WorldNetDaily: 'War within 10 months'Aaron Klein, Jerusalem bureau chief at WorldNetDaily, opens thus:

JERUSALEM – Syria and Hezbollah are likely to start a war with the Jewish state within 10 months, according to an assessment presented to the political leadership here by the Israeli Defense Forces.

See Ezekiel chh. 38-9 for the required prophetic perspective.

Note that the Rapture (I Thess. 4:16-18, I Cor. 15:51-2, Rev. 3:10, Rev. 4:1) can always be "next" and that Ezekiel's War need not precede the Rapture. But if this is Ezekiel's War, then the Rapture cannot be far behind.

BBC News - Blair goes on ID card offensive
BBC News reports, "Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he will push on with ID cards - insisting that as with CCTV and DNA the issue is one of 'modernity' not civil liberties." [Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-18]

My Way News - ANALYSIS: Mideast Peace Remains Elusive:
This AP report indicates that members of the Hamas government are suggesting a time-out in their war with Israel. Those of you who have questioned the notion of a time delimited peace agreement should carefully note this idea, called a hudna, of a ceasefire to last ten years. From the AP report:

The senior Israeli official confirmed back-channel contacts between Hamas representatives and members of Israeli civil society with close links to their government. He offered no details, but Palestinians with knowledge of the talks said Hamas reiterated its offer of a 10-year cease-fire, or hudna, during which Israel and the Palestinians could seek a more permanent settlement. Ahmed Yousef, political adviser to Prime Minister Haniyeh, has begun a media offensive to tout the hudna idea - Hamas's only diplomatic card. 'I hope that one day America will find time to read a hudna as a concept,' Yousef told the AP in a recent interview in Gaza. 'This concept could be at least a process to build confidence, and it might be a long strategy for peace.'

It would be interesting if they negotiated the ceasefire down to seven years. [Covenant With Many/Mideast Peace, Ezekiel 38:7-13; Daniel 9:27]

CNN - Seafood 'faces collapse by 2048'
CNN reports: If current trends of overfishing and pollution continue, the populations of just about all seafood face collapse by 2048, a team of ecologists and economists warns in a report in Friday's issue of the journal Science." [Fear/Apprehensive for the Future, Luke 21:26]

My Way News - Iran Test-Fires Longer Range Missile
AP reports: "Iran test-fired dozens of missiles, including the Shahab-3 that can reach Israel, in military maneuvers Thursday that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region." [Rumors of War/Iran, Matthew 24:6/Ezekiel 38:5]

BBC NEWS - US issues Lebanon 'plot' warning
The BBC reports: "The United States has said there is 'mounting evidence' that Syria, Iran and Hezbollah are planning to topple the Lebanese government." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Iran Announces Military Maneuvers
AP reports: "Iran unexpectedly announced Wednesday that it would be holding military maneuvers in the Gulf this week, only days after U.S.-led navies held exercises in the same waterway." [Rumors of War/Iran, Matthew 24:6/Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Scientists Uncover New Bird Flu Strain
AP reports: "Scientists have discovered a new strain of bird flu that appears to sidestep current vaccines. It's infecting people as well as poultry in Asia, and some researchers fear its evolution may have been steered by the vaccination programs designed to protect poultry from earlier types of the H5N1 flu." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Iran Warns of Response to Nuke Sanctions
AP reports: "Iran's firebrand president warned on Monday that his country would respond with an 'appropriate and firm response' to any U.N. sanction over its nuclear program."

EuroNews - Europe's drive to re-open the road map for peace: The EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana has called for Middle-East leaders to get peace talks up and running again. [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Egyptian Troops Deploy Along Gaza Border
AP reports: "Up to 5,000 Egyptian soldiers deployed near the Egypt-Gaza border Saturday after reports of a possible Israeli 'smart bomb' attack on suspected smuggling tunnels, security officials said."

My Way News - Abbas Seeks to Bolster Loyalist Forces
AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hopes to beef up his loyalist forces with Palestine Liberation Organization troops stationed in Jordan, Palestinian officials said, as rival Palestinian factions bolstered their ranks in anticipation of a feared civil war."

Island states seek aid from rising tides - CNN.com
Reuters reports: "Aid and scientific groups have warned that millions in the Asia-Pacific region may be made homeless by sea level rises of up to 50 cm (19.7 inches) by 2070." [Roaring Seas and Tides, Luke 21:25]

Space Weather - Comet Outburst
SpaceWeather.com reports: Astronomers report that Comet Swan has suddenly increased in brightness 4-fold, from magnitude +6 to +4.5. This makes it a naked-eye object in dark skies and a lovely sight through backyard telescopes. [Signs in the Stars, Luke 21:25]

Yahoo News - Biometric device used to pay for meals
AP reports, "Colleges and high schools have used fingerprint scanners to stop non-students from sneaking into dining halls and gyms. Now elementary schools are joining in, hoping that biometric devices are a good way to keep lines moving and pay for meals." [Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-18]

My Way News - Spain Says Mideast 'Road Map' Stalled
AP reports: "A leading European voice on the Middle East said Tuesday that the 'road map' for peace in the long-suffering region had fatally stalled, but Israeli and Palestinian officials were quick to brand his comments as overly pessimistic." [Mideast Peace/Covenant With Many, Ezekiel 38:7-13; Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Moderate Earthquake Strikes Turkey
AP reports: "A moderate earthquake struck northwest Turkey on Tuesday, shaking parts of Istanbul, but no damage or injuries were immediately reported." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Riots mar Hungary 1956 uprising commemoration
AP reports: "Hungarian police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at thousands of anti-government protesters on Monday, marring commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the 1956 uprising against Soviet rule." [Nations in Distress, Luke 21:25]

Wired News - Get Your Daily Plague Forecast
Wired reports, "The new Healthmap website digests information from a variety of sources ranging from the World Health Organization to Google News and plots the spread of about 50 diseases on a continually updated global map." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Scientists Say Hawaii Hit by Two Quakes
AP reports: "Scientists are investigating whether a magnitude-6.0 earthquake that rocked Hawaii within minutes of Sunday's 6.7 temblor was a separate quake and not an aftershock." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Bush: U.S. Will Stop N. Korea Nuke Moves
AP reports: "President Bush said Wednesday the United States would stop North Korea from transferring nuclear weapons to Iran or al-Qaida and that the communist regime would then face 'a grave consequence.'" [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - N. Korea Apparently Preparing Nuke Test
AP reports: "Satellite images indicate North Korea appears to be getting ready for a second nuclear test, officials said Tuesday, as the defiant communist regime held huge rallies and proclaimed that U.N. sanctions amount to a declaration of war." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

Houston Chronicle - 30 more countries could have nukes soon
AP reports: "The head of the U.N. nuclear agency warned Monday that as many as 30 countries could soon have technology that would let them produce atomic weapons 'in a very short time,' joining the nine states known or suspected to have such arms." [Rumors of War & Fear for the Future, Matthew 24:6 & Luke 21:26]

My Way News - Strong Quake Knocks Out Power in Hawaii
AP reports: "A strong earthquake shook Hawaii early Sunday, jolting residents out of bed and causing a landslide that blocked a major highway. Ceilings crashed at a hospital, and aftershocks kept the state on edge." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Ban Named Next U.N. Secretary-General
AP reports: "The U.N. General Assembly appointed South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next U.N. secretary-general Friday, and the veteran diplomat who grew up during a war that divided his country pledged to make peace with North Korea a top priority." [Global Government, Rev 13:7; 17]

My Way News - WHO: Plague Outbreak in Congo Kills 42
AP reports: "Pneumonic plague is suspected to have broken out in two areas in Congo, causing a reported 42 deaths, the World Health Organization said Friday. WHO said it had received reports of 626 cases, mostly in the town of Wamba in northern Oriental province." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Merits of Novel Bird Flu Vaccine Studied
AP reports: "A unique study suggests there may be a way to kick-start people's protection against bird flu just in case it triggers a worldwide outbreak years from now." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

BBC News - Air passengers 'could be tagged'
BBC reports, "Electronically tagging passengers at airports could help the fight against terrorism, scientists have said." [Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-18]

ISN Security Watch - China adapts to US defense transformation
ISN reports, "In response to increased US military presence and changes in US military strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, China is modernizing its armed forces to counter US power projection capabilities." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; Kings of the East, Rev 16:12]

Christian Today - Pakistan Earthquake Homeless Face Winter Crisis, Warns Church World Service
CWS reports: "Church World Service (CWS) has warned that as many as 400,000 people in northern Pakistan and Kashmir are still without permanent shelter following last year’s massive earthquake and now face a major health crisis in the onslaught of a predicted early and harsh winter." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Jupiter Tiny Spot Goes From White to Red
AP reports: "Just a little more than a year ago, the small spot on Jupiter was a pale white; now it matches the reddish hue of its bigger sibling, the Great Red Spot, and boasts 400 mph winds, according to new data from the Hubble Space Telescope."

Franklin Graham slams Islamic jihad against Christians - Jerusalem Newswire
AP reports: "The Rev. Franklin Graham, son of renowned American evangelist Billy Graham, took another swipe at Islam this week, blasting the so-called 'religion of peace' for teaching its followers to 'persecute' others until they convert." [Believers Persecuted, Matthew 24:8]

Abdullah looks to strengthen hold on Temple Mount
Jerusalem Newswire reports: "Jordan's King Abdullah II is looking to strengthen Islam's hold over Jerusalem's Temple Mount by adding a fifth minaret to the site." [Holy Site/Temple Mount, Matthew 24:15; 2 Thess.2:4;Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Hamas Rejects Demands in Qatar Proposal
AP reports: "Qatar's attempt to end a growing crisis in the Palestinian territories appeared to end in failure Tuesday after Hamas rejected the plan's key demands that it recognize Israel and renounce violence." [Mideast Peace, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Google Snatches Up YouTube for $1.65B
AP reports: "The founders of YouTube Inc. built this year's standout Web phenomenon by figuring out how to make online video sharing easier than ever. What they hadn't yet figured out was making money from their site. Google Inc. (GOOG) took that problem off their hands Monday, by agreeing to buy the site for $1.65 billion." [Global Community, Rev 11:19]

My Way News - Study: 655,000 Iraqis Die Because of War
AP reports: "A controversial new study contends nearly 655,000 Iraqis have died because of the war, suggesting a far higher death toll than other estimates." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

Panel backs Korean to succeed Annan - Chicago Tribune
The Washington Post reports: "The UN Security Council voted unanimously Monday for South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon to be secretary general, endorsing a discreet political survivor for the world's top diplomatic job. A formal vote by the 192-member UN General Assembly is expected to confirm Ban's selection, perhaps within a week." [Global Government, Rev 13:7; 17]

My Way News - Quake Raises Fears of 2nd N. Korea Test
AP reports: "A strong earthquake in northern Japan on Wednesday may have led the Tokyo government to suspect North Korea had conducted a second nuclear test, while key powers mulled punitive action against the communist nation for its first atomic blast." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - North Korea Says Nuclear Test Successful
AP reports: "North Korea said Monday it has performed its first-ever nuclear weapons test. U.S. and South Korean officials could not immediately confirm the report." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

WorldNetDaily: Should presidents be allowed to serve more than 2 terms?

At issue: the XXIIth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. That amendment states in part:

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

If the proposed CJR (from Congressmen Steny Hoyer and Jim Sensenbrenner) gets the two-thirds of Congress and three-fourths of the States, then that language will be stricken, and in theory a person could get elected and re-elected and re-re-elected for life--as Franklin D. Roosevelt did.

The Beast from the Sea [Revelation 13:1-7] will most likely be one of three people:

1. A European politician, or
2. The chairman-of-the-board and CEO of a major transnational corporation, or
3. An American politician.

If this repeal passes, then Option 3 above becomes that much more likely.

My Way News - Dengue Fever Outbreak Kills 39 in India
AP reports: "Since the dengue season began as the monsoon season tapered off in late August, 2,900 cases have been reported across India with 39 people dying from the disease, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said Thursday." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Outlook grim for resolving Mideast conflict: report
Reuters reports: "The international community must try to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict to stop the Middle East, already mired in its worst crisis in years, sliding further into turmoil, a respected think tank said on Thursday." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Extremists planned mass Prague murders: paper
AP reports: "Islamic extremists planned to kidnap dozens of Jews in Prague and hold them hostage before murdering them, the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes reported on Friday." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Americans Sweep Nobel Prizes So Far
AP reports: "Of the three Nobel Prizes announced this week, the five different researchers share one decidedly common trait: They're all American. The members who cast the ballots for the winners of the prizes in medicine, physics and chemistry aren't surprised." [Knowledge Increases, Daniel 12:4]

My Way News - Quake Shakes Up Water Table in Maine
AP reports: "Monday's earthquake lowered the water level by 3 1/2 feet at one location in a national park, an unusual event, but one that wasn't expected to hurt the water supply, officials said." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Oxfam: Quake Survivors Face Harsh Winter
AP reports: "A year after a devastating earthquake struck northern Pakistan, more than 1.8 million survivors face a second harsh winter in makeshift shelters and tents, the aid group Oxfam International said Wednesday. A magnitude-7.6 quake struck Pakistan's northwest and its portion of Kashmir on Oct. 8, 2005, leaving more than 80,000 people dead and over 3 million others homeless." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Asia Confronts North Korea on Nuke Test
AP reports: "North Korea's neighbors scrambled Wednesday to forge a common front against Pyongyang's threatened nuclear test, with South Korea warning of a regional atomic arms race that could upend the regional balance of power." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Jewish, Tatar Gravestones Vandalized
AP reports: "Vandals painted swastikas on more than 100 Jewish and Tatar gravestones in a central Russian city and overturned many others - the latest in a string of anti-Semitic, racist and hate crime vandalism across the nation, police officials said Wednesday." [Wickedness Increases, Matthew 24:12]

My Way News - 'Al-Qaida in Palestine' Posts Web Video
AP reports: "A group calling itself al-Qaida in Palestine posted a Web video Wednesday denouncing those who 'work in the service of the Jews.'" [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Iran: Sanctions Won't Derail Enrichment
AP reports: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Wednesday that sanctions will not stop Iran from enriching uranium after a European negotiator conceded 'endless hours' of talks had made little progress and suggested the dispute could wind up at the U.N. soon." [Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Mosquito-Borne Diseases Kill 87 in India
AP reports: "Outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases in northern and southern India left ordinarily overburdened hospitals and clinics swamped with patients Wednesday, and officials reported at least 87 deaths." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - New Delhi Urges Calm After Outbreak
AP reports: "Authorities in New Delhi on Tuesday called for calm after an outbreak of dengue fever killed 15 people and infected hundreds of others in the capital and other parts of northern India." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Man Storms Amish School, Kills 3, Self
AP reports: "A milk-truck driver carrying three guns and a childhood grudge stormed a one-room Amish schoolhouse Monday, sent the boys and adults outside, barricaded the doors with two-by-fours, and then opened fire on a dozen girls, killing three people before committing suicide." [Wickedness Increases, Matthew 24:12]

My Way News - Ban Ki-Moon Cements Hold on U.N. Post
AP reports: "South Korea's foreign minister cemented his position as the near-certain successor to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday, the only one of six candidates to escape a veto in an informal Security Council ballot." [Global Government, Rev 13:7; 17]

Yahoo News - UN leader race heats up; U.S. wants quick decision
Reuters reports, "U.S. Ambassador John Bolton pushed on Wednesday for a quick resolution to the race to succeed Kofi Annan as U.N. secretary-general, a move that could favor a South Korean front-runner." [Global Government, Rev 13:7; 17]

My Way News - Bin Laden Rumors Again Come to Nothing
AP reports: "He was blown up in the caves of Tora Bora. He was on dialysis and dying of kidney disease. He was in the hands of Pakistani intelligence and about to be turned over to the United States. Rumors of Osama bin Laden's death or capture go back years, and they have always proved greatly exaggerated." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Rumors in Developing World Slow Vaccine
AP reports: "Vaccines are frequently credited with saving millions of lives worldwide, but they are still perceived by some as a dangerous medical gamble. Part of the problem in Nigeria and some other developing nations, experts say, is rooted in health workers' own failure to be honest with people in poor countries about real vaccine-related risks." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Poll: Chinese Military Worries Neighbors
AP reports: "China's neighbors worry far more about the country's military resurgence than about its massive economic surge, international polling suggests." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Saudi, Russian See Consensus for Peace
AP reports: "Arab countries have reached a 'very significant' consensus after the recent war in Lebanon that there must be a new start with fresh ideas to the Middle East peace process, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said Thursday." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Indonesia Executions Lead to Violence
AP reports: "Three Christian militants were executed by firing squad Friday for leading attacks on Muslims six years ago that left at least 70 people dead, sparking fresh sectarian clashes on restive Sulawesi island, police said. [...] The men told relatives and a priest during final prayers at their jail Thursday that they were innocent but ready to die." [Believers Persecuted, Matthew 24:8]

Yahoo! News - Bible now available on mobile phones
Reuters reports, "South African Christians seeking a quick spiritual boost will be able to download the entire bible on to their mobile telephones phones from Wednesday as part of a drive to modernize the scriptures." [Gospel Preached to All Nations, Matthew 24:14]

My Way News - Mideast Process Takes Spotlight at U.N.
AP reports: "The Mideast peace process was taking the spotlight at the United Nations on Wednesday, with ministers from the Quartet that drafted the stalled 'road map' peace plan - the United States, the U.N., the European Union and Russia - planning to meet." [Covenant With Many, Ezekiel 38:7-13; Daniel 9:27]

Related: Clinton global conference begins in NYC - Yahoo! News

My Way News - Israel Calls Iran Its Greatest Threat
AP reports: "The Israeli foreign minister on Wednesday warned that Iranian leaders pose the biggest threat to the world's values because they 'speak proudly' of their wish to destroy Israel and pursue weapons to achieve that objective." [Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

WorldNetDaily: Al-Qaida warns Muslims: Time to get out of U.S.
WND reports: "The new al-Qaida field commander in Afghanistan is calling for Muslims to leave the U.S. – particularly Washington and New York – in anticipation of a major terror attack to rival Sept. 11, according to an interview by a Pakistani journalist." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Annan Paints Grim Picture to Assembly
AP reports: "Addressing world leaders for the last time as secretary-general, Kofi Annan painted a grim picture Tuesday of an unjust world economy, global disorder and widespread contempt for human rights, and appealed for nations and peoples to truly unite." [Global Government/Last Kingdom, Rev 13:7; 17]

My Way News - Israel to Withdraw All Troops by Weekend
AP reports: "Israel's army chief said Tuesday that he expected to pull his troops out of Lebanon by the weekend, which would meet a key requirement of the cease-fire that halted a 34-day war against Hezbollah guerrillas."

My Way News - Thailand's PM Ousted in Military Coup
AP reports: "In the dead of night and without firing a shot, Thailand's military overthrew popularly elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday amid mounting criticism that he had undermined democracy." [Nations in Distress, Luke 21:25]

My Way News - U.K. Envoy: Darfur Options Must Be Eyed
AP reports: "The international community should consider all options - including military intervention - as it mulls how to deal with Sudan's rejection of a U.N. peacekeeping force for war-ravaged Darfur, a top British official said Monday." [Nations in Distress, Luke 21:25]

My Way News - Iranian Leader Urges More Papal Protests
AP reports: "Al-Qaida in Iraq warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that its war against Christianity and the West will go on until Islam takes over the world, and Iran's supreme leader called for more protests over the pontiff's remarks on Islam." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

Jerusalem Post - Indonesia: Muslims want control of Temple Mount
AP reports: "Hundreds of Indonesians took part in an all-night march to demand that Muslims be given full control of the Al Aqsa Mosque (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem, some carrying banners saying 'Give it back, it's ours.'" [Holy Place, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4]

My Way News - U.S. raps Iran for harassing religious minorities
Reuters reports: "In its annual 'Report on International Religious Freedom' around the world, the State Department said it found a further deterioration in what it called 'the extremely poor status of respect for religious freedom' in Iran.[...] As it released the report, the State Department left unchanged its list of nations that 'engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom,' citing China, Eritrea, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Vietnam." [Believers Persecuted, Matthew 24:8]

My Way News - Arctic Ice Melting Rapidly, Study Says
AP reports: "Arctic sea ice in winter is melting far faster than before, two new NASA studies reported Wednesday, a new and alarming trend that researchers say threatens the ocean's delicate ecosystem." [Apprehensive for the Future, Luke 21:26]

My Way News - al-Qaida Joins Algerians Against France
AP reports: "Al-Qaida has for the first time announced a union with an Algerian insurgent group that has designated France as an enemy, saying they will act together against French and American interests." [Wars and Rumors of Wars, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Clooney Urges U.N. to Act in Darfur
AP reports, "Actor George Clooney warned the United Nation's most powerful body Thursday that if it did not send peacekeepers to Sudan's Darfur region millions would die in the first genocide of the 21st century." [Nations In Distress, Luke 21:25]

My Way News - E. Coli Cases Traced to Bagged Spinach
AP reports: "An outbreak of E. coli in eight states has killed one person and sickened at least 49 others, federal health officials said Thursday in warning consumers nationwide not to eat bagged fresh spinach." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

MercuryNews.com - Poll surveys Americans' faith: "More Americans are active in religious groups than previously thought and many others without ties to congregations still believe in God or a higher power, according to a broad survey of faith in America released Monday. The study also found that most traditional Christians reject the label ``evangelical,'' preferring to describe themselves as ``Bible-believing'' or ``born again.''" [Gospel Preached to All Nations, Matthew 24:14]

My Way News - Blair Wins Commitment for Mideast Talks: "Prodded by Britain's visiting leader, the Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president said Sunday they are ready to resume contacts without conditions - a small step that many people hope could lead to resuming peace talks." [Covenant With Many, Ezekiel 38:7-13; Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - 6.0 Gulf Quake Felt From La. to Fla.: "The largest earthquake to strike the eastern Gulf of Mexico in the last 30 years sent shock waves from Louisiana to southwest Florida Sunday, but did little more than rattle residents." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

Yahoo News - Giant machine set to probe secrets of the universe
Reuters reports: Deep underground on the Franco-Swiss border someone will throw a switch next year to start one of the most ambitious experiments in history, probing the secrets of the universe and possibly finding new dimensions. [Knowledge Increases, Daniel 12:4]

My Way News - Potomac 'Intersex' Fish Worry Scientists
AP reports: "Scientists say abnormal 'intersex' fish, with both male and female characteristics, have been discovered in the Potomac River and its tributaries across the Capitol Region, raising questions about how contaminants are affecting millions of people who drink tap water there." [Fear/Apprehensive for the Future, Luke 21:26]

My Way News - Iran Abruptly Postpones Talks With EU
AP: "Iran abruptly announced Wednesday that last-ditch talks on its disputed nuclear program were postponed, moving Tehran a step closer to U.N. sanctions after it defied a deadline to freeze uranium enrichment." [Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Kids Buy Lunches With Scans of Fingers
AP reports: "Rome City Schools is switching to a scanning system that lets students use their fingerprints to access their accounts." [Mark of the Beast/commerce tech, Rev 13:16-18]

My Way News - New Tuberculosis Strain in S. Africa
AP reports, "A new, deadly strain of tuberculosis has killed 52 of 53 people infected in the last year in South Africa, the World Health Organization said Friday, calling for improved measures to treat and diagnose the bacteria." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Jordanian Seeks to Succeed Annan
AP reports, "Jordan's U.N. Ambassador Prince Zeid al Hussein announced his candidacy on Tuesday to be the next U.N. secretary-general, becoming the fifth hopeful and the first Muslim to enter the race to succeed Kofi Annan." [Global Government, Rev 13:7; 17]

Faith Crime
In America, Christians are not beaten or killed for their faith as they are in other countries, but as this op-ed (Yahoo! News - When schools silence God talk - Yahoo! News) makes clear, they face institutionalized hostility toward their faith. The U.S. has created an educational system which treats religion as toxic and expressions of faith as dangerous and even criminal. A country founded by people fleeing religious persecution now actively seeks to discourage public and civic faith. America, land of the free? [Believers Persecuted, Matthew 24:8]

Yahoo News - Iran opens heavy-water nuclear reactor
AP reports, “Iran's hard-line president on Saturday inaugurated a heavy-water production plant, a facility the West fears will be used to develop a nuclear bomb, as Tehran remained defiant ahead of a U.N. deadline that could lead to sanctions.” [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6 & Iran/Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

Yahoo News/AFP - EU enters new era of Middle East influence with UN mission:

European support for the UN force in Lebanon has thrust Europe into a major new political role in the Middle East, a region where it has traditionally been better known as a rich aid donor. With nearly 7,000 soldiers pledged for the UN force in Lebanon, Europe's commitment marks an "historic opportunity", said Spanish Foreign Minister Miquel Angel Moratinos, himself a former special EU envoy to the region. […]"Europeans are gaining more in credibility, in presence and engagement in the future of this region, which is our region," he said Saturday.

Jeruslam Post - 'Ahmadinejad Would Sacrifice Half Of Iran To Wipe Out Israel': Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, if he ever became the supreme decision maker in his country, would "sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel," Giora Eiland, Israel's former national security adviser, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

Yahoo News - Experts foresee bad year for West Nile
AP reports, “The nation's summer heat wave has spurred a jump in West Nile virus cases, and this will probably be the worst season for the mosquito-borne disease in three years, health experts said this week.” [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

Today Online - WFP launches food aid scheme for 650,000 facing famine in Niger
AFP reports, “The World Food Programme (WFP) began in Niger its first national food distribution scheme for 2006, targeted at some 650,000 people threatened by hunger, the UN agency said.” [Famine, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - Israel Adds 2 Nuclear-Capable Submarines: AP reports, "With the purchase of two more German-made Dolphin submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads, military experts say Israel is sending a clear message to Iran that it can strike back if attacked by nuclear weapons." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6 & Iran/Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Hitler Restaurant in Bombay Irks Jews
AP reports, "When a restaurant called 'Hitler's Cross' opened four days ago in a Bombay suburb, the city's small Jewish community was outraged, but there were few other objections." [Wickedness Increases, Matthew 24:12]

My Way News - Syria Opposes U.N. Forces on Its Border
AP reports, "Syria on Wednesday opposed deployment of an international force along its border to prevent arms shipments to Hezbollah, and Israel called the situation in Lebanon 'explosive.' " [Doomed Damascus, Isaiah 17:1]

"We tell them (Israelis) that after tasting humiliation in the latest battles, your weapons are not going to protect you — not your planes, or missiles or even your nuclear bombs ... The future generations in the Arab world will find a way to defeat Israel."
- Bashar Assad, President of Syria (Yahoo News/AP)

Yahoo News - Sun's Next Stormy Cycle Starts
Space.Com reports, "Astronomers say the Sun has begun its next cycle of activity, part of an 11-year ebb and flow in sunspots and solar flares." [Signs in the Sun, Luke 21:25]

Space War - Outside View: Syria versus Iran
UPI reports, "The Bush administration's strategy of treating Syria and Iran as if they are evil twins is fundamentally flawed. Although Damascus and Tehran have many common interests in addition to their grievances against the United States, they differ dramatically in their assessment of their regional roles and strategic objectives." [Doomed Damascus, Isaiah 17:1; Iran/Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Iran Wants to Talk but Keep Nuke Program
AP reports, "Iran said Tuesday it was ready for 'serious negotiations' on its nuclear program, offering a new formula to resolve a crisis with the West. A semiofficial news agency said the government was unwilling to abandon uranium enrichment - the key U.S. demand."

BetaNews - Infineon Snags RFID Passport Contract:

The US Government has awarded German-based chipmaker Infineon with a contract to provide a portion of the millions of RFID chips that will make their way into next-generation passports, the company said Monday.

Once again, this is not the mark of the beast (Rev 13:16-18), it's just the next generation of travel documents, but you can clearly see from this report and others like it that there is a lot of money to be made in rolling out the infrastructure for RFID based identity verification programs.

International Herald Tribune - Iran tests short-range missile during military maneuvers:

Iran test-fired ten surface-to-surface short-range missiles on Sunday, as a military training plane crashed outside the capital after catching fire, state-run television reported. The missile testing came a day after Iran launched a series of large-scale military maneuvers geared at testing the country's new defensive doctrine.

Some analysts speculate that the conclusion (if it was that) of the Israeli-Hezbollah War may give Iran the wrong idea about Israeli military capabilities, let's hope they don't do something foolish
(Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5).

Yahoo News - Australia warns of attacks in Pakistan
Reuters reports, "Australia has warned of possible attacks against international hotels in Pakistan, saying it had received recent credible reports that militants are planning attacks against a range of targets." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

Yahoo News - Rich nations should share birdflu antivirals
Reuters reports, "Public health experts have called on wealthier nations to share scarce antiviral drugs and vaccines with poorer countries in Asia as the world gears up to tackle a possible influenza pandemic." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]