MEMRI: Arab Press Reactions to the Madrid Bombings
Reaction is mixed. Some Arabs decry terrorism and try to distance themselves and Islam from it. Other Arabs rejoice in terrorism. Still others said that the Jews planted the bombs. And so it goes, as once again Jerusalem proves a stumbling block to the nations [Zechariah 12].

Israel Missile Strike Kills Hamas Leader
AP reports, "Israel assassinated Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi in a missile strike on his car Saturday, part of its declared campaign to wipe out the Islamic militant group's leadership ahead of a planned Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip...Rantisi was one of the most hard-line members of the militant movement, which rejects all compromise with Israel and calls for the destruction of the Jewish state."

Arafat Condemns Bush Position on Mideast
AP reports, "Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Saturday condemned U.S. support for Israel's position on two of the thorniest issues in the Mideast conflict, saying no one can negotiate away the Palestinians' rights." :: For your files on Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6) and Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:26). :: Right, is it unexpected that Arafat would condemn U.S. support for Israel?

Paying for drinks with wave of the hand
WND reports, "Club-goers in Spain get implanted chips for ID, payment purposes." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on ID tech and commerce tech trends.

Mideast quartet backs Gaza withdrawal
AFP and Yahoo News report, "Israel's plans for unilateral withdrawal from the Gaza Strip met with a cautious welcome from sponsors of the Middle East peace process, but Washington's surprise policy shift drew Arab outrage and sparked fears worldwide of further violence. The European Union and Russia, which along with the United States and the United Nations form the diplomatic 'quartet' backing the peace process, supported the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:27) files on Mideast peace plans.

Bush Endorses Israel's Plan on West Bank
AP reports, "In a historic policy shift, President Bush on Thursday endorsed Israel's plan to hold on to part of the West Bank in any final peace settlement with the Palestinians." :: CWM, Dan 9:27.

The Missing Moon of Sedna
NASA Science News reports, "Astronomers examining Hubble Space Telescope images of distant Sedna say the planetoid is even more mysterious than they first thought." :: Luke 21:11

San Andreas May Be on Cusp of More Quakes
AP reports, "The notorious San Andreas fault may be on the cusp of producing a flurry of earthquakes that could rattle Southern California with a strong temblor every few decades or less, a geologist said Wednesday." :: Matt 24:7.

Baghdad and Parts of Central Iraq Chaotic
AP reports, "A U.S. AC-130 gunship raked targets in Fallujah on Friday night after hundreds of women and children fled the besieged city during a pause in the Marine offensive. On the anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, Baghdad and parts of central Iraq were chaotic." :: Submitted for your files on War (Matthew 24:6).

Palestinian Youth Rush Temple Mount
The Washington Times reports, "Israeli police Friday blocked scores of Palestinian youths from storming Jerusalem's Temple Mount." :: Submitted for your files on the Temple Mount/Holy Place (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Fierce Fighting Rages in Iraq, Foreigners Kidnapped
Reuters and Yahoo News report, "U.S.-led troops fought fierce battles with Sunni and Shi'ite rebels Thursday and a spate of kidnappings snared foreigners as Iraq descended into bloody chaos not seen since Saddam Hussein's fall a year ago." :: For your War (Matthew 24:6) files.

U.S. Fights On Shi'ite, Sunni Fronts
Middle Eeast News Line reports, "The U.S. military faces a two-front insurgency war in Iraq. U.S. and coalition troops have been fighting Sunni and Shi'ite militias in central and southern Iraq in the most intense battles since the war in April 2003. Over the last two days, about a dozen U.S. marines have been killed in clashes in such cities as Faluja, Karbala, Nasseriya and Ramadi." :: For your War (Matthew 24:6) files.

12 Marines, 66 Iraqis Killed in Battles
AP reports, "Insurgents and rebellious Shiites mounted a string of attacks across Iraq's Shiite south and U.S. Marines launched a major assault on the turbulent Sunni city of Fallujah on Tuesday. Up to a dozen Marines, two more coalition soldiers and at least 66 Iraqis were reported killed." :: Submitted for your War (Matthew 24:6) files.

Concern over biometric passports
BBC News reports, "Civil rights campaigners have voiced concerns over plans to implement a global biometric identity system for air travellers." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on biometrics and trends in ID technology.

Gibson's 'The Passion' a Hit Among Arabs
AP reports, "The Quran...says Jesus's crucifixion never happened. Such are the contradictions that are welling up as the Arab world deals with "The Passion," even as the film draws large audiences in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries that have approved it for screening." :: Submitted for your files on the Gospel Preached to All Nations (Matthew 24:14).

Passport Safety, Privacy Face Off
Wired News reports, "Future passports may include digital mug shots and RFID tags full of sensitive personal information. While government agencies like the idea of tamper-resistant documents, privacy advocates see an attempt to impose a global ID system." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on ID tech, biometrics, RFID chips and national ID cards. Yes, this report has it all.

Police Storm Disputed Jerusalem Holy Site
AP reports, "Hundreds of Israeli police in riot gear stormed a disputed holy site Friday, firing tear gas, stun grenades and plastic bullets to disperse Muslim worshippers throwing stones and shoes at them. After the initial clashes, thousands of Palestinians barricaded themselves in two mosques in the walled compound for about two hours, before police agreed to let them leave without threat of arrest."

UFO blasts sky like 50,000 spotlights
World Net Daily reports, "Was it a brilliant meteor that flashed across Australia? 'Suddenly there was this flash, it's the only way I can describe it - it was so bright it was a white flash and it lit everything up. It was like somebody had turned on 50,000 spotlights.' That's how Elsa Nelms described the bright light in the Australian outback around 7 p.m. local time last night, as a huge fireball reportedly crashed to Earth somewhere in the state of Queensland." :: Submitted for your files on Signs and Wonders in the Heavens (Luke 21:11).

Eastern Temple Mount Wall In Danger of Collapse
The Jerusalem Post reports, "The eastern wall of Jerusalem's Temple Mount is in danger of immediate collapse because of damaged caused by a freak winter earthquake that rattled the region." :: Submitted for your files on the Temple Mount (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Report: Anti-Semitism Up Across Europe
AP reports, "Violence against Jews is on the rise in several European Union countries, an EU report said Wednesday. France had a six-fold increase between 2002 and 2003 in the number of violent anti-Semitic incidents and documented threats, according to the report by the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia." :: Submitted for your files on anti-Semitism.

Teacher Charged With Choking Second-Grader
AP reports, "A substitute teacher is accused of using a string to choke a 7-year-old student who had not done his homework. Albert Coleman, 59, is accused of slipping a string around the child's neck and drawing it tight, police said. He was fired by the Newark school district, and police charged him with aggravated assault following Monday's incident at the Elliott Street School." :: Submitted for your Wickedness Increases (Matthew 24:12) files on crimes against children.

Iraqis Drag 4 U.S. Bodies Through Streets
AP reports, "In a scene reminiscent of Somalia, frenzied crowds dragged the burned, mutilated bodies of four American contractors through the streets of a town west of Baghdad on Wednesday and strung two of them up from a bridge after rebels ambushed their SUVs." :: Submitted for your War (Matthew 24:6) files.

101 Detained in Danish Child Porn Raids
AP repots, "Acting on a tip from U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Danish police raided scores of homes Tuesday and detained 101 men suspected of using credit cards to access Web sites containing child pornography." :: Submitted for your Wickedness Increases (Matthew 24:12) files on crimes against children.

New Scientist: NASA develops 'mind-reading' system
The new system works through sensors attached under the chin and to the side of the larynx. NASA hopes to use this to:

feed "spoken" commands into a speech-reco command interpreter and
1. help a disabled person to talk who otherwise cannot talk.

The article foresees another application: people being able to "whisper" without making even that much sound.

This could have an obvious terrorist application: imagine teams of saboteurs or kidnappers coordinating their movements without their victims ever being aware of them until they are ready to strike, pounce, or blow something up, or execute whatever orders they had. But I imagine something else: think how the apparatus of the Beast and the False Prophet [Revelation 13] could use an apparatus like this.

Russia Boasts Weapon to Battle Star Wars
AP & Yahoo News report, "Russia has designed a 'revolutionary' weapon that would make the prospective U.S. missile defense useless, Russian news agencies reported Monday, quoting a senior Defense Ministry official...Military analysts said that the mysterious new weapons could be a maneuverable ballistic missile warhead or a hypersonic cruise missile." :: Submitted for your files on Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6).

Moscow Court Bans Jehovah's Witnesses
AP reports, "A Moscow court has banned the religious activities of Jehovah's Witnesses from the Russian capital in a move that critics called a step back for democracy and religious freedom." :: Submitted for your files on religious persecution (Matthew 24:8).

Child Is 10th Victim of Turkey Earthquake
AP reports, "The death of a young girl on Saturday raised 10 the number of people killed in an earthquake earlier this week in eastern Turkey, the Anatolia news agency reported." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.

Rare Hurricane Forms in South Atlantic
AP reports, "The first known hurricane to form in the South Atlantic threatened the coast of Brazil on Saturday packing winds of about 85 mph. No other hurricane has been spotted in the South Atlantic since satellites began tracking weather systems in the 1960s, said Robbie Berg, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami." :: Submitted for your files on Fearsome Events (Luke 21:11).

7 Killed As Quake Shakes Eastern Turkey
AP reports, "A strong earthquake shook eastern Turkey on Thursday, collapsing several homes and killing at least seven people, including four children, an official said." :: Submitted for your files on Quakes (Matthew 24:7).

Blair Makes Historic Visit to Libya
AP reports, "British Prime Minister Tony Blair, after a historic meeting with Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi, said the former North African pariah state could become an important partner in the war on terror as it fulfills a pledge to scrap weapons of mass destruction." :: Libya is an important country to watch, called Cush in Bible prophecy, it is mentioned several times (Ezekiel 38:5; Daniel 11:43).

Megapixel Camera Phones Are Coming:
AP reports, "The megapixel camera phones are coming, probably just in time for the arrival of speedier cellular technologies that can transmit higher-quality digital photos and even video." :: This report is submitted for you files on Global Community (Rev 9:11). And a word of explanation for those unfamiliar with this particular prophecy, there will come a time when global news events happen that touch the lives of everyone, and they respond by sending each other "gifts." Whether one can interpret gifts to mean e-mail and images (still or vid) or actual gifts, the fact remains that technology is bringing us all closer together and able to participate directly in global news events.

Supreme Court to Take Up 'Under God'
AP reports, "Americans overwhelmingly want the phrase 'under God' preserved in the Pledge of Allegiance, a new poll says as the Supreme Court on Wednesday examines whether the classroom salute crosses the division of church and state." :: While this report does not really fit our classic definition of persecution (Matthew 24:8), it does point to the animosity some have at even the generic mention of God.

Jewish Center in France Set on Fire
AP and Yahoo News report, "Attackers set fire to a Jewish community center in southeast France overnight, causing slight damage to the entry hall, police said Tuesday...France has been battling anti-Semitic violence for more than two years, often involving attacks against Jewish schools, synagogues and community centers. In March 2002, a synagogue in the nearby city of Marseille was burned to the ground." :: Submitted for Wickedness Increases (Matthew 24:12) files on the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe.

Five Planets Visible Across Evening Sky
AP reports, "Five planets are arrayed across the evening sky in a spectacular night show that won't be back for another three decades. For the next two weeks, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn - the five closest planets - should be easily visible at dusk, along with the moon." :: Submitted for your files on Signs and Wonders in the Heavens (Luke 21:11).

WorldNetDaily: Iraqi cops: Youth drugged, brainwashed
In the days of the Crusades, they gave hashish to young men and then invited them into a fancied-up whorehouse. Afterward they told these men--the hashshasheen (whence assassin)--that they had just had a taste of the heaven that awaited them if they went out and killed in the name of the faith. And today they use narcotics. It hasn't changed much, has it?::Submitted for your wild man in the desert [Genesis 25] files.

Israel assassinates Sheikh Yassin, Hamas pledges all-out war
AFP and Yahoo News report, "Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike in Gaza, prompting the Palestinian radical Islamist movement he founded to declare all-out war on Israel." :: Submitted for your files on the Battle for Jerusalem (Ezekiel 38:8; Zechariah 12; Luke 21:20).

Sony, Infineon develop multi-function IC cards
AFP reports, "Sony said it has jointly developed a hi-tech card which will enable users to clear a railway ticket gate, withdraw cash from a bank machine and pay a restaurant bill." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) on cool new commerce technology.

Terror Blasts Kill at Least 192 in Spain
AP reports, "A series of bombs hidden in backpacks exploded in quick succession Thursday, blowing apart four commuter trains and killing at least 192 people and wounding more than 1,400. Spain at first blamed Basque separatists but a shadowy group claimed responsibility in the name of al-Qaida for the worst terrorist attack in Spanish history." :: Submitted for your War (Matthew 24:6) and Fearsome Events (Luke 21:11) files.

MEMRI: Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Hassan Rohani: The World Must Accept Iran's Membership in the World Nuclear Club

In other words: "We have nuclear weapons, and there is nothing that you can or even should do about it."

Ask yourselves: Against whom would Iran use such weapons, if not something called Israel? We see here that Persia is arming itself for the Gog/Magog War [Ezekiel 38].

Hubble Images Show Deepest Universe View
AP reports, "The deepest-ever view of the universe, a long-duration exposure by the Hubble Space Telescope that looks back to the edge of the big bang, shows a chaotic scramble of odd galaxies, smashing into each other and re-forming in bizarre shapes." :: Submitted for your files on Signs in the Stars (Luke 21:25) files.

Arafat resolved to reach Temple Mount - alive or dead
Jerusalem Newsire reports, "Blood-soaked PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat is reportedly determined to get control over God's holy hill, the Temple Mount, even if it has to be after and through his death. But the self-styled champion of the quest to secure incontestable Islamic control over Israel's holiest site faces growing opposition to his hopes of being buried on the Temple Mount from among his fellow faithful." :: Submitted for your files on the Temple Mount (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Tech Co. Helps Monitor Disease Outbreaks
AP reports, "Now 33, Meyer has shifted his peripatetic existence into a steady gig - head of Voxiva Inc., a company he founded in 2001 to help developing countries monitor disease outbreaks and other health information." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.

Japan Cabinet OK's War Contingencies
AP reports, "Japan's Cabinet endorsed a set of proposals Tuesday to respond to a foreign attack and other emergencies by tightening coordination with the U.S. military, boosting the powers of Japanese forces and evacuating citizens." :: Submitted for your files on Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6).

German Airport to Get Biometric Security
AP reports, "Frankfurt airport and Lufthansa airline employees will be able to pass security checks by scanning their biometric data, such as fingerprints and iris patterns, under a pilot project announced Friday." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on biometric ID technology.

Report: Chinese Police Detain Church Head
AP reports, "Police beat a leader of an underground Christian church and his wife during a campaign to stifle dissent during the annual meeting of China's legislature, a human rights group alleged Saturday." :: Submitted for your files on Persecution (Matthew 24:8).

2003 Likely Europe's Hottest in 500 Years
AP reports, "Last year's deadly summer in Europe probably was the hottest on the continent in at least five centuries, according to researchers who analyzed old records, soil cores and other evidence. More than 19,000 people died." :: Submitted for your Fear for the Future (Luke 21:26) files on climate change.

Superflu is being brewed in the lab
Gyre picks up a New Scientist report that states, "After the worldwide alarm triggered by 2003's SARS outbreak, it might seem reckless to set about creating a potentially far more devastating virus in the lab. But that is what is being attempted by some researchers, who argue that the dangers of doing nothing are even greater." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) and Fear for the Future (Luke 21:26) files.

Target Phasing Out 'Smart' Visa Cards
Reuters/Yahoo News reports, "Retailing giant Target Corp. is phasing out computer chips on its Target Visa cards due to limited shopper use, dealing a setback to proponents of "smart card" technology." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on commerce tech.

Iraq Blasts Kill 143 on Shiite Holy Day
AP reports, "Suicide bombers carried out simultaneous attacks on Shiite Muslim shrines in Iraq on Tuesday, detonating multiple explosions that ripped through crowds of pilgrims. At least 143 people were killed and 430 wounded - the bloodiest day since the fall of Saddam Hussein." :: Submitted for your files on Wars and Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6).

German Retailer Halts Radio Chip Practice
AP reports, "German retail giant Metro Group said Friday it will stop putting 'smart tag' chips inside customer loyalty cards, a practice that sparked protests by privacy advocates who say the cards could allow stores to secretly track consumers as they shop." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on ID technology.

Israeli Police Storm Jerusalem Shrine
AP reports, "Israeli police stormed the compound of one of Jerusalem's holiest sites on Friday after hundreds of Palestinian worshippers threw stones at security forces, police said...The compound - known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif - is one of the most sensitive spots in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The shrine, site of the biblical Jewish temples, holds the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosques." :: Submitted for your files on the Holy Place - Temple Mount (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Indonesian Leader Consoles Dengue Families
AP reports, "President Megawati Sukarnoputri planned to convey her 'shock and concern' over the country's highest-ever death toll from dengue fever during a televised speech, a spokesman said Thursday. The outbreak had killed 260 people as of Thursday in 22 of Indonesia's 32 provinces and sickened more than 14,625 others since the disease was first detected last month, the health ministry said." :: Submitted for your files on Pestilence (Luke 21:11).

Rebels Preparing to Attack Haiti Capital
AP reports, "Haiti's rebel leader said his fighters were advancing on the capital Thursday and awaited an order to attack unless President Jean-Bertrand Aristide resigns. The United States questioned whether Aristide could 'effectively continue' in office." :: Submitted for your files on Nations in Distress (Luke 21:25).

China Indicts 2 Unofficial Church Leaders
AP/Yahoo News reports, "China has indicted two leaders of the unofficial Protestant church for allegedly obtaining state secrets amid a deepening crackdown on worship outside government controls, an overseas monitoring group said Wednesday." :: Submitted for your files on the Persecution of Believers (Matthew 24:8).

Thousands Flock to 'Passion' Showing
AP reports, "The people streaming out of the movie theater looked as if they'd just attended a wake - and many said they felt as if they had. Red eyes and muffled crying were common as Christians and the merely curious flocked to theaters nationwide for the Ash Wednesday opening of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ." :: Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files.

Haitian Rebels Won't Attack Capital Yet
AP reports, "The leader of armed rebels who have overrun half of Haiti said Wednesday he wants to "give a chance to peace" and indicated his troops would hold off attacking the capital to see if President Jean-Bertrand Aristide will resign." :: Submitted for your files on Nations in Distress (Luke 21:25).

AP Movie Review: 'Passion' Is Brutal
AP reports, "The frightened speculation from religious leaders and frantic banter from 24-hour cable news pundits can end now: The Passion of the Christ is arriving in theaters - about 2,800 of them - in a shrewd marketing move by Mel Gibson to let everyone see and judge the film for themselves." :: Submitted for your files on the sharing of the Gospel with all nations (Matthew 24:14).

Purported al-Qaida Audiotape Taunts Bush
AP reports, "Two audiotapes purportedly of Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant were broadcast on Arabic TV stations Tuesday, one taunting President Bush and threatening more attacks on the United States..." :: Submitted for your files on Wars and Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6).

Earthquake Kills More Than 560 in Morocco
AP reports, "A powerful earthquake devastated an isolated,picturesque region of northern Morocco on Tuesday, killing more than 560 people as they slept, injuring hundreds more and laying ruin to villages that suffered for decades under government neglect." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.

MEMRI: Iranian Government Daily: The U.S. & 'Zionists' have Bribed the IAEA to Fabricate Lies About Iran's Nuclear Progress
That Iran blames Israel for their public-relations woes speaks volumes about their ultimate aim: to attack Israel. Ezekiel [chh. 38-39] tells us that they will participate in a Russian-led coalition to do just that--the Gog-Magog War. Ezekiel also tells us [ch. 39] that they will fail, and miserably so.

U.N. Warns HIV on Rise in Western Europe
AP reports, "The virus that causes AIDS is spreading again in Western Europe and is rampaging through Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where it infected 250,000 people last year, a United Nations health official said Monday." :: Submitted for your files on Pestilence (Luke 21:11).

Jerry Golden: A Diabolical plan to destroy Israel, and Gaza may be given to Egypt
He asks why Egypt, for example, was not investigated by the International Atomic Energy Agency, as was Libya. He also questions the wisdom of abandoning settlements in the Gaza Strip. One thing that we ought not to miss, however, is that Israel will never be destroyed, but will be a stumblingblock to the nations [Zechariah 12]. Furthermore, even if the Arabs attack Israel militarily, they will fail [Ezekiel 38-9].

Jerry Golden: Islamic Palestinian Terror Strikes Again
In light of the latest suicide bombing in Jerusalem, Jerry Golden reminds us that Islam has declared jihad, or holy war, against all non-Muslims.

If they are successful in Israel and if George Bush and Ariel Sharon has their way they will be, you are next.

More likely, the Western world will see more terror strikes, as it did in the 1980's. When it does, a military leader might arise who will draw millions to follow his lead to crush Islam once and for all. But this leader will then set up the last evil dictatorship, and people will say of him, Who is like unto the Beast? Who can make war against him? [Revelation 13:4]::Submitted also for your Jerusalem as the stumblingblock to the nations [Zechariah 12] files.

Jerusalem Suicide Bomber Kills Seven
Reuters reports, "A Palestinian suicide bomber killed seven people on a crowded Jerusalem bus Sunday..." :: Submitted for your Battle for Jerusalem (Ezekiel 38:8; Zechariah 12; Luke 21:20) files.

Faithful Get Sneak Peek at 'Passion'
Yahoo News/AP reports, "The release of "The Passion of the Christ" is just days away, but anticipation is so strong that churches from Maine to California have struck deals to see the film in their local theaters ahead of time." :: Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files.

Mel Gibson's 'Passion' Already Big at Box Office
Religion Today reports, "Mel Gibson, the producer and director of The Passion of the Christ -- a graphic depiction of the final 12 hours of Jesus' life -- defended the film this week during an hour-long interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's Primetime Live. Gibson told Sawyer that he simply tried his best to interpret the Gospels. 'Critics who have a problem with me don't really have a problem with me in this film,' he said. 'They have a problem with the four Gospels.'" :: Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files.

Haiti Uprising Spreads As PM Seeks Help
AP reports, "Haiti's prime minister warned Tuesday of an impending coup and appealed for international help to contend with a bloody uprising that has claimed 57 lives." :: Submitted for your files on Nations in Distress (Luke 21:25).

Video Reveals Chinese Government Destroying Church
Crosswalk Relgion Today reports, "A shocking video of the destruction of an unregistered Chinese church has been smuggled out of China to a persecution watchdog group. The Tu Du Sha Church in Zhejiang Province was bulldozed to the ground June 26. The church, in Hangzhou City, was founded around 1930 by the group launched in the 19th century by famed missionary Hudson Taylor, China Inland Mission." :: Submitted for your Persecution (Matthew 24:8) files.

Bird Flu Death Toll Reaches 22 in Asia
AP reports, "Two 4-year-old boys became the latest victims of the bird flu virus sweeping Asia, bringing the human death toll to 22 on Wednesday." :: For your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.

German Airport Testing Iris Scan
AP reports, "Travelers at Frankfurt airport, continental Europe's busiest, can now enter Germany with a three-second scan of their eyes, providing they sign up for a test project for iris recognition technology." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on biometric ID technology.

Iraq May Be Slipping Into Civil War
AP reports, "Sunni politicians speak angrily of U.S. bias toward their Shiite rivals. Kurds are more outspoken in demanding self rule - if not independence. And someone - perhaps al-Qaida, perhaps Saddam Hussein loyalists - killed more than 100 people in recent suicide bombings. Rivalry and resentment among Iraq's ethnic and religious groups have become much more pronounced since Saddam's ouster in April. And those tensions are rising as various groups jockey for position with the approaching June 30 deadline for Iraqis to retake power The fault lines are emerging for a possible civil war." :: Submitted for your Wars & Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6) files.

Farthest Known Object From Earth Detected
AP reports, In a discovery that offers a rare glimpse back to when the universe was just 750 million years old, a team of astrophysicists said they have detected a tiny galaxy that is the farthest known object from Earth." :: Submitted for your files on Signs and Wonders in the Heavens (Luke 21:11).

MEMRI: The Mufti of Australia Calls for Jihad; 'Australia was Discovered by Afghan Muslims'
Sheikh Taj Al-Din Hamed Abdallah Al-Hilali trots out the old Muslim play book of holy war against Israel. While he's at it, he makes certain claims about Australian history that rival, in their absurdity, the claims of black supremacist Leonard Jeffries (USA) concerning Egyptian history.

However, much of what the sheikh says about "permissive Western culture" is correct, in that he picks up on things that I, as a Christian, question about contemporary society. This is why I do not believe that the Beast from the Sea can be a caliph or mufti of the world. Islam will, however, be the perfect foil for the Beast.::Submitted for your who can make war against the Beast [Revelation 13] and your they repented not of their murders, drug abuse, sex-capades, and thefts [Revelation 9:21] files.

Two Quakes Kill 20 in Northern Pakistan
AP reports, "Authorities were sending tents, blankets and food to a remote northern area of Pakistan on Sunday, a day after two strong earthquakes triggered landslides and toppled walls that killed at least 20 people and injured about 30 others, officials said." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.

Storm Drops 2 Feet of Snow on Mideast
AP reports, "In Jerusalem, heavy snow caused an old wall to collapse on the ramp leading to the Temple Mount, a site holy to Jews and Muslims. No one was injured. Prayers in the adjacent women's section at the Western Wall were canceled."

Top U.S. Commander Escapes Attack in Iraq
AP reports, "The top U.S. commander in the Middle East came under a bold attack Thursday by gunmen in the turbulent Iraqi city of Fallujah. No Americans were hurt, but a local police official said two Iraqis were killed in the shooting." :: For your Wars and Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6) files.

Moderate Quake Hits Israel; No Injuries
AP reports, "A moderate earthquake rumbled through the Middle East early Wednesday, sending jitters throughout the region and causing minor damage to Israel's parliament. No serious injuries were reported." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.

Peres Suggests Incentives for Mideast
AP reports, "Europe should provide incentives for the Palestinians and Israelis to make peace, including offering them membership in the European Union, opposition leader Shimon Peres said Wednesday." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:27) files on the search for Mideast peace. :: This plan has it all, security and border guarantees by the U.S. and E.U., membership for Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinians in the E.U. (thus completing the imperial scope of the once and future empire), and a charter (or covenant) to combat terrorism at the regional level. Thank you Mr. Peres, this will make a fine postwar settlement for all parties.

Silicon Discovery Could Speed Up PCs
AP reports, "In an advance that could inexpensively speed up corporate data centers and eventually personal computers, researchers used everyday silicon to build a device that converts data into light beams...could help make the Internet run faster, build much faster high-performance computers and enable high bandwidth applications like ultra-high-definition displays or vision recognition systems." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on pervasive computing, as well as your files on the Increase in Knowledge (Daniel 12:4).

Gaza Clash Leaves 15 Palestinians Dead -
AP reports, "An Israeli crackdown on Palestinian militants erupted Wednesday into the bloodiest fighting in the Gaza Strip in 16 months, killing 15 Palestinians and wounding more than 50. Hamas, the militant Islamic group, responded with an ominous vow of retaliation, urging all its cells throughout Gaza and the West Bank to attack." :: Submitted for your Battle for Jerusalem files.

Tests Confirm Bird Flu on 2nd Del. Farm
AP reports, "Tests confirmed avian flu on a second central Delaware farm, a surprise that creates a 'serious situation' for the region's poultry industry, state agriculture officials announced Tuesday." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files on bird flu.

Russia Tests Measures Vs. Missile Defense
AP reports, "Russia is in the midst of a strategic military exercise motivated in part by Moscow's concerns about U.S. plans to develop new types of nuclear weapons, a top general said Tuesday." :: Submitted for your Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6) files.

Palestinian, Irish PMs seek rapid "quartet" meeting on Mideast Peace
EU Business reports, "Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei on Monday called for an urgent top-level meeting of the international "quartet" which sponsored the Middle East roadmap for peace." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Danil 9:27) files on the search for Mideast peace.

Israeli Official Urges Muslim Conversions
AP reports, "A hawkish Israeli Cabinet minister has asked Christian missionaries to try to convert Islamic militants, an aide to the minister confirmed Sunday. Tourism Minister Benny Elon made the suggestion during a meeting last Wednesday with visiting Christian leaders from Europe..." Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files.

Pilot Promotes Christianity on Flight
Miami Herald and AP report that, "An American Airlines pilot asked Christians on his flight to identify themselves and suggested the non-Christians discuss the faith with them...American's Flight 34 was headed from Los Angeles to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday when the pilot asked Christians on board to raise their hands...The pilot...then suggested the other passengers use the flight time to talk to the Christians about their faith...The pilot also told passengers he would be available for discussion at the end of the flight... the pilot had just returned to work from a weeklong mission trip to Costa Rica." :: Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files. :: If you were on a plane and suddenly asked to share your faith, would you be prepared?

The Passion of The Christ' more than a movie
Dallas Baptist Standard suggests that the movie, "is not the altar call, but it can be the start of a spiritual journey whereby people turn their lives to faith in Jesus [the] Christ..." :: Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files.

'The Passion' depicts important 12 hours
Another report on the blockbuster movie of 2004, from the Mansfield News Journal.

Iraq boosts Mideast peace hopes-Israel's Peres
Reuters reports, "Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres said Friday he sensed a change in the Middle East that could foster peace in the region, helped by the U.S.-led ousting of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:26) files.

MEMRI: New Muslim Brotherhood Leader: Resistance in Iraq and Palestine is Legitimate; America is Satan; Islam Will Invade America and Europe
The "invasion" whereof Muhammad Mahdi Othman 'Akef is pleased to boast is a planned invasion of America and Europe. He is careful mainly to speak of the spread of Islam by conversion--though I would urge him to"dream on" if he thinks that large numbers of people in secular Europe (and an increasingly secularizing USA) will convert to Islam. However, I put it together with other statements he makes in the below article and have to suspect that any invasion of Europe and America will be a real, blood-and-flames invasion--spearheaded perhaps by an Air France or British Airways plane that does not get held on the tarmac and denied take-off clearance at the last minute!

Some people actually think that the real Beast from the Sea will be a restored Muslim caliph. Maybe this man think he can be that caliph. I still think that Islam will be the foil that the real Beast will use as an excuse to (a) establish a one-world government over the entire habitable earth, and (b) label any "religious fundamentalist" as a traitor. That, unfortunately, will include Christians as well--and many commentators in America already suggest that Christians are no better than Muslims when it comes to "wanting to foist their morality on everybody else," et cetera ad nauseam.::Submitted for your ride a red horse [Revelation 6:3-4] and who can make war on the Beast [Revelation 13:4] files.

Gibson Film Gets Huge Marketing Effort
AP. "Churches are reserving entire theaters for opening day. A national evangelical organization is helping sell tickets from its Web site. Pastors are planning sermons timed to the movie's Ash Wednesday release. Mel Gibson's epic, The Passion of the Christ, is the subject of an unprecedented marketing effort that has inspired everyday Christians and their spiritual leaders to sell the film and its message - both to other faithful and the nonreligious." :: Submitted for your Gospel Preached to All (Matthew 24:14) files.

MEMRI: Egyptian Government Daily: Suicide Bombings are Legitimate Even if Children Are Killed
MEMRI has seen a lot of this kind of "yellow journalism" in Egyptian government organs lately. Note: "the Zionist entity" is the Republic of Israel, and the "deadly weapons" reference is to an allegation that Israel possesses a nuclear weapon or weapons which they are prepared to detonate if an Arab army overruns their country.::Submitted for your struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 12] and Gog-Magog War [Ezekiel 38-9] files.

Arafat Adviser Accuses U.S. of Blackmail
AP reports that, "Israeli and Palestinian officials, meanwhile, failed again Wednesday to reach agreement on a date for a meeting between their two leaders. Such a summit is seen as vital for reviving the U.S.-backed 'road map' peace plan." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:26) files on the search for Mideast peace.

Experts Worry Terrorists Have Nuke Plans
AP reports, "The nuclear black market that let Iran, Libya and North Korea acquire weapons technology from Pakistan under the noses of international monitors raised suspicions that terror groups also acquired bomb components or plans, experts told The Associated Press." :: Submitted for your Fear for the Future (Luke 21:26) files.

Microsoft Spells Out RFID Strategy
RFID Journal reports, "Microsoft plans to be a major player in the RFID market." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on ID tech.

Authors of alternative Mideast peace plan win EU backing
EU Business reports that, "European Union officials gave their backing Monday to an unofficial Middle East peace plan, the Geneva Initiative, designed to unblock the bloody stalemate." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:27) files on the search for Mideast peace.

Video reveals neglect of Temple remains
Jerusalem Post reports that, "heaps of garbage on the Temple Mount along with two tractors and piles of new slabs of stone are seen in a video taken secretly at the Jerusalem holy site..." :: Submitted for your files on the Temple Mount (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4).

Archaeologist: Jewish Relics Endangered
AP reports, "An Israeli archaeologist charged that Muslim authorities are excavating a disputed holy site in Jerusalem in a way that endangers what she says may be remains of the biblical Jewish Temples...The sacred hilltop in the Old City of Jerusalem is known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it houses the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site. Muslims call it the Noble Sanctuary.":: Submitted for your Holy Place (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4) files on the Temple Mount.

Space militarization looms as threat of 21st century
Space War reports, "The 20th century added a new dimension to warfare with the nuclear bomb, and the 21st could well be remembered for bringing the arms race into space, a French weapons expert said Thursday." :: Submitted for your War (Matthew 24:6) files.

The Golden Report: The promotion of Islam on CNN & BBC
In the face of the latest suicide bombing, all that the BBC or CNN want to talk about is the Hajj.::Submitted for your struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 14] and your stumblingblock for the nations [Zechariah 12] files.

MEMRI: Saudi Princess Fahda bint Saud ibn Abd Al-Aziz: Conspiracy Theories and Other Writings
This alleged daughter of the Saudi King shows once again that the Saudis are playing the world for fools. Now she says that neo-conservative conspirators are responsible for recent terrorist operations within Saudi borders. The rest of what she says is a collection of anti-Semitic rants.::Submitted for your wild man in the desert [Genesis 25] and struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 14] files.