My Way News - Experts Fear Bird Flu's Spread in Asia
AP reports: "Bird flu outbreaks have surged recently, hitting several countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. The virus has affected both rich and poor nations, infecting turkeys this month at a farm outside London, while continuing to kill people in Indonesia."

Israel Runs Live Holy Site Internet Feed - CBS News
AP reports: " Israel on Thursday began broadcasting live images of a contentious construction project on the Internet in an effort to allay Muslim fears that the work would damage nearby Islamic shrines. [...] Three cameras at the site began broadcasting live images on Thursday and will work around the clock..." [Temple Mount/Holy Place, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4]

CNN Breaking News -- The leader of al Qaeda in Iraq has been wounded and his top aide killed in a clash with police, the Iraqi Interior Ministry says.

Israeli Arrow Hits Missile At Night - Space War Express
UPI reports: "Israel carried out another successful test of its Arrow anti-ballistic missile, or ABM, interceptor Sunday. The Arrow is widely regarded as the best high altitude ABM interceptor in the world. The latest test marked the second successful interception and destruction by the Arrow of a target missile configured to perform like an Iranian Shihab-3 intermediate range ballistic missile."

Facing Western Supremacy - Space War Express
UPI reports: "The foreign ministers of the three giants of the Asian landmass -- Russia, China and India -- will meet Feb. 14 in New Delhi to advance an old proposal for a Trilateral Global Alliance that would effectively exclude the West from a position of superiority in Asia, before achieving the same purpose in Africa and South America."

Biometrics to ease CIOs' cell phone concerns - Yahoo! News
InfoWorld reports: "A biometric systems vendor has a pitch for CIOs nervous about company executives losing their mobile phones and risking the loss of confidential information. [...] Germano sees opportunities for biometric fingerprint sensors in phones equipped with NFC technology to provide mobile payment and security services, for enterprise users and consumers alike."

My Way News - Saudi Terrorists Call for Oil Cutoff
AP reports: "A Saudi Arabian terrorist faction affiliated with al-Qaida has urged Muslim militants to attack oil facilities all over the world, including Canada, Mexico and Venezuela, to stop the flow of oil to the United States, according to an article by the group posted on the Internet."

My Way News - French Judge Warns of Terror Threat
AP reports: "The risk of terror attacks in Europe is high and is increasing, France's leading anti-terrorism judge said, warning that a recent alliance between al-Qaida and a North African terrorist group poses a grave threat."

My Way News - Bush: Iran Is Source of Deadly Weapons
AP reports: "Challenged on the accuracy of U.S. intelligence, President Bush said Wednesday there is no doubt the Iranian government is providing armor-piercing weapons to kill American soldiers in Iraq. But he backed away from claims the top echelon of Iran's government was responsible."

Internet users transformed into news reporters - Yahoo! News
AFP reports: "As picture-taking mobile telephones and digital movie cameras grow ubiquitous, Internet users worldwide are being recruited as citizen news reporters. [...] news website NowPublic.com taps into legions of people that post pictures, videos, or commentary online." [Interactive Global Community, Rev 11:9]

My Way News - Iran President Tones Down Israel Attack
AP reports: "Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, toning down verbal attacks on Israel, said in an interview that aired Tuesday that Palestinians should be allowed to determine a resolution to the conflict with the Jewish state."

My Way News - Jordan, Russia Discuss Mideast Peace
AP reports: "Jordan's King Abdullah II and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday called for a stronger international push for lasting Mideast peace and urged for a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear standoff. Putin told reporters during a joint news conference with Abdullah that 'support is growing' for a Russian proposal for a wide-scale Middle East peace conference that also would tackle ways to 'conquer international terrorism.'" [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Putin Pushing Agenda on Mideast Tour
AP reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to find quick success on a historic Mideast tour that saw the leader of energy-rich Russia forging oil diplomacy in Saudi Arabia and backing a natural gas cartel Monday with neighboring Qatar.[...] Putin also said he planned to host a Mideast peace conference but gave no details."

My Way News - Gunman Kills 5 in Utah Shopping Mall
AP reports: "A man with a shotgun entered a shopping mall and began randomly shooting customers Monday night, killing five people and injuring at least four others before being killed, police said." [Wickedness Increases, Matthew 24:12]

My Way News - HIV Spreading Rapidly in Malaysia
AP reports: "The number of HIV infections in Malaysia could surge by more than fourfold to 300,000 by 2015 as the virus spreads rapidly from high-risk groups to the general public, a senior health official warned Sunday." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Iran Marks Anniversary With Uranium Vow
AP reports: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed Sunday that Iran would not give up uranium enrichment but he otherwise refrained from making fiery statements during celebrations on the 28th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution."

My Way News - Putin 1st Russian Leader to Visit Saudis
AP reports: "President Vladimir Putin, making the first visit by a Russian leader to Saudi Arabia, met King Abdullah and other senior officials Sunday for talks that touched on regional tensions including Iraq and the Palestinian territories. [...] Saudi Arabia may be looking to Russia to diversify its military suppliers."

My Way News - Israel Tests Anti-Missile System
AP reports: "Israel successfully conducted its first nighttime test of the Arrow anti-missile system after sundown Sunday, the Defense Ministry said. The system is being developed jointly by Israel and the United States to intercept medium and long-range ballistic missiles."

My Way News - Israel Orders Work to Continue Near Site
AP reports: "Israel's Cabinet voted to push ahead with construction work on a ramp leading to a disputed holy site in Jerusalem, despite objections from the Muslim world and violent Palestinian protests."

My Way News - Violence Erupts at Jerusalem Holy Site
AP reports: "Israeli police stormed the grounds of Islam's third-holiest shrine Friday, firing stun grenades and tear gas to disperse thousands of Muslim worshippers who hurled stones, bottles and trash in an eruption of outrage over Israeli renovation nearby."

Breaking News -- Clashes break out as Israeli forces try to disperse angry worshippers at disputed holy site in Jerusalem's Old City.

My Way News - Muslim Leaders Protest Work at Holy Site
AP reports: "A fiery Islamic leader called on his fellow Israeli Arabs and Muslims around the world Thursday to rise up in protest of Israeli construction work near a holy site in Jerusalem."

My Way News - Palestinians Reach Deal on Power-Sharing
AP reports, "Rival Palestinian factions signed a power-sharing accord aimed at ending months of bloodshed Thursday, agreeing that the Islamic militant group Hamas would head a new coalition government that would 'respect' past peace agreements with Israel."

I wonder if this means that Hamas will accept Israel's right to exist?

My Way News - Iran Warns U.S. It Will Retaliate if Hit
AP reports, "Iran stepped up its warnings to the United States Thursday, with the nation's supreme leader saying Tehran will strike U.S. interests around the world if his country is attacked." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Iranian Urges Action Vs. Holy Site Work
AP reports, "Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel for its construction work at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, state TV reported."

My Way News - Shooting Erupts on Israel-Lebanon Border
AP reports, "Lebanese troops deployed along the border with Israel opened fire late Wednesday as Israeli troops searched for Hezbollah bombs, drawing retaliatory fire, officials from both sides said."

My Way News - Russia Plans New ICBMs, Nuclear Subs
AP reports, "Russia's defense minister on Wednesday laid out an ambitious plan for building new intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and possibly aircraft carriers, and set the goal of exceeding the Soviet army in combat readiness." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; King of the North, Ezekiel 38:3, Daniel 11:40]

My Way News - Israel Begins Renovation Near Holy Site
AP reports, "Police took up positions throughout Jerusalem's Old City on Tuesday as Israeli archaeologists began digging near a site holy to both Jews and Muslims amid protests and threats from Palestinians."

My Way News - Doctors Say Superbug Can Be Controlled
AP reports, "Hospitals can successfully tackle the alarming spread of a dangerous and drug-resistant staph infection with an aggressive program to immediately identify and quarantine patients carrying the superbug, infectious disease doctors said at a conference Tuesday."

My Way News - Hackers Attack Key Net Traffic Computers
AP reports, "Hackers briefly overwhelmed at least three of the 13 computers that help manage global computer traffic Tuesday in one of the most significant attacks against the Internet since 2002."

My Way News - 53 Die From Cholera in Republic of Congo
AP reports, "At least 53 people have died of cholera since mid-November in the Republic of Congo, according to official figures released Sunday. Local officials said they believed the real toll was much higher." [Luke 21:11]

Yahoo News - Small Jerusalem dig unites Palestinians
AP reports, "In the space of one day, a small archaeological dig in Jerusalem's Old City became a rallying call aimed at uniting Palestinians against Israel. The dig — a few waterlogged sandbags and black buckets of earth behind aluminum walls — is meant to prepare the way for a new pedestrian walkway up to one of the world's most explosive holy sites, the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary." [Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4]

Washington Post - Russia Clashes With U.S. on Mideast Policy: Russia urged ending the isolation of the anti-Israeli militant group Hamas and including Syria in Middle East peace talks, exposing fissures in a high-level diplomatic group that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gathered yesterday in Washington to validate her new effort to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

Breaking News -- At least 14 people were killed in the storms that smashed through central Florida this morning, emergency officials tell The Associated Press.

Yahoo News - Seas rising faster than U.N. predicts: study
Reuters reports, "Sea levels are rising faster than predicted amid global warming, a group of scientists said on Thursday in a challenge to the U.N.'s climate panel which is set to issue a report toning down the threat of rising oceans." [Roaring Waves and Tides, Luke 21:25]

My Way News - Nigeria Reports Bird Flu Cases in Humans
AP reports: "Health officials reported Nigeria's first cases of bird flu in humans Wednesday, saying one woman had died and a family member had been infected but was responding to treatment." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Israel Has No Plans Against Iran
AP reports: "Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres says that Israel does not intend to use military force against Iran, which Israel suspects is building nuclear bombs. In addition to Iran's nuclear program, Israel considers the Mideast country a threat because of repeated declarations by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that the Jewish state should be wiped off the map."

My Way News - Israel Examines Moving Separation Barrier
AP reports: "Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office on Wednesday said the government is looking into moving a stretch of its separation barrier deeper into the West Bank to include two Jewish settlements"

My Way News - U.S.-Iran Tensions Could Trigger War
AP reports: "Citing Iranian involvement with Iraqi militias and Tehran's nuclear ambitions, the Bush administration has shifted to offense in its confrontation with Iran - building up the U.S. military in the Persian Gulf and promising more aggressive moves against Iranian operatives in Iraq and Lebanon. The behind-the-scenes struggle between the two nations could explode into open warfare over a single misstep, analysts and U.S. military officials warn." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Senators Warn Against War With Iran
AP reports: "Republican and Democratic senators warned Tuesday against a drift toward war with an emboldened Iran and suggested the Bush administration was missing a chance to engage its longtime adversary in potentially helpful talks over next-door Iraq."

Biofuels expansion "to raise risk of famine"� - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Switching more land from food to biofuel production raises the risk of future famines, a conference organised by the Soil Association, the country's leading organic certification body, was told." [Famine, Matthew 24:7]

My Way News - World Scientists Meet on Global Warming
AP reports, "The planet's temperature is rising, sea levels threaten to swallow coastlines and the world's residents want to know how much to be afraid. An authoritative answer comes this week." [Fear/Apprehensive for the Future, Luke 21:26]

MyWay News - Palestinian Suicide Bomber Kills 3
AP reports, "A Palestinian suicide bomber killed three Israelis at a bakery Monday in the first such attack inside the country in nine months, and the two radical groups that claimed to have sent him said they were trying to end weeks of Palestinian infighting by taking aim at Israel instead."

Jerusalem Newswire - New minaret planned to tower over Golden Gate
According to this report, "Four Muslim minarets already dominate the Temple Mount, holiest site to Jews and Bible-believing Christians. Plans are being drawn up, however, to build a fifth platform from which to sing out praises to Allah - the god of Islam.[...] Muslims insist that the entire Temple Mount is one big mosque, and forbid Jews and Christians from praying on it." [Temple Mount/Holy Place, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4]

MEMRI:

MEMRI: Editor of Iranian Kayhan Daily Reacts to U.N. Resolution Against Holocaust Denial:'The Resolution Prepares the U.N.'s Corpse for Burial in the Graveyard of History'

The editor continues with an incredible screed against anyone who understands that the Holocaust actually happened.

This suggests two things:

1. Ezekiel's War [chh. 38-9] cannot be too far away.
2. The Beast [Revelation 13:1-10] is even less likely to be a Muslim and is more likely to be a secularlist. Either that, or the UN as we know it will fall in favor of a New Baghdad (or Teheran) Caliphate.

Jerusalem Newswire - Driving the Christians out
The Jerusalem Post reports, "A few decades ago Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ, was a thriving town, a tourist magnet and a majority Christian town. [...] Resorting to violence, terrorism, brazen land-theft and massive abuse of power, Muslim Arab civilians and Muslim members of the Palestinian Authority are effectively and purposefully driving the Christians away." [Believers Persecuted, Matthew 24:8]

The Register - High-tech tattoo more than a pretty picture
Here is a news report on a new approach to identification verification that combines the simplicity of a tattoo with the technology of radio frequency tagging:

Somark Innovations, a small company working out of Saint Louis, has successfully tested an RFID tattoo, on cows, mice and rats: enabling an identifying number embedded under the skin to be read from over a meter away. [...] Somark are in the process of raising money to exploit the technology, and point out that what works for animals can, of course, also work for people; identifying Military Personnel as one of their secondary markets, after cattle and other livestock.

We had many debates about the Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) on the Bible Prophecy-L discussion group and there were always many people who rejected the notion that the mark would be technological, insisting that it could be something as simple as a tattoo. Perhaps it will be both?

Breaking News -- Thirteen people were killed when a U.S. forces helicopter they were riding in went down northeast of Baghdad, the U.S. military said.

My Way News - Three Nations Join China Test Protest
AP reports: "Britain, Japan and Australia joined the United States on Friday in voicing concern about the rising militarization of space after China successfully carried out a test of an anti-satellite weapon." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Rice Has Loose Agenda for Mideast Talks
AP reports: "Israel and the Palestinians can pick any agenda they want for a preliminary peacemaking summit with the United States, but it is too early to tackle the toughest issues, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Democrats Warn Bush Not to Attack Iran
AP reports: "Democratic leaders in Congress lobbed a warning shot Friday at the White House not to launch an attack against Iran without first seeking approval from lawmakers." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - UNICEF: 1,000 Under 15 Get HIV Each Day
AP reports: "Despite progress in preventing HIV transmission from pregnant mothers to their babies, more than 1,000 children around the world were infected with the disease each day in 2006, according to a U.N. report." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight
AP reports: "The world is nudging closer to nuclear or environmental apocalypse, a group of prominent scientists warned Wednesday as it pushed the hand of its symbolic Doomsday Clock closer to midnight." [Fear for the Future, Luke 21:26]

My Way News - Cholera Outbreak in Angola Kills 2,760
AP reports: "More than 2,760 people have died of cholera in Angola since an epidemic broke out last February, authorities said Monday." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - U.S. Bringing Second Carrier to Mideast
AP reports: "The deployment of the USS John C. Stennis to the Middle East will put two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf region for the first time since the 2003 Iraq invasion, in a clear response to Iran's aggressive posture in the region." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

Ynetnews - Google Earth map marks Temple Mount Palestinian
WND reports, "While Jerusalem serves as Israel's capital, and the Temple Mount is located within Israeli sovereignty, the popular satellite map program Google Earth divides the city and places the Mount – Judaism's holiest site – within Palestinian territory." [Temple Mount/Holy Place, Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15 & 2 Thessalonians 2:4]

My Way News - Detained Iranians Had Insurgent Ties
AP reports: "Five Iranians arrested in northern Iraq last week were connected to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard faction that funds and arms insurgents in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Sunday." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; Iran/Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Avian Deaths in Australia Not Bird Flu
AP reports: "Wildlife authorities investigating why thousands of birds fell from the sky over a town in remote southwestern Australia have ruled out infectious diseases but are no closer to figuring out what killed them, a state official said Friday. [...] Earlier this week, authorities discovered 63 dead birds in a section of downtown Austin, Texas, and temporarily shut down the area. Officials are awaiting lab results to determine the cause of the deaths." [Fearsome Events, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Man Held in Decapitation of Daughter, 4
AP reports: "A man suspected of decapitating his 4-year-old daughter and leaving the body for her mother to find in their suburban home was arrested in Washington, D.C., early Saturday, authorities said." [Wickedness Increases, Matthew 24:12]

My Way News - Mideast Players Offer Creative Solutions
AP reports: "A new idea is gaining steam amid the gloom of failed Mideast peacemaking: Start outlining the final contours of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal - even in the absence of calm on the ground - as a way of propping up moderates and undermining Iranian-backed radicals." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

MEMRI: Iranian and Syrian Government Papers on Renewed Superpower Role for Russia to Counter U.S. in Middle East

They love it, do those government dailies in Damascus and Teheran. They want Russia to counterbalance the USA.

Trouble is, they're asking for ignominious defeat, as the prophet Ezekiel (chh. 38-9) makes clear.

Breaking News - Tsunami alerts issued for the Pacific Basin due to an 8.2-magnitude earthquake were lifted when only minor surges resulted.

My Way News - Iran, Syria Denounce Bush's Iraq Plan
AP reports: "Iran and Syria on Thursday denounced President Bush's new Iraq strategy that blames them for fueling violence in the war-torn country, and they said the plan to send more U.S. troops would only increase bloodshed." [Doomed Damascus, Isaiah 17:1; Iran/Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

Reuters - Mideast quartet paralyzed, restart sought: Merkel
Reuters reports: "U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will see if conditions are right for a meeting of four-party Mideast peace mediators, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted as saying on Wednesday." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Indonesian Boy Dies of Bird Flu
AP reports: "A 14-year-old Indonesian boy died from bird flu Wednesday, just days after being hospitalized, a health official said. It was the first H5N1 fatality in the country in six weeks." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - U.S. Strike Targets al-Qaida in Somalia
AP reports: "The U.S. military launched a strike against several suspected members of al-Qaida in Somalia, a government official said Monday night." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Oprah Gets HIV Test, Hopes Students Will
AP reports: "An estimated 5.4 million of South Africa's 48 million people are infected with the AIDS virus. In 2006, an estimated 950 people died per day from AIDS-related diseases, while 1,400 were infected each day - a total of 530,000 new infections - according to an authoritative report by the Actuarial Society of South Africa and the Medical Research Council." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Spotlight on Entertainment at Tech Show
AP reports: "Entertainment is going extreme as content providers, distributors and electronics makers race to keep pace in a world in which digital media becomes accessible anytime, anywhere." [Interactive World Community, Rev 11:9]

Yahoo News - Israel has plans for nuclear strike on Iran: paper
Reuters reports, "Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper said. [...] Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel to be 'wiped off the map.' Israel, widely believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, has said it will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; Iran (Persia), Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Olmert, Mubarak Seek Restart Peace Talks
AP reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will search for ways to restart Mideast peace talks and free a captured Israeli soldier when they meet Thursday, although Israeli officials said they did not expect a breakthrough on the prisoner issue." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Pat Robertson Predicts 'Mass Killing'
AP reports: "In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said Tuesday God has told him that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in 'mass killing' late in 2007. [....] 'I have a relatively good track record," he said. "Sometimes I miss.' " [False Prophets, Matthew 24:11]

Yahoo News - N. Korea escalates 'cult of Kim' to counter West's influence
CSM reports, "North Koreans are taught to worship Kim Jong Il as a god. In a manner unique among nations, the North exerts extraordinary control through deification - a cult ideology of complete subservience - that goes beyond the "Stalinist" label often used to describe the newly nuclear North." [False Christs, Matthew 24:4]

My Way News - Iranian Leader Scorns U.N. Sanctions
AP reports: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad scorned U.N Security Council sanctions imposed against Iran, telling a crowd Tuesday that Iran had humiliated the United States in the past and would do so again." [Iran/Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

Space War - Russia Anti-Aircraft Weapons Sales To Syria And Iran Remain On Schedule
AFP reports: "Controversial Russian contracts to sell anti-aircraft weapons to Syria and Iran are being fulfilled on schedule, Russian news agencies cited defence and industry officials as saying Tuesday. At least half of the 29 Tor-M1 missile systems bought by Iran for 1.4 billion dollars (1.06 billion euros) had been delivered, state-run ITAR-TASS quoted an unnamed source at the defence ministry as saying." [King of the North, Ezekiel 38:3 & Daniel 11:40; Doomed Damascus, Isaiah 17:1; Persia, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - China to Continue Modernizing Military
AP reports: "China said Friday it will strengthen its military to thwart any attempt by Taiwan to push for independence, but vowed that it was committed to the peaceful development of the world's largest army." [Kings of the East, Rev 16:12]

Space War - Iran Becomes Regional Superpower
RIA Novosti reports, "Iran may become one of the top 10 features of the outgoing year for a number of reasons, including its nuclear dossier and the Holocaust conference, as well as the anti-Israeli rhetoric of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In short, Iran has made others view it as a regional superpower and the key player in the Middle East." [Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

As we continue to monitor the status of the belligerents in the Ezekiel War, here is an update on Russian nuclear forces from Space War and RIA Novosti:

According to official figures, as of July 1, 2006, Russia had 760 strategic missile systems capable of carrying 3,360 nuclear warheads. Of them, 502 are with the Strategic Missile Force and are tipped with 1,852 nuclear warheads. The Navy has 12 strategic missile carriers with ballistic missiles that can carry 636 nuclear warheads. The Air Force has 78 strategic bombers and 872 long-range cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads. As President Vladimir Putin said recently, the country's nuclear missile shield reliably protects the national interests of Russia and its allies.

Space War - Rift Valley Fever Outbreak Toll Rises To 24 In Northern Kenya
AFP reports, "An outbreak of Rift Valley fever has killed at least 24 people in northeastern Kenya in the past two weeks, officials said Wednesday, as medics were rushed to the region to contain the situation." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

My Way News - Somalia Government Advances on Capital
AP reports: "Clan leaders considered abandoning Islamic militias who control the Somali capital and throwing their support to government forces, which advanced to within striking distance of this beleaguered city Wednesday." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]

My Way News - Abbas Proposes Closed Talks With Israel: AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas proposed Wednesday that he start closed-door talks with Israel on some of their most difficult disputes including the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees. [...] Recent weeks have seen a growing momentum toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Taiwan Quake Severs Communications Lines: AP reports: "Undersea fiber-optic cables were damaged by a powerful earthquake off the southern tip of Taiwan, causing the largest outage of telephone and Internet service in years and demonstrating the vulnerability of the global telecommunications network." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]

Solar Cycle Heats Up
NASA Science News: Evidence is mounting: the next solar cycle is going to be a big one. [Signs in the Sun, Luke 21:25]

Pandemic: Then and Now
As the U.S. prepare for a possible new flu pandemic (My Way News - State Pandemic Preparations Vary Widely), survivors look back on the flu pandemic of 1918 (My Way News - Survivors Recall Horror of Flu Pandemic).

My Way News - State Pandemic Preparations Vary Widely
AP reports: "States and communities are getting creative as they struggle to answer the Bush administration's call to prepare for the next influenza pandemic, whether the culprit is the much-feared Asian bird flu or some other super-strain." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

WorldNetDaily: North American Union leader says merger just crisis away

This is an interview with Robert Pastor, a professor at American University in Washington, DC. The story has a lot of links to documents that concern the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America. Is the NAU a possible kernel for the united-world regime of the Monster of the Sea (Revelation 13:1-7)? More likely, it's the sort of sub-federation that will join with the European Union to form something much larger.

My Way News - Ban Sworn in As U.N. Secretary-General
AP reports: "South Korea's Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office as the next secretary-general of the United Nations on Thursday, promising to restore the organization's tarnished reputation and push for peace in the Middle East and Darfur." [Global Government, Rev 13:7; 17]

My Way News - EU Wants a Middle East Free of WMDs
AP reports: "The European Union called Thursday for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction, responding to recent comments by the Israeli prime minister that have been interpreted as acknowledging his country has a nuclear arsenal." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Palestinians Fire Rocket Into Israel
AP reports: "Palestinian militants fired a rocket into Israel at dawn Thursday, the Israeli military said, a violation of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip."

My Way News - Putin Inspects Russia's Latest Missiles
AP reports: "President Vladimir Putin on Thursday inspected Russia's top-of-the line intercontinental ballistic missiles, hailing their ability to penetrate prospective missile defenses." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; King of the North, Ezekiel 38:3/Daniel 11:40]

VOA News - Israeli PM Visits Rome to Discuss Mideast Peace
VOA reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met Italian prime Minister Romano Prodi in Rome to discuss the Middle East peace process. Prodi said the present status quo is in no way sustainable." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Iran President: Israel Will Be Wiped Out
AP reports: "Iran's hard-line president said Tuesday that Israel will one day be 'wiped out' as the Soviet Union was, drawing applause from participants in a conference casting doubt on the Holocaust." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6; Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

Scotsman.com News - Germany to renew Mideast peace efforts -Merkel
Reuters reports: "Germany will use its presidency of the European Union next year to launch new efforts aimed at helping secure peace in the Middle East, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a regular video podcast on Saturday." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Small Nuclear War Could Lead to Cooldown
AP reports: "Using modern climate and population models, researchers estimated that a small-scale nuclear conflict between two warring nations would cause 3 million to 17 million immediate casualties and lead to a marked cooldown of the planet that could lead to crop failures and further misery."

My Way News - Holocaust Conference Begins in Iran
AP reports: "Iran hosted Holocaust deniers from around the world Monday at a conference examining whether the Nazi genocide took place, a meeting Israel's prime minister condemned as a 'sick phenomenon.'" [Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Deaths of 3 Children Threaten Gaza Peace
AP reports: "By threatening to ignite a Palestinian civil war, the killing of three children in the Gaza Strip on Monday has jeopardized Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's efforts to restart long-stalled peace talks."

Yahoo News - West must prepare for Chinese, Indian dominance: Wolfensohn
AFP reports, "Western nations must prepare for a future dominated by China and India, whose rapid economic rise will soon fundamentally alter the balance of power, former World Bank chief James Wolfensohn has warned." [Kings of the East, Rev 16:12]

Yahoo News - Blair to launch Mideast peace mission
AFP reports, "The United States and Britain signalled a new bid to break the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock, a day after a high-level US panel said wider Middle East peace was key to saving Iraq." [Covenant With Many, Daniel 9:27]

My Way News - Experts: Syria, Iran Willing to Aid U.S.
AP reports: "Syria and Iran are willing to help stabilize Iraq, as the Iraq Study Group recommended Wednesday, but both countries will want something in return and neither has a magic solution to the chaos, Mideast officials and analysts said." [Damascus, Isaiah 17:1; Persia/Iran, Ezekiel 38:5]

My Way News - Scientists Criticize Bird Flu Search
AP reports, "Birds from Latin America - not from the north - are most likely to bring deadly bird flu to the main U.S., researchers said Monday, suggesting the government might miss the H5N1 virus because biologists have been looking in the wrong direction." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

Banning Christmas?
According to this AFP report (Yahoo News - British employers banning Christmas decorations for fear of offense), the climate of political correctness has run amuck in the UK, where Christmas decorations are being banned so as not to cause offense to other faiths:

Three out of four British businesses have banned Christmas decorations from the workplace out of fear for offending people of other faiths, according to a report. According to a survey carried out by law firm Peninsula, which queried 2,300 employers, 74 percent of respondents banned decorations because they did not want to offend other faiths, while half also thought that they made offices look unprofessional. "Christmas trees and decorations may well be a thing of the past in many workplaces this Christmas as political correctness culture has spread to the workplace," said Peter Done, a managing director at Peninsula. "Although employers who are enforcing the ban are sceptical and dismayed by this trend, they feel that they have little choice in the matter due to the threat of litigation; as they have to protect themselves, their reputation and their livelihood."

I guess the general idea seems to be that if you can't take the "Christ" out of Christmas you can just ban the public celebration of Christmas. It's not exactly persecution (Matthew 24:6) but it is representative of an anti-Christian sentiment. Amazing that this is happening in England, one of the great bastions of Christendom. This is not their finest hour.

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