My Way News - Christians Fear Attacks by Indian Hindus
AP reports: "Hundreds of Christians, fearing more clashes with Hindu nationalists, fled to government-run relief camps where authorities on Saturday were providing them with food, medicine and security. [...] Since Monday, Hindu nationalists have ransacked and burned about 19 churches, according to officials who say Christians burned down several Hindu homes in apparent retaliation."

My Way News - Chance of Asteroid Hit on Mars Increases
AP reports: "The chance of a football field-sized asteroid plowing into Mars next month has been increased to 4 percent, scientists said Friday after analyzing archival data."

My Way News - 2007 a Year of Weather Records in U.S.
AP reports: "When the calendar turned to 2007, the heat went on and the weather just got weirder. January was the warmest first month on record worldwide - 1.53 degrees above normal. It was the first time since record-keeping began in 1880 that the globe's average temperature has been so far above the norm for any month of the year."

Russian plane crosses into Finnish airspace: Finland - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Finland's border guard is investigating why a Russian aircraft crossed into Finnish airspace on Wednesday, the second such incident this year, Finland's defense ministry said."

My Way News - New Jersey Targets HIV Transmissions
AP reports: "HIV testing will soon become part of routine prenatal care and be required for some newborns in New Jersey under a new law that supporters say is putting the state in the forefront of the national fight against HIV transmission to babies."

My Way News - Bin Laden Issues Warning on Iraq, Israel
AP reports: "Osama bin Laden warned Iraq's Sunni Arabs against fighting al-Qaida and vowed to expand the terror group's holy war to Israel in a new audiotape Saturday, threatening 'blood for blood, destruction for destruction.' [...] 'We intend to liberate Palestine, the whole of Palestine from the (Jordan) river to the sea,' he said, threatening 'blood for blood, destruction for destruction.' "

Labels
I just added the list of labels (Blogger calls them labels, they also known as tags or categories) to the sidebar so it will be easier to browse the blog.

My Way News - Israelis, Palestinians Try for Peace
AP reports: "Israeli and Palestinian leaders both say they hope to sign a peace deal by the end of 2008. On Nov. 27, the two sides got together in Annapolis, Md., in the presence of some 45 nations to relaunch peace talks that had been stalled during the past seven years of Israeli-Palestinian violence."

My Way News - Analysis: Bhutto's Death Shakes Pakistan
AP reports: "Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto's assassination deals a stunning blow to liberal political forces in Pakistan and gathering unrest by her supporters risks tipping the volatile country into chaos."

Comment: I received an e-mail from Joel Rosenberg's Flash Traffic listserv explaining why the Bhutto assassination is important:

Pakistan and her nuclear weapons are in danger of falling into the hands of Islamic radicals. Such radicals have attempted to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf multiple times in the last few years, hoping to seize control of the government and impose sharia law. Today's attack is a sobering reminder that Pakistan is just one coup d'etat away from Osama bin Laden or one of his fanatical, murderous allies suddenly gaining control. It is difficult to imagine a more nightmarish scenario than al-Qaeda in possession of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, but this is not an impossibility.

I would also note that Pakistan, as one of the most powerful countries (by virtue of nuclear weapons and large standing army) to the east of Israel qualifies as one of the Kings of the East that we should be watching closely. In particular, we should monitor: the strength of Islamic radicals in Pakistan; the orientation of that country towards the West in general and Israel in particular; and finally, emerging political, commercial, and military ties to countries surrounding Israel.

My Way News - Iran to Get Russian Anti-Missile Defense
AP reports: "Russia is preparing to equip Iran with a powerful new air defense system that would dramatically increase its ability to repel an attack, Iran's defense minister said Wednesday. [...] Russia has provided Iran with Kilo-Class submarines, MIG and Sukhoi military planes and bombers in recent decades. Iran-Russia ties increased after a visit here by Russian President Vladimir Putin in October. "

My Way News - Earthquake Hits Turkey
AP reports: "An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 shook the Turkish capital early Thursday, rattling furniture and rousing residents from their sleep, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of injuries."

My Way News - Iranian Jews Arrive in Israel
AP reports: "Greeted by joyous relatives and a crowd of reporters, about 40 Iranian Jews landed in Israel on Tuesday, leaving behind their lives in the Islamic Republic for new homes in the Jewish state."

My Way News - Russia Successfully Tests New ICBM

AP reports: "Russia's military on Tuesday successfully test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads - a weapon intended to replace aging Soviet-era missiles. [...] President Vladimir Putin has used windfall oil revenues to modernize Russia's military arsenals amid increasing tensions with the West. "

My Way News - Hindus, Christians Clash in India
AP reports: "Hindu extremists torched nearly a dozen churches and the home of a Christian leader Thursday, defying a curfew imposed to quell three days of religious violence in eastern India. Christians retaliated by setting fire to several homes belonging to Hindus."

My Way News - Pakistan's Bhutto Killed in Attack
AP reports: "The murder of Bhutto, one of Pakistan's most famous and enduring politicians, sparked violence that killed at least nine people and plunged efforts to restore democracy to this nuclear-armed U.S. ally into turmoil."

Merry Christmas
I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
- Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

My Way News - Asteroid May Hit Mars in Next Month
AP reports: "Mars could be in for an asteroid hit. A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on Jan. 30, scientists said Thursday."

My Way News - Father Sentenced for Online Sex Abuse
AP reports: "A Canadian man who sexually abused his 4-year-old daughter live on the Internet so another man could watch was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison."

My Way News - Strong Quake Rattles North New Zealand
AP reports: "A strong earthquake struck New Zealand on Thursday night, collapsing at least three older buildings in one coastal city on North Island, sparking small fires and forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency there."

My Way News - Israel Looking at Hamas Truce Idea
AP reports: "Israel is examining a Hamas truce proposal delivered by Egypt, defense officials said Thursday after at least six Palestinians were killed in a day of Israeli air and ground strikes aimed at stopping rocket salvos from Gaza."

My Way News - EU Expands Border-Free Zone Farther East
AP reports: "Border controls along the old Iron Curtain from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic cease to exist from midnight Thursday as most of the European Union's former communist new members join the bloc's passport-free travel zone."

My Way News - Earthquake Shakes Turkish Capital
AP reports: "A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook the capital of Ankara on Thursday, a Turkish seismology center said. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but the quake brought down a minaret of a village mosque."

Jet From Supermassive Black Hole Seen Blasting Neighboring Galaxy - washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post reports: "A jet of highly charged radiation from a supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy is blasting another galaxy nearby -- an act of galactic violence that astronomers said yesterday they have never seen before."

My Way News - Bush to Make His First Trip to Jerusalem

AP reports: "President Bush will make his first trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank next month to push Israel and the Palestinians toward peace and try to write his own chapter in the annals of Mideast diplomacy. On a nine-day trip beginning Jan. 8, Bush plans to stop in Israel, the West Bank, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt."

My Way News - Bush Orders Cuts in Nuclear Stockpile
AP reports: "President Bush has approved 'a significant reduction' in the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, cutting it to less than one-quarter its size at the end of the Cold War, the White House said Tuesday. [...] there are believed to be nearly 6,000 warheads that either are deployed or in reserve."

My Way News - Turkish Army Sends Soldiers Into Iraq
AP reports: "Turkey sent hundreds of troops across the border into the frigid mountains of northern Iraq on Tuesday, claiming it inflicted heavy losses on Turkish Kurd rebels in the small-scale incursion and from air strikes two days earlier."

My Way News - Palestinian's Islamic Jihad at a Glance
AP provides this background on the Islamic Jihad Palestinian group:

- SIZE: About 15,000 armed militants in the Gaza Strip.

- WEAPONS: Assault rifles, heavy machine guns, explosives, land mines, homemade rockets, some Katyusha rockets.

- IDEOLOGY: Strict Islam, rejection of existence of Israel, refusal to compromise with Jewish state.

- TACTICS: Armed attacks against Israeli targets inside Israel, including suicide bombings and almost daily rocket barrages from Gaza. Unlike the Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, Islamic Jihad has no social wing and only limited political activity.

- ORGANIZATION: Gaza leadership takes instructions from exiled leaders based in Syria. Funding from Iran and Syria.

- HISTORY: Founded in 1979 by Fathi Shikaki as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Shikaki was killed in 1995 in Malta in attack widely attributed to Israel. Current Damascus-based leader is Ramadan Shalah.

One thing they omit, the GOAL of the group: destruction of the state of Israel.

My Way News - Israel Pledges More Airstrikes in Gaza
AP reports: "Israel will keep striking the leaders of groups that launch rockets from the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged Tuesday after an hours-long aerial assault killed 12 militants including the commander of the extremist group Islamic Jihad."

My Way News - Iran Receives Russian Nuclear Fuel
AP reports: "Iran received its first nuclear fuel from Russia on Monday, paving the way for the startup of its reactor in 2008. Both the U.S. and Russia said that with the shipment, the Iranians would no longer have any reason to produce enriched uranium that could be used to build a nuclear weapon."

My Way News - Hamas-Run Gaza Will See Little of Aid
AP reports: "Hamas has successfully derailed past peace efforts with attacks on Israel. A barrage of rocket attacks could provoke the Israeli military into invading Gaza. [...] Hamas has rejected repeated demands that it recognize Israel and renounce violence in exchange for international acceptance."

My Way News - Palestinians Raise $7.4 Billion
AP reports: "Led by Europe, international donors on Monday pledged $7.4 billion over three years to help Palestinians as new peace talks begin with Israel, yet old Mideast fights over disputed land and freedom of movement shadowed the largest show of support for the Palestinians in more than a decade."

My Way News - 5 Killed in Gaza Airstrikes
AP reports: "Israeli airstrikes blasted two cars in Gaza Monday night, killing five Islamic Jihad militants, including a senior commander and a master rocket maker."

My Way News - Putin Seeks Prime Minister's Post
AP reports: "Vladimir Putin assured his political party Monday that Russia's age of Putin is far from over, pledging to accept an offer of the prime minister's post when he leaves the presidency next year."

My Way News - NY Couple Convicted in Slavery Case
AP reports: "A jury on Monday convicted a millionaire couple of enslaving two Indonesian women they brought to their mansion to work as housekeepers."

My Way News - Bali Climate Talks Reach Agreement
AP reports: "World leaders overcame bitter divisions Saturday and agreed to reach a new deal on fighting global warming by 2009, turning a corner in mankind's race to stave off environmental disaster caused by rising temperatures."

My Way News - Bird Flu Flares Again in Asia
AP reports: "Bird flu has resurfaced in parts of Asia, with human deaths reported in Indonesia and China and fresh outbreaks plaguing other countries during the winter months when the virus typically flares."

My Way News - Assad Says Alliance With Iran Unshakable
AP reports: "President Bashar Assad rejected claims that Syria's alliance with Iran had been weakened by Damascus' participation in last month's U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference, insisting Thursday that ties between the two countries will never be shaken."

My Way News - EU Leaders Sign Bloc's New Treaty

AP reports: "European Union leaders signed a new treaty on Thursday that would give the 27-nation bloc a long-term president and streamline its decision-making process. [...] The so-called Lisbon Treaty, said by leaders to be a milestone in the history of the post-World War II bloc, will come into force after it is ratified by all member states. The aim is to complete that process by 2009."

My Way News - Russia's Putin in Belarus for Talks
AP reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Belarus' leader late Thursday, starting a visit that was closely watched for signs the two ex-Soviet neighbors were advancing toward a merger."

My Way News - At Least 17 Dead in Somali Unrest
AP reports: "A radical Islamic group that was driven from power a year ago by a Western-supported offensive is making a significant comeback in Somalia, and the government can do little to stop it, officials said Thursday, as shelling and gunbattles in the capital killed at least 17 people."

ISN Security Watch - Eurasian groupings seek closer security ties
ISN reports: "The Russia-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) have pledged to boost their partnership in an apparent bid to keep western forces out of Central Eurasia."

My Way News - A Rocky Start for Mideast Peace Talks

AP reports: "A Palestinian rocket barrage, an Israeli army incursion in Gaza and a fresh land dispute in Jerusalem marred the first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in seven years Wednesday."

My Way News - Car Bomb Kills Lebanese General
AP reports: "A powerful car bombing Wednesday killed the likely next head of the army in the first such assassination targeting Lebanon's military, seen by many Lebanese as the only institution keeping the divided nation from breaking apart."

My Way News - Putin Goes to Belarus for Talks on Union
AP reports: "If the two countries can agree, it would mark the first merger of a former Soviet state with Russia since the Soviet Union split apart in 1991 - a step that would make many Russians proud."

US sees Iran threat despite warm words
AFP reports: "The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) -- the consensus of all 16 US spy agencies -- said Iran halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003 and US allegations about Iran's atomic goals had been overblown for at least two years, though it also said the Islamic republic could have the capability to make a nuclear weapon by 2015."

US 'deeply regrets' Russia's 'wrong' decision on CFE - Space War
AFP reports: "The United States said Wednesday it 'deeply regrets' that Russia has suspended a key Soviet-era arms pact and urges Moscow to reverse course. [...] Russia's foreign ministry announced that participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was suspended from midnight in Moscow (2100 GMT Tuesday)."

My Way News - al-Qaida Claims Bloody Algiers Bombings
AP reports: "Two truck bombs set off in quick succession sheared off the fronts of U.N. offices and a government building in Algeria's capital Tuesday, killing at least 26 people and wounding nearly 200 in an attack claimed by an affiliate of al-Qaida."

Comment: And who says we don't need a new Africa Command?

My Way News - Medvedev: Putin Should Be Prime Minister

AP reports: "The day after President Vladimir Putin threw his colossal political weight behind a loyal aide in the 2008 presidential race, the aide returned the favor Tuesday, urging Putin to accept the post of prime minister."

Comment: Nice move, at last we can see exactly how Putin will retain power. So, Putin stays in power, in some fashion or another, and continues to chart an independent course for Russia, and most importantly for our concerns, increases Russian influence in the Middle East. Next, expect him to leverage his Quartet membership to host the next major Mideast Peace Conference in Moscow next year with the aim of shielding Iran from intrusive nuclear inspections and bolstering ally (and former Soviet client state) Syria.

My Way News - Israel's Gaza Thrust Clouds Peace Talks
AP reports: "Since the Hamas takeover in Gaza, Israel has carried out frequent airstrikes and ground incursions in response to near daily Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli border communities. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group and holds it responsible for all attacks launched from Gaza."

Comment: I highlighted the paragraph above because it gets to the heart of the matter, but you really have to read the actual report to get to it. If you merely read the headline, or even the first few paragraphs of the report, you would think that Israel has recklessly damaged peace efforts instead of defensively responding to attacks. The spin demonstrated in the headline is actually the Palestinian spin on the Israeli incursion, and apparently the AP editor and/or writer is seeking to make that spin color the rest of the report. Sometimes the anti-Israel bias is just so blatant, the attitude appears to be, "Oh, those Israelis, there they go again, defending themselves, so very reckless of them."

My Way News - 6 Shot After Leaving Vegas School Bus
AP reports: "Assailants shot six young people Tuesday at a school bus stop, wounding two critically, in a midday attack that followed a fight over a high school girl, authorities said."

My Way News - Gunman May Have Warned of 2nd Attack
AP reports: "In between his two deadly shooting sprees, church gunman Matthew Murray apparently posted furious threats on the Internet to kill Christians."

My Way News - Ominous Arctic Melt Worries Experts
AP reports: "An already relentless melting of the Arctic greatly accelerated this summer, a warning sign that some scientists worry could mean global warming has passed an ominous tipping point. One even speculated that summer sea ice would be gone in five years."

My Way News - Olmert Promises 'Serious' Peace Effort
AP reports: "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised Monday to 'forge a historic path' toward a final settlement with the Palestinians at this week's first peace talks in nearly seven years."

Seven years, huh? Interesting period of time, it could also make for nice bookends to a start date and end date for the entire process?

Moscow pushing for follow-up Mideast peace summit in April - Haaretz
Israel News reports: "The United States supports the holding of a second peace conference in Moscow that would address Israel's conflicts with Syria and Lebanon as well as the Palestinian issue, according to information obtained by the Foreign Ministry from Russian sources in recent days. "

My Way News - Germany Seeking to Ban Scientology
AP reports: "Germany's top security officials said Friday they consider the goals of Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution and will seek to ban the organization."

My Way News - Russia Ignores Call for Iran Sanctions

AP reports: "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Friday the United States would continue along a two-track strategy to deal with Iran, pressing for new sanctions and demanding Tehran come clean about its nuclear program while offering talks to sweeten the deal. But Russia ignored her calls to punish Iran."

My Way News - UN Says 31 Killed in Myanmar Crackdown
AP reports: "Myanmar's crackdown on pro-democracy protesters killed more than twice as many people as the junta has acknowledged, a U.N. investigator said Friday, citing at least 31 dead."

My Way News - Suburban Sex Parties Draw Complaints
AP reports: "The most popular address on Cedar Ridge Drive is Jim Trulock's split-level home, which has a group sex room and attracts as many as 100 people to swinger parties featuring 'Naked Twister' nights."

My Way News - WHO Says Victim's Dad Also Has Bird Flu
AP reports: "The father of a Chinese man who died of bird flu has also been infected with the H5N1 virus that causes the disease, the World Health Organization reported Friday, saying it could not rule out the possibility of human-to-human infection."

Biometric security gains importance in increasingly online world - Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News reports: "Biometrics, the technology of using unique physiological or behavioral characteristics to identify a person, will take on greater importance in the consumer world to protect against identity theft. But first, businesses must overcome the reluctance they have with the technology."

Famine in Africa
It's taken a few years to recalibrate policy, but the World Bank has finally realized that their famine relief policies had actually been contributing to famine in Africa. The little country of Malawi is a test case (Ending Famine, Simply by Ignoring the Experts - New York Times):

But this year, a nation that has perennially extended a begging bowl to the world is instead feeding its hungry neighbors. It is selling more corn to the World Food Program of the United Nations than any other country in southern Africa and is exporting hundreds of thousands of tons of corn to Zimbabwe.

It's nice to see some good news on the famine front.

Syria blocks access to Facebook - Yahoo! News
AP reports: "Syrian authorities have blocked Facebook, the popular Internet hangout, over what seems to be fears of Israeli 'infiltration' of Syrian social networks on the Net, according to residents and media reports."

My Way News - Encephalitis Strain Kills 484 India Kids

AP reports: "An outbreak of a mystery strain of encephalitis has killed nearly 500 children in northern India this year and seems to be getting worse, doctors said Thursday. Doctors in Uttar Pradesh state, the center of the outbreak, have been unable to identify the strain of the disease, which has affected only children, killing 484 of them since the beginning of the year, said state Health Minister Anant Kumar Mishra."

My Way News - Abbas Rejects Provisional State
AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he has rejected the concept of a provisional Palestinian state out of concern that the temporary borders of such an entity would become permanent."

My Way News - Diplomats: No Russian Buildup on Border
AP reports: "Russia will not expand its armed forces on its western border as long as NATO refrains from a military buildup, Russian diplomats and lawmakers said Thursday."

My Way News - Putin to Discuss Union With Belarus
AP reports: "President Vladimir Putin and other top Russia and Belarus officials will consider next week a proposed framework for the long-debated merger of the two countries into a single state, officials said Thursday."

My Way News - Man Jailed for Not Taking TB Medication
AP reports: "A man was jailed for failing to take his tuberculosis medication after officials said he was a serious health risk."

My Way News - Mall Gunman Called Quiet and Depressed
AP reports: "But police said it was Hawkins who went into an Omaha shopping mall on Wednesday and began a shooting rampage that killed eight people. It ended when he turned his high-powered rifle on himself. The rampage was as troubling as it was puzzling for those who knew him."

My Way News - Israel Feels Alone After Report on Iran
AP reports: "With the U.S. now less likely to take military action, an increasingly nervous Israel might feel compelled to strike out on its own if it perceives a dangerous threat."

My Way News - Gmail Links to AOL Instant Messaging
AP reports: "Fulfilling a pledge made two years ago, Google Inc. (GOOG) this week unveiled a feature that enables people to chat on AOL's instant messaging service through 'Gmail' - the popular search company's free e-mail service."

My Way News - Scientists Beg for Climate Action
AP reports: "For the first time, more than 200 of the world's leading climate scientists, losing their patience, urged government leaders to take radical action to slow global warming because 'there is no time to lose.'"

My Way News - Global Warming Wreaks Havoc With Nature
AP reports: "While humans debate at U.N. climate change talks in Bali, global warming is already wreaking havoc with nature. Most plants and animals are affected, and the change is occurring too quickly for them to evolve."

My Way News - Bush to Travel to Mideast

AP reports: "President Bush will visit the Mideast in early January as he presses the Israelis and Palestinians to resume long-stalled peace talks and forge an elusive agreement for an independent Palestinian homeland."

My Way News - Questions Surround TV Preacher Inquiry
AP reports: "All the ministries preach a form of Word of Faith theology, known as prosperity gospel, which effectively teaches that God wants believers to be rich."

Comment: I've filed this post under the False Christs and Persecution labels because it's arguably an example of both. It's persecution because the government should not be singling out certain religions for special treatment. Why are the politicians only going after Christians? Are there no suspect Buddhist, Islamic or Jewish groups that may fall under the purview of this Senate investigation?

I've also filed the post under the False Christs label because these ministries are preaching a false image of Jesus. The Bible teaches two important things about wealth: wealth is a gift from God that should be used with wisdom to help others, as a good steward would use the property entrusted to him by his master, it is not for hoarding or for self-aggrandizement; and, wealth is a spiritual snare that can trap you and cause you to become too concerned with the things of this world and distract you from thinking about more spiritual matters. Wealth is a tool, it can be used for good or ill, but the lust for wealth and the love of money is always evil, and these prosperity theology teachers tap into that lust for wealth to sell their religious product.

Does Jesus want you to be rich? Let's use the word of God (Matthew 19:24, NIV) to answer that question:

24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

And don't forget Matthew 6:24 (NIV) which is equally as clear:

24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

There are many other scripture passages I could quote, but I think the point is made, tapping into the human desire for wealth in order to preach the Gospel is a duplicitous move on the part of these ministries, they should know better, and when they don't disavow prosperity theology and warn their followers of the spiritual dangers of wealth then that is a tacit acknowledgment that they are bent more on enriching themselves rather than the Kingdom of Heaven.

My Way News - Rice Concerned About Volatile Africa
AP reports: "Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday expressed growing unease about the deteriorating security and faltering peace deals in a number of African countries as she headed to the continent for regional talks."

My Way News - Bethlehem Santa Gives Joy in Cool Shades
AP reports: "Hana Rishmawi said his business has grown a little every year, a small miracle considering that Christians are a diminishing minority - just 2 percent of the West Bank's 2.4 million residents. Economic hardship and growing Muslim fervor have fueled the Christian exodus."

Comment: Interesting way to put it, perhaps "Muslim fervor" is a bit of euphemism? I think the Palestinians want the holiday tourists, they just don't want any actual Christians living there.

My Way News - Europeans Relieved at US Report on Iran
AP reports: "Europeans say the U.S. U-turn strengthens their argument for negotiations with Tehran. But they also said that sanctions are still an option to compel Iran to be fully transparent about its nuclear program."

My Way News - Jewish Festival of Lights Begins
AP reports: "Hanukkah, which features presents, jelly-filled doughnuts and potato pancakes, commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 B.C. after its desecration by the Syrian Greeks."

My Way News - US: Iran Halted Weapons Program in 2003
AP reports: "A new U.S. intelligence report concludes that Iran's nuclear weapons development program has been halted since the fall of 2003 because of international pressure - a stark contrast to the conclusions U.S. spy agencies drew just two years ago."

My Way News - What Role Will Putin Play After Vote?
AP reports: "Vladimir Putin claimed Monday that parliamentary elections handed him the mandate he sought to remain Russia's leader after his presidency ends next spring. But he needs to decide quickly how to use that mandate or risk seeing his influence erode."

My Way News - Facebook Gets $60M From Asia Billionaire
AP reports: "Facebook Inc. has raised $60 million from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, adding to the list of financial heavyweights backing the online hangout's rapid growth."

My Way News - Tsunami Warning Map for 3 Areas Finished
AP reports: "Elevation models of the coastal areas of three East Coast communities have been completed in the government's effort to determine the areas at risk from giant waves called tsunamis."