Tuesday, August 31, 2010

My Way News - Palestinian kills 4 Israelis on eve of peace talks
My Way News reports: "Palestinian gunmen opened fire Tuesday on an Israeli car in the West Bank and killed four passengers on the eve of a new round of Mideast peace talks in Washington. The Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility."

Comment: Do I think that the coming peace talks represent the "covenant with many" prophecy in the Book of Daniel? No, not at all, and the above report explains why. Israel is negotiating with half of the Palestinians. The other half already voted for war. Hamas, as a political party and as an armed militia, will do everything possible to undermine the peace talks and that is why this round of peace talks is yet another exercise in futility. I share the opinion that many now have that peace will only come after the Psalm 83 war in which Israel defeats the enemies that surround them. Peace will follow victory over Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria.
My Way News - Dutch: 2 Yemenis from US suspected of terror plot
My Way News reports: "Dutch prosecutors say two Yemeni citizens who arrived in Amsterdam on a flight from the United States are suspects in a conspiracy to commit a terrorist act. Prosecutors said the two men flew in from Chicago on Monday and were bound for Sana'a, the Yemeni capital. They were detained due to information provided by U.S. authorities."
My Way News - Petraeus: Afghan concern about Pakistan is legit
My Way News reports: "Earlier, in an interview with NATO TV in Brussels, Petraeus said that Taliban guerrillas still retain the initiative in some parts of Afghanistan despite recent successes by coalition forces. Petraeus said NATO forces had reversed some of the gains the Taliban had made in recent years in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar and around Kabul."

Monday, August 30, 2010

My Way News - Mideast talks reopen under tough conditions

My Way News reports: "The U.S. relaunches Israeli-Palestinian talks this week, its third push over the past decade to solve one of the world's most intractable conflicts - and this time under some of the most difficult conditions yet."

Haaretz - U.S. anticipates 'vigorous process' between Israel, Palestinians
Haaretz reports: "The United States does not expect to achieve a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians in one meeting, but it is looking forward to a 'vigorous process,' State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said on Monday [...] The Obama administration believes that an agreement can be reached within a one-year time frame. 'That is what our goal is,' Crowley reiterated on Monday."
My Way News - Iran says it will make fuel for research reactor
My Way News reports: "Iran claimed Monday that it will produce fuel for a research reactor that makes medical isotopes within a year, a project likely to add to Western concerns about the country's nuclear ambitions."
Haaretz- Despite Israeli protests, Russia won't halt arms sale to Syria
Haaretz reports: "Israel is concerned the projectiles could significantly improve the Syrian military's ability to target its naval ships [...] Jerusalem also fears the more advanced missiles could fall into the hands of Hezbollah, the Syrian- and Iranian-supported Lebanese militia, which would create a significant threat to naval ships in Israeli ports and the Mediterranean Sea."

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Washington Post - As nationalism rises, will the European Union fall?

According to this Washington Post op-ed: "The European Union is dying -- not a dramatic or sudden death, but one so slow and steady that we may look across the Atlantic one day soon and realize that the project of European integration that we've taken for granted over the past half-century is no more."

Comment: Has the devolution of Europe begun? Many BP commentators follow the traditional interpretation that an expanding E.U. represents an end-time Rome while others believe that the E.U. will fracture into a strong inner-core (perhaps comprised of the ten countries - or kings - that prophecy scholars have been expecting) and a loosely confederated outer-core that will only rejoin later, once the ten demonstrate their success in rebuilding the European dream. I subscribe to the latter interpretation. The E.U. has been very successful at building a community defined by free trade and open borders and that community will survive the coming political changes, providing the underlying base from which a new political structure can emerge after a period of fragmentation. So, while the editorialist can write their epitaph, I would not be so quick to write them off.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

My Way News - Iraq on highest alert for terror attacks
My Way News reports: "Iraq's prime minister put his nation on its highest level of alert for terror attacks, warning of plots to sow fear and chaos as the U.S. combat mission in the country formally ends on Tuesday."
My Way News - Moderate quake kills 3 in Iran's remote northeast
My Way News reports: "Iranian state TV is reporting that three people died in the 5.9 magnitude earthquake that shook the country's remote northeast overnight. Forty others were injured. The quake struck at 11:53 p.m. local time (1923GMT) on Saturday in Semnan province."
My Way News - Egyptian police find weapons bound for Gaza
My Way News reports: "An Egyptian security official says police in the Sinai desert have discovered two large caches of weapons that were to be smuggled to Gaza. The find included anti-aircraft weaponry, the official said, but he did not know what type."

My Way News - Thousands rally for release of Israeli soldier
My Way News reports: "Thousands of people rallied outside the Israeli prime minister's residence Saturday, demanding he conclude a deal to secure the release of an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian militants more than four years ago. The show of support for Staff Sgt. Gilad Schalit, who was seized by Hamas-allied militants inside Israel in a 2006 cross-border raid, comes on the soldier's 24th birthday."
My Way News - EU's Ashton to skip restarted Mideast peace talks
My Way News reports: "The European Union says it will not participate in the U.S.-backed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority due to start on Thursday in Washington. A spokesman for the bloc's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton says she will be in Beijing meeting with Chinese leaders at that time. Spokesman Darren Ennis also said 'for the EU as a whole, the focus is on a successful outcome of the talks (and not) on the choreography or who goes to Washington.'"
My Way News - NKorean leader Kim appears headed home from China
My Way News reports: "North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il apparently headed home after a secretive and surprise trip that reportedly included a meeting with China's top leader to appeal for diplomatic and financial support for a succession plan involving his youngest son."

My Way News - Chinese navy to hold drills in Yellow Sea
My Way News reports: "China said Sunday its navy will stage live-ammunition drills in the Yellow Sea this week, after Beijing condemned recent and planned U.S.-South Korean joint naval exercises there and vowed to respond in kind."
My Way News - Austria reports 2 cases of superbug gene
My Way News reports: "Austria's health ministry is reporting two cases of a new gene that allows bacteria to become a superbug [...] in two people, both of whom are believed to have been infected in hospitals abroad [...] Researchers say the gene - which appears to be circulating widely in India - alters bacteria, making them resistant to nearly all known antibiotics."
My Way News - Afghan militants in US uniforms storm 2 NATO bases
My Way News reports: "U.S. and Afghan troops repelled attackers wearing American uniforms and suicide vests in a pair of simultaneous assaults before dawn Saturday on NATO bases near the Pakistani border, including one where seven CIA employees died in a suicide attack last year."
Reuters - Turkey industry min says Iran projects continue
Reuters reports: "Turkey's Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergun told NTV broadcaster that joint projects with Iran were continuing and that these would not be affected by United Nations and United States' sanctions on Iran."

Friday, August 27, 2010

JPost - France wants EU seat at Mideast peace talks
The Jerusalem Post reports: "France wants the European Union to have a seat at the table during next week's start of US-backed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Washington. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said it would be 'too bad' if the EU were locked out — noting the bloc's political involvement in the region and its role as a top contributor of financial aid to the Palestinians."
JPost - Israel ready to destroy LAF in 4 hours
The Jerusalem Post reports: "The US warned Lebanon that if it did not prevent any recurrence of the border-fire incident that occurred earlier this month, the IDF would destroy the Lebanese Armed Forces within four hours, Israel Radio cited a report by Lebanese newspaper A-Liwaa on Friday."
My Way News - Iran sentences opposition leader's aide to 5 years
My Way News reports: "Iran has sentenced more than 80 opposition figures from among over a 100 who were put on a mass trial following the disputed 2009 vote, which the opposition says Ahmadinejad won through massive vote fraud. Ten death sentences have been handed down so far. Other sentences range from six months to 15 years in prison."
My Way News - Looking at lessons that can be learned from Iraq
My Way News reports: "They are different wars in different regions, with different challenges. But as the war in Iraq winds down, there is a lot the U.S. military can learn and apply to Afghanistan, from how to deal with contractors to when to draw down troops."
My Way News - UN: 1 million more displaced by Pakistan floods
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis fled floodwaters Friday after the surging River Indus smashed through levees in two places [...] More than 8 million people are in need of emergency assistance across the country."
Reuters - Iran has material for 1-2 atom bombs: ex-IAEA aide
Reuters reports: "Iran has stockpiled enough low-enriched uranium for 1-2 nuclear arms but it would not make sense for it to cross the bomb-making threshold with only this amount, a former top U.N. nuclear official was quoted as saying."
CNN - Author: More teens becoming 'fake' Christians
CNN reports: "Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of 'Almost Christian,' a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity [...] The study [...] found that most American teens who called themselves Christian were indifferent and inarticulate about their faith [...] The Christian call to take risks, witness and sacrifice for others is muted, she says."

Thursday, August 26, 2010

CNN - Kepler space telescope finds pair of distant planets, NASA says
CNN reports: "Two planets slightly smaller than Saturn have been discovered orbiting a distant star, a first for NASA's Kepler space telescope, whose mission is to look for signs of planets passing in front of stars, the space agency said Thursday."
My Way News - Bin Laden's bodyguard warns of escalation in Yemen
My Way News reports: "A former bodyguard of Osama bin Laden warned of an escalation in fighting between al-Qaida and Yemeni authorities [...] U.S. officials have said that the CIA now sees al-Qaida's branch in Yemen as a greater threat to the United States than its parent organization hiding out in Pakistan."
My Way News - Iran proposes to produce nuclear fuel with Russia
My Way News reports: "The United States and allies lifted their opposition to the Bushehr plant after Russia pledged to handle all the nuclear fuel to make sure no material is shifted to a possible Iranian weapons program in the future. The latest proposal by Iran to have even a sideline role in the nuclear fuel process could stir backlash in the West."
My Way News - Fears Taliban expanding in Afghan north, west
My Way News reports: "A spurt of violence this week in provinces far from the Taliban's main southern strongholds suggests the insurgency is spreading, even as the top U.S. commander insists the coalition has reversed the militants' momentum in key areas of the ethnic Pashtun south where the Islamist movement was born."
CNN - Google: 1 million Gmail calls on first day
CNN reports: "The service lets Gmail users make free calls to U.S. and Canada and inexpensive calls to phones in other countries. It uses Gmail as an interface and optionally can integrate with Google Voice to receive calls as well."
My Way News - Study: Upper layer of atmosphere shrinking
My Way News reports: "One of the highest sections of the atmosphere is shrinking as a result of low sun activity, researchers reported Thursday [...] Solar energy output tends to vary over 11-year cycles marked by increases and decreases in sunspots. From 2007 to 2009 there were almost no sunspots or solar storms."
My Way News - Restoring sight with new type of artificial cornea
My Way News reports: "Scientists have created a new kind of artificial cornea, inserting a sliver of collagen into the eye that coaxes its own natural corneal cells to regrow and restore vision."

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

My Way News - Dozens disrupt Palestinian protest of peace talks
My Way News reports: "Dozens of men believed to be plainclothes Palestinian security personnel broke up a gathering of activists opposed to new Mideast peace talks on Wednesday, reflecting the Palestinian leadership's sense of vulnerability as it prepares to launch negotiations with Israel next week."

Comment: I can see why they would break it up, can't give people the impression that the Palestinians don't really want peace with Israel.
My Way News - Iran says it test-fires new missile
My Way News reports: "Iran said Wednesday that it has successfully test-fired an upgraded version of a short-range surface-to-surface missile [..] The new version of the missile increases the weapon's range from earlier generations, Vahidi said without providing any further details. Earlier versions of the Fateh-110, which Iran has had for several years, could strike targets up to 120 miles (193 kilometers) away."

My Way News - Iran searching for new domestic uranium deposits
My Way News reports: "Iran said Wednesday it is making the search for new uranium deposits in the country a top priority now that it has started up its first in a planned network of nuclear power plants."

My Way News - Iran says it's ready to sell arms to Lebanon
My Way News reports: "Iran is prepared to sell weapons to Lebanon if Beirut asks for help in equipping its military, Iran's defense minister said Wednesday [...] Iran is a key supporter of Hezbollah, believed to funnel it weapons and millions of dollars in funding, though Tehran denies arming the Shiite group. Hezbollah, also closely allied to Syria, boasts a heavy arsenal of rockets capable of reaching deep inside Israel."
My Way News - Attacks in Iraq kill 56, raise fears of insurgents
My Way News reports: "Bombers and gunmen killed at least 56 Iraqis in more than two dozen attacks across the country Wednesday, mostly targeting security forces and rekindling memories of the days when insurgents ruled the streets."
My Way News - Nigeria: Cholera epidemic death toll rises to 352
My Way News reports: "All of Nigeria is at risk in a cholera epidemic that has killed 352 people in only three-months time, health officials warned Wednesday, as the country's rainy season continues to spread the water-born infection."
My Way News - Pentagon computers attacked with flash drive
My Way News reports: "A foreign spy agency pulled off the most serious breach of Pentagon computer networks ever by inserting a flash drive into a U.S. military laptop, a top defense official said Wednesday."
My Way News - Experts: Exoplanet could be smallest ever found
My Way News reports: "Scientists say they've identified a sun-like star with as many as seven different planets - including one that might be the smallest ever found outside the solar system."

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

My Way News - Blair: Serious ideas needed for Mideast success
My Way News reports: "Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair called on Israelis and Palestinians Tuesday to bring serious proposals to a new round of peace talks set to start on Sept. 2. [...] Blair has been assisting the U.S.-led effort to restart peace talks as the special representative of the 'Quartet' of Mideast peacemakers - the U.S., the U.N., the European Union and Russia."
My Way News - Catholic priest charged with rape of 14-year-old
My Way News reports: "German prosecutors say a Roman Catholic priest has been charged with twice raping a 14-year-old girl 20 years ago [...] the priest, who has been relieved of his duties by the church, has admitted sexual contacts with the girl."
My Way News - Hezbollah, Sunni group clash in Beirut, killing 3
My Way News reports: "Lebanese Shiite and Sunni groups fought street battles using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades for more than four hours Tuesday, killing three people and wounding several others just blocks from a busy downtown packed with summer tourists [...] Hezbollah, a powerful military force in Lebanon, maintains its own arsenal - separate from the national army's - which it says is necessary to ward off any threats from Israel."

My Way News - Hezbollah: Iran can equip Lebanese army
My Way News reports: "The leader of Lebanon's Shiite Muslim Hezbollah group says authorities should formally ask Iran to help equip the country's military. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vows his Iranian-backed group would use its friendship with Iran to secure assistance to the national army."
My Way News - Woman seen on camera dumping cat in trash in UK
My Way News reports: "The gray-haired woman gently pets the cat, occasionally glancing furtively at a garbage bin. Then she strikes, casually grabbing it by the scruff, tossing it in, popping the lid closed, and quickly strolling away. The surveillance video posted online by Lola the cat's owners takes only seconds [...] The couple had previously installed a personal surveillance camera outside their home following a spate of thefts in the area [...] they checked the video tape expecting to discover local youths, or a drunk, had thrown Lola into the bin late on Saturday evening, but were shocked to discover the culprit was a respectable looking woman."
My Way News - UN says 800,000 cut off by Pakistan floods
My Way News reports: "Floods have isolated about 800,000 people in Pakistan who are now only reachable by air and aid workers need at least 40 more helicopters to ferry lifesaving aid to the increasingly desperate people, the United Nations said."

Monday, August 23, 2010

My Way News - Iran says it will mass produce assault boats
My Way News reports: "Iran's military has opened production lines for two new types of assault boats, state television reported Monday. The announcement came a day after Iran said it had developed an unmanned bomber aircraft that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the 'ambassador of death' to Iran's enemies [...] Last week, Tehran test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems."

Israel National News - Iran Launches ‘Ambassador of Death’ Unmanned Bomber
INN reports: "Iran announced on Sunday a new unmanned jet bomber that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dubs an “ambassador of death” to Israel and other enemies. Sunday’s launch statement comes one day after Iran began operating its first nuclear power plant and two days after it test-fired a new surface-to-surface guided missile."
My Way News - Israel faces difficult choice on settlement freeze
My Way News reports: "Even before peace talks with the Palestinians begin, Israel's government is fiercely debating a key concession: whether to extend a slowdown of West Bank settlement construction. Israeli officials confirmed Monday that the government is in quiet talks with the United States in search of a 'creative' solution that will allow at least some limited construction to take place after Israel's 10-month moratorium ends on Sept. 26 [...] Israel and the Palestinians appear to be jostling for position before the formal launch of negotiations on Sept. 2 at the White House."
SpaceWeather.com - Fireball on Jupiter
SpaceWeather.com reports: "On August 20th at 18:22 UT, two amateur astronomers in Japan independently recorded an apparent impact on Jupiter [...] This is the third time in only 13 months that amateur astronomers have detected signs of impact on Jupiter."

Friday, August 20, 2010

Reuters - Start-up of Iran's Bushehr plant under way: report

Reuters reports: "The start-up of the Russian-built reactor at Iran's first nuclear power plant got under way on Saturday, Russia's state-run RIA news agency cited Russian nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko as saying."

My Way News - Iran begins fueling first nuclear reactor: "The Bushehr plant is not considered a proliferation risk because the terms of the deal commit the Iranians to allowing the Russians to retrieve all used reactor fuel for reprocessing. Spent fuel contains plutonium, which can be used to make atomic weapons. [...] Of greater concern to the West, however, are Iran's stated plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment sites inside protected mountain strongholds. Iran said recently it will begin construction on the first one in March in defiance of the U.N. sanctions."
My Way News - Russian base in Armenia to stay through 2044
My Way News reports: "Russia secured a long-term foothold in the energy-rich and unstable Caucasus region Friday by signing a deal with Armenia that allows a Russian military base to operate until 2044 in exchange for a promise of new weaponry and fresh security guarantees. The 24-year extension will allow the base's fighter jets and thousands of troops to operate outside former Soviet territory, lifting a previous restriction [...] After their talks, the Russian and Armenian presidents were joined by other leaders from a Moscow-led security alliance of seven ex-Soviet nations."
My Way News - Floods expose civilian-military divide in Pakistan
My Way News reports: "Even before the crisis began nearly a month ago, the government faced discontent as power shortages, Islamist militant violence and economic mismanagement plagued the country. A military coup is seen as unlikely, but flooding is so large-scale that some fear political instability in the nuclear-armed nation."
My Way News - Moon may be shrinking, but very, very slowly
My Way News reports: "New research indicates cracks in the moon's crust that have formed as the interior has cooled and shrunk over the last billion years or so. That means the surface has shrunk, too, though not so you'd notice just from gazing at it."
CBN.com - Niger Faces Worst Hunger Crisis Ever
CBN reports: "While the flood devastation in Pakistan captures the world's attention, another crisis is looming -- one that is placing nearly 8 million people at risk. The United Nations says the African country of Niger is facing the worst hunger crisis in its history."
MSNBC - Iran sees victory in nuclear reactor startup
MSNBC reports: "The planned startup of Iran's first nuclear reactor Saturday is generating heightened concern in the West while Tehran plans to celebrate the milestone in what it says is its right to produce atomic energy. As Iranian and Russian technicians Friday continued preparations for the loading of nuclear fuel at the Bushehr facility in the south, Tehran also planned major celebrations."
My Way News - Israel, Palestinians to resume peace talks Sept. 2
My Way News reports: "Israel and the Palestinians will resume long-stalled direct peace talks in Washington early next month with the aim of reaching a settlement in a year's time, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday."

Thursday, August 19, 2010

CNN - Russia set for Iran's nuclear plant launch, top nuclear official says

CNN reports: "Sergei Kiriyenko, general director of Rosatom, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, debriefed Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the August 21 arrival of fuel at the Bushehr facility, which Iran says will create atomic energy but which other nations fear could be used for nuclear weapons."

Comment: Most observers appear to be doubtful that Israel will attack the Bushehr nuclear planet. It's not what they consider to be a "primary target" that would in any way set back Iran's nuclear weapons program. Bushehr represents the public face of Iran's claim to want only nuclear energy and not weapons. On the other hand, it has great symbolic value and it's destruction would set both Russia and Iran on the path toward implacable enmity toward Israel, setting the stage for Ezekiel's invasion. After all, few question today why Iran would want to attack Israel, but Russia? Perhaps we will get the answer this weekend.
Israel News, Ynetnews - Obama to attend Mideast talks in Washington
Ynetnews reports: "World powers to invite Israelis and Palestinians to begin direct talks on September 2 in US capital, diplomatic source says. According to new draft, negotiations expected to conclude in 12 months"
My Way News - Major study proves oil plume that's not going away
My Way News reports: "The oil is there, at least 22 miles of it. You just can't see it. A lot of the crude that spewed from BP's ruptured well is still in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's far below the surface and invisible. And it's likely to linger for months on end, scientists said Thursday in the first conclusive evidence of an underwater plume of oil from the disaster."

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

BBC News - US says China's military has seen secret expansion

BBC News reports: "China has been upgrading its land-based missiles, expanding its submarine force and nuclear arsenal, the Pentagon's annual report to Congress said. It also said that China has extended its military advantage over Taiwan. The report confirms US concerns about the rapid growth of China's military."
My Way News - Medvedev talks with Afghan, Pakistani leaders
My Way News reports: "Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday offered Pakistan support in dealing with catastrophic floods as he hosted the leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan for talks on efforts to stabilize the region."
My Way News - Assault rifles, ammunition intercepted in Nigeria
My Way News reports: "Officials with Nigeria's security services say they've intercepted 52 Kalashnikov rifles and more than 1,700 rounds of ammunition [...] heading for Jos, the epicenter of religious violence in Nigeria's "middle belt," where dozens of ethnic groups vie for control of fertile lands. Hundreds of Christians and Muslims have died in fighting there this year alone."

Comment:
They are trying to impose sharia law by force on the entire country of Nigeria and the Christian community is caught in the crossfire.
My Way News - Rare double quake blamed for South Pacific tsunami
My Way News reports: "Two teams using different research techniques have now separately concluded that the disaster was the result of a rare double whammy - two so-called great earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 8 - that hit within minutes of each other."
Ynetnews - 1.5 billion barrels of oil discovered near Rosh Ha'Ayin
Ynetnews reports: "Could the State of Israel be sitting on an oil reserve that can provide energy, cash flow, and international political influence? This is the question that everyone is waiting to be answered in the engineering report ordered by Givot Olam Oil, overseeing the drilling at the Megged 5 site, next to Rosh Ha'Ayin. The final report will be submitted on September 5."

Comment:
This looks promising and if this works out, then we have remarkable progress towards the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 & 39. Nothing like oil (and seeing your enemies prosper) to provide motive for territorial conflict.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010



AP - Russia: Iran's nuclear plant to get fuel next week
The AP reports: "Russia announced Friday it will begin the startup next week of Iran's only atomic power plant, giving Tehran a boost as it struggles with international sanctions and highlighting differences between Moscow and Washington over pressuring the Islamic Republic to give up activities that could be used to make nuclear arms."

Reuters - Iran says to push ahead with new enrichment plants
Reuters reports: "Iran will push ahead with a major expansion of its uranium enrichment capacity, its nuclear chief said on Monday, despite international sanctions meant to force the Islamic Republic to curb its nuclear program."

JPost - 'Israel has days to strike Bushehr'
The Jerusalem Post reports: "Israel has only mere days to launch an attack on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor if Russia makes good on its plan to deliver fuel there this weekend, former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton warned Tuesday. He said that once Russia has loaded the fuel into the reactor -- slated for Saturday – Israel would no longer be willing to strike for fear of triggering widespread radiation in an attack."

Comment: I'm always amazed at how the members of the U.N. Security Council can work at cross purposes to each other. In spite of the sanctions regime imposed by the Security Council, Russia (after having voted for the sanctions) has now given Iran a huge victory - proof that their nuclear program is expanding despite opposition from the West.
My Way News - Lebanon gives Palestinians employment rights
My Way News reports: "Lebanon expanded employment rights for 400,000 Palestinian refugees Tuesday, changing a decades-old law that many have criticized for keeping the community impoverished and excluded from Lebanese society."

Comment: Where is the outrage? Lebanon kept Palestinians impoverished and segregated in camps for decades and for some reason, the dominant narrative in the media is all about how Israel mistreats the Palestinians. The sad truth is, the Arab world conspired to keep the Palestinians in a perpetual state of misery for decades so they could blame Israel for their plight. The Palestinians were, and remain, merely a pawn in their long war against Israel. In Lebanon, no one made them treat the Palestinians that way, it was a choice, a choice they are now reversing. Now they're letting Palestinians work, wow, how progressive of them. What next, abolishing the camps? Before you know it, they will be offering them citizenship...just like Israel has done for decades. Yes, that's right, Arab citizens of Israel can work freely, pay taxes, even vote. Amazing! Someone please let the international media know about this!
My Way News - Flood victims mob relief trucks in Pakistan
My Way News reports: "Victims of Pakistan's deadly floods mobbed relief trucks carrying food Tuesday and authorities in the northwest warned of famine unless the region's farmers got immediate help with planting new crops."
My Way News - Gulf surface cleaner, but questions lurk far below
My Way News reports: "Researchers are warning that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a bigger mess than the government claims and that a lot of crude is lurking deep below the surface, some of it settling perhaps in a critical undersea canyon off the Florida Panhandle."

Monday, August 16, 2010

My Way News - Israeli PM urges patience on new Palestinian talks
My Way News reports: "The Israeli prime minister said Monday that patience was needed in restarting direct negotiations with the Palestinians, but that launching the talks would not take years or even months."
My Way News - Turks see Ottoman legacy in new light
My Way News reports: "Turkey is a regional power that no longer sees itself as a junior partner of the West. Its diplomats and entrepreneurs reach out to Iraq, Iran, Syria and other lands once ruled from the Ottoman court. The roots of this confident campaign lie partly in the protocol, pluralism and Islamic piety of the imperial past. These selective views, the old and the new, mirror a contemporary clash over Turkey's identity. It pits old secular elites in state entities such as the courts and military against an educated class of devout Muslims that has controlled the government since election in 2002."
My Way News - Pakistan flood survivors protest slow aid
My Way News reports: "Angry flood survivors in Pakistan blocked a highway to protest slow delivery of aid and heavy rain lashed makeshift housing Monday as a forecast of more flooding increased the urgency of the massive international relief effort. Pakistan's worst floods in recorded history began more than two weeks ago in the mountainous northwest and have spread throughout the country."
My Way News - Taliban stone couple for adultery in Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "Taliban militants in northern Afghanistan stoned a young couple to death for adultery [...] When the Islamist extremists ruled Afghanistan, women were not allowed to leave their houses without a male guardian, and public killings for violations of their harsh interpretation of the Quran were common [...] Amnesty International said it was the first confirmed stoning in Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban rule in the 2001 U.S.-led invasion."
NYTimes.com - China Passes Japan to Become No. 2 Economy
The New York Times reports: "The milestone, though anticipated for some time, is the most striking evidence yet that China’s ascendance is for real and that the rest of the world will have to reckon with a new economic superpower [...] Experts say unseating Japan — and in recent years passing Germany, France and Great Britain — underscores China’s growing clout and bolsters forecasts that China will pass the United States as the world’s biggest economy as early as 2030. America’s gross domestic product was about $14 trillion in 2009."

Saturday, August 14, 2010

JPost- 'Israel likely to hit Iran, consensus of 40 speculates'
The Jerusalem Post reports: "The consensus among some 40 Israeli, Arab and US officials – past and present – is that there is a better than 50 percent chance Israel will launch an attack against Iran by next July, US journalist Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in a just published article for the September edition of The Atlantic magazine."
My Way News - Underneath Lebanon, Israel sees hidden battlefield
My Way News reports: "With tensions mounting along their shared border, Israel's military says Hezbollah is moving fighters and weapons into the villages of south Lebanon, building up a secret network of arms warehouses, bunkers and command posts in preparation for war."

My Way News - Lebanon opens account seeking donations for arms
My Way News reports: "Lebanon's defense minister says the government has opened an account at the central bank to receive donated funds to buy weapons for the country's military. The call for donations is in protest of a decision by a U.S. congressman this month to suspend $100 million worth of American military aid over concerns the weapons could be turned on Israel and that the militant Hezbollah group may have influence over the Lebanese army."
My Way News - Cholera strikes amid Pakistani flood disaster
My Way News reports: "The deadly, waterborne disease cholera has surfaced in flood-ravaged Pakistan, the U.N. confirmed Saturday, adding to the misery of 20 million people the government says have been made homeless by the disaster."

CNN - Cholera outbreak kills 200 in Cameroon
CNN reports: "Cholera has killed 200 people in the west African nation of Cameroon, the government said Thursday, and aid agencies feared the outbreak could spread to neighboring regions and nations."
NYTimes.com - In Weather Chaos, a Case for Global Warming
The New York Times reports: "Seemingly disconnected, these far-flung disasters are reviving the question of whether global warming is causing more weather extremes. The collective answer of the scientific community can be boiled down to a single word: probably. 'The climate is changing,' said Jay Lawrimore, chief of climate analysis at the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. 'Extreme events are occurring with greater frequency, and in many cases with greater intensity.'"

Comment: Events happening with greater frequency and greater intensity...that reminds me of something, just can't quite put my finger on it.
My Way News - Trend continues with second hottest July on record
My Way News reports: "The Earth continues to feel the heat. Last month was the second warmest July on record, and so far 2010 remains on track to be the hottest year [...] The report comes after a month of worldwide extremes including floods, fires, melting ice and feverish heat."

Friday, August 13, 2010

JPost.com - PA may agree to talks in 2 days
The Jerusalem Post reports: "Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to agree to the resumption of direct talks with Israel within as little as two days, Israel Radio relayed on Saturday citing a report by Arabic newspaper A-Sharq al-Awsat."
VOA - Iran's Nuclear Chief: Bushehr Plant Will Go Online by Month's End
Voice of America reports: "The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Akbar Salehi, indicated Friday that Iran's controversial nuclear power plant at Bushehr will go online seven to eight days after Russia delivers its nuclear fuel supply on August 21."
NYTimes.com - Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Moving From South Asia to U.S.
The New York Times reports: "A dangerous new mutation that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics has become increasingly common in India and Pakistan and is being found in patients in Britain and the United States who got medical care in those countries, according to new studies."

Thursday, August 12, 2010

My Way News - Lebanon debates giving Palestinians rights
My Way News reports: "The approximately 400,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, many of them born here, are barred by law from any but the most menial professions and are denied many basic rights. Now parliament is debating a new law that would allow Palestinians to work in any profession and own property, as well as give them social security benefits. The bill, due for a vote on Aug. 17, is the most serious effort yet by Lebanon to transform its policies toward the refugees."

Comment: The conspiracy of silence is over! The media is suddenly aware that the government of Lebanon has been keeping Palestinians segregated in camps for decades. Furious international outrage and condemnation is sure to follow...any day now...waiting...still waiting.
My Way News - Aid group: Fighters not thieves killed 10 workers
My Way News reports: "A Christian charity group said Thursday that it believes militants, not robbers, killed 10 members of its medical team last week in a remote area of northern Afghanistan."
boston.com - Thousands of fish wash up in Fairhaven
The Boston Globe reports: "Fairhaven fishermen and residents woke up early yesterday to the sight — and smell — of thousands of dead menhaden floating in the water. Robert Hobson said he has never seen anything like it during his 40 years as a fisherman."
BBC News - Malaysia men guilty in 'Allah' row church attack
BBC News reports: "Two Malaysian men have been found guilty of settting fire to a church in January this year in a row over the non-Muslim use of the word 'Allah'. The two had claimed their burn injuries were sustained at a barbecue."
BBC News - Brazil air force to record UFO sightings
BBC News reports: "A government decree said all military and civilian pilots as well as air traffic controllers should register any UFO sightings with the national aerospace defence command [...] There have been several reports of UFOs in Brazil in recent decades."
BBC News - Ecuador hit by 6.9-magnitude earthquake
BBC News reports: "A 6.9-magnitude earthquake has struck about 170km (105 miles) south-east of Ecuador's capital, Quito The quake happened at 0654 local time (1154 GMT), at a depth of about 190km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said."
MSNBC - Cat-size monkey species discovered
MSNBC reports: "A scientific expedition to the Colombian Amazon has revealed a new species of monkey. The species of titi monkey (Callicebus caquetensis) is a cat-size creature that is critically endangered because of rapid habitat loss and its small population. The discovery was announced Thursday [...] This newly discovered species is struggling to survive [...] the degradation of the forests in the area, which have been felled for agricultural land."

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

My Way News - UK doctors: New superbug gene could spread widely

My Way News reports: "People traveling to India for medical procedures have brought back to Britain a new gene that allows any bacteria to become a superbug, and scientists are warning this type of drug resistance could soon appear worldwide."

Comment: This is scary. It's not enough that we have to worry about diseases that we already have limited immunity to but now we have to worry about a new class of superbugs that we don't have any defenses or drugs for.
My Way News - No agreement on direct Israel-Palestinian talks
My Way News reports: "There is still no decision to resume direct Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, President Barack Obama's envoy acknowledged Wednesday, despite optimism in Washington that agreement was close."

Comment: Thank you news media for letting us know that nothing has changed since the last time you reported that nothing has changed.
My Way News - Iran digging graves for US troops if they attack
My Way News reports: "Iran has dug mass graves in which to bury U.S. troops in case of any American attack on the country, a former commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard said."
My Way News - Lebanon rejects US concerns over military help
My Way News reports: "Lebanon will reject any American military assistance to the nation's army if it comes with conditions that the weapons not be used against Israel, the defense minister said Wednesday [...] politicians in Israel and the United States charge that Hezbollah might have infiltrated the army or are trying to influence it."
My Way News - Russia deploys anti-aircraft missiles in Abkhazia
My Way News reports: "Russia announced Wednesday that it has moved a sophisticated anti-aircraft missile system into Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia [...] Following a brief war against Georgia in two years ago, Russia has steadily increased military ties with Abkhazia and another breakaway Georgian republic, South Ossetia. Earlier this year, both republics agreed to allow Russia to establish military bases on their territory with up to 1,700 troops stationed at each base.
My Way News - Russian fires threaten to stir Chernobyl radiation
My Way News reports: "Wildfires threatened to stir radioactive particles left over from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster back into the air over western Russia, and authorities boosted forest patrols to keep the flames from contaminated areas."
My Way News - Military: Philippine Muslim rebels brace for war
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of Muslim guerrillas have undergone combat training and sought more weapons in the southern Philippines to bolster their military muscle in case planned peace talks with the government falter, a military report said Wednesday."
My Way News - AP Exclusive: Aid workers' last moments
My Way News reports: "The Taliban said they carried out the attack because the team members were spying and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. IAM said it is registered as a Christian organization with the Afghan government, but does not proselytize."
My Way News - Magnitude 6 earthquake shakes Vanuatu: No damage
My Way News reports: "The U.S Geological Survey says a magnitude 6 earthquake has shaken Vanuatu - a day after a stronger quake off the South Pacific island nation generated a small tsunami. The Wednesday quake was too small to cause a tsunami and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage."
USATODAY.com - UN panel: New taxes needed for a climate fund
USA Today reports: "British economist Nicholas Stern says a U.N. economic panel is discussing carbon taxes, add-ons to international air fares and a levy on cross-border money transfers as ways to raise $100 billion a year to fight climate change."

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

LA Times - Iran, nuclear: China, Russia, India and Turkey resist sanctions efforts
The Los Angeles Times reports: "Efforts by the United States and its European allies to build a united front to halt Iran's nuclear program are facing increasingly bold resistance from China, Russia, India and Turkey, which are rushing to boost their economies by seizing investment opportunities in defiance of sanctions imposed by the West."
LA Times - Iran, Lebanon aid: Iran says it will make up for the cutoff of U.S. aid
The Los Angeles Times reports: "Iran, reacting to the cutoff of U.S. aid to the Lebanese military, told Lebanese officials Tuesday that it would make up the potential $100-million loss. The promise came one day after disclosures that Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Valley Village), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, decided to freeze the money because of concerns that the U.S. aid might be buying arms that could be turned against Israel."

My Way News - Lebanon: US military aid halt is 'unwarranted'
My Way News reports: "For years, the U.S. has pumped money into Lebanon's military, hoping a strengthened army would sideline Iranian-backed Hezbollah's powerful militia. The unexpected decision by a U.S. Congressman to suspend that aid over concerns the weapons could be turned on Israel again raises one of Lebanon's most vexing questions: Who is really in charge of the Arab nation?"
My Way News - US officials optimistic about direct talks
My Way News reports: "The White House's Mideast envoy failed Tuesday to secure Palestinian agreement to go to direct talks with Israel, but U.S. and Palestinian officials said a possible solution to the standoff is emerging. The U.S. has been calling for a speedy resumption of face-to-face negotiations, with officials citing Sept. 1 as a target date."
My Way News - China landslide toll rises to 700; Pakistanis flee
My Way News reports: "The death toll from landslides in northwestern China more than doubled to 702 Tuesday, as rescue crews in three Asian countries struggled to reach survivors from flooding that has imperiled millions."
My Way News - Taliban blamed for sharp rise in Afghan casualties
My Way News reports: "The number of Afghan civilians killed or injured in the war soared 31 percent in the first six months of the year, with Taliban bombings and assassinations largely responsible for the sharp rise, the United Nations reported."
My Way News - SKorea warns NKorea after artillery barrage
My Way News reports: "South Korea denounced the firing of artillery from North Korea as a grave violation of their cease-fire and warned Tuesday that it would deal 'sternly' with any further provocations. North Korea fired about 110 rounds from its western shores late Monday afternoon - just minutes after the South Korean military concluded five days of large-scale naval drills staged in response to the deadly sinking of a warship."
My Way News - Somali militant group bans 3 aid agencies
My Way News reports: "A Somali militant group with links to al-Qaida on Monday announced it had banned three Christian aid agencies from its territory, and one aid group said militants had occupied their offices in southern Somalia."
My Way News - Huge ice island could pose threat to oil, shipping
My Way News reports: "An island of ice more than four times the size of Manhattan is drifting across the Arctic Ocean after breaking off from a glacier in Greenland [...] It's been a summer of near biblical climatic havoc across the planet, with wildfires, heat and smog in Russia and killer floods in Asia. But the moment the Petermann glacier cracked last week - creating the biggest Arctic ice island in half a century - may symbolize a warming world like no other."
My Way News - WHO says swine flu pandemic is over
My Way News reports: "The World Health Organization declared the swine flu pandemic officially over Tuesday, months after many national authorities started canceling vaccine orders and shutting down telephone hot lines as the disease ebbed from the headlines."

Comment: Finally, some good news on the pestilence front.
AFP: Major earthquake frightens Vanuatu
AFP reports: "A major 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Tuesday, generating a small tsunami and sending thousands of frightened people running for the hills. The undersea quake, 35 kilometres (22 miles) deep and just 40 kilometres from the capital Port Vila, shook buildings in the city for about 15 seconds, but did not appear to have caused significant damage."

Monday, August 09, 2010

My Way News - Charity plans to stay in Afghan despite murders
My Way News reports: "A Christian charity said Monday it had no plans to leave Afghanistan despite the brutal murders last week of 10 members of its medical aid team, six of them Americans [...] It was also the biggest assault on foreign Christians since the 2007 kidnapping of 23 South Korean missionaries by the Taliban in Ghazni province."
My Way News - Iran's navy gets 4 new Iranian-built submarines
My Way News reports: "IRNA says the Ghadir class submarines can fire missiles and torpedoes at the same time and can operate in the Persian Gulf's shallow waters. Iran has sought to upgrade its air defense systems and naval power, saying any possible future attacks against Iran will be air and sea-based."

My Way News - Iran says it won't give up nuke program despite US
My Way News reports: "An Iranian official says Americans 'must be dreaming' if they think they can intimidate Tehran into giving up its nuclear program. Ali Akbar Velayati is an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Velayati said Monday during a trip to Syria that American threats will not deter Iran."
My Way News - Moscow deaths double amid smog to 700 people a day
My Way News reports: "Deaths in Moscow have doubled to an average of 700 people a day as the Russian capital is engulfed by poisonous smog from wildfires and a sweltering heat wave [...] About 550 separate blazes were burning nationwide Monday, mainly across western Russia, including about 40 around Moscow, according to the Emergencies Ministry. Forest and peat bog fires have been triggered by the most intense heat wave in 130 years of record keeping.
My Way News - Turkish government, military reach deal on posts
My Way News reports: "The impasse was the latest round in a power struggle between the government and military, which have sparred since Erdogan's Islamic-oriented party came to power in 2003. The military considers itself the guardian of Turkey's secular principles."
My Way News - Central Europe faces massive flood cleanup
My Way News reports: "Swollen rivers surged north Monday in central Europe after carving a swath of destruction across Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic. Hundreds of people had to be evacuated and one monastery suffered the worst flood damage in almost 800 years."
My Way News - German mosque used by Sept. 11 attackers shut down
My Way News reports: "A small Hamburg mosque once frequented by Sept. 11 attackers was shut down and searched Monday because German authorities believed the prayer house was again being used as a meeting point for Islamic radicals."
My Way News - North Korea fires artillery near disputed border
My Way News reports: "North Korea fired about 110 rounds of artillery Monday near its disputed sea border with South Korea, the South's military said, amid high tension over the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship blamed on North Korea."
My Way News - 1,100 missing in China as Asian flood misery rises
My Way News reports: "Rescuers in three countries across Asia struggled Tuesday to reach survivors from massive flooding that has afflicted millions of people [...] In Pakistan, the United Nations said the government's estimate of 13.8 million people affected by the country's worst-ever floods exceeded the combined total of three recent megadisasters - the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the 2010 Haiti earthquake."

Comment: This flooding represents a megadisaster larger than three recent megadisasters. Wow.
My Way News - Eaten Alive: 5-year battle with flesh-eating germ
My Way News reports: "In all of medicine, few infections are as feared as this one. It strikes out of the blue, especially obese people, diabetics, cancer patients, transplant recipients and others with weak immune systems - a growing group of Americans. It kills 20 percent of its victims and horribly disfigures others."

Friday, August 06, 2010

My Way News - UAE: Japanese tanker attacked in Persian Gulf
My Way News reports: "The United Arab Emirates said Friday that a Japanese oil tanker was hit by an explosives-laden dinghy in the Persian Gulf in what would be the first attack in the strategic waterway where millions of barrels of oil are transported each day."

Thursday, August 05, 2010

My Way News - Chinese missile could shift Pacific power balance

My Way News reports: "U.S. naval planners are scrambling to deal with what analysts say is a game-changing weapon being developed by China - an unprecedented carrier-killing missile called the Dong Feng 21D that could be launched from land with enough accuracy to penetrate the defenses of even the most advanced moving aircraft carrier at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles)."
My Way News - Iran wants cooperation with Afghans, Tajikistan
My Way News reports: "Iran's president called Thursday for a stronger alliance with other countries in the region straddling the Middle East and Central Asia, saying NATO-led troops have failed to restore peace in Afghanistan."
My Way News - Iran Holocaust-denying website angers Israel
My Way News reports: "A new Iranian website that denies and mocks the Holocaust with cartoons showing Jews as hook-nosed worms burrowing holes through a history book provoked outrage in Israel on Thursday."
My Way News - AP Exclusive: Iran defiant in nuclear documents
My Way News reports: "As Iran and world powers prepare for new nuclear talks, letters from Tehran's envoys to top international officials suggest little prospect of major progress, with Tehran combative and unlikely to offer any concessions."
My Way News - Kyrgyz troops fire on protesters, arrest leader
My Way News reports: "Kyrgyz forces fired live ammunition, tear gas and stun grenades into the air to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters Thursday and arrested their leader, raising fears of new instability in the turbulent Central Asian nation."

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

My Way News - Iran claims to have S-300 anti-aircraft missiles

My Way News reports: "Iran has obtained four S-300 surface-to-air missile systems despite Russia's refusal to deliver them to Tehran under a valid contract, a semiofficial Iranian news agency claimed Wednesday [...] The S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters)."

Comment: This is a very serious development as these are very serious missiles. Just how Russian missiles ended up in Iran is for the journalists and spies to figure out, though it's nearly certain it could not have happened without Russia's (and Putin's) approval.
My Way News - Flare-up over tree accents Israel-Lebanon tension
My Way News reports: "With Israel uneasy about the growing arsenal of Hezbollah, the real power in the Lebanese border area, and Lebanon influenced by the Iranian-backed group's clout, the clash that left four dead showed how a small spark could ignite another war [...] Hezbollah has long been considered mainly as Iran's militant arm in Lebanon running its own state-within-a-state. The group remains fiercely anti-Israel and is highly unlikely to give up its extensive arsenal of rockets and other weapons [...] The conventional wisdom in Israel is that another war with Hezbollah is inevitable."
My Way News - Egypt admits rocket attack from its own soil
My Way News reports: "The deadly rocket attacks on Israel and Jordan's Red Sea ports were carried out by the militant Palestinian Hamas group operating from Egypt, an Egyptian official said Wednesday after days of denials."
My Way News - Al-Qaida-linked group claims tanker attack in Gulf
My Way News reports: "An obscure al-Qaida-linked group said Wednesday one of its suicide bombers attacked a Japanese oil tanker in the Persian Gulf last week - a claim that, if true, would be the first time the terror network has attacked the Japanese."
My Way News - SKorea begins naval drills despite NKorean warning
My Way News reports: "South Korea began naval drills off its west coast Thursday to strengthen its ability to counter any North Korean provocation despite Pyongyang's latest threat to retaliate over the war games."
My Way News - Study: TV king in US, Asians rely on mobile video
My Way News reports: "It's much more common for people in Asian countries to view video on cell phones than it is for those in the United States and Europe, the study showed. The Chinese are 51 percent more likely to watch mobile video than people elsewhere in the world, while Americans are 55 percent less likely, the study said. A far greater percentage of Americans than Chinese have an extensive number of cable television channels in their homes, said Matt O'Grady, a senior vice president at Nielsen."
UPI - Strong earthquake hits off Aleutians
UPI reports: "An undersea earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale rattled the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said."

AFP - Major 7.0-magnitude earthquake hits Papua New Guinea
AFP reports: "A major 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck a remote mountainous region of the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea on Thursday, seismologists said, causing panic but no initial damage or injuries."
USA Today - Northern Lights may make rare appearance across America
USA Today reports: "Solar storms could give Americans from Montana to Maine a rare chance to view the Northern Lights tonight and Wednesday night. The Aurora Borealis, commonly seen over northern Canada and Alaska, could be viewable farther south than usual the next couple of nights, scientists say. That means they might be visible from parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine."

Comment
: I guess that's the end of Solar Minimum, we are on the way toward Solar Maximum, projected to peak in 2012.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

'IDF soldiers did not cross border'
My Way News reports: "The IDF released an aerial photograph Tuesday night, showing that the IDF soldiers involved in deadly clashes with Lebanese forces on Tuesday were standing in Israeli territory when they were fired upon, and did not cross the Lebanese border. This information was also reportedly confirmed by a UNIFIL representative."

My Way News - Lebanon, Israel clash near border; at least 4 dead
My Way News reports: "Lebanese and Israeli troops exchanged fire Tuesday in a fierce border battle that killed a senior Israeli officer, two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist - underlining how easily tensions can re-ignite along the frontier where Israel and Hezbollah fought a war four years ago."

DEBKAfile - After Assad ditches Hizballah, Lebanese clash with Israeli troops
DEBKAfile reports: "Lebanese troops opened mortar-RPG fire on Israeli troops Tuesday, Aug. 3. Israeli tanks returned the fire [...] Israeli military sources are checking to see if the Lebanese soldiers were in fact Hizballah gunmen in Lebanese army uniform, the first response to a decision by Syrian president Bashar Assad, reported by debkafile, to jilt Hizballah's Hassan Nasrallah and switch his support to the Sunni Prime Minister Saad Hariri."
My Way News - Pakistan's leader says world losing Afghan war
My Way News reports: "The U.S.-led coalition's battle against the Taliban has already been lost because of its failure to win over the Afghan people, Pakistan's president warned Tuesday before tough talks this week with Prime Minister David Cameron, who has accused the country of exporting terrorism."
My Way News - China military launches major air exercises
My Way News reports: "China's military launched major air defense exercises Tuesday, highlighting rising capabilities that are seen as tipping the balance of power in east Asia. The drills involve more than 10,000 service members, including those from naval and army aviation units and land-based air defense forces, according to the official China News Service."
My Way News - Powerful quake hits eastern Indonesia
My Way News reports: "A powerful earthquake struck waters off of eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage and officials said there was no threat of a tsunami. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 and was centered off Sulawesi island, around 26 miles (42 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor."
My Way News - Deadly flooding spreads to Pakistan's heartland
My Way News reports: "Floodwaters surged into Pakistan's heartland and swallowed dozens of villages Tuesday, adding to a week of destruction that has already ravaged the mountainous northwest and killed 1,500 people."
My Way News - 3 children, 1 teacher killed in China attack
My Way News reports: "A knife-wielding man went on a slashing rampage in a kindergarten in eastern China, leaving three children and one teacher dead, area residents reported Wednesday."

My Way News - 'Cold as ice' Conn. beer driver kills 8, self
My Way News reports: "A driver caught stealing beer from the warehouse where he worked agreed to resign his job Tuesday and then as 'cold as ice,' one of his victims said, went on a shooting rampage, killing eight people and injuring two before committing suicide."
My Way News - NYC panel clears way for mosque near ground zero
My Way News reports: "A city panel Tuesday cleared the way for the construction near ground zero of a mosque that has caused a political uproar over religious freedom and Sept. 11 even as opponents vowed to press their case in court."

Comment: Well, that's a shame. Really - shame. I'm sorry multiculturalists, we really don't have to respect a religion that behaves in the way that Islam does. We are heirs of the Western liberal tradition and we don't have to respect a religion that subjugates women and demands conversion or death. Islam is all about submission, and there is no room in our tradition based on freedom and liberty for a religion of submission. We won't believe the lie. And what is the lie? It's right there in the news report:
But Zead Ramadan, president of the board of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said Islam is "a religion of peace and justice." "The people here are trying to connect this vile attack on our nation to the religion Islam," he said, "though that exact act stands against everything that Islam stands for."
If Islam is a religion of peace and justice then explain please why all of these acts of terrorism and murder are perpetrated by followers of Islam and in the name of Islam? Could it be because there is something in their book, in the text, that tells them plainly to kill infidels? Let's be honest here, we are not being constantly attacked by Buddhists, Harri Krishnas, Wiccans, Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Confucionists, Jainists, Bahais, or Shintoists. There is something peculiar going on with Islam. Could it be that Islam is not really a religion of peace?

It is up to the followers of a religion to live out the values of their religion. It is up to Christians to share the love of Christ, to live the values of love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. We know that for the people we meet in the world, we may be the only Bible they ever read. The early Christians were known for their love and even today one of the most powerful means of sharing faith is living Christianity so powerfully that people want what you have. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These can be very attractive qualities in a world filled with angry, self-seeking, hate-filled people. And even if many Christians fall short in living out those values we know that this is what we strive for under the self-correcting guidance of the Holy Spirit.

If Islam is a religion of peace, then let followers of that religion demonstrate that. If they do, they will find the other religions of peace eager to welcome them to the marketplace of spirituality. Like Paul in the agora, Christians have never been intimidated by the marketplace of ideas, as long as we are agreed on some basic principles, like the sanctity of life and the freedom to choose religions and not have them imposed.
Reuters - Cancer cells slurp up fructose, US study finds
Reuters reports: "Heaney said his team [...] grew pancreatic cancer cells in lab dishes and fed them both glucose and fructose. Tumor cells thrive on sugar but they used the fructose to proliferate. 'Importantly, fructose and glucose metabolism are quite different,' Heaney's team wrote. [...] U.S. consumption of high fructose corn syrup went up 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, researchers reported in 2004 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

Comment: I long ago limited my intake of natural sugar but I know my diet is rich in high fructose corn syrup, best start limiting that as well.

Monday, August 02, 2010


My Way News - Sun storms may bring northern lights farther south

My Way News reports: "The sun may be about to put on a colorful light show. That's because of two minor solar storms that flared on Sunday and are shooting tons of plasma directly at Earth. Scientists said residents of northern regions - from Maine to Michigan and anywhere farther north around the globe - may see unusual northern lights."

Space Weather - Complex Eruption on the Sun Sends CME toward Earth

SpaceWeather.com reports: "During the early hours of August 1st, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded a complex global disturbance on the Earth-facing side of the sun. Most of the sun's northern hemisphere was involved in the event, which included a long-duration C3-class solar flare, a 'solar tsunami,' and a massive filament eruption. As a result of these blasts, a coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading toward Earth. High-latitude geomagnetic storms and auroras are possible when the cloud arrives a few days hence."
Reuters - Israel fears Turks could pass its secrets to Iran
Reuters reports: "Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak has voiced concern that once-stalwart ally Turkey could share Israeli intelligence secrets with Iran, revealing a deep distrust as Ankara's regional interests shift."
Reuters - Rockets hit Israel and Jordan resorts
Reuters reports: "Rockets from Egypt's Sinai, where Islamist militants have operated in the past, hit Israel's and Jordan's Red Sea port resorts on Monday, killing a Jordanian civilian and injuring three others, Jordanian and Israeli police said."
My Way News - Peru plague outbreak kills 1, infects at least 31
My Way News reports: "Peru's health minister says an outbreak of plague has killed a 14-year-old boy and infected at least 31 people in a northern coastal province. Health Minister Oscar Ugarte says authorities are screening sugar and fish meal exports from Ascope province, located about 325 miles (520 kms) northwest of Lima. Popular Chicama beach isn't far away."
My Way News - Dead zone in the Gulf one of the largest ever
My Way News reports: "Scientists say this year that the 'dead zone' area that forms every summer in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the largest ever measured. The large area of low oxygen that chokes marine life comes in addition to the massive BP oil spill. Microbes that eat the oil can deplete oxygen in the water."
My Way News - Israel to take part in UN probe of flotilla raid
My Way News reports: "Israel announced Monday it will take part in a U.N. investigation into the deadly Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla last spring, in a departure from its traditional mistrust of the world body."