Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I'm off for my holiday break and wanted to wish you all a happy and joyous Christmas. I know that the news we link to here is often grim but I'm sure that most of you who visit this site are Christians who understand that beyond the headlines we know that God is sovereign and always in control. We know that this effort to be watchful has a purpose and a focus, and that focus is on Jesus Christ.

We watch the signs of His return, but this season is all about the First Coming, not the Second Coming, so as we turn to our families and friends to celebrate the holidays we offer thanks and praise to God and above all, celebrate Jesus as the reason for the season.

Hark the Herald Angels Sing
lyrics by Charles Wesley

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

My Way News - Europe forges fiscal union, sees way out of crisis
My Way News reports: "Working almost to exhaustion and persuading countries one by one, European leaders agreed Friday to redefine their continent - hoping that by joining their fiscal fortunes they might stop a crippling debt crisis, save the euro currency and prevent worldwide economic chaos [...] Friday's agreement - 23 countries are in favor and three more say they are open to the idea - would force countries to submit their budgets for central review and limit the deficits they can run [...] A breakup of the euro would have disastrous consequences. It would almost certainly trigger a financial crisis while banks figured out who owned what and while countries leaving the union awkwardly transitioned back to their own sovereign currencies."

Comment: It appears that Europe has succeeded in a rescue plan for both the euro and the Union. 26 countries said yes, one said no. There is still much work to be done though in ratifying the new treaties (it's not just one) and many steps along the way where things can still unravel. Will the European Union continue to grow and expand or collapse into a smaller more tightly integrated group? Keep watching.

Holiday Hiatus
As this Thanksgiving week begins I will be taking a break from this blog and will be using the Twitter service instead. So, please join me in keeping up with events here:

http://twitter.com/portents

Please add this to your bookmarks and if you are on Twitter, please feel free to follow me and send me a direct message (DM) to let me know. I think it would be great to build a larger Bible prophecy community on Twitter. And remember, you don't have to sign up for Twitter to visit the page, it's a public feed.

I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and a great start to the holiday season.

My Way News - Egypt Cabinet offers to resign but protests go on
My Way News reports: "Egypt's civilian Cabinet offered to resign Monday after three days of violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces in Tahrir Square, but the action failed to satisfy protesters deeply frustrated with the new military rulers."

My Way News - 16 killed as Syria OKs observers in principle
My Way News reports: "The acceptance came after surprisingly heavy pressure from the Arab League, which brokered the peace plan and this week suspended Syria from the 22-member organization for failing to abide by it. On Wednesday, the league gave Damascus three days to accept an observer mission or face economic sanctions [...] French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe called on the U.N. Security Council to strengthen sanctions against Assad's regime. However, Russia, which holds veto power in the council, urged caution in moving against Damascus."

CBS News - Russia: Syria crisis looks like "civil war"
CBS News reports: "Syria's allies in Russia called for urgent talks Thursday between Damascus and the opposition, saying an attack by Syrian renegade troops on a government building looks like the start of a civil war [...] 'This is all looking very much like a civil war,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow, referring to a pre-dawn attack on Wednesday by the Free Syrian Army, a group of army defectors determined to bring down the regime."

Haaretz.Com - Report: Russia warships to enter Syria waters in bid to stem foreign intervention
Haaretz reports: "Russian warships are due to arrive at Syrian territorial waters, a Syrian news agency said on Thursday, indicating that the move represented a clear message to the West that Moscow would resist any foreign intervention in the country's civil unrest. Also on Friday, a Syrian official said Damascus has agreed 'in principle' to allow an Arab League observer mission into the country."

Comment: So Syria, one of the most heavily armed countries in the Middle East, is lurching into civil war, the West wants sanctions and Russia is standing firmly by their long-time ally and sending reinforcements to prevent "foreign" intervention. Yes, folks, those two allies are so close that Russia fails to see the irony in that. I wonder what gestures Iran will take to show solidarity with Damascus? Stay tuned.

My Way News - Egypt's Islamists confront military, vie for votes
My Way News reports: "Tens of thousands of Islamists and young activists massed Friday in Tahrir Square, confronting Egypt's ruling military council with the largest crowd in months to protest the generals' attempt to give themselves special powers over a future elected government."

My Way News - Aerial view of tsunami zone: cleaner but barren
My Way News reports: "Yet seen from a helicopter Friday carrying Associated Press journalists, there are few signs of rebuilding eight months after the March 11 disaster, triggered by a magnitude-9.0 earthquake off the tsunami-prone coast. What remains - the brown, barren, emptiness where bustling towns once stood - is a sobering reminder of how much work still lies ahead."

My Way News - Attackers hit Egyptian Christian marchers, 10 hurt
My Way News reports: "Attackers threw rocks and broken glass at a march by Coptic Christians in Cairo Thursday, injuring 10, in the latest outbreak of sectarian violence less than two weeks before the start of parliamentary elections [...] Coptic Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population, have long complained of state discrimination."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the church in Egypt.

My Way News - Syria's president still has bulwark against foes
My Way News reports: "As his Arab neighbors abandon him and his allies in Moscow warn of impending civil war, Syrian President Bashar Assad still has a strong bulwark to prevent his meeting the same fate as the leaders of Egypt, Tunisia or Libya anytime soon. His key advantages are the support of Russia and China, fear among many Syrians about a future without Assad, and the near-certainty that foreign militaries will stay away [...] Syria's tie to Iran is among the most important relationships in the Middle East, providing Tehran with a presence on Israel's border and a critical conduit to Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Palestinian Hamas in Gaza."

My Way News - Israelis mapping Mount of Olives necropolis
My Way News reports: "Jews began burying their dead on the hill that later became known as the Mount of Olives about three millennia ago. It was a convenient site a short walk from the city walls. Over the centuries, burial here became linked to a prophecy in the Book of Zecharia according to which the Messiah would approach Jerusalem from the mount, splitting it in two. Those interred on the hill, this belief posited, would be the first to be resurrected."

My Way News - Queen marks anniversary of King James Bible
My Way News reports: "Queen Elizabeth II attended a ceremony at London's Westminster Abbey Wednesday to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, often considered the most influential book ever printed in the English language."

My Way News - Occupy protesters march nationwide; 300 arrested
My Way News reports: "Occupy Wall Street protesters clogged streets and tied up traffic around the U.S. on Thursday to mark two months since the movement's birth and signal they aren't ready to quit, despite the breakup of many of their encampments by police. Hundreds of people were arrested, most of them in New York."

My Way News - Europe fears contagion in debt market turmoil
My Way News reports: "Fear, that contagious emotion, spread from country to country in Europe on Thursday as panicky investors worried the euro currency union could be heading toward an ugly breakup."

My Way News - Insurgents fire rockets but miss Afghan loya jirga
My Way News reports: "Karzai asked the elders to back negotiations for a new security pact, assuring them that he would demand an end to unpopular night raids in which troops swoop down from helicopters and search Afghan homes. He said U.S. troops should be allowed to stay, but that the night raids should end and that the Afghan government, not Americans, should be put in charge of detainees."

My Way News - Military-dominated Myanmar to chair ASEAN in 2014
My Way News reports: "The chairmanship is supposed to rotate annually among the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, also known as ASEAN. But Myanmar, which has more than 2,000 political prisoners, was forced to skip its turn in 2006 because of intense criticism of its rights record. It has since held its first elections in 20 years, released Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and eased some restrictions on the media."

My Way News - Syria faces army defectors, worldwide isolation
My Way News reports: "Syria's president faced a growing challenge to his iron rule from home and abroad Wednesday, with renegade troops launching their most daring attack yet on the military and world leaders looking at possibilities for a regime without Bashar Assad."

My Way News - Arab League confirms Syria's suspension from group
My Way News reports: "The Arab League confirmed the suspension of Syria from the organization on Wednesday and gave its government three days to halt the violence and accept an observer mission or face economic sanctions."

Comment: The real issue here is the danger of miscalculation. Might the Syrian leader precipitate a wider regional conflict in order to crush his opposition while striking out at Israel?

My Way News - Gaza militants fire rockets after Israeli threat
My Way News reports: "A Palestinian rocket exploded near a kindergarten in southern Israel on Tuesday, police said, just hours after Israel's military chief warned the army would have to carry out a broad offensive in Gaza to stop the rocket salvos [...] Over 1 million Israelis live within range of the Gaza rocket fire. The attacks have severely disrupted life in southern Israel."

Comment: This is how Palestinians demonstrate their desire for peace. I don't know, it just doesn't seem to send the right message. Maybe they need a new PR firm? Or maybe they could just stop the rocket attacks?

My Way News - Syrian soldiers killed as crisis accelerates
My Way News reports: "Army defectors ambushed dozens of Syrian troops and regime forces gunned down civilians during one of the bloodiest days of the 8-month-old uprising, which appeared Tuesday to be spiraling out of President Bashar Assad's control."

Comment: It's official, this has moved from mass demonstrations to full-fledged civil war.

My Way News - India and Pakistan agree to normalize trade ties
My Way News reports: "India and Pakistan agreed Tuesday to normalize two-way trade, signifying a gradual thaw in relations between the two bitter rivals. At the end of two days of bilateral trade talks, Pakistan agreed to give its neighbor by early next year a small list of items that India cannot trade in with Pakistan. Both sides hope to do away with the list altogether by the end of 2012, freeing up all trade between the two countries, Indian Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar told reporters."

My Way News - Iran rejects Bahrain's claim of terror cell links
My Way News reports: "Bahrain's public prosecutor on Sunday alleged the cell planned attacks against high profile sites, such as the Saudi Embassy in the Bahraini capital Manama and a Gulf causeway linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia."

My Way News - Philippines rejects new Chinese territorial claim
My Way News reports: "China has claimed new territory less than 50 miles (80 kilometers) from a Philippine province, boosting tensions over potentially resource-rich areas of the South China Sea, but the Philippines has dismissed the claim, an official said Monday."

My Way News - Quake off east Indonesia panics many; no tsunami
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake hit waters off eastern Indonesia on Monday, sending people on nearby islands fleeing from their homes in panic. Fearing a tsunami that never came, villagers living along coastlines ran to high ground. The 6.3-magnitude quake was centered 12 miles (20 kilometers) beneath the Molucca Sea, the U.S. Geological Survey said."

My Way News - Pakistan and China stage war games
My Way News reports: "Pakistan and China are staging joint military exercises, showcasing their relationship as Islamabad's ties with Washington suffer. The war games that began Monday follow remarks by Pakistani officials suggesting that China could step into the economic, military and diplomatic void if Pakistan's relationship with the United States collapsed."

My Way News - End of an era: Italy's Berlusconi resigns
My Way News reports: "A chorus of Handel's 'Alleluia' rang out Saturday as Silvio Berlusconi resigned as Italian premier, ending a tumultuous 17-year political era and setting in motion a transition aimed at bringing the country back from the brink of economic crisis."

My Way News - Accidental blast at Iranian arms depot kills 17
My Way News reports: "An accidental explosion at a Revolutionary Guard ammunition depot west of Tehran killed at least 17 soldiers on Saturday, Iranian officials said. The explosion occurred while military personnel were transporting munitions at a base, said Guard spokesman Gen. Ramazan Sharif. The site is located outside Bidganeh village, 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of the capital."

My Way News - Arab League votes to suspend Syria over killings
My Way News reports: "In a surprisingly sharp move, the Arab League voted Saturday to suspend Syria over the country's bloody crackdown on an eight-month uprising and stepped up calls on the army to stop killing civilians."

My Way News - Obama seeks Russia, China help on Iran
My Way News reports: "Underscoring the search for some good economic news ahead heading toward a re-election vote, Obama announced the broad outlines of an agreement to create a transpacific trade zone encompassing the United States and eight other nations. He said details must still be worked out, but said the goal was to complete the deal by next year [...] The eight countries joining the U.S. in the zone would be Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. A central topic for Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda was Japan's interest in joining the trade bloc."

My Way News - Syria takes bloody new turn; 250 killed in 11 days
My Way News reports: "November is shaping up to be the bloodiest month yet in Syria's 8-month-old uprising. More than 250 Syrian civilians have been killed in the past 11 days as the regime besieges the renegade city of Homs and the conflict takes a dangerous turn, stoking fears of civil war. The U.N. estimates some 3,500 people have been killed in the crackdown since mid-March, when the uprising began. The latest figures would push that number closer to 4,000."

Reuters - Italy at breaking point; fears grow of euro zone split
Reuters reports: "EU sources told Reuters German and French officials had discussed plans for a radical overhaul of the European Union that would involve establishing a more integrated and potentially smaller euro zone. The discussions among policymakers in Paris, Berlin and Brussels raise the possibility of one or more countries leaving the zone, while the core pushes to deeper economic integration."

My Way News - Islamist Tunisian party promises an open society
My Way News reports: The new Tunisia will welcome people of all faiths and carry on the tradition of moderation for which it has always been known, the leader of the Islamist party that won the country's first free elections promised Thursday [...] While Ennahdha has said it wants Islamic law to be the source of the country's legislation, it has vowed to protect personal freedoms and tolerance. 'Tunisia is a society of moderation, it's the Tunisian nature," Jebali said. "There will be no marginalization nor exclusion of Muslims, of Jews, of Christians or of atheists.'"

My Way News - Iran seeks Moscow and Beijing to buffer pressures
My Way News reports: "Iran's leaders are now counting on the country's two most powerful friends to remain by their side after the release of a U.N. report suggesting that Tehran could be on the brink of having the capability to develop an atomic weapon."

My Way News - EU warns of possible recession in eurozone
My Way News reports: "The European Union warned Thursday that the 17-country eurozone could slip into 'a deep and prolonged recession' next year as the debt crisis shows alarming signs of spinning out of control."

My Way News - Industry says Africa fastest growing mobile market
My Way News reports: "Africa is the world's fastest growing mobile phone market and soon poised to have 735 million people using their phones for everything from transferring money to tracking animals for wildlife studies, an industry group said Wednesday."

My Way News - Palestinians resigned to defeat in UN bid
My Way News reports: "The Palestinians are resigned to defeat in their quest for full membership at the United Nations, officials said Tuesday, and have started work on their backup plan - seeking an upgraded observer status that would give them access to key international organizations."

NYTimes.com - Palestinians’ U.N. Bid Faces Near-Certain Defeat
The New York Times reports: "The outcome, which had been anticipated, was laid out in typically detached diplomatic language. 'The committee was unable to make a unanimous recommendation to the Security Council,' the report concluded. There was little likelihood from the beginning that the attempt would be successful, because the United States had vowed to veto it."

Comment: As I said previously, this may appear to be a victory for Israel, but in reality it only increases the pressure to give away more land in an negotiated settlement, a settlement that may now be imposed by the U.S. and the rest of the Quartet countries that provided diplomatic cover (except France, of course) for Israel in exchange for a quick deal.

My Way News - China says still studying Iran nuke program report
My Way News reports: "The report is the IAEA's most unequivocal yet in suggesting Iran is using the cover of a peaceful nuclear program to produce atomic weaponry. Russia and China are powerful friends of Iran and are veto-holding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. They have gone along with four previous rounds of sanctions aimed at persuading Tehran to cooperate with U.N. nuclear inspectors, but both have opposed further measures."

My Way News - Iran vows no retreat from nuclear path
My Way News reports: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Wednesday that Iran won't retreat 'one iota' from its nuclear program, denying claims that it seeks atomic weapons. Key ally Russia gave the Islamic Republic a major boost, rejecting tighter sanctions despite a U.N. watchdog report detailing suspected arms-related advances."

My Way News - Snow, hurricane-force winds batter Alaska coast
My Way News reports: "One of the strongest storms to hit western Alaska in nearly 40 years battered coastal communities Wednesday with snow and hurricane-force winds, knocking out power, ripping up roofs and forcing some residents to board up their windows and seek higher ground."

USATODAY.com - At least 3 killed in Turkey earthquake
USA Today reports: "An earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Wednesday night, killing at least three people and leaving dozens trapped in the rubble of toppled buildings damaged in a previous temblor, which had killed 600 people. About two-dozen buildings collapsed in the provincial capital of Van following a 5.7-magnitude quake, though most of them were empty or had been declared unfit because they were weakened by the earlier quake, according to media reports."

AlertNet - McCain wants Bill Clinton for Mideast peace role
Reuters reports: "Republican Senator John McCain has some advice for President Barack Obama to help energize stalled Middle East peacemaking: Put former President Bill Clinton in charge."

Yahoo! News - U.N. panel draft signals Palestinian U.N. bid doomed
Yahoo! News reports: "A key U.N. Security Council committee could not reach consensus on whether Palestine should be accepted as a U.N. member, a draft report said in the latest sign the Palestinian U.N. bid is doomed."

Yahoo! News - Iran worked on nuclear bomb design: IAEA
Yahoo! News reports: "Iran has worked on developing a nuclear weapon design and other research and testing relevant for such arms, the U.N. atomic agency said in its most detailed report to date pointing to military dimensions to Tehran's nuclear program."

Yahoo! News - Israel could mount pinpoint raids on Iran: analysts
Yahoo! News reports: "Should the Israelis attack Iran, they would probably focus strikes on select nuclear facilities while trying to avoid killing civilians en masse or crippling the oil sector."

My Way News - Iranian influence seeping into Iraq
My Way News reports: Iran's presence is already visible in Iraq, from the droves of pilgrims at Shiite holy sites to the brands of yoghurt and jams on grocery shelves. But now Iraqis are bracing for a potential escalation of Persian influence as the U.S. military leaves at the end of the year [...] American officials, however, have long feared what they describe as Iranian meddling in Iraq - and its potential to sow unrest across the Mideast."

My Way News - UN says 3,500 dead so far in Syria uprising
My Way News reports: "The death toll in the Syrian uprising has soared to at least 3,500 people, the United Nations said Tuesday, a sobering measure of the scope of a military crackdown that has bloodied city after city but failed to crush the 8-month-old revolt against President Bashar Assad's regime."

My Way News - Israel's warnings on Iran get quiet nods in Gulf
My Way News reports: "Among the many alliances of convenience in the Middle East, one is so unusual that the partners can barely hint about it publicly: Israel and the Gulf Arab states linked by shared fears over Iran's nuclear program [...] The next moves are expected after the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency releases an intelligence report Tuesday to its 35 board members."

My Way News - Moderate quake sparks panic in Philippine city
My Way News reports: "A moderate earthquake injured one person, knocked out power and prompted the evacuation of dozens of patients from a hospital Monday in a southern Philippine city, officials said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology measured the quake at magnitude 5.2, while the U.S. Geological Survey said it was 5.0."

My Way News - Moderate earthquake shakes northern Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "An earthquake of 5.5 magnitude has rattled the Hindu Kush region of northern Afghanistan, but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries."

My Way News - Large asteroid zipping close to Earth on Tuesday
My Way News reports: "An asteroid bigger than an aircraft carrier will dart between the Earth and moon on Tuesday - the closest encounter by such a huge rock in 35 years. But scientists say not to worry. It won't hit."

Fox News - Iranian Authorities Pressuring Jailed Christian Pastor To Convert To Islam, Sources Say:
Fox News reports: "Government officials in Iran are trying to convince a jailed pastor to return to Islam as he waits for the nation’s supreme leader to decide whether he should be executed for converting to Christianity, sources close to the case told FoxNews.com."

Christian Post - Earthquake Today: Chile and Oklahoma Hit by Strong Quakes
Christian Post reports: "A 5.8-magnitude earthquake has hit northern Chile early Saturday morning. The quake was felt for miles around, however early reports from emergency and mine officials indicated that any damage to property or copper mines in the area was minimal [...] In other reports a magnitude 4.7 earthquake also hit Oklahoma at 2:12 a.m. local time and was located six miles north of Prague, Okla. or 47 miles east of Oklahoma City, the U.S. Geological Survey said."

My Way News - Developing countries want G20 to refocus on world
My Way News reports: "This week's G-20 summit was dominated by Europe's debt crisis, but developing countries want the grouping of major economies to refocus on a bigger global agenda that includes creating jobs, improving farming and fighting climate change."

Yahoo! News - Eat the Old: Could Mass Cannibalism Solve a Future Food Shortage?
Yahoo! News reports: "There has yet to be a Malthusian crisis – named after English scholar Thomas Malthus' 1798 idea that humankind would outstrip its food production – even as the world's population has quadrupled since 1900. Yet rapidly ramping up food production, while preserving the environment, will be a major challenge, especially with the added x-factor of climate change."

My Way News - Cyber weaknesses should deter US from waging war
My Way News reports: America's critical computer networks are so vulnerable to attack that it should deter U.S. leaders from going to war with other nations, a former top U.S. cybersecurity official said Monday [...] Clarke said if he was advising the president he would warn against attacking other countries because so many of them - including China, North Korea, Iran and Russia - could retaliate by launching devastating cyberattacks that could destroy power grids, banking networks or transportation systems."

Yahoo! News - Large Scale Hacks: U.S. satellites infiltrated for 12 minutes
Yahoo! News reports: "It's one thing for hackers to target a video game network or newspaper website, but setting sights on United States government satellites is an entirely different situation. A new report released by Congress shows that's exactly what has been happening, as two separate orbiters have seen a total of 4 attacks since 2007. Some breaches managed to interfere with the NASA's hardware for up to 12 minutes."

My Way News - Israeli websites back up after "malfunction"
My Way News reports: "An Israeli official says the government has fixed the problem that caused several official websites to go down [...] Israel has denied speculation that it was victim of a cyber attack by pro-Palestinian hackers. There were no verified claims of sabotage against the websites."

My Way News - At least 69 dead in north Nigeria sect attacks
My Way News reports: "A radical Muslim sect known locally as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks [...] The group also promised to continue its bloody sectarian fight against Nigeria's weak central government, with residents nervously moving through empty streets, waiting for the next attack [...] Boko Haram wants to implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria, an oil-rich nation of more than 160 million which has a predominantly Christian south and a Muslim north."

Away
I will be off for the week. If I have time for Twitter I'll try to do that, but just wanted to let you know there won't be any updates until the following week. Thanks.

Yahoo! News - Major quake hits coast of Peru
Yahoo! News reports: "A major 6.9-magnitude quake struck Peru's Pacific coast, sparking panic among residents in the capital Lima and several other cities but no known fatalities."

My Way News - In the Holy Land, a changed Christian world
My Way News reports: "For centuries, Christianity here meant the ancient communities of Christian Arabs. They were here when Israel was created around them in 1948, and they have kept their distinct identity within the Jewish state since. The past two decades, however, have seen one of the most significant influxes of Christians into the Holy Land since the Crusades, and it has created a wholly new Christian landscape shaped by the realities of Israel."

My Way News - US, SKorea warn against North Korean aggression
My Way News reports: "The U.S. and South Korean defense chiefs declared Friday that any North Korean aggression 'is not to be tolerated,' following two deadly incidents last year, and pledged to jointly develop more effective means of responding to future provocations by the North."

My Way News - Nokia unveils Windows smartphones to catch rivals'
My Way News reports: "Nokia Corp. on Wednesday launched its long-awaited first Windows cellphones [...] But some analysts say it may be too little, too late, for the world's top mobile phone maker [...] Nokia also unveiled four cheaper smartphones aimed at emerging markets - the Asha range priced euro60 to euro115 - with cameras, navigation applications and fast downloads - in a bid to help 'the next billion' users connect to the Internet, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said at the Nokia presentation in London."

My Way News - As Nigeria floods rise, canoes and cholera return
My Way News reports: "Seasonal rains cause massive damage and disease throughout Nigeria each year, and this year's onslaught comes as international experts warn West Africa is suffering from its worst cholera outbreaks in years."

The Washington Post - Mideast envoys make no breakthroughs in bid to restart talks between Israelis, Palestinians
The Washington Post reports: "International mediators on Wednesday failed to make any breakthroughs in their quest to bring Israeli and Palestinian officials back to the negotiating table, but in a small sign of progress, they announced that both sides would present 'comprehensive proposals' for resolving key aspects of their conflict within three months."

My Way News - EU official: banks agree 50 pct cut on Greek debt
My Way News reports: "Private investors agreed Thursday morning to accept losses of 50 percent on their Greek bonds, an official said, removing the last apparent roadblock to a broad European plan to solve the continent's debt crisis."

My Way News - Pope won't take part in common prayers
My Way News reports: "Pope Benedict XVI has invited Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims to a pilgrimage at the Umbrian hilltop town of Assisi, but the leaders won't take part in common prayers as they did when summoned for a daylong prayer for peace by Pope John Paul II 25 years ago."

Comment: I think the Pope is showing real courage here, going against the dominant mindset of the ecumenical movement that all roads lead to Rome God. Somehow I suspect that such a sensible stand will not be taken up by his successors.

My Way News - Partial Tunisia results: Islamist party has 44 pct
My Way News reports: Authorities say the latest results from Tunisia's landmark elections indicate the moderate Islamist party is holding onto its lead, taking at least 44 percent of seats counted so far for an assembly tasked with writing a new constitution.

latimes.com - Tunisia's Islamist Nahda party promises unity government
The LA Times reports: "Tunisia's moderate Islamist party was seeking to form a unity government Tuesday amid indications that it would win more than 40% of the seats in an assembly that will write a new constitution and test the cooperation between Islamists and secularists in building a democracy."

My Way News - Science fiction-style sabotage a fear in new hacks
My Way News reports: "For years, ill-intentioned hackers have dreamed of plaguing the world's infrastructure with a brand of sabotage reserved for Hollywood. They've mused about wreaking havoc in industrial settings by burning out power plants, bursting oil and gas pipelines, or stalling manufacturing plants. But a key roadblock has prevented them from causing widespread destruction: they've lacked a way to take remote control of the electronic 'controller' boxes that serve as the nerve centers for heavy machinery. The attack on Iran changed all that. Now, security experts - and presumably, malicious hackers - are racing to find weaknesses. They've found a slew of vulnerabilities."

Yahoo! News - Thai capital warned "massive" water on the way
Yahoo News reports: "Floods swamped a new area of Thailand's capital on Wednesday as some shops rationed food and Bangkok's governor warned of 'massive water' on the way that could put many parts of the sprawling city in danger by the end of the week."

TIME.com - The Vatican’s Radical Ideas on Financial Reform
Time reports: "Those politicians who think the Dodd-Frank law went too far in attempting to reform Wall Street will likely need smelling salts after taking a look at a proposal for reforming the global financial system that was released by the Vatican on Monday. The proposal’s centerpiece is a call for the formation of a global political authority that would, among other things, possess broad powers to regulate financial markets. The reality of globalization, says the document, necessitates a 'gradual, balanced transfer of a part of each nation’s powers to a world authority and to regional authorities.' The Vatican envisions this global authority playing a role not just in overseeing financial markets, but also disarmament and arms control, food security and peace efforts."

Comment: Sure, that's what we need, a global authority to manage commerce, what could go wrong?

Reuters - Euro on hold as summit looms
Reuters reports: "The euro held steady on Wednesday, having lost some of its gloss as markets geared up for what could be a disappointing outcome at a keenly awaited European Union leaders' summit. Traders had clung to hopes that EU leaders would come up with a comprehensive plan to tackle the region's debt crisis at the summit. But news that a meeting of European finance ministers had been canceled fueled fears that any accord could lack details."

Comment: How this long drama plays out is anyone's guess, but I suspect it will cause the ten EU countries that are not in the Eurozone to feel a certain sense of pride at their good judgement. Will the EU disintegrate? Stay tuned!

My Way News - Israel sending aid to Turkey after earthquake
My Way News reports: "Israel's defense minister says Israel will help Turkey aid earthquake victims 'as soon as possible,' after Turkey accepted Israel's offer of assistance [...] A ministry spokesman said Turkey asked for emergency housing units, and Israel was checking what else it could do. There was no immediate comment from Turkey."

My Way News - Israel closes east Jerusalem offices used by Hamas
My Way News reports: "Israeli police say they have raided and shut down a pair of offices in east Jerusalem that were allegedly used by the militant Palestinian group Hamas [...] Israel, the U.S. and the EU consider Hamas a terrorist group because of its suicide bombings and other attacks aimed at Israeli civilians."

My Way News - 5.2 quake hits Japan's Fukushima prefecture
My Way News reports: "A moderate earthquake has shaken the northeastern Japanese prefecture where the much more massive earthquake and tsunami touched off the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl earlier this year. The 5.2-magnitude quake struck Fukushima Prefecture overnight just after 2 a.m. local time Wednesday (1700 GMT Tuesday). Its epicenter was on the coast near the town of Iwaki, 115 miles (186 km) north of Tokyo."

My Way News - Turks weep as survivors, bodies pulled from rubble
My Way News reports: "Distraught Turkish families mourned outside a mosque or sought to identify loved ones among rows of bodies Monday as rescue workers scoured debris for survivors after a 7.2-magnitude quake that killed at least 279 people."

My Way News - US pulls envoy out of Syria, Damascus retaliates
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration pulled its ambassador out of Syria over security concerns, blaming President Bashar Assad's regime for the threats that made it no longer safe for Robert Ford to remain. The Syrian government quickly ordered home its envoy to the United States, raising the diplomatic stakes."

My Way News - 7.2 quake in Turkey kills 138, collapses buildings
My Way News reports: "Cries of panic and horror filled the air as a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey, killing at least 138 people as buildings pancaked and crumpled into rubble. The death toll was expected to rise as rescuers sifted through the rubble and reached outlying villages."

My Way News - Jordan's king urges restart of Mideast peace talks
My Way News reports: "Jordan's King Abdullah on Saturday urged Israel and the Palestinians to look to the Arab Spring uprisings for inspiration and to restart their stalled peace talks."

My Way News - 7.6 earthquake hits South Pacific
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake struck far off the South Pacific island nation of Tonga on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.6 quake struck at 5:57 a.m. (1757 GMT Friday), about 541 miles (870 kilometers) south of Nuku'Alofa on Tonga. The quake struck at a depth of 24 miles (39 kilometers)."

The Washington Post - San Francisco earthquakes jolt city 22 years after the deadly Loma Prieta quake
The Washington Post reports: "Twenty-two years almost to the day after the terrifying Loma Prieta earthquake, two quakes jolted the San Francisco Bay area again, the first a magnitude 4.0 and the second a 3.9, both hitting not far from the University of California at Berkeley campus."

My Way News - California stages massive earthquake drop drill
My Way News reports: "Californians ducked under desks and tables in schools, offices and businesses Thursday in an annual earthquake preparedness drill. Organizers said more than 8 1/2 million people signed up to participate in the 2011 Great California ShakeOut. The majority practiced the "drop, cover and hold on" technique recommended during actual shaking."

Christian Post - Harold Camping Doomsday Wrong Again; Now on to December 2012?
The Christian Post reports: "As Oct. 22 dawned on the world, another Rapture date prophesied by California-based Christian radio broadcaster Harold Camping turned out to be a dud, which did not surprise much of the public already familiar with the Bible teacher's false prophecies."

My Way News - China vaccinates 9 million amid polio outbreak
My Way News reports: "Chinese health authorities have vaccinated more than 9 million people in a far western region against polio amid an outbreak of the disease that has paralyzed 17 people and killed one of them [...] The World Health Organization says the polio strain detected in China had traveled from Pakistan, which borders Xinjiang and is one of four countries where the disease remains endemic."

My Way News - Iraq war over, US troops coming home, Obama says
My Way News reports: "America's long and deeply unpopular war in Iraq will be over by year's end and all U.S. troops ""will definitely be home for the holidays," President Barack Obama declared Friday. Stretching more than eight years, the war cost the United States heavily: More than 4,400 members of the military have been killed, and more than 32,000 have been wounded."

My Way News - Pulled from drain pipe, Gadhafi was shown no mercy
My Way News reports: "The death Thursday of Gadhafi, two months after he was driven from power and into hiding, decisively buries the nearly 42-year regime that had turned the oil-rich country into an international pariah and his own personal fiefdom. It also thrusts Libya into a new age in which its transitional leaders must overcome deep divisions and rebuild nearly all its institutions from scratch to achieve dreams of democracy."

ABC Newcastle NSW - Famine crisis remains dire in Horn of Africa
ABC Newcastle reports: "Humanitarian officials say the scale of the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa is still huge three months after famine was declared in the region."

Yahoo! News - Palestinian U.N. bid seen decided in November: diplomats
Yahoo! News reports: "A Palestinian quest for U.N. membership is likely to come to a head on or around November 11, when Security Council ambassadors plan a final meeting to decide their response, diplomats said on Wednesday."

Yahoo! News - Prisoner swap reshapes Hamas-Egypt-Israel ties
Yahoo! News reports: "The release of an Israeli soldier by Hamas as part of a prisoner exchange with Israel is reshaping complex regional ties, mostly in favor of Gaza's once isolated Islamic militant rulers."

My Way News - Failed bomber: Struggle against Israel must go on
My Way News reports: "A failed Palestinian suicide bomber released in a prisoner swap with Israel said Wednesday she has told well-wishers, including children from the neighborhood, that Palestinians must continue 'on the path of struggle and resistance.'"

Yahoo! News - Greece: Riots as austerity steps get 1st approval
Yahoo! News reports: "Hundreds of youths smashed and looted stores in central Athens and clashed with riot police during a massive anti-government rally against painful new austerity measures that won initial parliamentary approval in a vote Wednesday night."

Yahoo! News - Euro zone chatter triggers late selloff
Yahoo! News reports: "Stocks fell on Wednesday as traders, after sitting on their hands for most of the day, jumped to sell in a hair-trigger reaction to fresh reports underscoring that Europe remains far from a solution to its debt crisis."

My Way News - 10 killed in Syrian protests; huge pro-Assad rally
My Way News reports: "Syrian security forces and pro-government gunmen killed at least 10 people in a rebellious central province Wednesday, activists said, just as tens of thousands of Syrians were demonstrating in a key city - a huge show of support for the country's embattled president."

My Way News - Iran's supreme leader ups fight with Ahmadinejad
My Way News reports: "In the ongoing political skirmishes among Iran's leadership, it was the equivalent of bringing out the heavy ammunition: The country's most powerful figure warning that the post of elected president could someday be scrapped."

My Way News - Israeli soldier emerges from 5 years of captivity
My Way News reports: "Gaunt and pale, Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit returned home Tuesday after more than five years in captivity, freed in a lopsided exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners that could greatly complicate Mideast peace prospects and strengthen the Islamic militant Hamas."

Comment: I'm as glad as anyone that Shalit is free, but if this can be seen as a victory for Hamas then this not a good outcome. Appeasement is the easy way out.

Yahoo! News - Election-year goals of Christian group questioned
Yahoo! News reports: "These preachers believe demons have taken hold of specific geographic areas, including the nation's capital. They also promote a philosophy of public engagement known as the "seven mountains," which urges Christians to gain influence in business, government, family, church, education, media and the arts as a way to spread righteousness and bring about God's kingdom on earth. The language seems close to dominionism, the belief that Christians have a God-given mandate to run the world."

Comment: You probably already know this, but it's worth stating, the Second Coming is not dependent on U.S. domestic politics. Dominionism is a false teaching that contradicts scripture, including prophetic scripture. The world is not going to become more Christian as the end times progress, it will become less Christian. This is self-evident to even the casual Bible student, which leads me to believe the true goal of this movement is not preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ but of securing power for themselves under a Christian banner.

My Way News - Rioters hijack Rome protests, police fire tear gas
My Way News reports: "Italian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons in Rome on Saturday as violent protesters hijacked a peaceful demonstration against corporate greed, smashing bank windows, torching cars and hurling bottles. Elsewhere, hundreds of thousands nicknamed 'the indignant' marched without incident in cities across Europe, as the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests linked up with long-running demonstrations against European governments' austerity measures."

My Way News - Rioters hijack Rome protests, police fire tear gas
My Way News reports: "Italian riot police fired tear gas and water cannons in Rome on Saturday as violent protesters hijacked a peaceful demonstration against corporate greed, smashing bank windows, torching cars and hurling bottles. Elsewhere, hundreds of thousands nicknamed "the indignant" marched without incident in cities across Europe, as the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests linked up with long-running demonstrations against European governments' austerity measures."

My Way News - Syrian forces target funeral, assassinate activist
My Way News reports: "Syrian security forces trying to suppress the resilient anti-government uprising killed five people Saturday, including one person who was attending a funeral procession for a teenager shot dead in protests a day earlier [...] Protests in support of Syria's uprising have been held in several countries around the region."

My Way News - US strike kills 9 al-Qaida militants in Yemen
My Way News reports: "The United States has raised the tempo in its war against al-Qaida in Yemen, killing nine of the terror group's militants in the second, high-profile airstrike in as many weeks. The dead in the late Friday night strike included the son of Anwar al-Awlaki, the prominent American-Yemeni militant killed in a Sept. 30 strike."

My Way News - Flood barriers around Thai capital hold up so far
My Way News reports: "Flood barriers protecting the Thai capital from the country's worst floodwaters in decades have been holding up so far. Communities neighboring Bangkok have been swamped, and nationwide 297 people have been killed."

Yahoo! News - Obama sending troops to aid Africa anti-insurgency
Yahoo! News reports: "Intervening in a volatile and brutal crisis, President Barack Obama said Friday he has dispatched 100 U.S. troops to central Africa to support a years-long fight against a guerrilla group accused of horrific atrocities. Obama said they were sent to advise, not engage in combat, unless forced to defend themselves [...] The move was intended to show some engagement to lessen the impact of one of the worst protracted wars in Africa."

My Way News - Belarus KGB gets new powers amid growing anger
My Way News reports: "Belarus' authoritarian president is trying to tighten his grip on the ex-Soviet nation with new legislation that boosts the already sweeping powers of the secret police, still known as the KGB."

My Way News - Kazakhstan passes restrictive religion law
My Way News reports: "The law will require existing religious organizations in the mainly Muslim nation to dissolve and register again through a procedure that is all but guaranteed to exclude smaller groups, including minority Christian communities. It will also impose a ban on prayer in the workplace."

My Way News - US missile kills 4 in NW Pakistan
My Way News reports: Drone-fired U.S. missiles killed four people in a northwestern Pakistani region controlled by the Haqqani militant network on Friday, a day after a similar attack there killed a top commander of the group, Pakistani officials said [...] U.S. intelligence believes the Haqqanis are the top threat to security in Afghanistan and that they enjoy the support of the Pakistani army."

Yahoo! News - Euro zone crisis set to dominate G20 Paris meeting
Yahoo! News reports: "G20 finance chiefs and central bank heads from the world's biggest economies meet in Paris on Friday needing to find a solution to a deepening euro zone debt crisis that has fanned fears of a global recession."

Yahoo! News - Who's behind the Wall Street protests?
Yahoo! News reports: "There has been much speculation over who is financing the disparate protest, which has spread to cities across America and lasted nearly four weeks. One name that keeps coming up is investor George Soros, who in September debuted in the top 10 list of wealthiest Americans. Conservative critics contend the movement is a Trojan horse for a secret Soros agenda."

Comment: A "movement" is an expensive thing to fund and you always need to follow the money to find out whose agenda is being moved along. Now we know.

My Way News - US missiles kill Haqqani 'coordinator' in Pakistan
My Way News report: "American drone-fired missiles killed a ranking member of the militant Haqqani network on Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, striking a group that Washington claims is the top threat in Afghanistan and is supported by Pakistani security forces, local intelligence officials said. A senior U.S. official confirmed the death of the Haqqani commander, identifying him as Janbaz Zadran."

My Way News - Egypt military denies shooting protesters
My Way News reports: "Egypt's military rulers blamed Christian protesters and 'enemies of the revolution' on Wednesday for triggering the clashes that left 26 dead, almost all of them Christians. The accusation was sure to enflame the fury within and beyond the Christian community over the worst violence since Hosni Mubarak's ouster."

My Way News - Mideast rivalries a backdrop for Iran plot claims
My Way News reports: "Deeper suspicions and sharper recriminations don't necessarily increase the risk of a new Mideast conflict, which would invariably draw in U.S. forces in the Gulf. The higher tensions, however, are likely to raise temperatures in current flashpoints - such as Syria and Bahrain - where Saudi and Iranian views collide."

My Way News - Tens of thousands in Syria stage pro-Assad rally
My Way News reports: "International pressure is building on Assad to step down over his regime's bloody crackdown on anti-government protests. The U.N. says nearly 3,000 people have been killed."

My Way News - BlackBerry outages spread to North America
My Way News reports: "BlackBerry users across the world were exasperated Wednesday as an outage of email, messaging and Internet services on the phones spread to the U.S. and Canada and stretched into the third day for Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa."

My Way News - Serbia gets to be a candidate to join the EU
My Way News reports: "The European Union granted Serbia candidate status Wednesday but refused to set a date to begin formal accession talks into the 27-nation bloc until Serbia and neighboring Kosovo improve relations."

My Way News - US ties Iran to plot to assassinate Saudi diplomat
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration accused Iranian government agents Tuesday of plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in the United States and immediately used the thwarted plot to ratchet up sanctions and recruit international allies to try to further isolate Tehran."

Haaretz - Israel cabinet approves Gilad Shalit prisoner swap
Haaretz reports: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet voted early Wednesday morning to approve a prisoner swap that will see Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who has been in Hamas captivity for the last five years, return to Israel."

Comment: Those nice peace-loving Palestinians have been entertaining Private Shalit at a vacation resort in Hamas controlled territory for five years now. As a peace gesture, they are going to let him go without any conditions. They realize that they could have let him go at an time, but he was just having so much fun they didn't want to spoil it. It's great to see the Palestinians really showing their sincere desire for peace.

My Way News - Hundreds in Pakistan rally for governor's killer
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of demonstrators have rallied in support of a Pakistani man convicted of assassinating a liberal governor in the name of Islam [...] Qadri has admitted killing Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province, in January, because of the official's criticism of Pakistani law that mandates the death penalty for insulting Islam. Analysts say the law is often misused to persecute Christians and other minorities."

My Way News - Catholic church in India says have more children
My Way News reports: "Worried about its dwindling numbers, the Roman Catholic church in southern India is exhorting its flock to have more children, with some parishes offering free schooling, medical care and even cash bonuses for large families, church officials said Tuesday."

Comment: They better be careful or they will become a fertility cult just like Mormonism. Or maybe they always were? It should go without saying that the true church of Jesus Christ is not based on family lineage but on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. You may inherit a religious tradition from family, but a true relationship with God is something every individual discovers on their own with the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

My Way News - Egypt's military vows to get tough after clashes
My Way News reports: "In a statement, the Coptic Church, which represents about 10 percent of Egypt's 85 million people, accused security forces of failing to stop anti-Christian agitators from turning what started out as a peaceful protest against church attacks into a sectarian riot in which at least 26 people, mostly Christians, were killed."

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Comment: Please join me in praying for believers in Egypt, these are very dangerous times for them.

My Way News - Iran nuclear site draws defiant aura from namesake
My Way News reports: "Not far from one of Iran's most secretive nuclear sites, villagers proudly declare a willingness to sacrifice their lives to defend their country's nuclear program from attack by the West [...] The Fordo enrichment site, whose existence was first disclosed in 2009, could represent a look into the future of Iran's nuclear program. Its labs are burrowed deep in a mountainside as protection against attack and satellite surveillance."

My Way News - Wis. woman accused of abduction, cutting out fetus
My Way News reports: "A woman who faked a pregnancy and panicked as her supposed due date grew near attacked a pregnant mother with a baseball bat and cut her full-term fetus from her womb with an X-Acto knife, killing the mother and baby, according to court documents filed Monday."

My Way News - Report: Computer virus hits military drone program
My Way News reports: A computer virus that captures the strokes on a keyboard has infected networks used by pilots who control U.S. Air Force drones flown on the warfront, according to a published report [...] The story said there are no confirmed reports that classified data was stolen and that the virus did not stop pilots from flying any of their missions."

My Way News - Putin: $13 billion for military industries upgrade
My Way News reports: Putin said the government will earmark 400 billion rubles ($13.7 billon or euro10.2 billion) for modernization of military industries over the next three years, adding that the upgrade is essential for fulfilling an ambitious program of new weapons purchases.

My Way News - Abbas tells Europeans: Time to recognize Palestine
My Way News reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appealed to European countries to recognize a Palestinian state, saying "there is no more appropriate time" than now. Abbas addressed the parliamentary assembly of the 47-member Council of Europe on Thursday after applying two weeks ago for United Nations recognition, despite a threatened United States veto in the Security Council."

My Way News - British prosecutor blocks warrant for Israeli
My Way News reports: "Pro-Palestinian groups have previously tried to go after Israeli officials using universal jurisdiction, a principle that lets British courts prosecute foreigners accused of crimes against humanity wherever they were committed. The law strained U.K.-Israeli relations, as senior Israeli officials canceled trips rather than face possible arrest in Britain."

My Way News - Pakistan warns Afghanistan after pact with India
My Way News reports: "The strategic partnership signed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai on a visit to India on Tuesday added to concerns in Islamabad that New Delhi was increasing its influence on Pakistan's western flank. The deal came at a sensitive time for Islamabad, which is facing renewed accusations by U.S. and Afghan officials of collusion with militants in attacks on Afghan soil."

My Way News - Afghans rally in Kabul, demand NATO troops leave
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of people marched through the streets of the Afghan capital on Thursday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of international military forces ahead of the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion."

Comment: So what will really happen when the U.S. pulls out? Afghanistan will be destabilized by a proxy war between dueling militias. Scary stuff when you consider that both India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons and it wouldn't take much for them to start fighting each other again. And then there's the question of what Iran will do once the U.S. pulls out. The U.S. may soon go, but that does not mean that there will be peace in Afghanistan.

msnbc.com - Huge Japan quake altered Earth's gravity
MSNBC reports: "The devastating earthquake that struck Japan earlier this year was powerful enough to slightly alter the pull of gravity under the affected area, scientists have found."

Yahoo! News - Palestine state quest wins first victory in UNESCO vote
Yahoo! News reports: Palestine won a first diplomatic victory in its quest for statehood on Wednesday when the UNESCO executive committee backed its bid to become a member of the cultural body with the rights of a state. Palestine's Arab allies braved intense US and French diplomatic pressure to bring the motion before the committee's member states, which passed it by 40 votes in favour to four against, with 14 abstentions. The Palestinian bid will now be submitted to the UNESCO general assembly at the end of the month for final approval.

My Way News - Iran looks to sea as route to project power
My Way News reports: In the past week, Iran has announced the deployment of ship-based missiles that can target shorelines from international waters, and its naval commander said that Islamic Republic warships could someday be cruising near America's Atlantic seaboard. While many defense analysts believe such a mission is still far beyond Iran's naval reach, the current emphasis on maritime forces suggests a growing drive by Tehran to display power beyond the Gulf and the overwhelming presence right on its doorstep of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Forbes.com - Iran criticizes Turkey over missile defense shield
Forbes reports: Iran criticized Turkey on Tuesday for agreeing to allow NATO to station an early warning radar in the southeast of the country that will serve as part of the alliance's missile defense system.

My Way News - Palestinians say freeze in US aid taking effect
My Way News reports: "Palestinian officials said Monday that the U.S. has suspended West Bank development projects worth tens of millions of dollars after Congress froze funding to dissuade the Palestinians from seeking U.N. recognition of an independent state."

Israel National News - Final Appeal for Christian Pastor in Iran
Israel National News reports: "A Christian pastor who was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy in 2009 faces his final appeal in Iran's Supreme Court next week. At least one appeal against the 'choose Islam or die' sentence has failed thus far."

Comment: Please join me in praying for Pastor Nadarkhani, that he will remain unwavering in his faith and that he will show Christian love those who are persecuting him.

Israel National News - Israel Formally Accepts Quartet Plan for PA Talks
Israel National News reports: "The State of Israel on Sunday officially accepted a plan by the Quartet of peacekeeping nations to restart final status talks with the Palestinian Authority [...] The Quartet, comprised of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, has published a new timetable for direct negotiations between the two parties, urging both Israel and the PA to come to the table within four weeks. During this initial meeting, the two sides are expected to express their commitment to a timetable which will allegedly bring forth a peace agreement by the end of 2012."

Israel National News - PA Reiterates: Settlement Freeze or No Talks
Israel National News reports: While Israel on Sunday officially accepted a plan by the Quartet to restart final status talks with the Palestinian Authority, the other side was not as quick to do so. Instead, the PA chose to reject Israel’s acceptance of the proposal and once again reiterated old statements.

My Way News - Iran assails two-state solution for Palestinians
My Way News reports: "Iran doesn't recognize Israel and considers it an archenemy. Khamenei, who spoke at a pro-Palestinian conference in Tehran, called Israel a 'cancerous tumor' that should be removed. Iran supports the militant Palestinian Hamas group, which rules Gaza and which does not back the statehood bid pushed by Abbas and his Western-backed Fatah movement."

My Way News - With al-Awlaki dead, al-Qaida lacks Western voice
My Way News reports: "The killings of U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and another American al-Qaida propagandist in a U.S. airstrike Friday wipe out the decisive factor that made the terrorist group's Yemen branch the most dangerous threat to the United States: its reach into the West."

My Way News - US condemns death sentence for Iranian pastor
My Way News reports: "The U.S. says Iran should release a pastor who's been sentenced to death for apostasy. White House press secretary Jay Carney says 32-year-old Yusuf Naderkhani, who turned to Christianity when he was 19, has done nothing more than stay devoted to his faith. Carney says Iran's attempt to force him to renounce that faith "crosses all bounds of decency" and breaches Iran's international obligations."

My Way News - Iran to Syria: Save regime and preserve alliance
My Way News reports: "Iran is in the unfamiliar role of nervous bystander in Syria - a foothold on Israel's border and a critical conduit to Tehran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza."

My Way News - Canadian Arctic nearly loses entire ice shelf
My Way News reports: "Two ice shelves that existed before Canada was settled by Europeans diminished significantly this summer, one nearly disappearing altogether, Canadian scientists say in new research. The loss is important as a marker of global warming, returning the Canadian Arctic to conditions that date back thousands of years, scientists say."

My Way News - US-led coalition: Afghan insurgent attacks falling
My Way News reports: "International forces in Afghanistan released new data Thursday showing violence trending downward in their favor, only a day after the U.N. reported considerably more clashes and other attacks per month than last year."

Comment: So encouraging to hear that there's light at the end of the tunnel. But wait, what about that other report...

My Way News - Strong quake rocks northeast Japan
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake has rocked northeastern Japan, which is still recovering from the devastating tsunami six months ago. The quake Thursday had a preliminary magnitude of 5.6. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued."

My Way News - NASA IDs 90 pct. of largest near-Earth asteroids
My Way News reports: "If you're worried about a killer asteroid wiping out Earth, NASA has some good news. The space agency said Thursday it has identified more than 90 percent of giant near-Earth asteroids, including ones as big as the one thought to have killed the dinosaurs eons ago. None poses a danger to the planet in the next several centuries."

Comment: I think it's that last 10% that could really ruin your day.

VOA - Israel Observes Rosh Hashanah in Uncertain Times
The Voice of America reports: "Israelis are observing Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the High Holy Days and a time of reflection and prayer. There are 10 days of repentance leading up to the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. The New Year comes at a time of political uncertainty in Israel, as the Palestinians seek recognition of an independent state at the United Nations."

NYTimes.com - Fearing Change, Syria’s Christians Back Assad
The New York Times reports: "Abu Elias sat beneath the towering stairs leading from the Convent of Our Lady of Saydnaya, a church high up in the mountains outside Damascus, where Christians have worshiped for 1,400 years [...] With the chaos growing, Christians visiting Saydnaya on a recent Sunday said they feared that a change of power could usher in a tyranny of the Sunni Muslim majority, depriving them of the semblance of protection the Assad family has provided for four decades."

guardian.co.uk - Palestinian statehood bid kicked into committee by UN security council
The Guardian reports: "The UN security council has moved the issue of recognising a Palestinian state to a committee which could take weeks to reach a decision [...] The UN committee on new admissions, which is made up of the 15 members of the security council, will meet on Friday morning. It could vote immediately on the Palestinian request or agree to study the matter further."

Comment: Ok, so we have our answer, all of that drama is quietly deflated as a committee debates for weeks or months. The next move is Abbas'.

My Way News - Iran says it delivers new cruise missiles to navy
My Way News reports: "Iran said Wednesday it has begun large-scale production of a domestically-developed cruise missile designed for sea-based targets and capable of destroying warships [...] Vahidi said the missile, which has a range of 124 miles (200 kilometers), can travel at low altitudes and 'can sink giant warships.' The comments appeared to suggest that the new missile could potentially counter the U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf."

My Way News - Violent incidents up 39 percent in Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "The statistics show that the intensity of the nearly decade-old war is growing, not abating, as the U.S. and other nations start to withdraw some forces with an eye toward pulling all combat troops out by the end of 2014."

My Way News - Philippines repairs after typhoon kills 21
My Way News reports: "Forecasters sounded alarms over a new storm headed for the Philippines Wednesday, even as workers repaired seawalls demolished by a typhoon that killed at least 21 people and left scores stranded in swamped communities."

My Way News - UN reports gains in fight against Somalia's famine
My Way News reports: "The U.N. on Wednesday said food assistance has reached nearly half the Somalis in need, though it warned cases of diarrhea and cholera could spike with the seasonal rains expected in October. Famine relief has gotten to about 1.85 million Somalis, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said."

My Way News - AP Interview: Arrests made against Nigeria sect
My Way News reports: "Security forces have arrested a top commander of a radical Muslim sect who is accused of orchestrating attacks in the country's northeast that have left police, clerics and others dead, a governor said Wednesday [...] Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people, is split largely between a Christian south and a Muslim north."

The Washington Post - Christian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani faces potential execution
The Washington Post reports: "Just days after Iran released two Americans accused of spying, an Iranian court has upheld the apostasy conviction and execution sentence of Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani [...] However, the judges, acting like terrorists with a hostage, demanded that he recant his faith in Christ before even taking evidence [...] If he does not recant his Christian faith, he could be executed at any time."

Comment: Please join me in praying for Pastor Nadarkhani, that he will remain unwavering in his faith and that he will show Christian love those who are persecuting him.

Christian Post - Heckler Calls Obama the Antichrist; Obama Proclaims "Jesus Is Lord"
The Christian Post reports: "The interruption took place immediately after Obama took the stage and the president was forced to stop talking for a moment [...] On his way out the door, the heckler proclaimed that Obama was the antichrist [...] Before he continued with his speech, Obama announced: 'First of all, I agree, Jesus Christ is the Lord. I believe in that.' The crowd immediately cheered with approval."

CNN - A movement to paint Obama as the Antichrist?
CNN reports: But Mooney observes that the White House pool report records the heckler as being much more blunt, yelling 'Barack Obama is the Antichrist!' The president interrupted his remarks at the fundraiser, held at Los Angeles' House of Blues, to respond to the heckler. 'First of all, I agree Jesus Christ is the Lord,' Obama said. 'I believe in that. I do have a question, though. I think the young man may have left his jacket...''"


Comment: So, Obama again professed his Christian faith in public. I doubt it will do much good, as so many refuse to hear it. Is he a Christian? Only God knows his heart. I'm inclined to give anyone the benefit of the doubt if they make a public profession of faith. Is he my kind of Christian? What kind of standard is that?. There are many kinds of Christians, many denominations, many dogmas. There are conservative Christians and liberal Christians and there's no doubt he is of the liberal variety. All of that is meaningless really. He has professed faith in Jesus and that should be enough. It should be enough, but of course, it's not, not for those who actually think an American president will be the antichrist.

My Way News - Israel approves 1,100 new homes in east Jerusalem
My Way News reports: "Israel granted the go-ahead on Tuesday for construction of 1,100 new Jewish housing units in east Jerusalem, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out any freeze in settlement construction, raising already heightened tensions after last week's Palestinian move to seek U.N. membership."

Comment: Well this will throw world media into a fit of condemnation. Israel is building in Israel!

My Way News - US missile strike kills 3 in northwest Pakistan
My Way News reports: "An American drone fired two missiles at a house in a northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border Tuesday, killing three people, Pakistani intelligence officials said [...] The latest strike comes at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Islamabad [...] China has helped Pakistan bolster its defense."

My Way News - Decade after anthrax attacks, worry over stockpile
My Way News reports: "Ten years after the anthrax attacks brought home the reality of bioterrorism, the nation has a stockpile of some basic tools to fight back against a few of the threats that worry defense experts the most [...] There's enough smallpox vaccine for everyone, plus some of a specially formulated version safe for cancer patients and others with weak immune systems. There's an improved version of the decades-old anthrax vaccine used in 2001. There are a few treatments for the toxins produced by anthrax and botulism, and a smallpox treatment is due soon."

Comment: There, isn't it nice to read some good news for a change?

VOA - Security Council Reviews Palestinian UN Application
VOA reports: The U.N. Security Council on Monday took up the issue of the Palestinian bid for full U.N. membership. The meeting was mostly procedural and that the council is expected to meet again on the subject later this week.

My Way News - 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls go online
My Way News reports: The scrolls, considered by many to be the most significant archaeological find of the 20th century, are thought to have been written or collected by an ascetic Jewish sect that fled Jerusalem for the desert 2,000 years ago and settled at Qumran, on the banks of the Dead Sea. The hundreds of manuscripts that survived, partially or in full, in caves near the site, have shed light on the development of the Hebrew Bible and the origins of Christianity.

My Way News - Typhoon lashes Philippines, 1 dead, thousands flee
My Way News reports: A powerful typhoon slammed the northern Philippines Tuesday, unleashing floods, cutting power and halting work in the capital, Manila, where residents waded in waist-deep waters and strong winds toppled trees.

My Way News - Indonesia police identify suspected church bomber
My Way News reports: "Police say they have identified the person who blew himself up inside an Indonesian church and are awaiting confirmation from DNA tests. The bomber blew himself up after the Sunday service ended and wounded 30 people. The attack in the Central Java town of Solo comes amid concerns about escalating religious intolerance in the world's most populous Muslim nation."

My Way News - Attack on Kabul CIA office kills agency contractor
My Way News reports: "An Afghan working for the U.S. government killed a CIA contractor and wounded another American in an attack on the intelligence agency's office in Kabul, officials said Monday, making it the latest in a series of high-profile attacks this month on U.S. targets."

My Way News - The American "allergy" to global warming: Why?
My Way News reports: "The Arctic Ocean's summer ice cap has shrunk by half and is expected to essentially vanish by 2030 or 2040, the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center reported Sept. 15. Ashore, meanwhile, the Arctic tundra's permafrost is thawing and releasing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. These changes will feed on themselves: Released methane leads to warmer skies, which will release more methane. Ice-free Arctic waters absorb more of the sun's heat than do reflective ice and snow, and so melt will beget melt. The frozen Arctic is a controller of Northern Hemisphere climate; an unfrozen one could upend age-old weather patterns across continents."

My Way News - Palestinian leader rejects intl peace blueprint
My Way News reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly suggested Saturday that he would reject a peacemaking blueprint put forward by international mediators, saying he would not agree to any proposal that disregarded Palestinian conditions for the resumption of peace talks."

Comment: What an extraordinary week of events centered on the epicenter of Bible prophecy - Israel and Jerusalem. As this week ends more pressure than ever is on Israel to make more compromises and give up more land to the Palestinians who say they want peace and yet keep firing off missiles at their peace-partner. Abbas' U.N. gambit means that the same international pressure that was focused on Abbas to prevent a U.N. vote is now on Israel to show some progress on the long-stalled peace talks. Progress, of course, defined as Israeli concessions.

The Security Council will meet next week to discuss the Palestinian request and we should have some early indication as to whether they intend to move quickly on the request or have a committee review the proposal for a few months or so. This will effectively table the matter for the short-term and it's at this point that the Palestinians will call out their rioters to create a spectacle for the media. They could also seek to keep the pressure on by taking the matter to the General Assembly and asking for a change in status, less than statehood but more than the observer status they have now.

In a very real sense the Palestinians are driving the process now and the U.S., Israel and the U.N. are merely reacting. An ever present danger is the volatile mix of increased expectations by the Palestinian people (who don't really understand the U.N. process - it's a bureaucracy after all) for real change and the desire of everyone else to maintain the status quo of the Quartet's negotiating process. The stage is set for public protests that can easily spin out of the control of the Palestinians who hope to stage manage them for the media.

Finally, how will Hamas react to the new political reality in which Abbas returns as a hero of his people? The long simmering civil war between Fatah and Hamas could get hot quickly if Hamas perceives they have been made irrelevant. Never mind the absurdity of a state in the midst of a civil war asking for recognition from the U.N. (because most of the world is willing to overlook that), the situation on the ground could get very dangerous for Israel if Hamas decides to launch rocket attacks from Gaza to undermine Abbas' peace efforts.

Most of the world focused on this last week as the crucial time for Mideast peace because of the drama at the U.N., but the real drama is just about to begin. Stay tuned.

My Way News - Putin to run for Russian presidency in 2012
My Way News reports: "Vladimir Putin's decision to reclaim the presidency next year sets up the possibility that he could rule Russia until 2024 and foreshadows a continuation of the strongman rule that many in the West have called a retreat from democracy."

My Way News - Palestinians submit UN statehood bid
My Way News reports: "The Palestinian leader took his people's quest for independence to the heart of world diplomacy Friday, seeking U.N. recognition of Palestine and sidestepping negotiations that have foundered for nearly two decades under the weight of inflexibility, violence and failure of will [...] He ignored any Palestinian culpability for the negotiations stalemate, deadly violence against Israel, and the internal rift that has produced dueling governments in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as Jewish links to the Holy Land [...] The Security Council will meet on Monday to take up the matter."

BBC News - Israeli-Palestinian talks must resume - Mideast Quartet
BBC News reports: The Quartet of Middle East negotiators has urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks within one month and aim for a deal by the end of 2012.

Yahoo! News - Palestinian crisis looms over U.N. meeting
Yahoo! News reports: "Diplomats scrambled on Thursday to head off a clash over Palestinian plans to seek full U.N. recognition with little visible sign of progress and a deadline less than 24 hours away [...] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is ready to submit his application to the U.N. Security Council on Friday despite pressure from U.S. President Barack Obama to forgo the U.N. option and resume direct talks with Israel."

Yahoo! News - Sparks fly as U.S., Pakistan spar over Afghan bloodshed
Yahoo! News reports: "The top U.S. military officer accused Pakistani intelligence on Thursday of backing violence against U.S. targets including the American Embassy in Afghanistan, a stunning remark that fueled a war of words and seemed certain to deepen tensions in South Asia."