Merry Christmas and 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!"

Rumors of War - Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Hezbollah chief vows to avenge commander's death
My Way News reports: "The leader of the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group says it is confident based on evidence it has that Israel was behind this month's assassination in Beirut of a senior Hezbollah commander. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah vowed in a speech Friday to exact revenge."

Kings of the East

My Way News - Terrorism lawsuit clouds Chinese Israel visit
My Way News reports: "China's foreign minister paid a rare visit to Israel on Wednesday, reflecting the burgeoning trade ties between the two countries. But the trip was clouded by fresh accusations that Israel's prime minister had compromised the global war on terrorism under heavy Chinese pressure. [...] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made relations with China a priority."

Pestilence

My Way News - China says woman died from bird flu new to humans
My Way News reports: "Chinese authorities said Wednesday that a 73-year-old Chinese woman died after being infected with a bird flu strain that had sickened a human for the first time, a development that the World Health Organization called 'worrisome.'"

King of the North

My Way News - Putin: Russia to buy $15 billion in Ukraine bonds
My Way News reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday opened his wallet in the battle with the European Union over Ukraine's future, saying Moscow will buy $15 billion worth of Ukrainian government bonds and sharply cut the price of natural gas for its economically struggling neighbor."

Comment: Vlad is buying back the Russian Empire, EU showing political and economic weakness.  

Persecution

My Way News - Seizure of nuns stokes Syrian Christian fears
My Way News reports: "Syrian Christians offered prayers Sunday for a group of more than a dozen nuns and orphanage workers held by rebels for nearly a week, fueling fears in the minority community that they are being targeted by extremists among the fighters seeking to oust President Bashar Assad."

Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Comet ISON pronounced dead: Sun is chief suspect
My Way News reports: "The comet, which excited astronomers and the media as it zipped within 730,000 miles of the sun on Thanksgiving Day, was pronounced dead at a scientific conference Tuesday. Astronomers who had followed the ice ball mourned the loss of the sky show that once promised to light up during December."

Mark of the Beast

CNN - Embracing big brother: How facial recognition could help fight crime
CNN reports: "From fighting terrorism to processing payments in the blink of an eye, facial recognition is set to change our ideas on privacy. [...] A Finnish company, meanwhile, aims to streamline sales by using facial recognition technology for payments. Helsinki-based Uniqul has patented a system allowing payments to be made without wallets or smartphones."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Abbas aide lambasts US push for framework deal
My Way News reports: "A senior Palestinian official on Monday railed against U.S. attempts to broker a broad outline of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, saying Secretary of State John Kerry is breaking a promise to try to negotiate a final agreement in the current round of talks. The Palestinian leadership is concerned that such a framework deal will accommodate very specific Israeli security demands, while offering only vague promises to the Palestinians, said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a top aide to President Mahmoud Abbas."

Pestilence

My Way News - Hong Kong reports 2nd H7N9 bird flu case
My Way News reports: "Hong Kong reported its second human case of H7N9 bird flu just days after the first, raising fears that the virus is spreading beyond mainland China. The Health Department said late Friday that an 80-year-old man being treated for a chronic illness in the hospital was found to have the bird flu strain."

Global Government

My Way News - Jordan wins Security Council seat, replaces Saudis
My Way News reports: "The U.N. General Assembly elected Jordan to the Security Council on Friday to replace Saudi Arabia, which rejected the seat it won in an unprecedented act to protest the council's failure to end the Syrian and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. [...] The Security Council has five permanent members with veto power - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France - and 10 elected members who serve two-year terms. Since joining the world body in 1955, Jordan has held the seat twice before. It will join four other newcomers to the council on Jan. 1 - Chad, Nigeria, Lithuania and Chile."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - At halfway mark, Kerry's Mideast effort stumbles
My Way News reports: "Halfway through an ambitious nine-month process aimed at forging Mideast peace, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, after another round of shuttle diplomacy, has little to show for his efforts. The participants have reported no progress, a top Palestinian negotiator has resigned in frustration, and few believe Kerry can broker the comprehensive settlement set as his official goal."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Kerry to present security plan in Mideast visit
My Way News reports: "Secretary of State John Kerry will present the outlines of a West Bank security plan in meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders this week, stepping up American involvement in hopes of reviving faltering Mideast peace efforts, U.S. officials said Wednesday."

Fear for the Future

My Way News - Federal study warns of sudden climate change woes
My Way News reports: "Hard-to-predict sudden changes to Earth's environment are more worrisome than climate change's bigger but more gradual impacts, a panel of scientists advising the federal government concluded Tuesday."

Rumors of War

My Way News - Israeli troops return fire after attack from Syria
My Way News reports: "The Israeli military says its troops have come under attack from Syria and have fired back in retaliation. The military says a mortar round landed on the Israeli side of the frontier Monday and then gunfire targeted an Israeli patrol. There were no injuries on the Israeli side. The troops returned fire toward their attackers in Syria."

Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Will icy comet survive close encounter with sun?
My Way News reports: "For months, all eyes in the sky have pointed at the comet that's zooming toward a blisteringly close encounter with the sun. The moment of truth comes Thursday - Thanksgiving Day. The sun-grazing Comet ISON, now thought to be less than a mile wide, will either fry and shatter, victim of the sun's incredible power, or endure and quite possibly put on one fabulous celestial show."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Easing of Iran sanctions could start in December
My Way News reports: "European Union sanctions against Iran could be eased as soon as December, officials said Monday, after a potentially history-shaping deal that gives Tehran six months to increase access to its nuclear sites in exchange for keeping the core components of its uranium program. The deal, announced Sunday, envisions lifting some of the sanctions that have been crippling the country's economy."

My Way News - Analysis: Iran deal leaves Israel few options
My Way News reports: "Netanyahu believes the six-month deal leaves Iran's military nuclear capabilities largely intact, while giving Iran relief from painful economic sanctions, undermining negotiations on the next stage. At the same time, Israel's strongest piece of leverage, the threat of a military strike on Iran, seems to be out of the question despite Netanyahu's insistence it would remain on the table."

Final Empire and King of the North

My Way News - EU, Russia face off before divisive summit
My Way News reports: "The outcome of the summit could redraw the political map. The Iron Curtain running from the Baltic to the Adriatic, once sliced Europe into U.S. and Soviet spheres, and cut Germany in two. The EU has already pushed eastward, and accepted Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland and other former Soviet satellite states as fully-fledged members. This deal would draw two more eastern European countries closer to the EU."

Wickedness Increases

My Way News - UK police: 3 women were slaves 'in simple terms'
My Way News reports: "The disclosure Thursday that a 69-year-old Malaysian, a 57-year-old Irish woman and a 30-year-old Briton were freed after apparently spending 30 years in captivity prompted a flurry of speculation and questions about how such a tragedy escaped notice for so long. [...] Since the most recent expansions of the EU and the lifting of restrictions on employment in many countries, instances of situations which amount to forced labor have increased, Europol says. [...] Last month, an 84-year-old man was jailed for repeatedly raping a deaf and mute girl he trafficked into Britain from Pakistan and kept as a virtual slave."

Comment: Formerly Christian Western Europe has been infiltrated by millions who do not share traditional Western values. This is the cause of the problem...but it would be politically incorrect to say that. Actions spring from values and therefore values are important, but it is no longer fashionable to talk about how different cultures have different sets of values.

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Iran nuke talk issues: Enrichment, sanctions
My Way News reports: "Iran nuclear talks entered a delicate phase Thursday as negotiators tried to fine-tune a draft agreement that would limit Tehran's atomic program in return for easing some sanctions. Iran's ability to produce nuclear fuel and relief for Iran's oil and banking sectors appeared to be among the sticking points."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Israel's new missile defense system passes test
My Way News reports: "Israel successfully tested its newest missile defense system on Wednesday, a key step toward making the third and final leg of the country's three-part defense system operational by next year, the defense ministry said. [...] Iran has developed missiles that can travel 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), putting Israel and parts of Europe well within its range."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Obama plunges ahead toward Iran nuclear deal
My Way News reports: "On the eve of new talks, President Barack Obama is plunging ahead in search of a nuclear agreement with Iran despite outright opposition from American allies in the Middle East and deep skepticism, if not open hostility, from Congress."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - French president vows tough Iran stance in Israel
My Way News reports: "Visiting French President Francois Hollande vowed to maintain his country's tough stance in upcoming nuclear talks with Iran this week, earning praise from his Israeli hosts Sunday as he began a three-day visit to the Jewish state. [...] Israel views a nuclear-armed Iran as a threat to its very existence, citing its repeated calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, Tehran's long-range missile program and its support for violent anti-Israel groups like the Hezbollah in Lebanon."

My Way News - Iran unveils what it says is its biggest drone
My Way News reports: "Iran unveiled a new aircraft Monday that it says is the biggest drone yet to be developed in the Islamic Republic, capable of staying aloft for up to 30 hours. Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said the reconnaissance and combat drone Fotros has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles). That would cover much of the Middle East, including Israel."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Hamas holds parade year after battle with Israel
My Way News reports: "Hamas claimed victory in last year's battle despite suffering heavy casualties. It is holding celebratory marches this week to mark the anniversary and to vow to continue their violent struggle against Israel. [...] The Israeli military says about 50 rockets have been fired into Israel this year, compared to 1,500 the previous year. The few fired have caused little damage, landing in open areas or being intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome rocket defense system. "

Fear for the Future

My Way News - Destruction of Brazil's Amazon jumps 28 percent
My Way News reports: "The Amazon rainforest is considered one of the world's most important natural defenses against global warming because of its capacity to absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide. About 75 percent of Brazil's emissions come from rainforest clearing, as vegetation burns and felled trees rot."

My Way News - Scientists warn of hot, sour, breathless oceans
My Way News reports: "The world's oceans are getting more acidic at an unprecedented rate, faster than at any time in the past 300 million years, the report said. But it's how this interacts with other global warming impacts to waters that scientists say is getting them even more worried. "

Comment: God entrusted nature to human stewardship and we are failing miserably to care for our natural resources.

King of the North

My Way News - Egypt gives Russian dignitaries red carpet welcome
My Way News reports: "In an echo of the Cold War, Egypt gave the red carpet welcome Thursday to senior Russian officials aiming to expand Moscow's influence through military and economic cooperation with a key U.S. ally in the Middle East."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Palestinian teen stabs, kills Israeli soldier
My Way News reports: "A Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli soldier to death at a bus station in northern Israel on Wednesday, police said, in a rare nationalistic attack far from the usual West Bank flashpoints. The soldier was stabbed multiple times in the neck and upper body and was evacuated to hospital in critical condition where he died of his wounds [...] The attack comes at a sensitive time as Israelis and Palestinians resumed peace talks in late July, after a nearly five-year break. The sides have set an April target date for reaching an agreement."

Pestilence

My Way News - UN: 21 nations take up polio 'emergency'
My Way News reports: "Some 21 nations in the Middle East and nearby regions have jointly made the eradication of polio an emergency priority and recognized that Pakistan is a key part of the problem, the World Health Organization said Wednesday."

Pestilence

My Way News - Resistance to malaria drugs has spread in SE Asia
My Way News reports: "International experts raised the alarm Tuesday over the spread of drug-resistant malaria in several Southeast Asian countries, saying it endangers major global gains in fighting the mosquito-borne disease that kills more than 600,000 people annually."

My Way News - MERS virus match found in Saudi Arabian camel
My Way News reports: "There have been more than 60 deaths from the virus known as Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, with all but a handful of the fatalities in Saudi Arabia. The ministry said a sample from the camel was tested near the home of a patient infected with the virus."

Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Sightings of fiery streak across S. Calif. sky
My Way News reports: "The American Meteor Society received more than 150 reports from witnesses. The bright flash was visible primarily from Southern California, but people in Arizona, Nevada and Utah also reported seeing the light show, the group said. The last time a fireball created such as buzz was on Oct. 30 when some 360 people reported seeing a streak over the Pacific Northwest and southwestern Canada."

Mark of the Beast

My Way News - Biometrics researchers see world without passwords
My Way News reports: "Research into new uses of biometrics is blossoming as universities enlist the technology for tasks ranging from paying for meals to restricting access to high-security facilities. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has even studied using sensors in special 'bio-soles' that measure the unique gaits and foot pressure to identify people. Soldiers in Iraq carry handheld devices that allow them to scan fingerprints, retinas and faces and compare them with a database filled with hundreds of thousands of identities."

Fearsome Events & Roaring Waves

My Way News - Over 100 dead in typhoon onslaught in Philippines
My Way News reports: "One of the strongest storms on record has killed more than 100 people and injured another 100 in the central Philippines as it wiped away buildings and leveled seaside homes before sweeping west toward Vietnam on Saturday, still packing destructive winds."

Fearsome Events & Roaring Waves

My Way News - Strongest typhoon of the year slams Philippines
My Way News reports: "One of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded slammed into the Philippines Friday, cutting communications and blocking roads in the center of the country amid worries of serious damage and casualties."

Covenant With Many Update

My Way News - Kerry heads to Mideast to rescue peace efforts
My Way News reports: "Three months after the U.S.-brokered talks were launched, there have been no visible signs of progress, and both sides have reverted to a familiar pattern of finger pointing. With the talks set to end in April, the deadlock is raising speculation that the U.S. may need to step up its involvement and present its own blueprint for peace early next year, or perhaps lower expectations and pursue a limited, interim agreement."

Doomed Damascus & King of the North

My Way News - Israel strikes Russian weapons shipment in Syria
My Way News reports: "Israeli warplanes attacked a shipment of Russian missiles inside a Syrian government stronghold, officials said Thursday, a development that threatened to add another volatile layer to regional tensions from the Syrian civil war [...] the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles."

Persecution

My Way News - Beleaguered Syrian Christians fear future
My Way News reports: "The apparent deliberate campaign against Christians and other minorities have stoked worries in Washington and many European capitals over providing advanced weaponry to the mainstream opposition Free Syria Army, amid fears the arms will end up in the hands of extremists. Christians in Damascus are convinced that extremists are deliberately targeting their neighborhoods as rebels battle government forces trying to uproot them from the towns they control outside the capital."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Series of earthquakes leaves Israelis jittery
My Way News reports: "Five moderate earthquakes rattled northern Israel this week, causing no major damage but prompting increased concern over the Jewish state's preparedness for a much larger disaster. Israel sits on the junction of the African and Arabian tectonic plates, and it is prone to small tremors. This week's cluster registered between magnitude 3 and 4."

Earthquake

My Way News - 7.3-magnitude quake rocks Japan; no damage reports
My Way News reports: "An earthquake of magnitude 7.3 struck early Saturday off Japan's east coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said, triggering small tsunamis but causing no apparent damage. Japan's meteorological agency said the quake was an aftershock of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck the same area in 2011, killing about 19,000 people and devastating the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Signs of rift between Israel and US over Iran
My Way News reports: "Just days after the first round of global nuclear talks with Iran, a rift appears to be emerging between Israel and its closest ally, the United States. Israel's prime minister on Sunday called on the U.S. to step up the pressure on Iran, even as American officials hinted at the possibility of easing tough economic pressure."

Persecution

My Way News - Christians mourn Cairo shooting that killed 4
My Way News reports: "The violence by Islamic radicals has risen since the military deposed President Mohammed Morsi in July and cracked down on his Muslim Brotherhood and its allies. The attacks have targeted mainly security forces and Christians, whom the Islamists blame because of their strong support of Morsi's ouster. In Sinai, suspected jihadist fighters have stepped up violence against soldiers and police since the coup."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Iran talks with West _ but battles over outreach
My Way News reports: "The West fears Iran's uranium enrichment labs eventually could churn out weapons-grade material, and some in Israel and elsewhere worry the outreach and goodwill by Rouhani is merely a ploy to buy time. Iran insists it does not seek nuclear weapons. [...] overtures to Washington opened by Rouhani at the U.N. in New York [...] challenges a power structure that gives the Revolutionary Guard and other hard-liners vast controls over policymaking, and forces many Iranians to re-evaluate generations of anti-American views that go back to a U.S.-backed coup that reinstalled the pro-Western shah dynasty in 1953."

Persecution

My Way News - Amid new attacks, Egypt's Copts preserve heritage
My Way News reports: "The little known Anba Bishay Church offers a striking example of how Egypt's Orthodox Coptic Church jealously guards its heritage against formidable odds - whether decades of neglect, discrimination by the Muslim majority or the violence by Islamic militants, who have gained significant power since the 2011 ouster of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Iran nuclear talks end on upbeat note; more in Nov
My Way News reports: "Nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers ended on an upbeat note Wednesday, with top Western and Iranian negotiators announcing a follow-up round early next month while speaking of significant progress in efforts to reduce fears that Tehran may be seeking atomic arms."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Israel leader says world must keep pressuring Iran
My Way News reports: "A day before world powers were to renew talks with Iran over its suspect nuclear program, Israel's prime minister urged the international community Monday to maintain firm pressure on the Islamic Republic until it quits enriching uranium that the West fears could eventually be used to produce atomic weapons."

Pestilence

My Way News - Muslim hajj crowds thinned by virus concerns
My Way News reports: "Muslims from across the world poured Sunday into a sprawling tent city in the Saudi desert before the start of the annual Islamic hajj pilgrimage, but the number of the pilgrims this year has been reduced in part by concerns over a respiratory virus centered in the Arabian peninsula. [...]  Saudi authorities sharply cut back on visas for groups such as the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic illnesses as a precaution against a new respiratory virus related to SARS that has killed more than 50 people in the kingdom this past year."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Al-Qaida surges back in Iraq, reviving old fears
My Way News reports: "Al-Qaida has come roaring back in Iraq since U.S. troops left in late 2011 and now looks stronger than it has in years. The terror group has shown it is capable of carrying out mass-casualty attacks several times a month, driving the death toll in Iraq to the highest level in half a decade. It sees each attack as a way to cultivate an atmosphere of chaos that weakens the Shiite-led government's authority."

Future Fear

My Way News - Study: Temperatures go off the charts around 2047
My Way News reports: "Starting in about a decade, Kingston, Jamaica, will probably be off-the-charts hot - permanently. Other places will soon follow. Singapore in 2028. Mexico City in 2031. Cairo in 2036. Phoenix and Honolulu in 2043. And eventually the whole world in 2047. A new study on global warming pinpoints the probable dates for when cities and ecosystems around the world will regularly experience hotter environments the likes of which they have never seen before."

Persecution

My Way News - Attack on Jerusalem graves unnerves Christians
My Way News reports: "Christian leaders in Israel are up in arms over what they say is a string of relentless attacks on church properties and religious sites - most recently the desecration of a historic Protestant cemetery where vandals toppled stone crosses from graves and bludgeoned them to pieces."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Egypt's capital scarred by 2 1/2 years of turmoil
My Way News reports: "Egypt's capital has long been proud of its nickname, 'Mother of the World' - a metropolis of 18 million throbbing with the vitality and fun of other great cities, even if at times it seemed unmanageable and chaotic. But Cairo's spirit has been deeply scarred by 32 months of turmoil and bloodshed from two 'revolutions,' constant protests and crackdowns, and a military coup."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Attacks surge in Egypt, a day after deadly clashes
My Way News reports: "A string of attacks killed nine members of Egypt's security and military forces and hit the country's main satellite communications station Monday, in an apparent retaliation by Islamic militants a day after more than 50 supporters of the ousted president were killed in clashes with police. The attacks show a dangerous expansion of targets, including the first strike against civilian infrastructure in the heart of the capital."

Persecution

The Washington Post - Christians under threat in Syria as Islamist extremists gain influence
The Washington Post reports: "Syria is not the only place in the wider region where Christians are being targeted. Coptic churches in Egypt have been attacked, and Pakistan last week experienced the deadliest church bombing in the country’s history. The militants who attacked a mall in Nairobi last month singled out non-Muslims. The rash of assaults has led some to question the future of Christianity in Syria, where adherents make up about 10 percent of the population, and in the wider Middle East."

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

My Way News - Indian army says 7 rebels killed in Kashmir
My Way News reports: "The Indian army said Saturday that it killed seven suspected rebels in two separate gunbattles near the heavily militarized line dividing the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. Four militants were killed Saturday after they crossed over from Pakistani-held territory into the Indian portion of Kashmir in Kupwara region, an army officer said."

Rumors of War - King of the North

My Way News - Putin says Russia will expand its Arctic presence
My Way News reports: "President Vladimir Putin pledged Thursday that Russia will expand its presence in the Arctic, adding that work is under way to restore a major Soviet-era military base there. Speaking at a meeting with activists of the main Kremlin party, United Russia, Putin said the Arctic region is essential for Russia's economic and security interests."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Netanyahu: Israel won't let Iran get nuclear arms
My Way News reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played the spoiler Tuesday to Iran's attempts to ease relations with the West, calling the Iranian leader 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' and declaring that Israel will do whatever it takes to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, even if it has to stand alone."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Keep the Iran sanctions, Netanyahu urges Obama
My Way News reports: "Despite soothing assurances from Iran's new leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implored President Barack Obama on Monday to keep punishing sanctions in place against Tehran - and even tighten them if the Islamic republic advances its nuclear programs while negotiating with the U.S. [...] The U.S., Israel and other allies have long accused Iran of seeking a bomb."

Rumors of War

My Way News - UK plans new cyber force to boost strike ability
My Way News reports: "Britain's defense secretary says it is recruiting hundreds of experts for a new cyber force designed to protect the nation's vital data - and stage cyberattacks if necessary. Philip Hammond says the Joint Cyber Reserve Unit aims to boost Britain's offensive and defensive capabilities in an age of increasing threats from cyberespionage and cybersabotage."

Roaring Waves

My Way News - Climate panel forecast: Higher seas, temperatures
My Way News reports: "Top scientists have a better idea of how global warming will shape the 21st century: In a new report, they predict sea levels will be much higher than previously thought and pinpoint how dangerously hot it's likely to get."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - UN votes to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons
My Way News reports: "The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday night to secure and destroy Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, a landmark decision aimed at taking poison gas off the battlefield in the escalating 2 1/2-year conflict. [...] The resolution calls for consequences if Syria fails to comply, but those will depend on the council passing another resolution in the event of non-compliance. That will give Assad ally Russia the means to stop any punishment from being imposed."

Comment: I'm not sure anything has really changed, Russia and China are still looking out for Assad.

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Iraq says Iran's shift toward West is serious
My Way News reports: "Iraq's foreign minister said Saturday that the new Iranian government led by President Hassan Rouhani offers 'the best chance after 34 years of animosity' to improve relations with the United States and should be taken seriously."

My Way News - Iran leader's US outreach meets praise, some anger
My Way News reports: "Smiling and waving flags, Iranians from across the political spectrum welcomed President Hassan Rouhani home Saturday with cheers for his historic phone conversation with his American counterpart. But pockets of anger over the new contact between the two enemy nations signaled challenges ahead. Hard-liners opposed to any improved contact with Washington made their objections clear as several dozen protesters chanting 'Death to America' tried to block his motorcade in Tehran."

My Way News - Officials: Iran source of Navy computer intrusion
My Way News reports: "U.S. officials say an unclassified Navy computer network was breached about two weeks ago by hackers believed to be linked to Iran. Officials say it appears the hackers may been working as proxies for the Iranian government. Cyberattacks originating in Iran have been a persistent issue for U.S. government and businesses, particularly energy companies."

Rumors of War - Iran

My Way News - Obama speaks to Rouhani, says Iran deal possible
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke by telephone Friday, the first conversation between American and Iranian presidents in more than 30 years. The exchange could reflect a major step in resolving global concerns over Iran's nuclear program."

My Way News - Iran's Revolutionary Guard unveils attack drone
My Way News reports: "Iran unveiled on Friday an unmanned attack aircraft it described as its most sophisticated drone to date that can reach much of the Middle East, including Israel. [...] The military says the Shahed-129, or Witness-129, has a range of 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles), a 24-hour non-stop flight capability and can carry eight bombs or missiles capable of hitting both stationary and moving targets."

Persecution

My Way News - Attackers kill pastor, torch church in Nigeria
My Way News reports: "Police say suspected Islamic militants armed with automatic rifles and explosives killed a pastor and his son and torched a church in northeast Nigeria before dawn Thursday. [...]  gunmen used explosives to set ablaze the church and five homes."

King of the North

My Way News - Russia, Belarus hold joint war games
My Way News reports: "Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart have watched a massive joint military exercise of the two ex-Soviet neighbors that involved more than 22,000 troops. The West 2013 exercise conducted Thursday near the city of Grodno in western Belarus and in Russia's westernmost Kaliningrad region also involved more than 500 armored vehicles and about 90 aircraft along with ships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet."

Earthquake

My Way News - Muddy island formed by Pakistan quake may not last
My Way News reports: "Alongside the carnage of Pakistan's massive earthquake came a new creation: a small island of mud, stone and bubbling gas pushed forth from the seabed. Experts say the island was formed by the massive movement of the earth during the 7.7-magnitude quake that hit Pakistan's Baluchistan province on Tuesday, killing at least 285 people."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Iran tries to shine light on Israeli nukes
My Way News reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Rouhani's outreach to the West as a ploy to ease international sanctions and gain more time to build the bomb. He has urged the international community to increase, not ease, the pressure, and to maintain a 'credible' military threat until Iran dismantles its nuclear program. Israeli officials reject Iranian attempts to make Israel part of the debate, calling it a cheap diversionary tactic. Asked about this possible linkage, Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, would only say that Iran would be judged not by words, but by its actions."

My Way News - Nod toward diplomacy with Iran changes UN tone
My Way News reports: "A year after Iran and the West appeared headed for conflict over Tehran's nuclear program, a shift in mood could be felt at the United Nations on Tuesday, and officials and commentators raised hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough under the Islamic republic's new moderate-leaning president. [...] Israel, however, stood apart with sharp questions about the sincerity of Iran's expressed desire to work with the West. [...] The overtures between Washington and Tehran have left Israel off balance a year after Netanyahu appeared to be gaining Western backing for possible military action against Iran's nuclear program."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Major quake in southwestern Pakistan kills 39
My Way News reports: "A major earthquake struck a remote area in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 39 people and wounding dozens as houses collapsed on top of people inside while others fled into the streets and prayed for their lives. [...] Pakistan's chief meteorologist, Mohammed Riaz, put the magnitude of the quake at 7.7, while the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. Said it was magnitude 7.8."

Persecution

My Way News - Pakistani Christians protest deadly church bombing
My Way News reports: "Pakistani Christians rallied Monday to denounce the deadliest attack ever in this country against the religious minority as the death toll from the church bombings the day before climbed to 85. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up amid hundreds of worshippers outside the historic All Saints Church in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Sunday."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Assad: Syria committed to destroy chemical weapons
My Way News reports: "President Bashar Assad pledged in an interview broadcast Monday to honor an agreement to surrender Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons, but he said that rebels might try to block international arms inspectors from doing their work."

Persecution

My Way News - Suicide attack on Pakistani church kills 78 people
My Way News reports: "A pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up amid hundreds of worshippers at a historic church in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing 78 people in the deadliest-ever attack against the country's Christian minority. A wing of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing [...] The white walls of the church, which first opened in the late 1800s, were pockmarked with holes caused by ball bearings contained in the bombs to cause maximum damage."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - 39 dead in Kenya mall attack; hostages still held
My Way News reports: "Terrified shoppers huddled in back hallways and prayed they would not be found by the Islamic extremist gunmen lobbing grenades and firing assault rifles inside Nairobi's top mall Saturday.  [...] At least 39 people were killed and more than 150 wounded in the assault, Kenya's president announced on national TV, while disclosing that his close family members were among the dead. [...] the al-Qaida-linked gunmen asked the victims they had cornered if they were Muslim: Those who answered yes were free to go, several witnesses said. The non-Muslims were not."

Comment: Think about that, all they had to do was renounce their true faith and claim to be a Muslim to escape the threat of death.  An unknown number of people refused to do that and remain hostage. Wow.

My Way News - Assault on Iraq funeral, other attacks kill 96
My Way News reports: "Two suicide bombers, one in an explosives-laden car and the other on foot, struck a cluster of funeral tents packed with mourning families in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, the deadliest in a string of attacks around Iraq that killed at least 96 people on Saturday. The assaults, the latest in a months-long surge of violence, are a chilling reminder of insurgents' determination to re-ignite sectarian conflict more than a decade after the U.S.-led invasion."

War

My Way News - NATO: 3 US troops killed in Afghan insider attack
My Way News reports: "An Afghan wearing a security forces uniform turned his weapon against U.S. troops Saturday, killing three in eastern Afghanistan, officials said, in another apparent attack by a member of the Afghan forces against their international allies. [...] So far in 2013, 11 foreign soldiers have been killed in seven such attacks, including Saturday's, according to an Associated Press count."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Israel, allies fend off international censure
My Way News reports: "Israel and its allies fended off an Arab-led attempt Friday to censure the Jewish state's refusal to acknowledge that it possesses nuclear weapons and put them under international oversight. [...] it was the first time in three years that a resolution critical of Israel was put to a vote at the annual conference of the U.N's International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna [...] One diplomat at the meeting said the outcome was the result of strong U.S.-led lobbying on behalf of Israel."

Comment:  Given the way those peace-loving Arab countries continue to try to establish a linkage between this issue and the Mideast peace talks, I would not be at all surprised if the "covenant with many" of Dan. 9 is a regional peace agreement that creates a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. It's hard to imagine now, but I'm sure that post-Damascus it will appear to be an attractive option.

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - AP Analysis: US-Russia Syria deal props up Assad
My Way News reports: "The long-term outcome is likely to be a prolonged war of attrition that continues the slow destruction of Syria as a coherent state and further fans the flames of sectarian hatred and extremism in a turbulent Middle East."

Kings of the East

My Way News - Jordan's king calls for China role in Syria crisis
My Way News reports: "Jordan's King Abdullah called on China to play an active role in resolving the conflict in Syria, saying Wednesday that Beijing should use its influence as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and as a 'friend of Jordan and the Middle East.' Abdullah made his appeal in his opening remarks at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to China. [...] China has sought to play a bigger role in the Middle East as part of efforts to stand among leading nations in helping shape world events. Abdullah is the latest in a string of Middle East leaders to visit Beijing, and China has frequently dispatched diplomats to the region to nurture ties with all parties, including Israel."

Comment: It's only in recent history that we have begun to document any reason for powers from the far east to be interested in Israel and the Middle East.  China wants to demonstrate leadership as a world power and that necessarily means involvement in what some have called the "epicenter" of world politics: the Middle East. China also has a large and growing economy that needs oil and the Mideast is a primary market for them. As the U.S. steps back from that region, China's influence seems destined to grow.

King of the North

My Way News - Putin says he may seek 4th presidential term
My Way News reports: "President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he may run for a fourth presidential term in 2018, confirming the expectations of most Russians and frustrating those now working to restore free elections in Russia. If Putin runs and wins, it would keep him in power for about a quarter century and make him the nation's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin."

Persecution

My Way News - Egypt troops move against Islamist stronghold:
My Way News reports: "Egyptian security forces backed by combat vehicles and helicopters stormed a town near the Pyramids, famed among tourists for its traditional rugs and dresses, aiming to drive out Islamist militants [...] The offensive showcases an Egyptian society still in turmoil over Morsi's ouster. The new military-backed leadership has been a wide-scale crackdown on his supporters, while the most hard-core elements of Morsi's Islamist backers have unleashed a campaign of violence ranging from car bombs to attacks on Christians. [...] More than a 1,000 people have died in political violence since June 30 when millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demand the ouster of Morsi."

Persia

My Way News - Iran's top leader opens way for Rouhani outreach
My Way News reports: "A series of statements this week from Khamenei - including saying Iran can show 'heroic flexibility' in diplomacy - suggest a significant shift could be underway. Khamenei appears to be aligning his views more closely with Rouhani's initiatives to repair tattered relations with the West and reopen stalled nuclear negotiations with world powers."

Comment: The fact that Israel is losing patience with Iran and signaling it may choose to attack if the West does nothing, may have something to do with Iran's new-found flexibility.

Gospel Preached to All

My Way News - Pope criticizes church emphasis on abortion, gays
My Way News reports: "'The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules," Francis said. 'The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the church must be ministers of mercy above all.' The comments contained no change in church teaching, and the pope said reform should not happen quickly. Still, it was the pope's clearest declaration yet of a break in tone and style from his immediate predecessors."

Comment: If he is returning to a focus on Jesus, that would be welcome. If he gets rid of the idolatry (prayer to Mary and other dead saints) that would be even more welcome. I'm actually fairly impressed with what I've seen in Francis and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Pestilence

My Way News - Report: Drug-resistant bacteria are common killers
My Way News reports: "Antibiotics like penicillin and streptomycin first became widely available in the 1940s, and today dozens are used to kill or suppress the bacteria behind illnesses ranging from strep throat to the plague. The drugs are considered one of the greatest advances in the history of medicine, and have saved countless lives. But as decades passed, some antibiotics stopped working against the bugs they previously vanquished. Experts say their overuse and misuse have helped make them less effective."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Rocket trajectory links Syrian military to attack
My Way News reports: "The trajectory of the rockets that delivered the nerve agent sarin in last month's deadly attack is among the key evidence linking elite Syrian troops based in the mountains overlooking Damascus to the strike that killed hundreds of people, diplomats and human rights officials said Wednesday. [...] The attack precipitated the crisis over Syria's chemical weapons. The U.S. threatened a military strike against Syria, which led to a plan negotiated by Moscow and Washington under which the Assad regime is to abandon its chemical weapons stockpile."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Bill would create California quake warning system
My Way News reports: "The U.S. lags behind other nations in developing a public alert system, which provides several seconds of warning after a fault ruptures - enough time for trains to brake, utilities to shut off gas lines or people to dive under a table until the shaking stops. For the past several years, the U.S. Geological Survey and universities have tested a prototype that fires off messages to about two dozen groups in the state, mostly scientists and first responders."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - UN confirms chemical weapons used in Syria
My Way News reports: "Careful not to blame either side for a deadly chemical weapon attack, U.N. inspectors reported Monday that rockets loaded with the nerve agent sarin had been fired from an area where Syria's military has bases, but said the evidence could have been manipulated in the rebel-controlled stricken neighborhoods. The U.S., Britain and France jumped on evidence in the report - especially the type of rockets, the composition of the sarin agent, and trajectory of the missiles - to declare that President Bashar Assad's government was responsible."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - 20 years on, Oslo Accords promise rings hollow
My Way News reports: "Palestinians seem no closer now than they were 20 years ago to a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, and some argue they are worse off. The number of Israeli settlers has doubled. East Jerusalem is cut off by an Israeli barrier. Gaza, ruled by the Islamic militant Hamas since 2007, is turning into a distinct enclave. Many Israelis, scarred by Palestinian suicide bombings and rocket fire from Gaza, are skeptical of the other side's intentions and believe the politically divided Palestinians cannot carry out a peace deal, even if one is reached."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Syria weapons deal averts US military move for now
My Way News reports: "A diplomatic breakthrough Saturday on securing and destroying Syria's chemical weapons stockpile averted the threat of U.S. military action for the moment and could swing momentum toward ending a horrific civil war. [...] The deal involves making an inventory and seizing all components of Syria's chemical weapons program and imposing penalties if President Bashar Assad's government fails to comply will the terms."

War

My Way News - Al-Qaida leader calls for attacks inside US
My Way News reports: "Al-Qaida's leader on Friday marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by calling on Muslims to strike inside the United States, with big attacks or small, using any opportunity they can to 'bleed' America financially."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Diplomats move on 2 fronts on Syria weapons
My Way News reports: "Key international players were moving on two diplomatic fronts Wednesday to try to put Syria's chemical weapons under international control, and a fresh effort appeared to be underway to get the government and opposition to peace talks."

My Way News - Lack of Assad alternatives hangs over Syria war
My Way News reports: "The crisis over chemical weapons in Syria has underlined a central dilemma for the West as it tries to deal with the country's civil war - the lack of attractive alternatives to President Bashar Assad. The political opposition, largely operating from exile with little credibility on the ground, has been hobbled by infighting. Inside Syria, rebels are also divided. Fighters linked to the al-Qaida terror network have become increasingly dominant, even as the U.S. and its allies try to strengthen rebels seen as moderates with better training and military equipment. [...] But it's not clear who would replace Assad if he were driven from power, either as a result of U.S. punitive strikes for the suspected poison gas attacks or in eventual political transition talks with the Western-backed opposition."

My Way News - AP sources: CIA delivering light weapons to Syria
My Way News reports: The CIA has been delivering light machine guns and other small arms to Syrian rebels for several weeks, following President Barack Obama's decision to arm the rebels. The agency has also arranged for the Syrian opposition to receive anti-tank weaponry like rocket-propelled grenades through a third party, presumably one of the Gulf countries that has been arming the rebels, a senior U.S. intelligence official and two former intelligence officials said Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the classified program publicly."

My Way News - Putin: US military interventions are 'alarming'
My Way News reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is using an opinion piece in The New York Times to assert that it's alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Putin says he doubts that such interventions are in the long-term interest of the U.S. He also says millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model for democracy, but as relying solely on brute force."

My Way News - White House pushes back on Putin's op-ed on Syria
My Way News reports: "The White House pushed back Thursday against Russian President Vladimir Putin for his opinion piece in The New York Times that blamed opposition forces for the latest deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria and argued President Barack Obama's remarks about America were self-serving. "

Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Meteor lights up sky over Georgia, Alabama
My Way News reports: "NASA officials say brilliant lights in the sky and loud booms reported in Alabama and Georgia came from a meteor that streaked across the South. Officials at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., say a baseball-size fragment of a comet entered Earth's atmosphere above Alabama at 8:18 p.m. CDT Monday."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Question of enforcement casts cloud on Syria plan
My Way News reports: "A Russian plan for Syria to turn over its chemical weapons to avert Western missile strikes bogged down Tuesday when Moscow rejected U.S. and French demands for a binding U.N. resolution with 'very severe consequences' for non-compliance. [...] The Syrian National Coalition, the main Western-backed opposition group, dismissed the Assad government's turnaround as a maneuver to escape punishment for what it called a crime against humanity. The coalition had been hoping for military strikes from abroad to tip the balance in the war of attrition between rebels and Assad's forces."

My Way News - Securing Syria's arsenal is rife with challenges
My Way News reports: "Syria is believed by experts to have 1,000 tons of chemical warfare agents scattered over several dozen sites across the country, and just getting them transferred while fighting rages presents a logistical and security nightmare."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Sudden plan: Syria to dispose of chemical weapons?
My Way News reports: "In a rapid and remarkable chain of events, Syria welcomed the idea of turning over all of its chemical weapons for destruction on Monday, and President Barack Obama, though expressing deep skepticism, declared it a 'potentially a significant breakthrough' that could head off the threats of U.S. air strikes that have set the world on edge."

My Way News - Obama: I might lose congressional vote on Syria
My Way News reports: "Battling stiff resistance in Congress, President Barack Obama conceded Monday night he might lose his fight for congressional support of a military strike against Syria, and declined to say what he would do if lawmakers reject his call to back retaliation for a chemical weapons attack last month."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - 10 G20 nations join US in blaming Assad for attack
My Way News reports: "Ten members of the Group of 20 international economies joined the United States in accusing the Syrian government of carrying a chemical weapons attack on civilians last month and called for a strong international response against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. [...] The countries are Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom."

NYT - The G-20’s Rising Clout 
The New York Times reports: "The Russian president’s welcome message to the participants of the G-20 summit that begins on Thursday in St. Petersburg asserts that the meeting 'will confirm the G-20’s role as an efficient mechanism for coordinating the world’s leading economies’ approaches to global economy and finance.' It will do no such thing. It will not produce novel ideas about 'growth through trust and transparency.' It will not be remembered for promoting 'quality jobs and investment.' Rather, it will be remembered as the meeting where the G-20 took over the role of the United Nations Security Council."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Egypt launches new assault against Sinai militants
My Way News reports: "Officials say that the military is hunting hundreds of militants believed to be responsible for a series of attacks in the region they overran after the fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. The militants, the officials say, belong to a number of well-known al-Qaida-inspired groups that seek the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate in northern Sinai, a region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip."

Comment: This is a promising development. It looks like Israel once again has a partner in Egypt. 

Persecution

My Way News - In south Egypt, Islamists take over a town
My Way News reports: "A town of some 120,000 - including 20,000 Christians - Dalga has been outside government control since hard-line supporters of the Islamist Mohammed Morsi drove out police and occupied their station on July 3, the day Egypt's military chief removed the president in a popularly supported coup. It was part of a wave of attacks in the southern Minya province that targeted Christians, their homes and businesses."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - AP EXCLUSIVE: Israeli proposal detailed in talks
My Way News reports: "Israel has proposed leaving intact dozens of Jewish settlements and military bases in the West Bank as part of a package to establish a Palestinian state in provisional borders, a Palestinian official told The Associated Press on Wednesday, in the first detailed glimpse at recently relaunched peace talks."

Fearsome Events

My Way News - Japan's radioactive water leaks: How dangerous?
My Way News reports: "New revelations of contaminated water leaking from storage tanks at the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant have raised alarm, coming just weeks after Japanese officials acknowledged that radioactive water has been seeping into the Pacific from the plant for more than two years. The government announced this week that it would contribute 47 billion yen ($470 million) to build an underground 'ice wall' around the reactor and turbine buildings and develop an advanced water treatment system. A look at the problem, and the potential risks to fish and the humans who eat them."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Al-Qaida-linked Syria rebels hit Christian village
My Way News reports: "Al-Qaida-linked rebels launched an assault Wednesday on a regime-held Christian village in the densely populated west of Syria and new clashes erupted near the capital, Damascus - part of a brutal battle of attrition each side believes it can win despite more than two years of deadlock. [...] The four-decade iron rule of the Assad clan over Syria has long rested on support from the country's ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians, Shiite Muslims and Kurds. The Assad family and key regime figures are Alawites, followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam, while most rebels and their supporters are Sunni Muslims."

My Way News - Jihadis from Caucasus form own group in Syria
My Way News reports: "A foreign fighter in Syria says jihadis from the Caucasus have formed an independent fighting force. In a video posted online Wednesday by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a man wearing a camouflage uniform is seen standing among other fighters, who he says have come to Syria from the Caucasus and Russia to wage jihad."

My Way News - White House praises Senate for backing Syria plan
My Way News reports: "The White House is praising a Senate panel for backing President Barack Obama's call for a military strike in Syria. [...] The resolution backing the use of force in response to a chemical weapons attack the U.S. blames on Assad's government won approval Wednesday on a 10-7 vote. The measure is expected to reach the Senate floor next week."

Comment: The religious context is often left out of mainstream analysis of the conflcit, I'm glad it's getting some exposure. I'm fairly certain a Sunni victory would not be a good thing for Syria's Christians. After all, the Sunni rebels are being backed by Saudi Arabia, not a land known for religious tolerance. 

Status of Jersualem

My Way News - AP Interview: Mayor says Jerusalem can't be split
My Way News reports: "Israel captured east Jerusalem, home to key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed the area in a move that has not been recognized internationally. The fate of Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While past peace talks have discussed partition options, Israel's current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says that is out of the question."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Syria is said to be hiding weapons, moving troops
My Way News reports: "As the Obama administration tries to prod Congress into backing armed action against Syria, the regime in Damascus is hiding military hardware and shifting troops out of bases into civilian areas. Politically, President Bashar Assad has gone on the offensive, warning in a rare interview with Western media that any military action against Syria could spark a regional war. [...] The regime has a range of options if the U.S. does bomb. It could retaliate with rockets against U.S. allies in the region. It could unleash allies like Hezbollah against Western targets abroad. Or it could do nothing - and score propaganda points by portraying itself as victim of U.S. aggression."

My Way News - Boehner's aboard: Obama gains Syria-strike support
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama gained ground Tuesday in his drive for congressional backing of a military strike against Syria, winning critical support from House Speaker John Boehner while key Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed to back a no-combat-troops-on-the-ground action in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack."

My Way News - Israel says it holds joint missile test with US
My Way News reports: "Israel says it has carried out a joint missile test with the U.S. in the Mediterranean Sea amid heightened tensions as Washington weighs sea-launched strikes against Syria. The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it, together with the U.S. Defense Department, had carried out a 'successful test' in the Mediterranean and on an air force base in central Israel. "

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Assad: Risk of regional war if West strikes Syria
My Way News reports: "France released an intelligence report on Monday alleging chemical weapons use by Syria's regime that dovetailed with similar U.S. claims, as President Bashar Assad warned that any military strike against his country would spark an uncontrollable regional war and spread 'chaos and extremism.' The verbal crossfire, including a rejection of the Western allegations by longtime Syrian ally Russia, was part of frenzied efforts on both sides to court international public opinion after President Barack Obama said he would seek authorization from Congress before launching any military action against Assad's regime."

My Way News - With eye on Iran, Israelis seek US action in Syria
My Way News reports: "Israelis have expressed their desire for American action with a mixture of moral and strategic concerns. Watching civilians die from poisonous gas is painful in a country built on the ashes of the Holocaust, in which the Nazis sent countless Jewish victims to their deaths in gas chambers. It has also sharpened concerns that Assad might one day use these weapons on Israel. Special gas-mask distribution centers have been flooded with nervous people in recent days seeking to get their protection kits."

My Way News - Russia may send lawmakers to US to discuss Syria
My Way News reports: "President Vladimir Putin proposed on Monday to send a delegation of Russian lawmakers to the United States to discuss the situation in Syria with members of Congress. "

My Way News - China argues against US action against Syria
My Way News reports: "China on Monday urged the U.S. not to take unilateral action against Syria in response to last month's chemical weapons attack against civilians. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Washington had briefed Beijing over the matter and China was highly concerned about any use of chemical weapons. But he said China opposed the U.S. acting alone and believed any response must conform to the U.N. Charter and the basic principles underlying international relations."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Citing sarin use, US seeks Congress' OK for action
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration geared up for the biggest foreign policy vote since the Iraq war by arguing Sunday that new physical evidence shows the Syrian government used sarin gas in a deadly August attack. With its credibility on the line, the United States must respond, the country's top diplomat said. [...] Sarin, which affects the nervous system and is toxic in liquid or gas form, can be delivered in missiles, bombs, rockets or artillery shells. The gas is outlawed under international rules of warfare."

My Way News - Syria dismisses Obama as confused, moves troops
My Way News reports: "Syria on Sunday derided President Barack Obama's decision to hold off on punitive military strikes, but also took precautions by reportedly moving some troops and military equipment to civilian areas. [...] In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is ready for 'any possible scenario,' a reference to fears of Syrian reprisals against Israel in the event of a U.S. strike on the Assad regime. Netanyahu did not address Obama's latest decisions, but media commentators and hard-line politicians said the U.S. president appeared indecisive."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Obama to seek congressional OK for Syria action
My Way News reports: "Short on support at home and allies abroad, President Barack Obama unexpectedly stepped back from a missile attack against Syria on Saturday and instead asked Congress to support a strike punishing Bashar Assad's regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Syrians stock up ahead of feared US-led attack
My Way News reports: "Syrians stocked up on bread, canned food and candles Friday as the U.S. and France prepared for a potential military strike against the Syrian government, which the West alleges used chemical weapons against civilians in its civil war. [...] Damascus shops and supermarkets were filled with people stocking up on food and other necessities ahead of the expected strikes, although there appeared to be no signs of panic or shortages. Residents complained, however, that prices have shot up because of the high demand."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Jordan: No attack on Syria from our soil
My Way News reports: "Jordan will not be used as a launching pad for attacks on Syria and the kingdom favors a diplomatic solution to the crisis, a Jordanian government spokesman said Wednesday. A U.S.-led strike on Syria in response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by President Bashar Assad's regime likely would involve cruise missile attacks from the sea, which would not need to cross or make use of Jordanian territory."

My Way News - UK Prime Minister Cameron loses Syria war vote
My Way News reports: "British Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vote endorsing military action against Syria by 13 votes Thursday, a stunning defeat that will almost guarantee that Britain plays no direct role in any U.S. attack on Bashar Assad's government."

My Way News - Ban Ki-moon pleads for time on Syria investigation
My Way News reports: "U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that U.N. experts seeking to collect evidence from an apparent chemical attack in Syria that killed hundreds of people will report to him as soon as they leave the country Saturday."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - US vows action in Syria even without UN backing
My Way News reports: "The U.S. says it will take action against the Syrian government for alleged use of chemical weapons even without the backing of allies or the United Nations. Britain added a hurdle to deliberations about a military strike on Wednesday when it went to the U.N. Security Council with a draft resolution that would authorize the use of military force against Syria. As expected, the five permanent members of the security council failed to reach an agreement as Russia reiterated its objections to international intervention in Syria."

Pestilence

My Way News - 160 quarantined after plague death in Kyrgyzstan
My Way News reports: "Four people have been hospitalized and 160 quarantined after a 15-year-old boy who ate marmot meat died of the bubonic plague last week, the Kyrgyz Ministry of Health said Wednesday. [...] The disease swept across Europe in the Middle Ages, killing millions. These days, the disease is easily treated with antibiotics and can be cured if caught early."

My Way News - Saudi Arabia: 1 more death from new virus
My Way News reports: "Saudi Arabia says one more man has died from a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing to 42 the number of deadly cases in the kingdom at the center of the outbreak. [...]  The new virus is related to SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which killed some 800 people in a global outbreak in 2003. It belongs to a family of viruses that most often causes the common cold."

Gog Alliance

My Way News - Israel-Turkey relations sink to low
My Way News reports: "Israel and Turkey, located on opposite sides of Syria, long enjoyed vibrant trade, tourism and military cooperation. Just a few years ago, Turkey sponsored indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria. But relations began to decline after Erdogan became prime minister in 2003. The Islamist Turkish leader gradually distanced himself from the Jewish state as he raised his profile in the Muslim world."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Momentum grows for military action against Syria
My Way News reports: "Momentum appeared to build Tuesday for Western military action against Syria, with the U.S. and France saying they are in position for a strike, while the government in Damascus vowed to use all possible measures to repel it. [...] If Obama decides to order an attack against Syria, it would most likely involve sea-launched cruise missile attacks on Syrian military and communications targets. The U.S. Navy has four destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea within range of targets inside Syria. The U.S. also has warplanes in the region."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Palestinians say round of talks halted after clash
My Way News reports: "Palestinian officials said they called off a planned round of peace talks Monday after Israeli soldiers killed three protesters during clashes following an arrest raid in the West Bank. [...] It was not known when talks will resume, but Palestinian officials said the break was expected to be brief."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Kerry: Chemical arms use in Syria an 'obscenity'
My Way News reports: "Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday outlined the clearest justification yet for U.S. military action in Syria, saying there was "undeniable" evidence of a large-scale chemical weapons attack, with intelligence strongly signaling that Bashar Assad's regime was responsible. [..] The most likely U.S. military action would be to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles off U.S. warships in the Mediterranean. The Navy last week moved a fourth destroyer into the eastern Mediterranean."

My Way News - AP Interview: Official says Syria to defend itself
My Way News reports: "A senior Syrian official said Monday that his country will defend itself against any international attack and will not be an easy target as the U.S. and other countries heat up rhetoric in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack last week on a rebel-held neighborhood of the Syrian capital."

Reuters - Russia warns U.S. not to repeat in Syria past mistakes in region
Reuters reports: "Russia warned the United States on Sunday against repeating past mistakes, saying that any unilateral military action in Syria would undermine efforts for peace and have a devastating impact on the security situation in the Middle East.

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Hagel says US still weighing response to Syria
My Way News reports: "U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the Obama administration is still weighing the question of whether to use military force in Syria in response to a purported chemical weapons attack."

My Way News - Syria warns US not to intervene militarily
My Way News reports: "The Syrian government accused rebels of using chemical weapons Saturday and warned the United States not to launch any military action against Damascus over an alleged chemical attack last week, saying such a move would set the Middle East ablaze. [...] Syria is intertwined in alliances with Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militant groups. The country also borders its longtime foe and U.S. ally Israel, making the fallout from military action unpredictable. [...] Meanwhile, U.S. naval units are moving closer to Syria as President Barack Obama considers a military response to the alleged use of chemical weapons by Assad's government."

Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Syria ally Russia urges cooperation with UN
My Way News reports: "The rebels hope the purported chemical attack will be a watershed moment, jolting Western powers into action in a conflict that has killed more than 100,000 people. In this line of thinking, previous purported uses of chemical weapons were too small to make a difference, while Wednesday's casualty toll, even if the lowest number is verified, will be far harder to ignore. That, coupled with the shocking images of dead children and survivors gasping for breath, has introduced a new dynamic into the debate about how the international community should respond."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Israeli warplanes strike area near Beirut
My Way News reports: "Israeli warplanes struck a target south of Beirut early Friday, a day after militants fired four rockets into northern Israel, the Israeli military and a Palestinian official said. [...] On Thursday, militants in Lebanon fired four rockets into Israel, setting off air raid sirens and startling a nation already on edge over turmoil along its northern and southern borders."

Persecution

My Way News - Group: Egypt's churches targeted in attacks
My Way News reports: "An international human rights group has chronicled attacks on 42 churches, dozens of Christian institutions and schools as well as homes and business owned by Christians amid an intimidation campaign believed to be waged by supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi."

Pestilence

My Way News - Myanmar facing 'urgent' drug-resistant TB threat
My Way News reports: "Tuberculosis is an age-old scourge and one of the world's most infectious killers affecting 12 million people, according to WHO. With 506 sufferers per 100,000 people, Myanmar's rate of regular TB is three times the global average. The normal strain of TB is easy to treat with a simple and cheap drug regimen. But when those medications are misused or mismanaged - often when patients skip pills - the bacteria can fight back and outsmart the drugs, creating resistance."

My Way News - Study: MERS virus match seen in Saudi Arabian bat
My Way News reports: "Scientists have found the mysterious MERS virus in a bat in Saudi Arabia. [...] The discovery reported Wednesday is considered an important development in the search for the origin of MERS, a deadly respiratory illness that is worrying health officials around the world. But it's likely that something else - perhaps another animal - is spreading the virus directly to humans, said Dr. Ziad Memish, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Minister of Health and lead author of the report."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Israeli warplanes strike area near Beirut
My Way News reports: "The Israeli military and a Palestinian official say the Jewish state's air force struck a target south of Beirut. Friday's air raid came a day after militants fired four rockets from Lebanon into Israel. Three hit Israel and the fourth was intercepted."

Rumors of War & Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Syrian official blames rebels for deadly attack
My Way News reports: "Syria's deputy prime minister told The Associated Press that foreign fighters and their international backers are to blame for a purported chemical weapons attack near Damascus that the opposition says killed at least 100 people, the deadliest such attack in Syria's civil war."

Persecution

My Way News - Israel monastery defaced in apparent political act
My Way News reports: "In recent years, vandals have targeted mosques, churches, monasteries, dovish Israeli groups and even Israeli military bases to protest what they perceive as the Israeli government's pro-Palestinian policies in the West Bank. Vandals call the attacks the 'price tag' for the policies they oppose. What began as small-scale attacks against Palestinians and their crops in the West Bank in response to Palestinian militant attacks or Israeli measures against settlements have since evolved into hate crimes inside Israel proper."

Nations in Distress & Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Deadly attack in Syria renews chemical arms claim
My Way News reports: "The images showed lifeless children - wrapped in simple white cloths, their pale faces unmarked by any wound - lined up shoulder to shoulder in a vivid demonstration of an attack Wednesday in which activists say the Syrian regime killed at least 130 people with toxic gas."

Global Community

My Way News - Facebook aims to get the world online
My Way News reports: "Food, water and the Internet? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to get all of the world's 7 billion people online through a partnership with some of the largest mobile technology companies. He says the Web is an essential part of life, and everyone deserves to be connected, whether they live in Norway, Nicaragua or Namibia."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Israel negotiator predicts 'dramatic decisions'
My Way News reports: "Israel will make 'dramatic decisions' to reach a final peace agreement that will end the conflict with the Palestinians, Israel's chief negotiator said Tuesday while warning that hawks inside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition are making her job more difficult."

Kings of the East

My Way News - Japan puts troops on display, says role to grow
My Way News reports: "Japan put its army on display Tuesday in an annual exercise at the foot of Mount Fuji intended to showcase the nation's ability to defend itself and to drum up support for plans to give Japanese troops a broader role at home and abroad. [...] This year's exercises involve 2,400 troops, 30 aircraft and 80 tanks and armored vehicles, which is fairly typical. They will continue for several days."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Flooding forces 20,000 Russians from their homes
My Way News reports: "The worst flooding in 120 years in Russia's Far East has already forced about 20,000 people from their homes and also made it necessary to airlift two captive brown bears to safety, the Emergency Situations Ministry said Monday."

My Way News - Death toll in China floods rises to 43:
My Way News reports: "A government news agency says the death toll in flooding in China's northeast and southeast has risen to 43 and landslides blocked a major train line."

AP - Floods cover more than half of Philippine capital
AP reports: "Flooding caused by some of the Philippines' heaviest rains on record submerged more than half the capital Tuesday, turning roads into rivers and trapping tens of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and disaster response for a second day."

Pestilence

My Way News - Dengue epidemic looms for Central American region
My Way News reports: "There have been 120,000 suspected cases of dengue reported across Central America so far in the season, which is roughly June to November, when the rains make it optimal for mosquito breeding. The number of cases already is about to surpass the total for all of 2012 in the seven countries from Guatemala to Panama. At least 39 people have died so far, more than the 32 for all of 2012."

Believers Persecuted

My Way News - Egypt: Islamists hit Christian churches
My Way News reports: "In the four days since security forces cleared two sit-in camps by supporters of Egypt's ousted president, Islamists have attacked dozens of Coptic churches along with homes and businesses owned by the Christian minority.  [...] Nearly 40 churches have been looted and torched, while 23 others have been attacked and heavily damaged since Wednesday, when chaos erupted after Egypt's military-backed interim administration moved in to clear two camps packed with protesters calling for Morsi's reinstatement, killing scores of protesters and sparking deadly clashes nationwide."  

Comment: Please join me in praying for the church in Egypt, that they will have the faith and grace to persevere in the midst of such persecution.

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Egypt street battles leave at least 82 dead
My Way News reports: "Egypt's capital descended into chaos Friday as vigilantes at neighborhood checkpoints battled Muslim Brotherhood-led protesters denouncing the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi and a deadly crackdown. The fiercest street clashes Cairo has seen in more than two years of turmoil left at least 82 people dead, including 10 policemen."

My Way News - Beirut bomb ups fear of fallout from Syria war
My Way News reports: "Hezbollah's leader blamed Sunni extremists Friday for a car bombing that killed 22 people in a Shiite neighborhood south of Beirut, heightening fears that Lebanon will be dragged further into sectarian fallout from the war in neighboring Syria."

My Way News - Bombings around Iraq's capital kill 7 people
My Way News reports: "Officials in Iraq say two bombings around the capital, Baghdad, have killed seven people. [...] Violence has been rising across Iraq since a deadly crackdown by government forces on a Sunni protest camp in April."

Rumors of War

My Way News - Pakistan says Indian troops wounded 6 civilians
My Way News reports: "The Pakistani military on Friday accused Indian troops of firing across the disputed Kashmir border and wounding six civilians, the latest in a series of alleged attacks that have sparked tension between the nuclear-armed rivals."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Quakes shake central New Zealand, damaging homes
My Way News reports: "Strong earthquakes shook central New Zealand on Friday, damaging homes and roads and sending office workers scrambling for cover in the capital. No serious injuries were reported. A magnitude-6.5 temblor struck just after 2:30 p.m. near the small South Island town of Seddon, and at least six aftershocks were 5.0 magnitude or stronger."

My Way News - Earthquake shakes Mexican capital
My Way News reports: "A moderate earthquake shook Mexico's capital Friday but caused no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake in the Pacific Coast state of Guerrero had a preliminary magnitude of 5.4. The southern state's government said it had initiated security protocols but did not immediately report damage or injuries."

Persecution

My Way News - Death toll soars to 638 in Egypt violence
My Way News reports: "Weeping relatives in search of loved ones uncovered the faces of the bloodied, unclaimed dead in a Cairo mosque near the smoldering epicenter of support for ousted President Mohammed Morsi, as the death toll soared past 600 Thursday from Egypt's deadliest day since the Arab Spring began. [...] Violence spread Thursday, with government buildings set afire near the pyramids, policemen gunned down and scores of Christian churches attacked."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Hundreds reported killed as Egypt smashes protests
My Way News reports: "In Egypt's bloodiest day since the Arab Spring began, riot police Wednesday smashed two protest camps of supporters of the deposed Islamist president, touching off street violence that officials said killed nearly 300 people and forced the military-backed interim leaders to impose a state of emergency and curfew."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Israelis, Palestinians kick off peace talks
My Way News reports: "With tensions high and expectations low, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators kicked off their first substantive round of peace talks in nearly five years, huddling together at an undisclosed location Wednesday in search of an end to decades of conflict."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Even worse odds than in 2008 for Mideast deal
My Way News reports: "The same negotiators, the same issues, a familiar venue: The sense of deja vu is overwhelming as Israelis and Palestinians start Wednesday on their third attempt in 13 years to draw a border between them. [...] The talks come after months of prodding by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who made six visits to the region since taking office in his bid to bring together Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Israel army shoots down rocket near Egypt border
My Way News reports: "The Israeli military on Tuesday shot down a rocket launched from neighboring Egypt toward a popular Red Sea resort, and an al-Qaida-linked militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, fueling concerns that jihadist groups are trying to disrupt the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. It was the first time that Israel has deployed its 'Iron Dome' rocket defense system in Eilat, a normally placid resort near Egypt's Sinai peninsula that is popular with Israeli and European tourists. [...] Two militant websites posted a statement by an al-Qaida-linked group claiming responsibility for Tuesday's attack."

Kings of the East

My Way News - India unveils home-built aircraft carrier
My Way News reports: "India has launched its first home-built aircraft carrier, marking another milestone in its efforts to bolster its maritime presence [...] India has steadily built up its naval capabilities in recent years, spurred by its rivalry with neighboring China. On Saturday, India activated an atomic reactor for an indigenously built nuclear submarine."

Pestilence

My Way News - Experts find 1st hint MERS may be infecting camels
My Way News reports: "MERS is part of a family of coronaviruses that can cause the common cold as well as SARS, which sparked a global outbreak in 2003. Saudi Arabia health officials, in a letter this week to the New England Journal of Medicine, documented seven new infections of MERS in health workers, including some mild cases. [...] MERS can cause symptoms including fever, cough, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure. There is no known treatment or cure."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Officials: Israeli drone strike kills 5 in Egypt
My Way News reports: "An Israeli drone strike killed five suspected Islamic militants and destroyed a rocket launcher in Egypt's largely lawless Sinai Peninsula on Friday, two senior Egyptian security officials said, describing a rare Israeli operation carried out in its Arab neighbor's territory. [...] Egypt's official MENA news agency said an explosion destroyed a rocket launcher set up near the border to launch attacks against Israel, and at least five Islamic militants were killed."

Comment: It's a welcome development to see Israel and Egypt cooperating again on security matters even if Egypt is reluctant to talk about it. Their interests in the Sinai coincide, so I would expect this to continue, unless, of course, the Islamists return to power.

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Clashes at rallies backing ousted Egypt president
My Way News reports: "Tens of thousands of supporters of Egypt's ousted president marched Friday on the streets of Cairo and across the country, leading to clashes with opponents and security forces that injured dozens."