world was distracted today by Obama's peacemaking prize, the war-making threats of Iran caught the attention of those living in the real word defined by actions, not words. As the U.S. and other countries continue the diplomatic dance with Iran, the missile technology controlled by the Revolutionary Guard continues to improve in capability in step with their rhetoric.
My Way News - Pakistan vows offensive after bomb kills 49
My Way News reports: "Pakistan vowed to launch a new offensive against militant strongholds along the Afghan border after a suicide bomber blew up a car near a crowded outdoor market on Friday [...] Islamic militants have been carrying out nearly weekly attacks in Pakistan, but the sheer scale of Friday's bombing - which killed nine children - pushed the government to declare it would take the fight to South Waziristan, part of the lawless tribal belt where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden may be hiding."
My Way News - US forces leave isolated Afghan base after attack
My Way News reports: "The NATO-led coalition said the move was part of a new strategy outlined months ago by the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, to shut down remote difficult-to-defend outposts and redirect forces toward larger population areas to protect more civilians [...] Every inch of ground the U.S. cedes, emboldened Taliban militants are likely to take and trumpet as a victory over another superpower."

Comment: I'm amazed that these military leaders can't see the simple reality that nothing will endanger civilians more than a Taliban victory.
My Way News - Ukraine holds naval exercises in Crimea
My Way News reports: "There are growing concerns that disagreements over Crimea could also end in military conflict as Russia looks to reassert its authority over what it considers its rightful sphere of influence. [...] Long part of the Russian empire, Crimea was ceded to Ukraine in the Soviet era. Today, a majority of the 2 million residents of Crimea are ethnic Russians, many of whom feel close to Moscow. "
My Way News - Deluge in rain-soaked Philippines kills over 160
My Way News reports: "The latest deluge brought the death toll to nearly 500 from the Philippines' worst flooding in 40 years after storms started pounding the country's north on Sept. 26."
My Way News - Aye Carumba! Marge Simpson poses for Playboy cover
My Way News reports: "The magazine's editorial director, James Jellinek, won't say exactly how much of Marge will show in the November edition that hits newsstands on Oct. 16 - or whether she lets that big pile of blue hair down. But, he said, 'It's very, very racy.'"

Comment: There's something very disturbing about placing a cartoon character beloved by kids and kids-at-heart in such an adult setting.
My Way News - US, other nations stop counting pandemic flu cases
My Way News reports: "U.S. health officials have lost track of how many illnesses and deaths have been caused by the first global flu epidemic in 40 years. [...] Other nations have stopped relying on lab-confirmed cases, too, and health officials say the current monitoring system is adequate."

Comment: Perhaps someone in the medical community could offer a comment to explain what appears to be a rather irrational approach to disease fighting. Are they really saying that this is a serious global pandemic, but they are not able to reliably count how many people are infected, so they are not even going to try? Then how do they know it's serious? How can you define a pandemic based only on scope, not severity, if you can't accurately determine the scope of the disease? I'm frankly shocked at the implication of this report, namely, that reports of the scope of the disease are based on loose estimates. In the modern computerized and internet connected world, I have a hard time understanding why health care centers can't report exact data to the CDC or similar national centers in the case of other countries. How can there be any sense of urgency about immunization if the disease may not be as widespread as sensational media reports make it out to be? Medical science is not a tabloid institution (basing policy on hearsay, sensational rumor and self-reporting on flu hotlines), and it should not act like one.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

My Way News - Obama envoy in uphill struggle for Mideast peace

My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy finds himself increasingly hamstrung, with Israel's foreign minister on Thursday all but ruling out a peace deal for years to come and the Palestinian leader weakened by his decision not to push for a Gaza war crimes tribunal against Israel."

Comment: It's over. All the momentum that Obama's election generated toward a Middle East peace agreement has dissipated. The political, economic and military conditions on the ground simply won't permit it at this time.
My Way News - 'Miracle' Hawaiian: Damien's already a saint
My Way News reports: "The Hawaiian woman whose recovery from lung cancer was called miraculous says the Belgian-born priest she prayed to is already a saint, even before the pope canonizes him Sunday [...] Pope Benedict XVI decided Toguchi's apparently inexplicable healing from what doctors had described as terminal cancer was a miracle wrought through Damien's intercession."

Comment: Do you think someone will tell her that he is a regular run-of-the-mill dead human who has no divine powers to hear prayers, much less answer them? It's sad that the Catholic Church continues to teach this error. The disciples asked Jesus how to pray. It was a simple question. And he answered them. It was a simple answer. He actually didn't say to pray to dead people. Really, he never said that. You can even look it up for yourself (here and here) if you are curious about how Jesus said we should pray...and to whom.
My Way News - Taliban suicide attack kills 17 in Afghan capital
My Way News reports: "A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle outside the Indian Embassy in the bustling center of the Afghan capital Thursday, killing 17 people in the second major attack in the city in less than a month. [...] The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack - the second against the Indian Embassy in the past two years - and specified that the Indians were the target."
My Way News - Palestinians accuse Hamas over UN report
My Way News reports: "The militant Islamist group Hamas is trying to take cynical advantage of a U.N. report accusing Israel of possible war crimes in Gaza to curry favor back home, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki told reporters at U.N. headquarters Thursday."

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

My Way News - Strong quakes near Vanuatu spark tsunami alert
My Way News reports: "Two powerful earthquakes rocked the South Pacific near the Vanuatu archipelago Thursday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, triggering a regional tsunami alert. The first quake, with a magnitude of 7.8, struck 183 miles (294 kilometers) northwest of the Vanuatu island of Santo, and 354 miles (596 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Port Vila, at a depth of 21 miles (35 kilometers). Just 15 minutes later a second quake with a magnitude 7.3 hit at the same depth but 21 miles (35 kilometers) farther north of Santo and Port Vila."

Tuesday, October 06, 2009


My Way News - Israeli police bring reinforcements to Jerusalem
My Way News reports: "Israeli police mobilized reinforcements from across the country to secure volatile Jerusalem on Tuesday, deploying thousands of officers on city streets for fear that two days of minor clashes with Palestinian protesters would escalate. By nightfall, no serious clashes had developed, and an Israeli Muslim leader was arrested on suspicion of helping spark the tension."
My Way News - Israel scrambles warplanes over nuclear facility
My Way News reports: "Israel's air force scrambled fighter jets Tuesday after a small civilian aircraft flew into restricted airspace near the country's heavily guarded and secretive Dimona nuclear reactor, security officials said Tuesday."
My Way News - Iran plans new centrifuges for 2nd enrichment site
My Way News reports: "Iran plans to install a more advanced type of centrifuge at its newly revealed uranium enrichment site, an Iranian newspaper reported Tuesday, a development certain to add to international concerns about the country's nuclear work."
My Way News - Amazon cuts Kindle price, adds global version
My Way News reports: "Amazon.com Inc. is cutting the price of its Kindle electronic-book reader yet again and launching an international version, in hopes of spurring more sales and keeping it ahead of a growing field of competitors."
Global Research - Thinking the Unthinkable: NATO's Global Military Roadmap
Global Research reports: "With the upgrading of its Mediterranean Dialogue program (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), with the Persian Gulf component of the 2004 Istanbul Cooperation Initiative partnership underway and planned for the Gulf Cooperation Council states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and with the deployment of U.S.-trained Colombian counterinsurgency forces for its Afghan war, a military bloc ostensibly formed to protect the nations of the North Atlantic community now has armed forces and partnerships in all six inhabited continents."
Bar codes: an everyday example of the Nobel prizewinners' genius celebrated with a Google doodle today - guardian.co.uk
The Guardian reports: "Bar codes are celebrated with a Google doodle that honours a familiar application of the technology brought to us by winners of the Nobel prize for physics"
News Analysis - After Vote, Debate in Europe Shifts to New Leader - NYTimes.com
The New York Times reports: "The leaders of member countries will decide, probably this month, and their decision could determine whether the union really seeks the bigger role it says it needs to try to match the influence of the United States and that of rising powers like China, Russia, India and Brazil."

Monday, October 05, 2009

My Way News - Iraq Christian leader denounces latest attacks
My Way News reports: "The body of a Christian health worker turned up in a field two days after he was kidnapped - prompting several more Christian families to pack up and leave their ancient homeland in northern Iraq."
My Way News - Israeli police deploy around tense holy site
My Way News reports: "Police have been clashing sporadically for several days with Muslim protesters in and around the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. No one has been seriously injured, but in the past deadly violence has erupted at the site."

Saturday, October 03, 2009



My Way News - Irish give decisive `yes' to EU reform on 2nd try
My Way News reports: "Ireland's recession-hit voters have overwhelmingly approved the European Union's ambitious and long-delayed reform plans, electoral chiefs announced Saturday in a referendum result greeted with wild cheers in Dublin - and nervous sighs of relief in Brussels."

My Way News - Irish vote again on European Union reform treaty
My Way News reports: "The future of the European Union hung in the balance Friday as Ireland's voters decided once again whether to ratify a treaty aimed at making the 27-nation body more decisive and effective. [...] A second Irish 'no' would doom the Lisbon Treaty, a painstakingly negotiated blueprint for sharpening EU institutions following the bloc's rapid eastward expansion since 2004."

My Way News - What happens to EU with `yes' vote and `no' vote
My Way news reports on what happens, "If Ireland votes 'No' on the Lisbon Treaty:"

Comment: This could well be significant, the point at which the "EU as the New Rome" officially begins. If it passes, the EU will have a full-time president for the first time and a foreign policy chief with real authority, so let's watch these developments closely.

Friday, October 02, 2009

My Way News - Hamas swaps video of Israeli soldier for prisoners
My Way News reports: "Israel freed 19 Palestinian women from prison on Friday in exchange for the video, raising hopes for the young soldier's release and taking a step toward defusing a key flashpoint in Israeli-Palestinian hostilities."
My Way News - US, British troops killed in Afghanistan attacks
My Way News reports: "The deadly start to the month followed a drop in U.S. and NATO deaths in September over the previous two months - perhaps because no major offensives were launched as the U.S. takes stock of its strategy in the troubled eight-year war. The Obama administration is debating whether to send more American troops to Afghanistan."
Two deadly quakes: Is Earth unusually active? - Life- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "Between the earthquakes that struck the Samoas and Indonesia yesterday and the temblor that devastated L'Aquila, Italy earlier this year, it might seem like Earth has been particularly shaky this year. But that's not the case."
My Way News - Frantic rescue effort follows big Indonesian quake
My Way News reports: "Medical teams, search dogs, backhoes and emergency supplies were flown into the devastated western coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Friday to bolster frantic rescue attempts for thousands buried by a powerful earthquake. [...] One U.N. estimate said as many as 1,100 may have died."

Thursday, October 01, 2009

My Way News - Communist China marks 60 years with tanks, kitsch

My Way News reports: "Jets, tanks and missile-toting trucks thundered through Beijing on Thursday in a show of military muscle to celebrate six decades of communist rule and China's transformation from a war-battered regional player into global economic superpower."

Comment: The most powerful country in Asia is having a party to celebrate itself. They've come a long way in 60 years, but they have far to go on the long march toward fulfilling their prophetic destiny.
My Way News - Iran, world powers agree to further nuclear talks
My Way News reports: "Iran and six world powers put nuclear talks back on track Thursday at a landmark session that included the highest-level bilateral contact with the U.S. in years and a pledge to meet again this month. President Barack Obama then challenged Tehran to make good on its promises quickly. [...] Western officials said Iran also agreed to send some of its enriched uranium to Russia to further process the material for use in a research reactor in Tehran."

My Way News - Indonesian quake toll at 1,100; thousands missing
My Way News reports: "Across this coastal provincial capital, hardest hit by the latest earthquake to devastate Indonesia, mourners, survivors and rescue workers alike clawed through heaps of concrete in searches for thousands still missing."

My Way News - Death toll in Samoas tsunami reaches 150
My Way News reports: "Samoans searched flattened homes and debris-filled swamps Thursday as more military ships and planes began arriving on the disaster-stricken Pacific islands after an earthquake and tsunami that killed at least 150 people."
My Way News - Poll: Pakistanis oppose assisting US terror fight
My Way News reports: "Washington says defeating insurgents in Pakistan is vital for stabilizing neighboring Afghanistan, where violence is on the rise eight years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban. The U.S. believes much of the Afghan insurgency is directed by militants who have sought safe haven in Pakistan's lawless border regions."
My Way News - EU unveils more precise satnav system
My Way News reports: "The European Union has unveiled an updated satellite navigation system that is up to five times more precise than the current GPS system. [...] It would also improve applications in aviation and automatic road tolling."