My Way News - Abbas might delay Palestinian unity government
My Way News reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas might put off the formation of a unity government with the Islamic militant group Hamas to avoid alienating his Western allies ahead of a U.N. vote on statehood, a senior PLO official said Thursday. Palestinian leaders apparently underestimated international opposition, particularly from the U.S., to any Hamas involvement in government and are afraid that will derail efforts to win the U.N. nod to establish a Palestinian state."

Comment: As many times as the U.S. has denounced Hamas as a terrorist group, it's hard to imagine they didn't anticipate the opposition to a unity government. So, no untity government, that' s a good thing. Still, I don't like the fact that they seem determined to push for a vote at the U.N. this coming September even after the U.S. and others have made it clear that this is not acceptable. I think September is shaping up to be a very important month.

My Way News - Rocket attack kills 3 American soldiers in Iraq
My Way News reports: "A rocket attack on a U.S. base near Iraq's border with Iran killed three American soldiers, an official said Thursday, blaming the strike on a Shiite militia linked to Tehran. The deaths came at the end of the bloodiest month for U.S. troops in Iraq in two years, and with just six months before the American military is scheduled to leave after more than eight years of war."

My Way News - Guard chief: Iran can build longer-range missiles
My Way News reports: "A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander claimed on Tuesday that his country has the ability to produce missiles with an even greater range than those currently in its arsenal [...] The remarks came as Iran conducted a second day of large-scale military maneuvers, part of 10 days of war games that are the country's latest show of force amid a standoff with the West over Iran's disputed nuclear program."

My Way News - Iran: Space monkey next step in rocket program
My Way News reports: "Iran says it plans to send a monkey into space next month as the next step in a space program that Western leaders worry could also bring major advances in Iran's missile arsenal. The state-run news agency IRNA quotes the head of Iran's space agency as saying Monday that five monkeys are undergoing tests and one will be selected for the flight on a Kavoshgar-5 - or Explorer-5 - rocket."

My Way News - AP Exclusive: Palestinians ready to ease demands
My Way News reports: "The Palestinians are ready to ease their demand for a freeze on Israeli settlement construction to get peace talks back on track [...] The softened position reflects the Palestinians' growing realization that their alternative strategies to talks - reconciling with the Hamas militant group and seeking unilateral recognition at the United Nations - are both in trouble."

Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News - Palestinian UN envoy: Talks with Israel won't stop bid for state recognition
Haaretz reports: "The Palestinians will seek membership as an independent state at the UN in September even if peace negotiations with Israel are underway, the Palestinian UN envoy said on Thursday."

Comment: One report says that Palestinian plans to seek recognition at the UN are in trouble, the other report says plans are moving forward. I think it's safe to say that events are very fluid right now, stay tuned.

Reuters - Merkel: EU summit to strengthen euro zone stability
Reuters reports: "European Union leaders are expected to take decision at their gathering in Brussels which will strengthen the stability of the euro zone, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday. Merkel reiterated, however, no formal decisions on Greece are expected at the fourth EU summit this year."

Reuters - EU appoints Draghi to ECB, Bini Smaghi to leave
Reuters reports: "EU leaders appointed Italy's Mario Draghi as the next president of the European Central Bank on Friday and said another Italian would step down from the ECB's Executive Board early to smooth the process."

USATODAY.com - Magnitude-6.7 earthquake hits Japan
USA Today reports: "A magnitude-6.7 earthquake rattled northeast Japan early Thursday in the same area where a massive quake triggered a deadly tsunami in March, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage."

Reuters - Ocean life on the brink of mass extinctions: study
Reuters reports: "Life in the oceans is at imminent risk of the worst spate of extinctions in millions of years due to threats such as climate change and over-fishing, a study showed [...] Time was running short to counter hazards such as a collapse of coral reefs or a spread of low-oxygen 'dead zones,' according to the study led by the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO)."

Yahoo! News - Tsunami warning in effect for Alaska coastal areas
Yahoo! News reports: "The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 7.4 earthquake has been recorded in the Pacific Ocean off Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands."

My Way News - Syrian troops push to Turkey border, villagers run
My Way News reports: "Syrian troops pushed to the Turkish border Thursday in their sweep against a 3-month-old pro-democracy movement, sending panicked refugees, including children, rushing across the frontier to safe havens in Turkey."

My Way News - Apple removes anti-Israel app from App Store
My Way News reports: "Apple Inc. says it has removed an application called 'ThirdIntifada' from its App Store following complaints that it glorified violence against Israel [...] The free application encouraged followers to share opinions and organize protests against Israel. It linked to a website that helped organize violent clashes with Israeli troops recently along Israel's frontiers with Lebanon and Syria."

Comment: So encouraging to see how the Palestinians are making use of technology to demonstrate how much they want peace with Israel. Right. Thank you Apple!

My Way News - Iran's judiciary detains Ahmadinejad's ally
My Way News reports: "Iran's judiciary Thursday detained a close ally of the president, another step in a power struggle that is sweeping the Iranian leadership, according to a report on the Iranian state television station [...] The arrest was the latest incident in a struggle involving President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the parliament and the powerful Iranian Muslim clergy."

My Way News - Obama: 30,000-plus surge troops leaving Afghan
My Way News reports: "Beginning to wind down a long and devastating war, President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night he was pulling home 33,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by next summer, withdrawing the 'surge' of forces he had sent to rescue a flailing effort. Said Obama to a country eager for an exit: 'The tide of war is receding.'"

My Way News - Pentagon gets cyberwar guidelines
My Way News reports: "Military officials have also warned repeatedly of cyberattacks and intrusions coming out of China, Russia and Eastern Europe. 'Regrettably,' Lynn said, 'few weapons in the history of warfare, once created, have gone unused. For this reason, we must have the capability to defend against the full range of cyber threats.' Lynn predicted that terror groups eventually will learn how to launch crippling cyberattacks."

Yahoo! News - Ahmadinejad loses fight over oil portfolio: parliament
Yahoo! News reports: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's plan to merge the strategic oil ministry into an enlarged energy portfolio has been 'cancelled,' the official parliamentary website said on Tuesday."

Comment: It's odd that our media still depicts him as a Islamic fundamentalist in line with the mullahs when apparently a split has occurred in Iran's domestic politics pitting the mullahs against his political circle, who are seen more as Persian nationalists than Islamists. Very odd development.

Yahoo! News - U.N. assembly approves second term for U.N. chief Ban
Yahoo! News reports: "The 192-nation U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday unanimously approved a second five-year term for U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, who analysts and diplomats see as a solid ally of Washington. The former South Korean foreign minister, who took over as U.N. secretary-general from his predecessor Kofi Annan in 2007, was re-elected to the world body's top job by acclamation, effective next January 1 [...] All the regional groups of U.N. member states backed Ban, including the Latin American and Caribbean group, the last to officially endorse his re-election."

Comment: Nice to see him re-elected, he is the kind of SecGen that the world needs: low-key, cooperative, conciliatory, administrative. We don't have to worry about a world government power-grab with him at the helm.

Yahoo! News - Media: Israel sends hopeful letter to Turkey
Yahoo News reports: "Israeli media report Israel's prime minister has sent a letter to Turkey's leader expressing hope for improved ties. Israeli-Turkish relations deteriorated dramatically last year after Israel raided a Gaza-bound Turkish ship and killed nine activists on board. Each side blamed the other. It followed a series of tense exchanges between the two countries, once close allies."

My Way News - Palestinian reconciliation summit postponed
My Way News reports: "A high-profile meeting between the leaders of the rival Fatah and Hamas movements has been called off, Palestinian officials said Sunday, dealing a new setback to efforts by the two sides to end a bitter rift and form a unity government."

Comment: Setback, really, Mr. MSM news-writer? Apparently you are unaware that one of the parties that would be reconciled if not for this setback is a terrorist group bent on destroying Israel. I call anything that marginalizes Hamas a step forward.

My Way News - Medvedev wants 2nd term, but won't challenge Putin
My Way News reports: "Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev says he wants a second term, but won't stand against Vladimir Putin. Medvedev said in an interview with the Financial Times broadcast Monday by Russian television stations that he and Putin wouldn't face one another in the election next March because their rivalry would hurt the country."

My Way News - Syria president vows reform, critics shout 'Liar!'
My Way News reports: "Syria's president promised a national dialogue Monday to consider political reforms, but his vague overtures to a pro-democracy uprising fell flat as protesters took to the streets shouting 'Liar!' and demanding his ouster."

My Way News - Afghan leader confirms peace talks; Kabul attacked
My Way News reports: "President Hamid Karzai acknowledged that the U.S. and Afghan governments have held talks with Taliban emissaries in a bid to end the nation's nearly 10-year war [...] talks may be gaining momentum after the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to treat al-Qaida and the Taliban separately when it comes to U.N. sanctions, a move aimed at supporting the Afghan government's reconciliation efforts."

My Way News - Where the Afghan war is fought hardest
My Way News reports: "The southwest province of Helmand, where Nawzad sits, is where the Afghan war is being fought the hardest. With a population of about 1.4 million, the majority Pashtun province is both a homeland and a thoroughfare for the insurgency, and houses its economic base, opium. Another sign of Helmand's strategic importance: More NATO service members, upwards of 700, have died in this province than any other."

My Way News - Greek debt crisis: Juncker warns of contagion
My Way News reports: "Contagion from the Greek debt crisis could spread to at least five other European countries - including Belgium or even Italy - if it is not cautiously managed, the head of the eurozone group warned Saturday [...] that would have extreme consequences for Europe as a whole."

My Way News - Greece steps back from prospect of debt default
My Way News reports: "Greece appeared to step back from the prospect of a devastating debt default Friday after its prime minister quelled chaotic political infighting and Germany softened a contentious demand that the private sector participate in a European bailout."

My Way News - Refugee crisis mushrooms as Syrian army attacks
My Way News reports: "Syrian troops backed by tanks and firing heavy machine guns swept into a village near the Turkish border Saturday, forcing more people displaced by the crackdown on anti-government protesters to flee across the frontier."

My Way News - Libya says NATO airstrike hits residential area
My Way News reports: "The Libyan government said at least four civilians were killed Sunday in a NATO airstrike that hit a residential neighborhood in the capital, adding to charges that the alliance is striking nonmilitary targets."

My Way News - Islamic group seeks place in a democratic Egypt
My Way News reports: "Now, with Mubarak gone, the Brotherhood is storming into the open, appealing to religious voters and trying to win over Egypt's poor. It is likely to be part of Egypt's next government, with a hand not only in ruling but also in writing a new constitution. And its strength has fueled fears among many Egyptians that it will turn what began as a pro-democracy uprising in the Arab world's most populous nation into Islamic rule."

My Way News - Philippines to China: Don't intrude into our water
My Way News reports: "President Benigno Aquino III insisted Friday that his country won't be bullied by China in a territorial spat over the Spratly Islands and that Beijing should stop intruding into waters claimed by Manila."

Comment: While it's hard to imagine a shooting war break out over this, we should remember that real resources as well as national pride are at stake and I suspect that China's modernizing military is just itching to teach some smaller countries a lesson about who's boss in Asia. And with rumors that China now has (or will soon have) a carrier-killer missile, they are not so worried about the presence of the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. I'm starting to believe that a military skirmish in the Pacific is not a matter of if but when.

My Way News - South Korean military fires at civilian jetliner
My Way News reports: "Marines fired rifles at a South Korean civilian jetliner as it was descending to land after mistaking it for a North Korean military aircraft, an airline official and a news report said Saturday [...]The incident highlights how persistent tensions near the heavily armed inter-Korean border pose the possibility for dangerous miscalculation. The Korean peninsula has remained in a technical state of conflict since the Korean War ended in a truce in 1953. A peace treaty has never been signed."

Comment: The Korean peninsula remains one of the world's tripwires and it's always a bit dicey when they start shooting at each other, even if it is a mistake.

My Way News - Scientists ID mysterious flash in distant galaxy
My Way News reports: "Astronomers think they have solved the mystery of an extraordinary flash spied in a faraway galaxy, saying it came from a massive black hole that devoured a star after it wandered too close."

My Way News - Syrian forces open fire on protesters; 16 killed
My Way News reports: "Syrian security forces fired on thousands of protesters Friday, killing a teenage boy and at least 15 other civilians as accounts emerged of more indiscriminate killing and summary executions by the autocratic regime of President Bashar Assad, activists said."

My Way News - Al-Zawahri succeeds bin Laden as al-Qaida leader
My Way News reports: "Osama bin Laden's longtime second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, has taken control of al-Qaida, the group declared Thursday, marking the ascendancy of a man driven by hatred of the United States who helped plan the 9/11 attacks."

My Way News - Palestinians stick to call for settlement freeze
My Way News reports: "The Palestinians are sticking to their demand for an Israeli settlement construction freeze in the West Bank, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Thursday, complicating President Barack Obama's latest peace drive."

My Way News - Peres: Palestinians' UN move 'an illusion'
My Way News reports: "Israeli President Shimon Peres urged a resumption of Middle East peace talks Thursday, dismissing the Palestinians' plan to instead ask the United Nations for recognition as 'an illusion' and arguing that a peace deal - despite widespread skepticism on both sides - was possible within months."

My Way News - China dispatches patrol boat amid tensions
My Way News reports: "China has dispatched one of its largest maritime patrol ships on a first-ever visit to the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore amid a spike in tensions over disputed territory in the South China Sea [...] China, Vietnam and the Philippines have traded diplomatic barbs recently over claims to the resource-rich South China Sea and its island groups. Vietnam's navy conducted live-firing exercises Monday after accusing Chinese boats of disrupting oil and gas exploration in its waters."

My Way News - Greek default could trigger chain reaction
My Way News reports: "Greece's economy is small but the shock waves from a default on its debt could be amplified by links in the global financial system to hurt stocks, banks and entire economies far from the epicenter in Athens."

My Way News - NATO head calls for more European defense spending
My Way News reports: "NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday he was worried about the low level of defense spending among European allies and called on members to work together to reduce the reliance on the United States for high-tech weapons."

My Way News - Volcano ash turns Asian eclipse blood red
My Way News reports: "Asian and African night owls were treated to a lunar eclipse, and ash in the atmosphere from a Chilean volcano turned it blood red for some viewers."

My Way News - Iran's president calls for alliance against West
My Way News reports: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for a security alliance dominated by China and Russia to form a united front against the West. Ahmadinejad's address Wednesday to heads of state at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit being held in Kazakhstan will likely serve to deepen suspicions that the bloc is intended as a counterweight to the United States across Central Asia."

My Way News - Suspected US missile strikes kill 15 in Pakistan
My Way News reports: "Three American missile attacks killed 15 suspected militants on the Pakistan side of the Afghan border on Wednesday, Pakistani officials said, the latest in an uptick in such strikes that coincides with a chill in ties between Washington and Islamabad."

My Way News - More aftershocks hit NZ city; fears worse to come
My Way News reports: "Big aftershocks are still shaking the earthquake-weary city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and raising fears of worse to come. A pair of aftershocks woke many residents about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, with the larger measuring magnitude-5.0."

My Way News - New flooding kills 7 in central, south China
My Way News reports: "More flooding in central and south China has killed another seven people over the past three days, the government said Wednesday, as seasonal rainstorms batter the country."

My Way News - Arizona blaze part of new era _ more big wildfires
My Way News reports: "The number of large wildfires has been rising for roughly the past 25 years, and they are lasting longer amid fire seasons that also last longer. Is it global warming? Experts won't say that, pointing instead to a variety of factors ranging from local weather to insect infestations to more people living and camping out in the woods."

My Way News - Israel expects new Lebanese Cabinet to keep truce
My Way News reports: "Lebanon this week formed a Cabinet dominated by Hezbollah and its allies. The move capped Hezbollah's steady rise over decades from a guerrilla group fighting Israel to Lebanon's most powerful military and political force."

My Way News - Yemen's militants step up attacks amid turmoil
My Way News reports: "Al-Qaida-linked militants temporarily seized parts of a provincial capital in southern Yemen on Wednesday, the latest in a series of brazen attacks by extremists taking advantage of the turmoil in the poor Arab nation."

My Way News - Tanks, troops move to snuff out Syria resistance
My Way News reports: "Syrian tanks and the government's most loyal troops pushed into more towns and villages Tuesday, trying to snuff out any chance that the uprising against President Bashar Assad could gain a base for a wider armed rebellion."

My Way News - Yemen sees largest protests since president left
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis demonstrated in nearly every major city of the country on Tuesday, demanding trial for the family and close aides of the ailing president. They were the largest protests since President Ali Abdullah Saleh went abroad for medical treatment for injuries suffered in an attack on his compound."

My Way News - EU: Palestinian state vote could be 'dangerous'
My Way News reports: "A unilateral Palestinian move toward statehood could be 'dangerous,' the president of the EU parliament said Tuesday during a visit to the West Bank."

My Way News - Goodnight sun: Sunspots may disappear for years
My Way News reports: "The sun is heading into an unusual and extended hibernation, scientists predict. Around 2020, sunspots may disappear for years, maybe decades [...] The effects from a calmer sun are mostly good. There'd be fewer disruptions of satellites and power systems. And it might mean a little less increase in global warming."

My Way News - More flights halted by ash from Chilean volcano
My Way News reports: "The cloud of ash spewing from a volcano in Chile grounded more flights Tuesday in South America, forcing Peru's president-elect to cross a river by boat and threatening to delay the start of the continent's football championship."

My Way News - Strong quake rocks Indonesia, but no tsunami risk
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake has shaken parts of Indonesia, but a tsunami was not expected and no damage was initially reported. Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the Monday night quake was centered about 110 miles (178 kilometers) southeast of Tahuna island and six miles (10 kilometers) beneath the Maluku Sea."

My Way News - Volcanic ash strands 30,000 in Australia, NZ
My Way News reports: "Tens of thousands of passengers in Australia and New Zealand were stranded when airlines suspended flights Sunday as an ash cloud from an erupting volcano in southern Chile spread, threatening to damage engines."

guardian.co.uk - Christchurch hit by two large earthquakes
My Way News reports: "Reports of building collapses and live rescues were emerging on Monday afternoon after Christchurch was hit by two large aftershock, less than four months after the New Zealand city was devastated by a massive earthquake that killed 181 people. There were no initial reports of fatalities from the latest quakes."

My Way News - Turkey's ruling party wins election
My Way News reports: "Turkey's ruling party surged to a third term in parliamentary elections Sunday, setting the stage for the rising regional power to pursue trademark economic growth, assertive diplomacy and an overhaul of the military-era constitution."

Comment: Note, the winning party is an anti-Israel political party that while in power has all but destroyed Turkey's alliance with Israel in a Turkish bid to assume a leadership role in the larger Arab world.

My Way News - Hamas rejection bodes poorly for unity talks
My Way News reports: "Ceremoniously announced last month, reconciliation between the two rival Palestinian leaderships - the secular Fatah and the Islamist Hamas - hit a serious snag Sunday, another sign that the effort is not going well. In the latest blow, Hamas on Sunday rejected Fatah's proposal that internationally respected economist Salam Fayyad remain prime minister."

My Way News - Police, Palestinians clash at Jerusalem holy site
My Way News reports: "Israeli policemen entered a sensitive Jerusalem holy site Friday and used stun grenades to disperse dozens of Palestinian protesters who were hurling stones at security personnel, police said. The scene of the clash was the Old City compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary."

Comment: This site is one of the most important flashpoints in the world and one we keep close watch on. It's sad that the Palestinians act that way in a site they are supposed to regard as holy, but I guess provoking the Jewish authorities matters more to them than respecting the site.

My Way News - Syrian troops sweep through north; unrest kills 32
My Way News reports: "Elite Syrian forces moved swiftly through the country's restive north on Friday, raining tank shells on rebellious towns, torching farmland and shooting protesters who tried to tear down a poster of President Bashar Assad, activists and refugees said."

Comment: By biggest worry in all of this is that the Assad regime may miscalculate and decide to launch an attack on Israel as a distraction. As if anything could hide their brutality. Could this scenario lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the destruction of Damascus?

My Way News - Low-profile, influential Hamas founder Shama dies
My Way News reports: "A founder of Hamas in the Gaza Strip died Friday of a stroke after decades as an influential yet little-known figure at the helm of the Palestinian militant organization [...] Hamas is committed to Israel's destruction and has killed hundreds of Israeli civilians in suicide bombings and rocket attacks. In 2007, Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from its Palestinian rivals in the Western-backed Fatah movement, and has formed an alliance with Iran."

My Way News - Croatia given green light to join EU
My Way News reports: "European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he would recommend that EU nations wrap up talks and prepare to welcome Croatia as the 28th member state."

My Way News - Finally, an E. coli answer: It was the sprouts
My Way News reports: "Health officials announced Friday that sprouts from a farm in northern Germany caused the outbreak that has killed 31 people, sickened nearly 3,100 and prompted much of Europe to shun vegetables."

My Way News - Palestinians grapple with opposition to UN plan
My Way News reports: "Faced with opposition from the United States, a number of top Palestinian officials are quietly advising President Mahmoud Abbas to drop plans to seek recognition for a state of Palestine at the United Nations this fall."

My Way News - Scientists: 'Super' wheat to boost food security
My Way News reports: "Scientists say they're close to producing new 'super varieties' of wheat that will resist a virulent fungus while boosting yields up to 15 percent, potentially easing a deadly threat to the world's food supply."

My Way News - Solar flare erupts, creating spectacular images
My Way News reports: "A medium-sized solar flare has erupted from the sun in an impressive display captured by NASA cameras [...] The National Weather Service is predicting minor effects on satellites and weak impacts on some power grids."

My Way News - Iran to triple nuke output, use better centrifuges
My Way News reports: "Iran will soon install more advanced centrifuges at its new uranium enrichment site, the country's nuclear chief said Wednesday, underscoring Tehran's continued defiance in the face of international sanctions imposed over its controversial nuclear program."

My Way News - NATO: No troops on ground in post-conflict Libya
My Way News reports: "NATO's top official said Wednesday the alliance won't put troops on the ground in Libya to keep order once the civil war ends and it will be up to the United Nations to help the north African country toward its future once Gadhafi is no longer at its helm."

AFP: 'Dramatic' solar flare could disrupt Earth communications
AFP reports: "An unusual solar flare observed by a NASA space observatory on Tuesday could cause some disruptions to satellite communications and power on Earth over the next day or so, officials said. The potent blast from the Sun unleashed a firestorm of radiation on a level not witnessed since 2006, and will likely lead to moderate geomagnetic storm activity by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service."

My Way News - Syria warns of more marches on Israeli border
My Way News reports: "A Syrian government newspaper said Tuesday that more Syrians and Palestinians plan to march to the Israeli border, warning Israel the day will come when hundreds of thousands of refugees return to their occupied villages."

My Way News - NATO unleashes blistering airstrikes in Libya
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi stood defiant Tuesday in the face of the heaviest and most punishing NATO airstrikes yet - at least 40 thunderous daylight attacks that sent plumes of smoke billowing above the Libyan leader's central Tripoli compound."

My Way News - Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood legalized as party
My Way News reports: "Egypt's official news agency says the long banned Muslim Brotherhood has been recognized as the Freedom and Justice Party. The announcement Tuesday would allow the group to run in parliamentary elections set for September."

My Way News - Iranian navy sends submarines to Red Sea
My Way News reports: "Iran has sent submarines to the Red Sea in the first such deployment by the country's navy in distant waters, a semi-official news agency reported on Tuesday. The deployment reflects Iran's efforts to show off its naval power. Iran has long sought to upgrade its air defense systems and navy to portray itself as a regional military superpower, as well as prepare for any possible future attacks against the country, saying they would most likely be air and sea-based."

My Way News - Israel: Protests show fight over state's existence
My Way News reports: "For the second time in a month, hundreds of unarmed protesters from Syria, many of them the descendants of Palestinian refugees from 1948, surged toward the frontier with the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Sunday and tried to burst through the border. Israeli forces kept the crowd from making it through, but 23 protesters were killed, according to Syrian officials [...] These repeated attempts to challenge Israel's borders have played into widespread Israeli fears that the Palestinians do not seek a state only in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem - lands captured in the 1967 Mideast war - but ultimately want to take over all of present-day Israel as well."

Comment: Well, you have to admit, they don't exactly act like people who want peace. All of their actions undercut any claim to peaceful intentions. It's nice to see the media waking up to this fact.

My Way News - Attack kills 120 Syrian forces; crackdown feared
My Way News reports: "Armed men killed 120 Syrian security forces and torched government buildings Monday in a northern region where troops have unleashed deadly assaults on protesters for days, Syria said. The government vowed to respond 'decisively,' hinting at an even more brutal crackdown by a regime known for ruthlessly crushing dissent."

My Way News - Israeli defense minister: Syrian regime doomed
My Way News reports: "Israel's defense minister says the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is doomed [...] The Israeli defense minister said he believes leaders of Yemen and Libya will also be toppled."

My Way News - Rocket barrage kills 5 US soldiers in Baghdad
My Way News reports: "Five American soldiers died Monday when a barrage of rockets slammed into a base in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad - the largest, single-day loss of life for U.S. forces in Iraq in two years [...] the deaths of the five U.S. soldiers and 11 Iraqis killed in other attacks around the country Monday underscore the persistent dangers here."

My Way News - Pakistan minister confirms al-Qaida commander dead
My Way News reports: "Pakistan's interior minister said Monday he was '100 percent' certain that wanted al-Qaida commander Ilyas Kashmiri was killed in a U.S. drone strike."

My Way News - NATO service member killed in south Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "A NATO service member was killed Monday in southern Afghanistan [...] In Sangin, where nearly a third of all British Afghan war casualties have taken place, Taliban insurgent commanders have retrenched and are answering U.S. Marines' latest offensives with stiff resistance [...] More than 200 NATO troops have died this year in Afghanistan, many of them in the southern provinces along the Pakistani border and the Taliban's redoubts."

My Way News - CERN scientists refine antimatter 'trap'
My Way News reports: "Nuclear scientists announced Sunday they have found a way to 'trap' for more than 15 minutes elusive antimatter atoms that used to disappear after a fraction of a second. That will give scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research time to study the atoms properly, in the hope of understanding what happened during the first moments of the universe."

My Way News - Germany backtracks on sprouts as E. coli source
My Way News reports: "First they pointed a finger at Spanish cucumbers. Then they cast suspicion on sprouts from Germany. Now German officials appear dumbfounded as to the source of the deadliest E. coli outbreak in modern history, and one U.S. expert called the investigation a 'disaster.'"

My Way News - Israeli troops battle protesters in Syria, 20 dead
My Way News reports: "Israeli troops on Sunday battled hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters who tried to burst across Syria's frontier with the Golan Heights, killing a reported 20 people and wounding scores more in the second outbreak of deadly violence in the border area in less than a month."

TIME.com - Rising Protestant Church Attracts Ire of Chinese Authorities
Time reports: "Every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. sharp, you see them coming to the unwelcoming square in the middle of the university neighborhood in Beijing. Skinny young girls dressed in jeans and wearing ponytails, elegant couples in their 40s, distinguished men who look like retired teachers: they all gather here with a funny mix of hesitation and bravery on their faces. Minutes later, antiriot police intervene and arrest them without encountering any resistance. On the bus that takes them to the police station, they open their prayer books and start singing liturgical songs."

Comment: Wow, what a powerful witness. Please join me in praying for the persecuted church in China. And I know that this report is mostly about persecution, but if you read the entire article will also see that it's about the powerful spread of the gospel in that officially atheist country and it ends with an amazing (and hopeful) prediction for the future of the church in China.

My Way News - Injured Yemen leader Saleh flies to Saudi for care
My Way News reports: "Embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh flew to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for urgent medical care after a rocket attack on his palace, deepening the crisis in this key U.S. ally in the war against terror that has been shaken by months of protests calling for the leader's ouster."

My Way News - British, French helicopters strike Gadhafi troops
My Way News reports: "British and French attack helicopters struck for the first time inside Libya, giving the NATO campaign more muscle against Moammar Gadhafi's forces. Hours later, Tripoli was hit by another round of airstrikes and at least eight explosions sounded in the capital."

My Way News - Like predecessors, Obama declines embassy move
My Way News reports: "Following the practice of his predecessors, President Barack Obama has invoked U.S. national security interests to notify Congress he will not move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The notification is necessary under a 1995 law that authorized the embassy's relocation but left the decision to presidents [...] While Clinton and Bush had indicated a commitment to moving the embassy at some point, Obama's notification does not contain that language."

Comment: That's really a shame, I wonder why Obama would depart from precedent in this way? Could he, in fact, have a different view of the U.S. alliance with Israel than his predecessors? Clinton and Bush understood that they had the political leeway to say that it wasn't time to move the embassy to Jerusalem, but that the law required it at some point. Obama does not seem to share that understanding. I'm sure he must have a good reason for ignoring the will of the elected representatives of the American people, right?

My Way News - 4 in US now linked to German E. coli outbreak
My Way News reports: "Four people in the U.S. were apparently sickened by the food poisoning outbreak in Europe, health officials said Friday. Three are hospitalized with a serious complication."

My Way News - Syrian protests grow despite attacks, Internet cut
My Way News reports: "A Syrian city that was bombed into submission three decades ago after a crushed uprising became a new center for protest and violence Friday, as activists said troops opened fire on a crowd of thousands and killed at least 34. Still, people nationwide poured into the streets in unprecedented numbers, defying the crackdown and a government chokehold on the Internet."

My Way News - Jordanians step up calls for PM to resign
My Way News reports: "Pro-reform activists took to the streets across Jordan on Friday, stepping up their calls for the prime minister to resign because they say he has failed to fight corruption. About 3,000 people, including leftists and members of Jordan's powerful Muslim Brotherhood, protested in seven cities across Jordan."

My Way News - Rebels in western Libya seize mountain towns
My Way News reports: "Libyan rebels forced government troops from three western towns and broke the siege on another, a rebel commander said Friday, and NATO pounded ten targets across the country."

My Way News - Suicide bombers in Iraq hit mosque, then hospital
My Way News reports: "A suicide bomber attacked a mosque filled with Iraqi politicians and policemen Friday and another blew himself up inside the hospital where the wounded were taken, killing a total of 21 people in Saddam Hussein's hometown."

My Way News - Burkina Faso says troops quell soldier unrest
My Way News reports: "Burkina Faso's government said its troops have forcefully disarmed rampaging soldiers on Friday after three days of looting and shooting in the air, the latest episode of unrest in the impoverished West African nation."

My Way News - Moroccan dies of wounds sustained in protests
My Way News reports: "A member of Morocco's main opposition Islamist group died Thursday from wounds sustained during a pro-reform demonstration several days earlier, a spokesman for the movement said."

Comment: What an incredible period of unrest, it's just been amazing to watch this thing move from country to country.

My Way News - Germany: E. coli patients continue to rise
My Way News reports: "The number of people sickened by a mysterious strain of E. coli in Europe is still rising more than a month after it was first detected, but officials say there are now signs the bacterial outbreak responsible for at least 18 deaths could be slowing."

My Way News - 30 years after first AIDS cases, hope for a cure
My Way News reports: "Sunday marks 30 years since the first AIDS cases were reported in the United States. And this anniversary brings fresh hope for something many had come to think was impossible: finding a cure [...] Nearly 30 million people have died of AIDS since the first five cases were recognized in Los Angeles in 1981."

Yahoo! News - Man-Size Meteor From Comet Lights Up Georgia Sky
Yahoo News reports: "A brilliant meteor blazed through the sky above Georgia recently, and two NASA fireball-monitoring cameras caught the dramatic display on video. The meteor was caused by a human-size chunk of an unknown comet."

My Way News - China calls US culprit in global 'Internet war'
My Way News reports: "The Chinese military accused the U.S. on Friday of launching a global 'Internet war' to bring down Arab and other governments, redirecting the spotlight away from allegations of major online attacks on Western targets originating in China."

My Way News - Outbreak in Europe blamed on 'super-toxic' strain
My Way News reports: "Scientists on Thursday blamed Europe's worst recorded food-poisoning outbreak on a 'super-toxic' strain of E. coli bacteria that may be brand new [...] which has killed at least 18 people, sickened more than 1,600 and spread to least 10 European countries."

Comment: Great, just what the world needs, mutant bacteria.

My Way News - Gov't says no official email hacked; FBI on case
My Way News reports: "The FBI is investigating allegations that computer hackers in China broke into Google's email system, but no official government email accounts have been compromised, the Obama administration said Thursday."

My Way News - Google says Chinese hackers broke into Gmail
My Way News reports: "Google Inc. is blaming computer hackers in China for a high-tech ruse that broke into the personal Gmail accounts of several hundred people, including senior U.S. government officials, military personnel and political activists."

My Way News - Mass. towns give thanks tornado toll wasn't worse
My Way News reports: "The sight of flattened homes, peeled-off roofs and the toppled steeple of a 140-year-old church stunned New Englanders after deadly tornadoes swept through Massachusetts, striking an area of the country that rarely sees such severe twisters."

AFP- Israelis hold controversial march in east Jerusalem
AFP reports: "At least 40,000 Jewish Israelis joined a Jerusalem Day parade in the city's mainly Arab eastern sector on Wednesday to celebrate its capture 44 years ago, during the Six Day War. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said 'more than 40,000 people' turned up for the march, due to end inside the Old City at the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism."

My Way News - Arrests made at Jerusalem march
My Way News reports: "Israeli police made a dozen arrests Wednesday as scuffles erupted between Arabs and Israelis who were marching across Jerusalem to mark the anniversary of Israel's capture of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Mideast war."

My Way News - Tornadoes barrel through Mass., 4 people dead
My Way News reports: "Tornadoes roared through Massachusetts on Wednesday, as violent winds caused damage in about two dozen communities, ripping off roofs, uprooting trees, scattering debris and leaving at least four dead throughout the state."

My Way News - Smoking gun elusive in deadly E. coli outbreak
My Way News reports: "European health officials tracking one of the worst E. coli outbreaks on record might never know where it came from. It's a sad fact of life in food poisoning cases: There often is no smoking gun. The germ has sickened more than 1,500 people, mostly in Germany."