Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

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

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

Hark the Herald Angels Sing
lyrics by Charles Wesley

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

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

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

Rumors of War

My Way News - Obama says North Korea hacked Sony, vows response
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama declared Friday that Sony "made a mistake" in shelving a satirical film about a plot to assassinate North Korea's leader, and he pledged the U.S. would respond "in a place and manner and time that we choose" to the hacking attack on Sony that led to the withdrawal. The FBI blamed the hack on the communist government. [...] the U.S. detected communications between computer Internet addresses known to be operated by North Korea and hacking tools left behind at the crime scene, which the FBI said contained subtle clues linking them to that country's government."

Comment: Will this become the first openly declared cyberwar? There have been lots of secret and not-so-secret cyberwar events since the dawn of the information age (like the attacks on Estonia in 2007 assumed to have been made by Russia), but this seems unprecedented.

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Israel carries out airstrike on Hamas site in Gaza
 My Way News reports: "Israel's military struck a Hamas site in the Gaza Strip early Saturday in its first airstrike on the Palestinian territory since this summer's war. The Israeli military said the airstrike on what it called a 'Hamas terror infrastructure site' in the southern Gaza Strip was in response to a rocket fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Friday."

Comment: Isn't that nice, the Palestinians are expressing their support for peace with Israel again with another gift of rockets. It's the little gestures that mean so much. 

King of the North

My Way News - Putin: West wants to defang, declaw Russian bear
My Way News reports: "The mixture of blistering anti-Western rhetoric and constructive signals appeared to indicate that Putin is eager to negotiate a face-saving solution to the Ukrainian crisis, but has no intention of conceding defeat in his standoff with the West. In his first public appearance since the crash of the ruble's value this week, Putin accepted responsibility for the economic crisis."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Palestinian leader supports more talks on UN bid
My Way News reports: "Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that he supports further negotiations on a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution that sets a 2017 deadline for an Israeli withdrawal from war-won lands the Palestinians seek for their state. His comments indicated that he is trying to avoid a clash with Washington at the council."

My Way News - US prepared to veto UN plan for Israeli occupation
My Way News reports: "The U.S. is prepared to veto a United Nations Security Council proposal that calls for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands in 2017. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the resolution, offered by Jordan and pushed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is unlikely to face an immediate vote."

Comment: Why are the Palestinians setting the agenda? We know that there will be no serious efforts on the Mideast peace front until after the Israeli elections, but the media seems more then willing to make it appear that the Palestinians are now driving the peace process. The Palestinians have no credibility (thanks to Hamas) or standing (a non-state can't make valid demands of a state), and yet just from media reports, you would think they are the dominant player. It's very strange. 

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Palestinians set deadline for Israeli occupation
My Way News reports: "Israel suffered back-to-back diplomatic setbacks in Europe on Wednesday, while the Palestinians at the United Nations set a deadline for an Israeli withdrawal from lands captured nearly 50 years ago by the end of 2017. In Geneva, the international community delivered a stinging rebuke to Israel's settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, saying the practice violates Israel's responsibilities as an occupying power."

Comment: How about Israel setting a deadline for the Palestinians to disarm Hamas? I mean, if the Palestinians want peace so much, they should deal with the faction of their people who have come out violently against the peace process. 

Covenant With Many

My Way News - France seeking support for Mideast plan
My Way News reports: "France on Tuesday tried to overcome resistance and rally international support for a draft U.N. plan setting a two-year deadline for peace talks on Palestinian statehood. [...] The French, seeking a higher-profile role in Middle East diplomacy, see their draft as more palatable than a Jordanian-backed resolution also under discussion."

Rumors of War - Nations in Distress

My Way News - 141 - mostly children - killed in Pakistan attack
My Way News reports: "In the deadliest slaughter of innocents in Pakistan in years, Taliban gunmen attacked a military-run school Tuesday and killed 141 people — almost all of them students — before government troops ended the siege."

Comment: It seems like it was not that long ago that a U.S. politician we need not name was bragging about how the U.S. had defeated the Taliban. Braggarts always get their due.

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Palestinians seek end-of-occupation vote this week
My Way News reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will push for a U.N. Security Council vote this week on a resolution setting a November 2016 deadline for ending the Israeli occupation, officials said Monday. Such a move could set the stage for a clash at the Security Council, both over the resolution, which is backed by Jordan, or over a second proposal by France, which seeks a two-year deadline for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on the terms of Palestinian statehood."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - 'Bibi Fatigue' could factor into Israeli election
My Way News reports: "With elections on the horizon, the greatest obstacle standing between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a return to high office could be Netanyahu himself. [...] Even among more conservative voters, many fear that Netanyahu has veered too far to the religious-nationalist right, while hardliners ironically think Netanyahu is too soft on security issues and are turning to other parties. Meanwhile, an economy that is increasingly divided between haves and have-nots has alienated many Israelis. Across the board, many just feel it's time for some fresh blood."

Fearsome Events

My Way News - Weather porn? Storms take over evening news
My Way News reports: "Weather disasters are actually becoming more frequent and costly. Between 1988 and 1992, there were 19 weather disasters that caused more than $1 billion in damage, adjusted for inflation. There were 48 between 2009 and 2013, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Israel slams Irish motion endorsing Palestine
My Way News reports: "Israel has slammed the decision of the Irish parliament to adopt a non-binding resolution supporting an independent Palestinian state. Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon expressed disappointment Thursday at the decision, accusing the Irish parliament of giving voice to 'statements of hatred and anti-Semitism directed at Israel in a way which we have not heard before.' Some Irish lawmakers accused Israel of genocide during the parliamentary debate on Palestinian recognition."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Ireland: 'Early recognition' of Palestine possible
My Way News reports: "Ireland is considering early recognition of Palestinian statehood as a possible tactic for kick-starting Middle East peace talks, the foreign minister declared Wednesday as he offered conditional support for an idea bitterly opposed by Israel. [...] Israel argues that nations which confer full diplomatic legitimacy on the Palestinian Authority discourage their enemies from engaging in direct talks."

Fearsome Events

My Way News - 500,000 Filipinos evacuated as storm's path widens
My Way News reports: "Half a million Filipinos fled their homes as differing forecasts about the path of a dangerously erratic typhoon — one predicting it will graze the capital, Manila — prompted a wide swath of the country to prepare for a weekend of destructive winds and rain."

King of the North

My Way News - Putin speech offers few reforms for economic woes
My Way News reports: "Russia will defend its geopolitical interests, President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday as he promised economic reforms to pull his country back from the brink of recession. But Putin's patriotic bluster and vague promises did little to assuage real fears that Western sanctions, plummeting oil prices and a collapsing ruble are crippling Russia's economy."

Security of Jerusalem

My Way News - Israel's election a referendum on Netanyahu
My Way News reports: "The coming Israeli election amounts to a referendum on Benjamin Netanyahu — hard-headed defender of Israel to some, the man who buried dreams of peace to others. Early polls suggest Netanyahu, an enigmatic leader who has already served three terms as prime minister, is likely to be returned for a fourth on March 17. But new developments, especially the emergence of an array of unpredictable centrist parties, make things difficult to predict."

Rumors of War - King of the North

My Way News - NATO steps up to Russia, but back from Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "NATO nations on Tuesday agreed to bolster its defenses against Russian aggression, continuing the military alliance's return to its founding mission by focusing on nearby threats as it steps back from more than a decade of combat in Afghanistan."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - French vote urges recognition of Palestinian state
My Way News reports: "France's lower house of Parliament voted Tuesday to urge the government to recognize a Palestinian state, in the hope that it would speed up peace efforts after decades of conflict. The 339-151 vote is non-binding, but it's a symbolic boost for the Palestinians, amid growing support in Europe for two states."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - US: Iran launches airstrikes into eastern Iraq
My Way News reports: "The Pentagon says that Iran has launched airstrikes against Islamic State militants in eastern Iraq. Rear Adm. John Kirby says the U.S. believes this may be the first time Tehran has launched manned aircraft from inside Iran to strike targets in Iraq."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Pro-Israel lobby seeks tougher Iran sanctions
My Way News reports: "The powerful pro-Israel lobby AIPAC is urging a dramatic escalation in sanctions on Iran in response to a recent seven-month extension of nuclear talks. The group, widely influential in Congress, wants the U.S. to reinstate all economic penalties on Iran suspended during the diplomacy. It also seeks a U.S. ban on Iranian oil exports worldwide and more Iranian industries blacklisted. The Obama administration believes new Iran sanctions would harm hopes for a diplomatic breakthrough."

Final Kingdom

My Way News - EU moves eastward with Tusk taking presidency
My Way News reports: "Monday's transition ceremony highlighted the increasing power of Poland within the 28-nation EU, and the bloc's ongoing shift from a western European economic association half a century ago to a strong political body uniting some 500 million people from Britain to the borders of Russia."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - The US-Iran differences that blocked a nuke deal
My Way News reports: "Renewed failure by Iran and the U.S. to reach a nuclear agreement by a Monday deadline reflects the difficulties each side has with crossing red lines they brought with them to the negotiating table. With the two sides so far apart when they started the latest round of talks in February, sizable differences remain as talks were extended for another seven months."

My Way News - Iran nuclear talks stumble, extended until July
My Way News reports: "A yearlong effort to seal a nuclear deal with Iran fizzled Monday, leaving the U.S. and its allies little choice but to declare a seven-month extension in hopes that a new deadline will be enough to achieve what a decade of negotiations have failed to do — limit Tehran's ability to make a nuclear weapon."

Pestilence

My Way News - Plague outbreak kills 40 people in Madagascar
My Way News reports: "A plague outbreak has killed 40 people on the island nation of Madagascar, with 119 people diagnosed with the bacterial disease since August. Two people have been diagnosed and one has died in the capital, Antananarivo. The World Health Organization fears the plague outbreak may spread rapidly through Madagascar's largest and densely populated city [...] The plague is most famous for killing millions of people in Europe during the Middle Ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Plague infections still occur throughout the world, mainly in parts of Africa and Asia."

Earthquake

My Way News - 37 homes collapse, dozens injured in Japan quake
My Way News reports: "At least 37 homes were destroyed in two villages, and 39 people were injured across the region, including seven seriously, mostly with broken bones, officials said. The magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck shortly after 10 p.m. (1300 GMT) Saturday west of Nagano city at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The agency revised the magnitude from a preliminary 6.8 while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 6.2. Since the quake occurred inland, there was no possibility of a tsunami."

My Way News - Strong quake in west China kills 4; 54 hurt
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake that hit a sparsely populated, mountainous area of western China killed at least four people and injured 54 others, including schoolchildren in a stampede, officials said Sunday. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-5.9 quake hit Saturday about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the county of Kangding in Sichuan province. China's seismological agency put the magnitude at 6.3.

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Iran nuke talks stalled, despite Kerry efforts
My Way News reports: "Contentious nuclear talks between world powers and Tehran hit a new snag Friday after Iran apparently again turned down U.S. demands for concessions, leaving negotiations in limbo just three days before a deadline for a deal."

Security of Jerusalem - Holy Place

My Way News - Divided Jerusalem: Attacks put holy city on edge
My Way News reports: "Streets are subdued, marketplaces are quiet and people are on edge in Jewish areas of Jerusalem, where Arabs have been using meat cleavers, guns, screwdrivers and even their cars in deadly, small-scale attacks. The holy city - which Israel says must forever stay united - has rarely seemed more divided."

Pestilence

My Way News - CDC chief drops worst-case Ebola estimate
My Way News reports: "The government's worst-case scenario forecast for the Ebola epidemic in West Africa won't happen, a U.S. health official said Wednesday. In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated the number of people sickened by the Ebola virus could explode to as many as 1.4 million by mid-January without more help. Things have changed."

My Way News - Military scaling back treatment units in Liberia
My Way News reports: "A Pentagon spokesman says the U.S. military is scaling back the size and number of Ebola treatment facilities it is building in Liberia. Army Col. Steve Warren said Wednesday that a total of 10 treatment facilities will be built; the Pentagon previously had planned to build as many as 17. Additionally, seven of the 10 will have 50 beds each rather than the 100 beds previously planned."

War - Security of Jerusalem

My Way News - Israel vows harsh response to synagogue attack
My Way News reports: "Israel vowed harsh retaliation Tuesday for a Palestinian attack that killed five people and left blood-smeared prayer books and shawls on the floor of a synagogue in Jerusalem — an assault that sharply escalated already-high tensions after weeks of religious violence. The attack during morning prayers in the west Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof was carried out by two Palestinian cousins wielding meat cleavers, knives and a handgun. [...] Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that runs the Gaza Strip, praised the attack. In Gaza, dozens celebrated in the streets, with some offering trays full of candy."

War

My Way News - Europeans have prominent role in beheading video
My Way News reports: "A U.S.-led coalition is targeting the Islamic State group in airstrikes in northern Syria, supporting Western-backed Syrian rebels, Kurdish fighters and the Iraqi military. The U.S. said 31 airstrikes had been carried out from Nov. 14-17 against Islamic State group targets. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the Islamic State group could grow worldwide if left unchecked. Already, he said, the IS has seized more land and resources 'than al-Qaida ever had on its best day of its existence.'"

Temple Mount - Holy Place

My Way News - Israel lifts Muslim age limits for Jerusalem site
My Way News reports: "A Jerusalem holy site at the heart of recent tensions between Israelis and Palestinians was quiet on Friday, police said, after age restrictions for Muslim men who wanted to pray there were lifted for the first time in weeks, but minor clashes with Palestinian protesters continued in the West Bank. [...] The development came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Jordan's King Abdullah II in an attempt to restore calm in the holy city that has seen months of tension and violent confrontations."

Comment: Here is a good example of Israel making a concession (yet again) to cool tensions and promote peace. Let's see if the Palestinians reciprocate with an equally meaningful gesture.

Earthquakes

My Way News - 7.3 quake hits Indonesia waters; tsunami possible
My Way News reports: "A 7.3-magnitude quake hit Indonesian waters Saturday morning and has the potential to generate tsunami waves along nearby coasts, a monitoring agency said. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit 154 kilometers (96 miles) northwest of Kota Ternate at a depth of 47 kilometers (29 miles). There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage."

Global Government

My Way News - G-20 summit opens in Australia; growth tops agenda
My Way News reports: "The leaders of the world's 20 largest economies are under pressure to take definitive action at this year's summit, rather than simply producing a set of vague, unmeasurable goals. The International Monetary Fund has warned about a "new mediocre" for the world economy, and the G-20 has vowed to focus on a plan to add $2 trillion to world GDP."

Temple Mount - Holy Place

My Way News - US: Commitments made to reduce Jerusalem tensions:
My Way News reports: "Israel and Jordan have committed to a series of 'specific and practical' steps to reduce spiraling tensions over Jerusalem holy sites and the Palestinians have pledged to curb incitement and violence, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday. [...] Netanyahu has insisted that Israel has no plans to change the arrangements at the holy site, but his pledges have done little to bring calm."

Temple Mount

My Way News - Hilltop compound lies at heart of Mideast tensions
My Way News reports: "The trapezoid-shaped compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is at the heart of the territorial and religious conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. It has been the site of recent unrest. [...] Jews believe the rock may be where the holiest part of the two ancient temples stood in biblical times — and where religious Jews pray that a third temple will one day be built."

Pestilence

My Way News - WHO says more than 5,000 have now died of Ebola
My Way News reports: "More than 5,000 people have died in the Ebola outbreak that is ravaging West Africa, the World Health Organization reported Wednesday, marking another grisly toll in the epidemic. This is the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, with more than 14,000 people sickened, the vast majority in the West African countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone."

Kings of the East

My Way News - China uses APEC to boost regional role
My Way News reports: "Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Asia-Pacific leaders Tuesday to strengthen trade ties at a summit Beijing is using to boost its role as a regional power with a flurry of trade and finance pacts. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Xi called for progress on a 'road map' toward closer economic integration among the group's 21 member economies. They include 40 percent of the world's population and 60 percent of global economic output."

King of the North

My Way News - Amid currency gyrations, Russia floats ruble
My Way News reports: "Plagued by the Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine crisis and by falling oil prices, Russia's economy is struggling and the ruble is taking a head-spinning drop, losing a third of its value since the beginning of the year and touching an all-time low last week. On Monday, the national central bank on Monday decided to freely float the currency and shield it more from speculators. [...] Some observers warn that a long-lasting erosion of purchasing power could fuel social unrest and say the country's financial stability is at risk."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - US officials: More work needed on Iran nuke deal
My Way News reports: "Two days of tough talks to limit Iran's nuclear program failed Monday to make major headway toward a final deal —a foreboding sign for years of negotiations that are set to expire in less than two weeks."

Temple Mount - Holy Place

My Way News - Israel tries to soothe tensions over Jerusalem
My Way News reports: "In an attempt at diplomatic damage control, Israel's prime minister reassured Jordan's king Thursday that he won't yield to increasing demands by some members of his center-right coalition to allow Jews to pray at a Muslim-run holy site in Jerusalem. [...] Israeli-Palestinian confrontations have been escalating in Jerusalem, including near-daily clashes between stone-throwing Palestinians and Israeli riot police."

Comment: This supernatural flashpoint is dominating the headlines in the Jerusalem and international news media. It's a red alert people. Let's all pay attention. 

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Israeli police: Driver slams car into pedestrians
My Way News reports: "A Hamas militant slammed a minivan into a crowd waiting for a train Wednesday in Jerusalem, killing one person and wounding 13. Hours later, the Israeli military said a Palestinian motorist drove into a group of soldiers in the West Bank, injuring three. The incidents and a similar attack two weeks earlier raised concern that Israel could be facing a new type of threat."

Comment: There the Palestinians go again, demonstrating just how much they want peace with Israel. What other country in the world would put up with this kind of thing? Missiles every other week and now this. And yet the world will persist in thinking of the Palestinians as victims and Israel as the bad guy. 

Pestilence

My Way News - Ebola countries to get $450 million in financing
My Way News reports: "A new private sector initiative announced Wednesday will provide at least $450 million in commercial financing to the three West African countries hardest hit by Ebola to promote trade, investment and employment."

Rumors of War - Persia - Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Egypt, Gulf Arab allies eye anti-militant alliance
My Way News reports: "Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are discussing the creation of a military pact to take on Islamic militants, with the possibility of a joint force to intervene around the Middle East, The Associated Press has learned. The alliance would also serve as a show of strength to counterbalance their traditional rival, Shiite-dominated, Iran."

Comment: A military alliance or Arab powers. What could go wrong? 

Temple Mount - Security of Jerusalem

My Way News - Israel closes Jerusalem holy site after shooting
My Way News reports: "Israel closed all access to Jerusalem's most sensitive religious site on Thursday, a rare move that ratcheted up already heightened tensions following the attempted assassination of a prominent Jewish religious activist and the killing of his suspected Palestinian assailant by police. The Palestinians accused Israel of a 'declaration of war,' deepening a crisis fueled by failed peace efforts, continued Israeli settlement construction and months of simmering violence in the holy city. While Israel said it would reopen the site on Friday, the increasingly religious nature of the unrest risked igniting further violence."

Comment: Does it seem like the Temple Mount has been in the news a lot lately? I can't help but think that this flashpoint is an important barometer of the end times and any activity there is worth keeping an eye on.

Security of Jerusalem

My Way News - Israeli leader lashes back at harsh US criticism
My Way News reports: "Israel's prime minister said Wednesday that recent verbal attacks against him from the United States were merely because he was "defending Israel" and vowed to carry on with his policies despite the vitriolic rhetoric. Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks to parliament followed a report in The Atlantic this week in which unidentified U.S. officials lambasted the Israeli premier for his settlement policies and for undermining American peace efforts. The officials derided Netanyahu as cowardly and recalcitrant, among other insults."

Comment: Stand strong Bibi, the vast majority of Americans are with you. We recognize the right of Israel to exist and to defend itself. We recognize the right of Israel to inhabit the land gained in wars that it won (we all love a winner!) and we recognize the right of those who win territory in wars to consider such territory fully their own and to do with it as they wish. For us, there is no "occupied" or disputed land. So keep defending, keep building, and keep strong!

Pestilence

My Way News - AP IMPACT: If Ebola batters US, we are not ready
My Way News reports: "The U.S. health care apparatus is so unprepared and short on resources to deal with the deadly Ebola virus that even small clusters of cases could overwhelm parts of the system, according to an Associated Press review of readiness at hospitals and other components of the emergency medical network. [...] And Ebola is not the only possible danger that causes concern; experts say other deadly infectious diseases — ranging from airborne viruses such as SARS, to an unforeseen new strain of the flu, to more exotic plagues like Lassa fever — could crash the health care system."

Comment: So, basically, a real outbreak of an easily communicable disease (which Ebola - sensational news headlines aside - is not) would quickly overwhelm the U.S. health care system. This is a crisis, but not about Ebola, it's about preparedness.

Security of Jerusalem

My Way News - Premier: Israel will build in all of Jerusalem
My Way News reports: "Israel's prime minister pledged Monday to keep building in east Jerusalem, despite stiff international criticism and recent rising tensions between Jews and Arabs in the city. [...]  Speaking to parliament, Netanyahu defended the stance saying there was a wide consensus in Israel to continue building throughout the city, just as every Israeli government has done since Israel captured east Jerusalem in 1967."

Pestilence

My Way News - American official: US in Ebola fight for long haul
My Way News reports: "The United States will help fight Ebola over 'the long haul,' the American ambassador to the United Nations said on a trip to the West African countries hit by the outbreak. [...] Many people hide in their homes rather than seek medical care because of fears that an Ebola diagnosis is an automatic death sentence and the social stigma attached to the disease, further fueling its spread. So far, more than 10,000 people are believed to have been infected."

Pestilence

My Way News - NY, NJ order Ebola quarantine for doctors, others
My Way News reports: "Alarmed by the case of an Ebola-infected New York doctor, the governors of New Jersey and New York on Friday ordered a mandatory, 21-day quarantine of all medical workers and other arriving airline passengers who have had contact with victims of the deadly disease in West Africa."

My Way News - WHO: Millions of Ebola vaccine doses ready in 2015
My Way News reports: "The World Health Organization says millions of doses of two experimental Ebola vaccines could be ready for use in 2015 and five more experimental vaccines will start being tested in March. Still, the agency warned it's not clear whether any of these will work against the deadly virus that has already killed at least 4,877 people this year in West Africa."

Jerusalem Security

My Way News - AP Interview: Jerusalem mayor vows to calm city
My Way News reports: "Jerusalem's mayor on Thursday called for a crackdown against a wave of Palestinian unrest, as police beefed up security after a Palestinian motorist with a history of anti-Israel violence slammed his car into a crowded light rail train station and killed a baby girl. The crash Wednesday night escalated already heightened tensions in east Jerusalem, the section of the holy city captured by Israel in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians as their capital."

Signs in the Sun

My Way News - Solar flare knocks out some radio temporarily
My Way News reports: "Federal forecasters say a brief but strong solar flare Wednesday morning temporarily blacked out a few radio communication systems before weakening. Space Weather Prediction Center forecaster Christopher Balch said it affected radio that uses part of the upper atmosphere. That includes some radar and plane systems, but not all, and amateur radio."

Pestilence

My Way News - EU leaders seek more Ebola funding at summit
My Way News reports: "Britain pledged an additional 100 million euro ($126 million) to fight Ebola and Prime Minister David Cameron called on the other European Union leaders at a summit to step up their efforts to contain the deadly virus too. [...] To coordinate all the efforts of the 28 EU nations, the EU leaders appointed the incoming EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Christos Stylianides as its Ebola czar. [...] In Geneva, the World Health Organization said the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has killed more than 4,800 people, remains an international health emergency."

My Way News - NY doctor back from Guinea has Ebola, 1st in city
My Way News reports: "An emergency room doctor who recently returned to the city after treating Ebola patients in West Africa has tested positive for the virus, becoming the first case in the city and the fourth in the nation."

My Way News - CDC details new Ebola response and prep teams
My Way News reports: "The government's new federal Ebola response squads were getting their first test Thursday, dispatched to New York to help care for the city's first case, a doctor who had treated a patient with the disease in west Africa. The squads — likened to public health SWAT teams — were set up to rush to any U.S. city where a new Ebola case might be identified."

Persecution

Reuters - Pakistani Christian loses appeal against death sentence for blasphemy
Reuters reports: "A Pakistani court upheld the death penalty on Thursday against a Christian woman accused of blasphemy, her lawyer said, in a case that drew global headlines after two prominent politicians who tried to help her were assassinated. [...] Rights groups say the blasphemy law is increasingly exploited by religious extremists as well as ordinary Pakistanis to settle personal scores. The law does not define blasphemy and evidence might not be reproduced in court for fear of committing a fresh offence. There are no penalties for false accusations."

Persecution

My Way News - North Korea frees US man; 2 more still detained
My Way News reports: "North Korea's reclusive government abruptly freed an American man Tuesday, nearly six months after he was arrested on charges of leaving a Bible in a nightclub, but Pyongyang refused to hand over two other U.S. citizens who are still being held. [...] Christian evangelism is considered a crime in North Korea."

Comment: Imagine that, he was arrested and jailed for leaving a Bible in a nightclub.  

Pestilence

My Way News - CDC releases revised Ebola gear guidelines
My Way News reports: "Federal health officials on Monday issued new guidelines to promote head-to-toe protection for health workers treating Ebola patients. Officials have been scrambling to come up with new advice for protective gear since two Dallas nurses became infected while caring for the first person diagnosed with the virus in the United States."

My Way News - Nigeria declared Ebola-free; 'spectacular success'
My Way News reports: "In the end, Nigeria — the most populous country in Africa, with 160 million people — had just 20 cases, including eight deaths, a lower death rate than the 70 percent seen elsewhere across the stricken region. Officials are crediting strong tracking and isolation of people exposed to the virus, and aggressive rehydration of infected patients to counter the effects of vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms."

Temple Mount

My Way News - Abbas suggests ban on Jews at Jerusalem holy site
My Way News reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas suggested on Friday that Jews should be banned from a Jerusalem holy site revered by both Jews and Muslims. Abbas made the comments following recent clashes between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces over what Palestinians see as Jewish encroachment on the site, known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. [...] The site is the holiest in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam."

Pestilence

My Way News - WHO faulted for Ebola failures as Obama taps czar
My Way News reports: "The World Health Organization bungled efforts to halt the spread of Ebola in West Africa, an internal report revealed Friday, as President Barack Obama named a trusted political adviser to take control of America's frenzied response to the epidemic. The stepped-up scrutiny of the international response came as U.S. officials rushed to cut off potential routes of infection from three cases in Texas, reaching a cruise ship in the Caribbean and multiple domestic airline flights."

Pestilence

My Way News - Ebola: Rising call for ban on travel from W Africa
My Way News reports: "Warning that Americans are losing faith in their government's ability to stop Ebola, Republican lawmakers on Thursday pressed for a ban on travel to the U.S. from the West African outbreak zone. The White House said other measures are more effective. The administration spent the day trying anew to tamp down fear as the pool of Americans being monitored for symptoms expanded from Texas to Ohio. President Barack Obama said he might appoint a single official to lead the nation's efforts against the deadly disease."

Comment: Another day another development in this strange story. The media won't tell you that more people die every every year from the flu than will ever die of Ebola, but that isn't nearly as sensational. I guess the 24-hour news cycle never met a fake crisis they didn't like. 

Pestilence

My Way News - Second Texas nurse tests positive for Ebola
My Way News reports:  "The Ebola crisis in the U.S. took another alarming turn Wednesday with word that a second Dallas nurse caught the disease from a patient and flew across the Midwest aboard an airliner the day before she fell ill, even though government guidelines should have kept her off the plane."

My Way News - African leaders: Ebola could lead to food crisis
My Way News reports: "Financial aid and global coordination are needed to prevent the Ebola health care crisis from becoming a food emergency, agriculture ministers from West African nations at the center of the Ebola outbreak said Wednesday. In Sierra Leone, where thousands are infected and more than 900 have died, 40 percent of the farmers have abandoned their fields, said Joseph Sam Sesay, minister of agriculture, forestry and food security."

My Way News - Obama: Ebola monitoring must be 'more aggressive':
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama vowed Wednesday that his administration would respond in a "much more aggressive way" to cases of Ebola in the United States and warned that in an age of frequent travel the disease could spread globally if the world doesn't respond to the 'raging epidemic in West Africa.'"

Mark of the Beast

My Way News - South Korea identity thefts forces ID overhaul
My Way News reports: "After an avalanche of data breaches, South Korea's national identity card system has been raided so thoroughly by thieves that the government says it might have to issue new ID numbers to every citizen over 17 [...] ID numbers and personal details of an estimated 80 percent of South Korea's 50 million people have been stolen from banks and other targets since 2004, according to experts. Those numbers stay with South Koreans for life and, instead of being picked randomly, are based on their age, sex and other details. They are used to confirm identity, get a job or government services and even to buy cigarettes."

Comment: Not the Mark, but a good example of how mandatory identification systems can be imposed by governments...and how they can go awry.

Quake Update

My Way News - 4 Northern California faults primed for big quakes
My Way News reports: "Three fault segments running beneath Northern California and its roughly 15 million people are overdue for a major earthquake, including one section that lies near the dams and canals that supply much of the state's water, according to a geological study published Monday. The three fault segments and one other in the region are loaded with enough tension to produce quakes of magnitude 6.8 or greater, according to a geological study published Monday."

Comment: Well, they can't say they haven't been warned.

Pestilence

My Way News - CDC urges all US hospitals to 'think Ebola'
My Way News reports: "The government is telling the nation's hospitals to 'think Ebola.' Every hospital must know how to diagnose Ebola in people who have been in West Africa and be ready to isolate a suspected case, Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Monday."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Saudi top diplomat criticizes Iran over conflicts
My Way News reports: "Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Monday lashed out at regional rival Iran, accusing the Shiite powerhouse of having forces inside Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and insisting that Iran is "part of the problem" in trying to defuse the myriad Mideast crises."

My Way News - Iran's Rouhani: Nuke deal possible before deadline
My Way News reports: "Iran's president said on Monday that Tehran and world powers may still be able to reach a final deal on the country's controversial nuclear program before the Nov. 24 deadline. The remarks by moderate President Hassan Rouhani came as Iran and the six nation group — the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany — are to begin another round of talks in Vienna on Tuesday, in the countdown to the November deadline for a final, comprehensive deal."

Pestilence

My Way News - WHO: Ebola death toll rises to more than 4,000
My Way News reports: "Liberian lawmakers on Friday rejected a proposal to grant President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf the power to further restrict movement and public gatherings and to confiscate property in the fight against Ebola. One legislator said such a law would have turned Liberia into a police state. The proposal's defeat came as the World Health Organization once again raised the death toll attributed to the Ebola outbreak. The Geneva-based U.N. agency said that 4,033 confirmed, probable or suspected Ebola deaths have now been recorded."

Future Fear

My Way News - US stocks close out worst week since May 2012
My Way News reports: "Germany, which has been the economic powerhouse for Europe, reported on Thursday its biggest monthly drop in exports in five years. In addition, the International Monetary Fund downgraded its outlook for global economic growth. Meanwhile, some traders are interpreting the decline in oil prices as further indication that growth is slowing. 'You put those three factors together and it has investors nervous at the health of the world economy,' said Jeff Kravetz, regional investment director at U.S. Bank Wealth Management."

My Way News - Top finance officials grapple with weak growth
My Way News reports: "Finance ministers from the world's largest economies said Friday they are determined to prevent a slide into another global recession, but a top U.S. official expressed frustration that a number of major economies were not doing enough to bolster growth."

Pestilence

PBS NewsHour - These six diseases should worry you more than Ebola
PBS NewsHour reports: "Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian citizen visiting the U.S., died this morning. He was the first and so far only patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States. It’s important not to trivialize his death, but it’s also important to put it in perspective. In Africa, the virus has claimed the lives of at least 6,871 people and sickened more than 8,100 others, according to the World Health Organization. But that one case has captured the news [...] Meanwhile, in our country, the enterovirus 68 has infected at least 628 people since August, most of them small children. [...] As anxiety about Ebola mounts, we asked the experts which U.S. diseases we should be worried about, or at least more worried about than Ebola. Here are six, in no particular order."

Pestilence

My Way News - U.S. Ebola patient dies; airport screening expanded
My Way News reports: "The first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. died Wednesday despite intense but delayed treatment, and the government announced it was expanding airport examinations to guard against the spread of the deadly disease. The checks will include taking the temperatures of hundreds of travelers arriving from West Africa at five major American airports."

Temple Mount

My Way News - Israeli police, Palestinians clash in Jerusalem
My Way News: "Palestinian demonstrators clashed with Israeli police at a sensitive holy site in Jerusalem on Wednesday, leaving three officers lightly injured, a police spokeswoman said. The clashes erupted after several dozen masked Palestinians began throwing rocks, firecrackers and other pyrotechnical devices at police when the site — known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary — opened for prayers on Wednesday morning, said spokeswoman Luba Samri."

Comment: It's hard to understand the lack of respect Palestinians have for the Temple Mount until you realize that it's not really a holy site for them, they only value it because the Jews do. I mean if you have one group that says it's their "third" holiest site and another group that says it's their most holy site, it's not hard to see which group should have precedence.

Signs in the Moon

CNN - Blood moon returns; tetrad sequence of four continues
CNN reports: "Blood moon, Act II, opens soon in the heavens near you. And it will be bigger than Act I. If you live in the western half of the United States, you'll have a front-row seat on a lunar eclipse that will turn the moon a burnt reddish orange for about an hour Wednesday, creating the second blood moon in relatively short succession. [...] It will be the second in a sequence of four -- called a tetrad -- that are occurring in roughly six-month intervals. The next one will appear on April 4, 2015, and the last one on September 28, 2015."

Signs in the Moon

October 2014 Blood Moon: Total Lunar Eclipse Coverage
Space.com reports: "A total lunar eclipse is set to rise above people across a large swath of the world Wednesday (Oct. 8). Weather permitting, people in North America, Australia, western South America and parts of East Asia will be able to see the total lunar eclipse. Sometimes, when the moon dips into Earth's shadow during an eclipse, the natural satellite takes on a coppery-red color, leading some people to dub it a "blood moon." The eclipse should reach totality just before sunrise at about 6:25 a.m. EDT (1025 GMT) on the east coast of the United States."

Comment: Really nice video presentation here for those unfamiliar with the blood moon eclipse.

War

My Way News - Video: Islamic State group beheads British hostage
My Way News reports: "An Internet video released Friday purports to show an Islamic State group fighter beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the extremist group now targeted in U.S.-led airstrikes. The video mirrored other beheading videos shot by the Islamic State group, which now holds territory along the border of Syria and Iraq, and ended with a militant threatening a man they identified as an American named Peter Kassig."

My Way News - Heavy fighting hits Syrian border town
My Way News reports: "Islamic State militants heavily shelled a Kurdish town on Syria's border with Turkey on Friday as jihadi fighters prepared an all-out offensive for the strategic site, whose capture would provide a direct link between areas under their control in Aleppo and their stronghold in Raqqa to the east. The fighting came as Turkey's prime minister pledged his country would do what it could to prevent the fall of Kobani, although he did not spell out what assistance Turkey would provide."

Pestilence

My Way News - Crew disinfects home where Ebola patient stayed
My Way News reports: "A hazardous-materials crew on Friday decontaminated the Texas apartment where an Ebola patient was staying when he got sick, while public-health officials cut by half the number of people being monitored for any symptoms of the deadly disease. Hours later, the family that was living in the apartment was moved to a private residence in a gated community that was offered by a volunteer."

My Way News - Things to know about respiratory bug plaguing kids
My Way News reports: "A wave of severe respiratory illnesses has swept the country in the last two months, propelled by what was long considered an uncommon germ. The enterovirus 68 has caused serious breathing problems in many children, and now is being eyed as possible factor in at least four deaths, and muscle weakness and paralysis in children in Colorado and perhaps other states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday released a report on the Colorado cluster. The investigation continues and many questions remain unresolved."

Pestilence

My Way News - Family that hosted Ebola patient confined to home
My Way News reports: "Four members of a family the U.S. Ebola patient was staying with were confined to their Texas home under armed guard Thursday as the circle of people possibly exposed to the virus widened, while Liberian authorities said they would prosecute the man for allegedly lying on an airport questionnaire. The unusual confinement order was imposed after the family failed to comply with a request not to leave their apartment, according to Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins."

War

My Way News - Turkey approves military operations in Iraq, Syria
My Way News reports: "Turkey's parliament gave the government new powers Thursday to launch military incursions into Syria and Iraq, and to allow foreign forces to use its territory for possible operations against the Islamic State group. The move opens the way for Turkey, a NATO member with a large and modern military, to play a more robust role in the U.S-led coalition against the Sunni militants. [...] The United States has been bombing the Islamic State group across Syria since last week and in neighboring Iraq since early August. [...] Turkey had been reluctant to join its NATO allies in a coalition against the militants, citing worries about the safety of Turkish hostages held by the group, but reversed its decision after the hostages were released last month."

My Way News - British PM: 2 more warplanes in fight against IS
My Way News reports: "Britain's prime minister says that two more warplanes will be deployed at a British air base on Cyprus to join others flying missions against Islamic State group targets in Iraq. Prime Minister David Cameron made the announcement during a brief visit at RAF Akrotiri late Thursday. The deployment will bring the number of Tornado aircraft now deployed at the base to eight."

My Way News - US: Marine 'presumed lost' in the Persian Gulf
My Way News reports: "A U.S. Marine who ejected from an airplane over the Persian Gulf is "presumed lost at sea," the U.S. Navy said Thursday, marking the first reported casualty from the ongoing operation against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria."

Pestilence

My Way News - Respiratory virus seen in 4 deaths; role unclear
My Way News reports: "Four people who were infected with a virus causing severe respiratory illness across the country have died, but what role the virus played in the deaths is unclear, health officials said Wednesday. A 10-year-old Rhode Island girl died last week after suffering both a bacterial infection and infection from enterovirus 68, Rhode Island health officials said. The virus is behind a spike in harsh respiratory illnesses in children since early August."

Comment: The Ebola virus is getting all the headlines, but this is the one to be worried about. Ebola is difficult to spread and doctors know what causes it and how to treat it. Not so with this virus.

Pestilence

My Way News - Government confirms first case of Ebola in US
My Way News reports: "Federal health officials on Tuesday confirmed the first case of Ebola diagnosed in the U.S., a patient who recently traveled from Liberia to Dallas and a sign of the far-reaching impact of the out-of-control epidemic in West Africa. The unidentified patient was critically ill and has been in isolation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital since Sunday, officials said."

War

My Way News - Kurds claim advances in Iraq as Britain joins fray
My Way News reports: "In Britain's first airstrikes of the campaign, two Tornado jets hit a heavy weapons post and an armored vehicle being used by the militants to attack Kurdish forces in northwest Iraq, British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said in London. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said the U.S. and its coalition partners conducted 20 strikes in Iraq and Syria against fixed and mobile targets. So far, about 306 air attacks have been conducted — more than 230 in Iraq and the rest in Syria, he said."

Nations in Distress

China faces tricky balance in Hong Kong's protests
My Way News reports: "Demonstrators demanding a greater say in choosing the financial center's leader, or chief executive, defied attempts over the weekend by riot police to end their sit-ins with blasts of tear gas and pepper spray, and on Monday fanned out to more neighborhoods of Hong Kong in a tense standoff. [...] Beijing's increasingly hard-line leadership, which has clamped down over the past year and a half on dissent and any calls for greater democracy, is highly unlikely to agree to any discussion about political reforms in Hong Kong. Nor does it want bloodshed. [...] The protests reflect disillusionment with mainland Chinese rule among Hong Kongers, especially the younger generation, who feel Beijing has failed to keep promises of greater democracy for the territory."

Hong Kong protesters set deadline for government
My Way News reports: "Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong set a Wednesday deadline for a response from the government to meet their demands for reforms after spending another night blocking streets in an unprecedented show of civil disobedience. [...] One day after police shocked the city by firing tear gas at the crowds, the protesters passed a peaceful night Monday singing as the blocked streets in several parts of Hong Kong. [...] Students and activists have been camped out since late Friday, demanding that Beijing grant democratic reforms to the former British colony."

Rumors of War - Persia

Report: Iran builds surface-to-surface missile
My Way News reports: "A news agency in Iran is reporting that the Islamic Republic has built a new surface-to-surface cruise missile capable of being launched from an airplane. The report Sunday by the semi-official Fars news agency quotes Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the airspace department of the elite Revolutionary Guard, as saying that the missile has a range of 700 kilometers (435 miles). Hajizadeh said the missile can be launched from land-based pads, naval vessels, aircraft, helicopters and drones."

War

My Way News -Britain joins fight against Islamic State group
My Way News reports: "Britain, Belgium and Denmark on Friday joined the U.S.-led coalition of nations that are launching airstrikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq, committing warplanes to the struggle against the extremists. [...] In May, Belgium was shaken when a gunman opened fire at a Jewish museum in Brussels, killing four people. The suspect, French citizen Mehdi Nemouche, has been identified as a returning Islamic fighter from Syria, and leaders in Belgium and other European countries have expressed their fears that other returnees from Syria and Iraq may cause further havoc."

Global Government

My Way News - UN chief urges hope in world seeming to fall apart
My Way News reports: "The United Nations chief called for world leaders Wednesday to join an international campaign to ease the plight of nearly unprecedented numbers of refugees, the displaced and victims of violence in a world wracked by wars and the swift-spreading and deadly Ebola epidemic. [...] Speaker after speaker addressed a host of other issues from illegal immigration to promoting equality for women and reforming the powerful U.N. Security Council to reflect the 21st century, not the post-World War II world."

War

My Way News - Obama at UN: Dismantle the IS 'network of death'
My Way News reports: "Confronted by the growing threat of Middle East militants, President Barack Obama implored world leaders at the United Nations Wednesday to rally behind his expanding military campaign to stamp out the violent Islamic State group and its 'network of death.' [...] There were more U.S. and coalition airstrikes Wednesday on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border. U.S. and allied planes and drones hit a dozen targets in Syria that included small-scale oil refineries that have been providing millions of dollars to the Islamic State, the U.S. Central Command said. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates took part in addition to U.S. aircraft."

Pestilence

My Way News - US warns that Ebola could infect 1.4 million
My Way News reports: "U.S. health officials Tuesday laid out worst-case and best-case scenarios for the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, warning that the number of infected people could explode to at least 1.4 million by mid-January — or peak well below that, if efforts to control the outbreak are ramped up."

Rumors of War - Doomed Damascus

My Way News - Israel military shoots down Syrian aircraft
My Way News reports: "The Israeli military shot down a Syrian fighter jet that infiltrated its airspace over the Golan Heights on Tuesday morning — the first such downing in decades, heightening tensions in the volatile plateau. [...] Israel has avoided taking sides in the three-year civil war in Syria, though Israeli troops have responded to occasional mortar fire that has landed on the Israeli side of the Golan. [...] Israel and Syria are bitter enemies who have fought several wars."

War

My Way News - Pentagon: US, partners begin airstrikes in Syria
My Way News reports: "The U.S. and five Arab countries launched airstrikes Monday night on Islamic State group targets in Syria, expanding a military campaign into a country whose three-year civil war has given the brutal militant group a safe haven. Using a mix of manned aircraft — fighter jets and bombers — plus Tomahawk cruise missiles, the strikes were part of the expanded military campaign that President Barack Obama authorized nearly two weeks ago in order to disrupt and destroy the Islamic State militants, who have slaughtered thousands of people, beheaded Westerners — including two American journalists — and captured large swaths of Syria and northern and western Iraq."

Comment: Although the U.S. has previously launched airstrikes against ISIL in Iraq this is the first real attack by coalition forces in Syria and represents an internationalization of the war effort. The alliance seems well coordinated at this point but it remains to be seen if anyone will step forward to offer ground troops since the U.S. has abstained (abdicated) that role.

Pestilence

My Way News - WHO: 21,000 Ebola cases by November if no changes
My Way News reports: "New estimates from the World Health Organization warn the number of Ebola cases could hit 21,000 in six weeks unless efforts to curb the outbreak are ramped up. Since the first cases were reported six months ago, the tally of cases in West Africa has reached an estimated 5,800 illnesses. WHO officials say cases are continuing to increase exponentially and Ebola could sicken people for years to come without better control measures."

Comment: I don't think that is the proper use of the term "exponentially" but I take their meaning. If people were being infected with Ebola at an exponential rate (a constant rate of growth applied to a continuously growing base ), it would suggest the virus has mutated into something much more communicable. That has not happened...yet.

Global Government

My Way News - G-20 says close to goal of $2 trillion in growth
My Way News reports: "Finance chiefs from the 20 largest economies said on Sunday they are close to reaching their goal of boosting world GDP by more than $2 trillion over the next five years, and will focus on infrastructure investment to help reach the target.[...] The G-20, which represents about 85 percent of the global economy, said an analysis of those initiatives show they should boost the combined gross domestic product of member countries by 1.8 percent above levels expected for the next five years — just short of the group's target of 2 percent."

Pestilence

My Way News - Sierra Leone staggers in Ebola isolation effort
My Way News reports: "Some in Sierra Leone ran away from their homes Saturday and others clashed with health workers trying to bury dead Ebola victims as the country struggled through the second day of an unprecedented lockdown to combat the deadly disease. Despite these setbacks, officials said most of Sierra Leone's 6 million people were complying with orders to stay at home as nearly 30,000 volunteers and health care workers fanned out across the country to distribute soap and information on how to prevent Ebola."

Comment: An entire country on lockdown, what a concept!

Rumors of War - King of the North

LA Times - U.S., Canadian fighter jets intercept Russian aircraft
The LA Times reports: "Eight Russian aircraft and refueling tankers were intercepted by U.S. and Canadian fighter jets off the coast of Alaska this week, officials said. [...] NORAD has intercepted more than 50 Russian long-range bombers in the area in the last five years. The area has become a hotbed for shipping traffic and other craft due to the rapid melting of the polar ice cap, causing a rush to reach mineral deposits and newly created shipping lanes."

Wars & Rumors of War

My Way News - Strong Senate vote for Obama on Syria rebel aid
My Way News reports: "In the heat of an election campaign, Congress cleared the way for the U.S. military to train and equip Syrian rebels for a war against Islamic State militants Thursday night, reluctant ratification of a new strategy that President Barack Obama outlined scarcely a week ago. The 78-22 Senate vote sent Obama legislation that also provides funding for the government after the end of the budget year on Sept. 30, eliminating any threat of a shutdown. The House approved the bill on Wednesday."

Comment: This is as close as the U.S. comes to a formal declaration of war these days. It's not really a declaration, it's a funding bill, but it amounts to the same thing.

Wars & Rumors of War

My Way News - US military role in Iraq raises combat questions
My Way News reports: "The White House and the Pentagon are grappling with how to explain what American military forces are doing and could do in Iraq as they battle the Islamic State militants. Speaking at U.S. Central Command on Wednesday, President Barack Obama reiterated his pledge to keep American troops out of combat missions. But hours later, Vice President Joe Biden appeared to be less certain about ground troops."

My Way News - House grudgingly approves arms for Syrian rebels
My Way News reports: "The Republican-controlled House voted grudgingly Wednesday to give the administration authority to train and arm Syrian rebels as President Barack Obama emphasized anew that American forces "do not and will not have a combat mission" in the struggle against Islamic State militants in either Iraq or Syria."

Pestilence

My Way News - Obama's Ebola response: Is it enough and in time?
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama declared Tuesday that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa could threaten security around the world, and he ordered 3,000 U.S. military personnel to the region in emergency aid muscle for a crisis spiraling out of control."

Pestilence

My Way News - US to assign 3,000 from US military to fight Ebola
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration is ramping up its response to West Africa's Ebola crisis, preparing to assign 3,000 U.S. military personnel to the afflicted region to supply medical and logistical support to overwhelmed local health care systems and to boost the number of beds needed to isolate and treat victims of the epidemic."

War & Rumors of War

My Way News - Kerry: US open to talks with Iran on Islamic State
My Way News reports: "As more than two dozen nations pledged Monday to help Iraq fight the Islamic State militants, the United States said it was open to talking to Iran about a role in resolving the crisis, despite Washington's earlier opposition to Tehran even attending the conference. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry ruled out any military coordination with Iran, which in the end was not invited to Paris. [...] The meeting of foreign ministers from Asia, the Middle East and the West was a first step toward deciding who does what in a multilayered offensive against the Islamic State group. [...] As the conference began, two French jets took off over Iraq in France's first reconnaissance missions over the country in a sign of the larger battle ahead. Later, the United States, which has led airstrikes over Iraq since August, said it had taken the first step in its planned expanded fight against Islamic State militants, going to the aid of Iraqi security forces near Baghdad who were being attacked by enemy fighters."

Signs in the Sun

My Way News - Scientists: Strong solar storm heading to Earth:
My Way News reports: "A strong solar flare is blasting its way to Earth, but the worst of its power looks like it will barely skim above the planet and not cause many problems. [...] It may cause slight disturbances in satellites and radio transmissions but nothing major."

Pestilence

My Way News - 4th Sierra Leonean doctor infected with Ebola
My Way News reports: "So far, only foreign health and aid workers have been evacuated abroad for treatment from Sierra Leone and Liberia. The worst Ebola outbreak in history also has hit Guinea, Nigeria and Senegal, and has been blamed for more than 2,200 deaths across West Africa."

Wars and Rumors of War

My Way News - Obama orders airstrikes in Syria for first time
My Way News reports: "Opening a new military front in the Middle East, President Barack Obama authorized U.S. airstrikes inside Syria for the first time Wednesday night, along with expanded strikes in Iraq as part of "a steady, relentless effort" to root out Islamic State extremists and their spreading reign of terror."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Israel fires missile in test of defense system
My Way News reports: "Israel said it fired a missile Tuesday over the Mediterranean Sea to test part of its missile defense system designed to intercept long-range rockets. [...] It is part of a multilayered system Israel is developing to protect itself from a range of missile threats, from short-range rockets fired in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon to longer-range threats, like a missile launch from Iran."

My Way News - Palestinian: Donors wary of funding Hamas-run Gaza
My Way News reports: "The deputy Palestinian prime minister said Tuesday that international donors are hesitant to fund the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip so long as Hamas remains in control there and the specter of future wars looms. [...] With Hamas still committed to Israel's destruction and with an arsenal of rockets still at its disposal, the donors are wary of rebuilding, Mustafa said. This summer's war was the third in less than six years."

Comment: And who funds Hamas while the West funds Fatah? Iran, of course.

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Arab states back new UN appeal by Palestinians
My Way News reports: "Arab foreign ministers have backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's appeal to the United Nations to set a deadline for Israel to end its occupation of lands captured in the 1967 war and make way for an independent Palestinian state."

Comment: After all this, why should statehood still be on the table? The formula was, two states living side by side in peace. Until they demonstrate their peaceful intentions by disarming, why should anyone take them seriously?

Pestilence

My Way News - Serious respiratory illness hits hundreds of kids
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of children in more than 10 states have been sickened by a severe respiratory illness that public health officials say may be caused by an uncommon virus similar to the germ that causes the common cold. Nearly 500 children have been treated at one hospital alone — Children's Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri — and some required intensive care, according to authorities."

Wars & Rumors of War

My Way News - NATO creates 'spearhead' to deter Russia
My Way News reports: "NATO's creation of a rapid-reaction 'spearhead' force to protect Eastern Europe from Russian bullying reflects a cool-eyed calculation that Vladimir Putin and his generals won't risk head-to-head confrontation with the U.S. and its nuclear-capable Western European allies."

My Way News - NATO allies agree to take on Islamic State threat
My Way News reports: "The U.S. and nine key allies agreed Friday that the Islamic State group is a significant threat to NATO countries and that they will take on the militants by squeezing their financial resources and going after them with military might."

Pestilence

My Way News - US to provide $75M to expand Ebola care centers
My Way News reports: "The American aid agency announced Thursday it would donate $75 million to fund 1,000 more beds in Ebola treatment centers in Liberia and buy 130,000 more protective suits for health care workers. West Africa's struggling health systems have buckled under the pressure of an Ebola outbreak that has already killed about 1,900 people. "

Wars and Rumors of Wars

My Way News - US and UK seek partners to go after Islamic State
My Way News reports: "As leaders of the Western alliance gathered for a two-day summit, Obama and Cameron worked to begin forming a coalition of nations that could combat the extremists through military power, diplomatic pressure and economic penalties."

Wars & Rumors of War

My Way News - World leaders eye united front against militants
My Way News reports: "World leaders, nervously eyeing a growing threat from Islamic State militants, will seek to build a united front this week against the violent extremist group and keep it from creeping beyond its borders."

My Way News - Obama calls Ukraine 'a moment of testing' for West
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama on Wednesday harshly condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine as a threat to peace in Europe and pledged that NATO will protect allies who fear they will be Moscow's next target. Standing on Russia's doorstep, Obama declared 'this is a moment of testing' for the Western alliance to stand up to the Kremlin. [...] Obama's tough words set the stage for a pivotal summit of the 28-nation NATO alliance beginning Thursday in Wales."

Pestilence

My Way News - Group says world is losing battle against Ebola
My Way News reports: "The international group Doctors Without Borders warned Tuesday that the world is losing the battle against Ebola and lamented that treatment centers in West Africa have been 'reduced to places where people go to die alone.' In separate remarks after a United Nations meeting on the crisis, the World Health Organization chief said everyone involved had underestimated the outbreak, which has now killed more than 1,500 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. "

Rumors of War & King of the North

My Way News - Obama to Europe: NATO to oppose Russian aggression
My Way News reports: "Confronted by a Kremlin-backed military offensive in Ukraine, President Barack Obama and Western allies will approve plans this week to position at least 4,000 troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe, bolstering NATO's security commitments to nervous member states near the Russian border."

Wars & Rumors of War

My Way News - Video purports to show beheading of US journalist
My Way News reports: "Islamic State extremists released a video Tuesday purportedly showing the beheading of a second American journalist, Steven Sotloff, and warning President Barack Obama that as long as U.S. airstrikes against the militant group continue, "our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people.""

My Way News - Report accuses Islamic State group of war crimes
My Way News reports: "An international rights group accused the extremist Islamic State group on Tuesday of systematic "ethnic cleansing" in northern Iraq targeting indigenous religious minorities, as well as conducting mass killings of men and abducting women."

Mark of the Beast

Ecuador heralds digital currency plans
AP reports: "Ecuador is planning to create what it calls the world's first digital currency issued by a central bank, which some analysts believe could be a first step toward abandoning the country's existing currency, the U.S. dollar."

Comment: It's always interesting when the world gets a new payment system, but this is a very new development, it will need lots of work to be implemented and become trusted by the people of Ecuador. Still, if it works, promoting digital currencies could be an attractive nationalist alternative to developing countries chafing at the restrictions placed on them by the current international financial system.

Rumors of War - King of the North

My Way News - EU ministers call for new sanctions against Russia
My Way News reports: "Several European Union foreign ministers on Friday accused Russia of invading eastern Ukraine and said Moscow should be punished with additional economic sanctions. The meeting of the 28-nation bloc's top diplomats in Milan came one day after NATO said Moscow slipped at least 1,000 Russian soldiers and much heavy weaponry into Ukraine."

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Europe seeks role in postwar Gaza
My Way News reports: "European nations are offering to help enforce the cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, a scenario that could provide key international backing for maintaining the peace and step up the pressure on Hamas militants to relinquish power. The European plan remains vague, and it is unclear whether Israel or the Palestinians will agree. [...] Hollande's comments also reflected a European desire to take a bigger role in Mideast diplomacy, an area traditionally dominated by the U.S."

Pestilence

My Way News - UN: Ebola disease caseload could reach 20,000
My Way News reports: "The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is accelerating and could grow six times larger to infect as many as 20,000 people, the World Health Organization said Thursday. The U.N. health agency unveiled a new road map for containing the virus, and scientists are fast-tracking efforts to find a treatment or vaccine."

Roaring Waves

My Way News - Southern California gets more waves as storm eases
My Way News reports: "High surf generated by a former hurricane in the eastern Pacific rolled onto Southern California beaches again Thursday, showing signs of diminishing but still bringing warnings of possible property damage and dangerous rip currents. [...] Surging surf arrived on the Southern California coast late Tuesday and was wildest on Wednesday. Blocks of oceanfront homes flooded in low-lying Seal Beach south of Los Angeles, pilings were knocked off the Malibu Pier and a boatyard on Santa Catalina Island was battered."

Pestilence Update

My Way News - US official warns Ebola outbreak will get worse
My Way News reports: "A third top doctor has died from Ebola in Sierra Leone, a government official said Wednesday, as a leading American health official warned that the outbreak sweeping West Africa would get worse. The disease has already killed more than 1,400 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and Doctors Without Borders warned that the tremendous influx of patients in Liberia, in particular, is overwhelming their treatment centers there."

Rumors of War - Security of Jerusalem

My Way News - Gaza truce open-ended, but puts off tough issues
My Way News reports: "Israel and Gaza's ruling Hamas agreed Tuesday to an open-ended cease-fire after seven weeks of fighting — an uneasy deal that halts the deadliest war the sides have fought in years, with more than 2,200 killed, but puts off the most difficult issues."

Wars and Rumors of War

My Way News - Syria warns US: No unilateral strikes on militants
My Way News reports: "Syria said Monday it was ready to help confront the rising threat from the Islamic State group, but warned the United States against carrying out airstrikes without Damascus' consent, saying any such attack would be considered an aggression."

My Way News - Weapons convoys seen rolling in eastern Ukraine
My Way News reports: "NATO and Ukraine have accused Moscow of covertly shuttling heavy artillery and other weapons to the separatists — allegations that Russia routinely denies. NATO says since mid-August, those weapons have been fired from both inside Ukraine and from Russian territory."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Airlines on alert as eruption begins in Iceland
My Way News reports: "Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano burst forth with a small eruption Saturday under the ice of Europe's largest glacier, scientists said, prompting the country to close airspace over the area. Thousands of small earthquakes have rattled the volcano, located deep beneath the Vatnajokull glacier, in the last week. "

Wars and Rumors of War

My Way News - US won't let borders hamper fight vs. extremists
My Way News reports: "A senior White House official raised the possibility Friday of a broader American military campaign that targets an Islamic extremist group's bases in Syria, saying the U.S would take whatever action is necessary to protect national security."

Pestilence

My Way News - American Ebola doc: 'I am thrilled to be alive'
My Way News reports: "Calling it a "miraculous day," an American doctor infected with Ebola left his isolation unit and warmly hugged his doctors and nurses on Thursday, showing the world that he poses no public health threat one month after getting sick with the virus. [...] At least 2,473 people have been sickened in this outbreak — more than the caseloads of all the previous two-dozen Ebola outbreaks combined, according to the World Health Organization."

Wars and Rumors of Wars

My Way News - Hamas admits kidnapping Israeli teens
My Way News reports: "A senior Hamas leader has said the group carried out the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli teens in the West Bank in June — the first time anyone from the Islamic militant group has said it was behind an attack that helped spark the current war in the Gaza Strip."

My Way News - Israel kills 3 Hamas military commanders in Gaza:
My Way News reports: "Israel stepped up its campaign against Gaza's ruling Hamas on Thursday, killing three of the group's senior military commanders in an airstrike that pulverized a four-story home, the second such attack targeting top leaders in two days."

Pestilence

My Way News - Liberian slums barricaded as Ebola sets new record
My Way News reports: "Riot police and soldiers acting on their president's orders used scrap wood and barbed wire to seal off 50,000 people inside their Liberian slum Wednesday, trying to contain the Ebola outbreak that has killed 1,350 people and counting across West Africa."

Persecution

NYTimes.com - Who Will Stand Up for the Christians?
The New York Times opines: "WHY is the world silent while Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East and Africa? In Europe and in the United States, we have witnessed demonstrations over the tragic deaths of Palestinians who have been used as human shields by Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls Gaza. The United Nations has held inquiries and focuses its anger on Israel for defending itself against that same terrorist organization. But the barbarous slaughter of thousands upon thousands of Christians is met with relative indifference."

Nations in Distress

My Way News - Tens of thousands march on Pakistani parliament
My Way News reports: "Tens of thousands of protesters armed with wire cutters and backed by cranes broke through barriers protecting Pakistan's parliament and other government buildings Tuesday night, demanding the country's prime minister resign."

Wars and Rumors of War

My Way News - US officials: Video shows American's beheading
My Way News reports: "A grisly video released Tuesday shows Islamic State militants beheading American journalist James Foley, U.S. officials said, in what the extremists called retribution for recent U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. The militants threatened to kill another captive they also identified as an American journalist."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Thousands of intense earthquakes rock Iceland:
My Way News reports: "Thousands of small intense earthquakes are rocking Iceland amid concerns that one of the country's volcanoes may be close to erupting. Iceland has raised its aviation alert level for the risk of a possible volcanic eruption to orange — the second-most severe level. [...] Some 3,000 earthquakes have taken place since Saturday in Bardarbunga — a subglacial stratovolcano located under Iceland's largest glacier."

Earthquakes

My Way News - Strong quake hits remote area in southwest Iran
My Way News reports: "A strong, magnitude 6.2 earthquake jolted a sparsely populated mountainous province near Iran's border with Iraq on Monday, Iranian state television reported. There were no reports of fatalities but a local official said some 60 people have been injured and that the temblor had caused widespread damage."

Pestilence

My Way News - Ebola health workers battle death, heat, rumors
My Way News reports: "Doctors and nurses fighting Ebola in West Africa are working 14-hour days, seven days a week, wearing head-to-toe gear in the heat of muddy clinics. Agonizing death is the norm. The hellish conditions aren't the only problem: Health workers struggle to convince patients they're trying to help them, not hurt them. Rumors are rife that Western aid workers are importing Ebola, stealing bodies or even deliberately infecting patients. "

Persecution

My Way News - Who stopped China Catholics going to South Korea?
My Way News reports: "Days after Chinese officials blocked Catholics from seeing the pope in South Korea, it's still unclear who was behind the action or why it was taken. [...] the central government in Beijing has offered no clarification on the matter, underscoring its discomfort about how to deal with the Vatican. The sides have no formal ties and are locked in a dispute over who has the right to appoint bishops and overall religious freedoms under the officially atheistic ruling party. Reports said about 50 Catholic clergy and laypeople were stopped at Chinese airports earlier this week. [...] Jensen and Lam said there appears to be a debate within President Xi Jinping's government over how to deal with growing religious belief in China. While some see religion as a force for social stability, they are opposed by communist hardliners wary of any challenge to the party's authority, they said."

Covenant With Many - Final Kingdom

My Way News - EU says status quo for Gaza 'not an option'
My Way News reports: "The European Union offered Friday to take charge of Gaza's border crossings and work to prevent illegal arms flows, insisting on a durable truce and saying a return to the status quo before the latest war 'is not an option.' [...] The EU is prepared 'to play a strong role' in managing the crossings while assuring that Israel's security is guaranteed, said the 28-nation bloc's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton."

Rumors of War

My Way News - Russia denies its vehicles destroyed in Ukraine
My Way News reports: "NATO on Friday said a Russian military column ventured overnight into Ukraine, and the Ukrainian president said his forces destroyed most of it. Russia denied all of this, but the reports spooked global markets and overshadowed optimism driven by agreement over a Russian aid convoy bound for eastern Ukraine. [...] The fighting in eastern Ukraine has claimed nearly 2,100 lives, half of those in the last few weeks as the Ukrainian troops regained more and more rebel-held territory. It began in April, a month after Russia annexed Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea."

Fearsome Events - Rumors of War - Pestilence

My Way News - Why global turmoil hasn't sunk US markets. Yet.
My Way News reports: "Europe appears on the brink of another recession. Islamic militants have seized Iraqi territory. Russian troops have massed on the Ukraine border, and the resulting sanctions are disrupting trade. An Ebola outbreak in Africa and Israel's war in Gaza are contributing to the gloom. It's been a grim summer in much of the world. "

Pestilence

My Way News - Aid group: W. Africa Ebola outbreak like 'wartime'
My Way News reports: "The Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 1,100 people in West Africa could last another six months, the Doctors Without Borders charity group said Friday. One aid worker acknowledged that the true death toll is still unknown."

Pestilence

My Way News - WHO: Ebola toll may 'vastly underestimate' crisis
My Way News reports: "There is evidence the numbers of dead and sickened by Ebola in West Africa may "vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak," the World Health Organization said Thursday. The U.N. health agency said it was prepared for the crisis to continue for months. With more than 1,060 deaths and 1,975 sickened, the Ebola outbreak is already the deadliest ever."