My Way News - Turkey scrambles to deal with Mideast upheaval
My Way News reports: "As a NATO ally, Turkey has cultivated warm relations with countries such as Libya and Syria as part of a regional outreach that included nations with a history of enmity with the West. Now this democracy led by devout Muslims is scrambling to preserve economic and other links to Mideast nations while urging their autocrats to meet the demands of protesters who want change [...] From next month [...] Turkish and Russian citizens will be able to travel to each other's countries without a visa, and trade between the two countries exceeded $25 billion last year."

Comment: The link between Turkey and Russia is growing stronger.

My Way News - Syrian president blames turmoil on 'conspirators'
My Way News reports: "Syria's president dashed expectations that he would announce sweeping reforms Wednesday and instead took a tough line, blaming two weeks of popular fury on a foreign conspiracy."

Comment: Can anyone be surprised that he is hanging tough? Reform and democracy are not coming to Syria anytime soon.

My Way News - Israel airstrike kills 1 Gaza militant
My Way News reports: "An Israeli aircraft attacked a pair of Palestinian militants riding on a motorcycle in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing one and wounding the other, the Islamic Jihad group said. The Israeli military said it had 'targeted and hit a terrorist squad' that had launched rockets toward southern Israel the previous day."

My Way News - Gadhafi's forces adapt to airstrikes, pound rebels
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi's ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday and moved within striking distance of another major eastern city, nearly reversing the gains rebels made since international airstrikes began."

Giga OM - Will Apps Become the New Wallet?: Tech News and Analysis
Giga OM reports: "Two recent news reports are bringing the digital wallet closer to reality. American Express is offering a one-stop-shop payment platform in the form of an app for Apple iOS or Google Android users as well as through Facebook. The Wall Street Journal is also offering more details on Google’s planned mobile payments strategy which will use a technology known as near-field communications to transmit payment data."

Comment: It's interesting to think that in one or two years the way we pay for things may be completely changed by the new mobile payment platforms.

My Way News - Israel not eager to see Syria's Assad go
My Way News reports: "Syria has fought three wars with Israel and maintains close ties to its fiercest enemies in the region, including Iran and the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups. So it may come as a surprise that many in Israel view the current unrest convulsing Syria with a wary eye, fearful that a collapse of Bashar Assad's regime might imperil decades of quiet along the shared border."

Comment: Better the enemy you know?

My Way News - Libya rebels flee Gadhafi assault as world debates
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi's forces hammered rebels with tanks and rockets, turning their rapid advance into a panicked retreat in an hourslong battle Tuesday. The fighting underscored the dilemma facing the U.S. and its allies in Libya: Rebels may be unable to oust Gadhafi militarily unless already contentious international airstrikes go even further in taking out his forces."

My Way News - Facebook drops uprising page after Israel protest
My Way News reports: "Facebook on Tuesday removed a page calling on Palestinians to take up arms against Israel, following a high-profile Israeli appeal to the popular social-networking site. The page, titled 'Third Palestinian Intifada,' had more than 350,000 fans before it was taken down. It called on Palestinians to take to the streets after Friday prayers on May 15 and begin an uprising. 'Judgment Day will be brought upon us only once the Muslims have killed all of the Jews,' a quote from the page reads."

Comment: Those peace-loving Palestinians never fail to surprise me in their efforts to demonstrate how much they want peace.

ABC News - UFO Sighting Spooks Lafayette, Colorado Town
ABC News reports: "The strange triangular formation of lights hovering above Lafayette, Colo., last week has many wondering if it's a sign that we're not alone."

My Way News - Israel warns Palestinians against rocket attacks
My Way News reports: "Israel's prime minister is warning Gaza militants of a military retaliation if they resume firing rockets at southern Israeli communities. Benjamin Netanyahu says it must be clear that Israel will not tolerate 'a drizzle of rockets and missiles' on its cities."

My Way News - Israel deploys rocket defense system against Gaza
My Way News reports: "Israel deployed a cutting-edge rocket defense system on Sunday, rolling out the latest tool in its arsenal to stop a recent spike in attacks from the neighboring Gaza Strip."

Comment: I hope this new defensive system is enough to deter the Palestinians from launching more rockets. Since Iran and Syria made sure to replenish the supply of rockets in Gaza, I'm not exactly optimistic.

My Way News - Syrian president wavers on crackdown or compromise
My Way News reports: "The unrest in Syria, a strategically important country of 23 million people, could have implications well beyond the country's borders given its role as Iran's top Arab ally and as a front line state against Israel."

My Way News - APNewsBreak: Source: minuscule fallout reaches US
My Way News reports: "A diplomat says Japan's radioactive fallout has reached Southern California but first readings are 'about a billion times beneath levels that would be health threatening.'"

Comment: The media has been playing up the sensationalism of the nuclear fallout possibilities in this country, which now show to be negligible at this point; meanwhile our prayers, thoughts, and efforts clearly still need to be directed toward Japan and their recovery and ongoing turmoil in the wake of the tsunami.

My Way News - Russia to spend $700 bln on new weapons
My Way News reports: "President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that Russia will spend the equivalent of $700 billion by 2020 to modernize the military's aging arsenals, but sternly warned arms industries against jacking up prices."

My Way News - Yemeni police open fire on protesters, kill 31
My Way News reports: "Yemeni security forces firing from rooftops and houses shot at tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators, killing at least 31 as the protesters entered a downtown square in the capital to demand the ouster of their autocratic president."

My Way News - Iran cleric tells Bahraini Shiites to protest on
My Way News reports: "A senior Iranian cleric on Friday urged Bahrain's majority Shiites to keep up their protests - until death or victory - against the Sunni monarchy in the tiny island kingdom."

My Way News - Libyan declares cease-fire after UN vote
My Way News reports: "Libya declared an immediate cease-fire and promised to stop military operations Friday in a bid to fend off international military intervention after the U.N. authorized a no-fly zone and 'all necessary measures' to prevent the regime from striking its own people."

Comment: It is good to see that there is a chance this might end in peace.

My Way News - Official: Gulf military force enters Bahrain
My Way News reports: "A military force from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations moved into Bahrain Monday to shore up the nation's Sunni rulers in the face of escalating Shiite-led protests seeking to break the monarchy's hold on power."

My Way News - Meltdown threat rises at Japanese nuclear plant
My Way News reports: "Water levels dropped precipitously Monday inside a stricken Japanese nuclear reactor, twice leaving the uranium fuel rods completely exposed and raising the threat of a meltdown, hours after a hydrogen explosion tore through the building housing a different reactor."

My Way News - Indonesia volcano erupts, spews lava and gas
My Way News reports: "One of Indonesia's most active volcanos has erupted, sending lava and searing gas clouds tumbling down its slopes."

Japan Earthquake News

My Way News - Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake
My Way News reports: "A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control."

My Way News - Japan police say 200-300 found on northeast coast
My Way News reports: "Japanese police say 200 to 300 bodies have been found in a northeastern coastal area where a massive earthquake spawned a tsunami."

My Way News - Japan to evacuate residents near nuke plant
My Way News reports: "Japan ordered thousands of residents near a nuclear power plant to evacuate on Friday following a massive earthquake that caused a problem in the plant's cooling system."

Comments: I will continue to post updates to this developing story. Meanwhile, we should all pray not only for those affected, but also that any additional tsunamis will dissipate and prevent further death and destruction.

My Way News - Saudi police open fire at protest
My Way News reports: "Saudi police have opened fire at a rally in the kingdom's east in an apparent escalation of efforts to stop planned protests."

Comment: I do pray this is not the beginning of the "Day of Rage" that has been called for by anti-government activists, but I do think it quite possibly could escalate to that...

My Way News - Large earthquake hits northeast Japan; no damage
My Way News reports: "A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit off Japan's northeastern coast Wednesday, shaking buildings hundreds of miles away in Tokyo and triggering a small tsunami. There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries."

Comment: I'll be off for a week or two, keep watching the signs.

My Way News - Pakistanis bury slain Christian, warn of extremism
My Way News reports: "Men beat their bare chests, women wailed and church leaders warned Pakistan was sinking under the weight of extremism on Friday as they buried a Christian politician assassinated for opposing harsh blasphemy laws."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the persecuted church in Pakistan.

My Way News - Attacker's gun jammed in Germany, sparing airman
My Way News reports: "But shortly after the attack, he told police that he had taken the weapon and two knives to the airport specifically to kill Americans 'as revenge for the American mission in Afghanistan,' [...] German authorities believe that Uka only recently radicalized and that he acted alone - but Griesbaum said the incident shows there is a serious danger from what he called 'virtual jihad,' or those attracted to extremism through the Internet, not part of a radical network."

Comment: A follower of a peaceful religion strikes again. If this keeps up, we may have to question whether that religion is really all that peaceful. I mean, they say it is, but the jury is still out...or is it?

My Way News - US warships arrive at Crete in Libya buildup
My Way News reports: "Two vessels carrying 1,300 U.S. Marines docked Friday at an American base on Crete as part of a military build up around Libya, the U.S. Navy said. Souda Bay navy base spokesman Paul Farley said the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and the USS Ponce arrived at the base, carrying a total of around 4,000 personnel, including the Marines."

My Way News - Thousands protest across Middle East for reform
My Way News reports: "Security forces opened fire to disperse crowds in Libya and Yemen as tens of thousands of anti-government protesters took to the streets Friday across the Middle East, hoping to oust longtime leaders as in Tunisia and Egypt, or simply to bring about more political reforms."

My Way News - Police, army forces in Djibouti prevent protest
My Way News reports: "Soldiers and police filled the streets of Djibouti on Friday to prevent a planned demonstration against the president by opposition parties, officials said. Djibouti - a tiny East African nation that hosts a U.S. military base - saw thousands turn out at an anti-government demonstration two weeks ago."

My Way News - Video shows women gunned down in Ivory Coast
My Way News reports: "In the video, which was also posted on YouTube, a set of successive booms is heard as women wave branches in the air in protest. The crowd of hundreds scatters as screaming is heard. Then the cameraman pans over the collapsed bodies of at least four women. The head of one of them has been torn off and people rush to cover it was a piece of cloth. Another who is still alive tries to lift herself up and collapses in her own blood."

My Way News - Gadhafi forces battle rebels as 37 killed in Libya
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi's regime struck back at its opponents with a powerful attack Friday on the closest opposition-held city to Tripoli and a barrage of tear gas and live ammunition to smother new protests in the capital. At least 37 people died in fighting and in an explosion at an ammunition depot in Libya's rebellious east."

Comment: The media has focused on Libya but the unrest has spread to other countries as well.

My Way News - Conservative EU leaders struggle for crisis unity
My Way News reports: "The Helsinki summit kicked off three weeks that will decide whether the euro zone can finally get a grip on the crisis that has already pushed Greece and Ireland into international bailout. The debate will culminate on March 25, when heads of state and government hope to seal the 'comprehensive solution' to the region's debt and banking troubles."

My Way News - Coroner: Miss. boy found in oven died from heat
My Way News reports: "Washington County Coroner Methel Johnson said the pathologist was still trying to determine if 3-year-old Tristan Robinson was conscious when he was put inside the oven. He also appeared to have suffered trauma to his head."

My Way News - Sheriff: Miss. teen beaten, branded at party
My Way News reports: "A 15-year-old boy was beaten and branded with hot metal after a confrontation with a 12-year-old girl at a party in Mississippi where teens had been drinking, authorities said Friday."

Comment: It's hard to imagine such cruelty and inhumanity against people so young or perpetrated by people so young.

My Way News - Israel: No Palestinian peace deal possible now
My Way News reports: "Israel has concluded that a final peace deal with the Palestinians cannot be reached at this time and is weighing alternatives to try to prove that it is interested in keeping peacemaking with the Palestinians alive, officials said Thursday."

My Way News - Pakistani Christians protest after slaying
My Way News reports: "Pakistani Christians burned tires and rallied for justice Thursday, a day after Islamist militants assassinated a Catholic government minister who had braved death threats to speak out in their defense [...] Christians make up around 5 percent of the country's 180 million people, and along with other non-Muslim minorities have been often been persecuted."

My Way News - Philippines sends warplanes near disputed islands
My Way News reports: "The Philippine military deployed two warplanes near a disputed area in the South China Sea after a ship searching for oil complained it was harassed by two Chinese patrol boats, officials said Thursday. The Chinese vessels later left without confrontation, said Philippine military commander Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban."

My Way News - 5.7 magnitude quake rocks southern Philippines
My Way News reports: "Officials say a 5.7 magnitude earthquake has rocked the southern Philippines, collapsing the walls of some houses and sending residents fleeing from their homes. There are no reports of injuries. The government's seismology institute said Friday that the moderately strong earthquake struck offshore, 33 miles (54 kilometers) east of Surigao City."

My Way News - Company: Dozens of South Korean websites attacked
My Way News reports: "A top South Korean cybersecurity company says about 40 government and private websites are under cyberattack. AhnLab says the targets include the websites of South Korea's presidential office, the Foreign Ministry, the National Intelligence Service, U.S. Forces Korea and some major financial institutions."

My Way News - 2 US warships move closer to Libya via Suez Canal
My Way News reports: "Two U.S. warships have passed through the Suez Canal on their way to the Mediterranean Sea and closer to Libyan shores after orders from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Egyptian officials said Wednesday. The amphibious assault ships USS Kearsarge and USS Ponce entered the canal earlier in the day from the Red Sea. The officials said the USS Kearsarge is carrying 42 helicopters."

My Way News - Arabs consider a no-fly zone over Libya
My Way News reports: "Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday condemned Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's bloody crackdown on his own people, and said they would consider imposing a no-fly zone over the country in the turmoil continues."

My Way News - SKoreans to send Mideast protest videos to NKorea
My Way News reports: "n Wednesday, the Seoul-based Fighters for Free North Korea said it would send about 200,000 propaganda leaflets, 1-dollar bills and USB flash drives carrying videos on the recent wave of uprising against authoritarian rulers in Egypt, Libya and other Middle Eastern countries as early as Monday."

My Way News - Militants kill sole Christian minister in Pakistan
My Way News reports: "Militants gunned down the only Christian in Pakistan's government outside his widowed mother's home, the second assassination in two months of a high-profile opponent of laws that impose the death penalty for insulting Islam [...] The slaying robbed Pakistani Christians of their most prominent advocate."

Israeli official: Netanyahu may seek interim accord with Palestinians - CNN.com
CNN reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a diplomatic initiative that will seek an interim agreement with the Palestinians rather than one that resolves all core issues, an Israeli government official said Tuesday."

My Way News - Israel: new weapon downed Gaza anti-tank rocket
My Way News reports: "A new Israeli weapons system knocked down a Palestinian anti-tank rocket in its first combat test Tuesday, the military said, showing off technology that could protect the heavy vehicles that have been the mainstay of the world's ground forces for decades."

My Way News - Gadhafi forces retake towns near Libyan capital
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi's forces battled poorly armed rebels Tuesday for control of towns near the capital trying to create a buffer zone around his seat of power. The increasingly violent clashes threatened to transform the 15-day popular rebellion in Libya into a drawn-out civil war."

My Way News - NZ quake toll rises to 159, many still missing
My Way News reports: "Police Superintendent Dave Cliff said four more bodies had been pulled from rubble by recovery teams in the shattered city of Christchurch overnight Tuesday, taking the total death toll to 159. Many more people remain missing, and Cliff has said the final tally is likely to be around 240."