My Way News - Iran deploys Russian-made submarine in Gulf
My Way News reports: "Tehran has deployed one of its Russian-made submarines in the Persian Gulf, just days after the United States and more than two dozen allies began naval exercises nearby, Iranian state television reported Tuesday."

My Way News - NATO order changes way it will fight Afghan war
My Way News reports: "NATO's decision to restrict operations with small Afghan forces to mitigate the threat of insider attacks means fewer boots on patrols and a shift in how the U.S.-led coalition will fight the war in Afghanistan [...] The U.S. will complete its drawdown of 33,000 American troops that President Barack Obama ordered out of Afghanistan by Sept. 30, leaving 68,000 U.S. service members in the country."

My Way News - Egypt's Christians anxious, anticipate troubles
My Way News reports: "Egypt's Islamist politicians have lashed out at Coptic Christians living abroad but say they won't let the film cause sectarian hatred at home. But that has not eased fears among Egypt's Copts that anger over the film will spill over into broader anti-Christian sentiment."

My Way News - Israel hints it will keep pressing US on Iran
My Way News reports: "Israel's leader suggested in an interview Thursday that he'll keep publicly pressing the United States to get tougher on Iran, despite the strains his remarks have caused with the Obama administration. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks appear to have been aimed at rattling the U.S. into action for fear Israel might otherwise soon attack Iran on its own."  

Comment: The rioting and tantrums in the Arab world mean that the U.S. will not take any actions that might further inflame the situation, which means in practical terms, Israel will have to go it alone on the Iran question...for the time being.

My Way News - US investigates: Attacks coordinated to mark 9/11?
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration, roiled by the first killing of a U.S. ambassador in more than 30 years, is investigating whether the assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was a planned terrorist strike to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and not a spontaneous mob enraged over an anti-Islam YouTube video. [...] In a show of force, the Pentagon moved two warships to the Libyan coast [...] At the same time, some 50 U.S. Marines headed to Libya to reinforce security at U.S. diplomatic facilities, initially at the American embassy in Tripoli, not Benghazi."

My Way News - Tall, skinny iPhone in US stores Sept. 21
My Way News reports: "The iPhone 5 will go on sale in the U.S. and eight other countries next Friday, Sept. 21 [...] On Day One, the phone will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the U.K., besides the U.S. A week later, it will go on sale in 22 more countries, including Italy, Poland and Spain."

BBC News - Pakistan Christian girl accused of blasphemy released
BBC News reports: "A Christian girl in Pakistan who was arrested on blasphemy charges has been released from prison in Rawalpindi, a minister has said. The girl, thought to be 14 years old but with a younger mental age, was arrested last month after a mob accused her of burning pages of the Koran. An imam was later remanded in custody, accused of planting burned pages of the Koran in the girl's bag."

My Way News - 7-year-old Colo. girl recovers from bubonic plague
My Way News reports: "Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention acknowledged that a series of frightening illnesses linked to insects and pests have been surfacing lately across the country, including mosquito-borne West Nile virus outbreaks in Texas and other states, deadly hantavirus cases linked to Yosemite National Park, and some scattered plague cases [...] The bubonic plague, or Black Death, killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe in the Middle Ages. Today, it can be treated with antibiotics, but it's important to catch it early."

Reuters - Powerful quake hits Costa Rica, no deaths
Reuters reports: "Costa Rica escaped relatively unscathed after a powerful earthquake hit the country on Wednesday, sparking landslides and knocking down buildings without killing anyone."

Sun Myung Moon, founder of Unification Church, dies at 92 - World News
NBC News reports: "The Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the self-proclaimed messiah who turned his Unification Church into a worldwide religious movement and befriended North Korean leaders as well as U.S. presidents, has died, church officials said Monday. He was 92."

Summer Break
As the summer travel season begins I will be taking a break from this blog and using the Twitter service instead. So, please join me in keeping up with events here:

http://twitter.com/portents

Please add this to your bookmarks and if you are on Twitter, please feel free to follow me and send me a direct message (DM) to let me know. I think it would be great to build a larger Bible prophecy community on Twitter. I also have several Twitter lists that you might be interested in following, lists devoted to world news and Bible prophecy.

Not a Twitter user? No problem, you do not need to be a member of Twitter to bookmark the site.

Happy Canada Day to our Canadian visitors and happy Independence Day to our American visitors!

My Way News - Syria troops regain key Damascus suburb:
My Way News reports: "Syrian troops flushed out rebels from a key Damascus suburb Saturday, regaining control of a key area just outside the capital after a 10-day assault that left dozens dead, hundreds wounded and caused a major humanitarian crisis [...] World powers meeting in Geneva to push for an end to the bloodshed accepted a U.N.-brokered peace plan for Syria on Saturday, but left open whether President Bashar Assad could be part of a transitional government."

My Way News - Eastern US storms kill 13, cut power to millions:
My Way News reports: "Millions across the mid-Atlantic region sweltered Saturday in the aftermath of violent storms that pummeled the eastern U.S. with high winds and downed trees, killing at least 13 people and leaving 3 million without power during a heat wave [...] Emergencies were declared in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, the District of Columbia and Virginia."

My Way News - Report: Iran to deploy submarines in Caspian Sea:
My Way News reports: "Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan have soured in the past year. Iran accuses Azerbaijan of harboring anti-Iranian terrorists linked to Israel's Mossad spy agency. Azerbaijan in return says Iran supports Islamist dissidents. Both countries deny each other's charges."

My Way News - Egypt's new president begins struggle for power
My Way News reports: "Islamist Mohammed Morsi became Egypt's first freely elected president on Saturday, launching his four-year term with a potentially dangerous quest to wrest back from the military the full authority of his office [...]  If Morsi succeeds, the Muslim Brotherhood will likely be emboldened to press ahead with realizing the longtime goal of making Egypt an Islamic state."

My Way News - European leaders agree on long-term union
My Way News reports: "After tough all-night bargaining, European leaders appeared to salvage what had seemed to be a summit teetering toward failure by agreeing early Friday to use the continent's bailout fund to funnel money directly to struggling banks, and in the longer term to the idea of a tighter union [...] leaders of the 17-nation eurozone also agreed to a joint banking supervisory body. And he said the leaders of the full 27-member European Union agreed to a general long-term plan for a tighter budgetary and political union."

My Way News - Heat wave: 1,000 records fall in US in a week
My Way News reports: "Feeling hot? It's not a mirage. Across the United States, hundreds of heat records have fallen in the past week. From the wildfire-consumed Rocky Mountains to the bacon-fried sidewalks of Oklahoma, the temperatures are creating consequences ranging from catastrophic to comical [...] Wildfires pack intense heat, but soaring temperatures and whipping winds are piling on the men and women battling the blazes raging across the Rocky Mountains."

My Way News - Wildfire victims crowd shelters as fight continues
My Way News reports: "Fire crews fought to save the U.S. Air Force Academy and residents begged for information on the fate of their homes Wednesday after a night of terror sent thousands of people fleeing a raging Colorado Springs wildfire. More than 30,000 have been displaced by the fire [...] Overall, there have been fewer fires and less acreage burned for the first six months of the year than for the same period in the previous six years. Some states are seeing fires earlier this year, but Harbour said resources are far from being exhausted."

My Way News - EU to open accession talks with tiny Montenegro
My Way News reports: "European Union foreign ministers recommended on Tuesday that Montenegro open accession negotiations with the bloc later this week, opening the way for the Balkan nation to eventually join the union [...] Despite the financial crisis and structural problems shaking the European Union's foundations, Balkan states are still enthusiastic about joining the 27-nation bloc. Croatia has completed accession negotiations and is slated to become the EU's newest member in 2013."

My Way News - Iran focus of Russian president's visit to Israel
My Way News reports: "Israel urged the visiting Russian president on Monday to step up pressure on Iran to curb its suspect nuclear program but there was no sign of any concessions from Vladimir Putin [...] Israel sees Iran as its most dangerous enemy because it is convinced the country's nuclear program is meant to build bombs and not for peaceful purposes such as energy production, as Iran insists. The fears are compounded by Tehran's frequent calls for Israel's destruction, support for anti-Israel militants and arsenal of ballistic missiles."

My Way News - Turkey warns Syria away from its border
My Way News reports: "Turkey warned Syria on Tuesday to keep its forces away from the countries' troubled border or risk an armed response - a furious reply to the downing of a Turkish military plane last week by the Damascus regime."

My Way News - Israel jittery after Brotherhood victory in Egypt
My Way News reports: "The Muslim Brotherhood victory in Egyptian presidential elections, announced Sunday, has raised fears in Israel that its strategic 1979 peace agreement with its southern neighbor could be in danger. In contrast, in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, ecstatic residents flocked into the streets, fired guns in the air and handed out candy in celebration [...] The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, is a pan-Arabic movement that favors creation of a Muslim state that encompasses the entire Middle East."

My Way News - Israel to press visiting Putin on Iran
My Way News reports: "When Vladimir Putin visits Israel next week, the world may want to pay attention: The Iranian nuclear program will top the agenda - and the steely Russian president, widely viewed as coddling the Iranians, may hold the key to avoiding a potential slide into another Middle East war [...] Israel sees Iran as its most dangerous foe because it is convinced that Iran's nuclear program is meant to build bombs and not produce energy, as Iran claims. The fears are compounded by Iran's frequent calls for Israel's destruction, support for anti-Israel militants and arsenal of ballistic missiles."

My Way News - Syrian Christians feel vulnerable as country burns
My Way News reports: "Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Syria's population, say they are particularly vulnerable to the violence sweeping the country of 22 million people. They are fearful that Syria will become another Iraq, with Christians caught in the crossfire between rival Islamic groups."

My Way News - Iran claims it defused cyberattack on nuke sites
My Way News reports: "An Iranian news agency says the country's experts have defused a "massive" cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities. The semiofficial ILNA news agency says the attack came after Iran and world powers met earlier this week in Moscow to discuss Iran's nuclear program."

My Way News - SKorea sees big demand for fastest mobile network:
My Way News reports: "South Korea, already known for having the world's speediest fixed-line broadband Internet, was not the first to use the fourth generation mobile technology known as Long Term Evolution. The United States already eclipses South Korea in the number of LTE smartphone users. But the proportion of the population using it is higher and rising faster in South Korea than in any other part of the world as mobile operators are making a big push to attract subscribers."

My Way News - Egypt's Mubarak on life support amid crisis
My Way News reports: "The Muslim Brotherhood, emboldened by its claim that its candidate won the election, sent tens of thousands of supporters into the street in an escalation of its confrontation against the ruling generals who invoked sweeping powers this week that give them dominance over the next president. Some 50,000 protesters, mostly Islamists, protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting slogans in support of Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi and denouncing the generals."

My Way News - Turmoil in Pakistan after prime minister dismissed:
My Way News reports: "Pakistan's top court dismissed the prime minister from office on Tuesday [...] The move was likened by some to a 'judicial coup' in a country with a history of destabilizing conflicts between the courts, the army and elected governments. It comes as Pakistan faces near economic collapse, power shortages and its own struggle against Islamist militants behind attacks that have killed thousands of people over the last five years."

More unrest hits Nigeria after church attacks, riots kill 52 - Yahoo! News
Yahoo News reports: "Fresh explosions and gunfire rocked a northeastern Nigerian city on Monday, a day after suicide attacks claimed by Islamists and reprisal violence by rampaging Christian mobs left 52 people dead [...] Boko Haram claimed responsibility for three suicide attacks on churches in Kaduna state on Sunday which led to deadly rioting, while police blamed the group for the violence that broke out in Damaturu."

My Way News - Gazans welcome claim of Islamist victory in Egypt
My Way News reports: "Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday welcomed the claim of a Muslim Brotherhood victory in Egypt's presidential election, distributing sweets, praising God and expressing hope for a new era of warm relations between Gaza and Egypt. Gaza, a small, densely populated territory, borders Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The strip's ruling militant Hamas group is a local offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and draws inspiration from the Egyptian organization."

My Way News - Egyptian military moves to retain power after vote: Islamist candidate Mohammed Morsi claimed a hollow victory Monday in Egypt's presidential vote just hours after the country's military rulers stripped the office of its most important powers [...] The generals, who deny having effectively staged a coup and rendering the elected president a mere figurehead, will maintain authority over the crafting of laws and the drafting of a new constitution."

Comment: The Muslim Brotherhood has come to power in Egypt...or have they? The situation seems far from settled as the election ends. There are many questions left unanswered. What will happen to the peace treaty with Israel? Will Egypt become an Islamic state and drive out the Christian minority?

My Way News - 13 wounded in clashes in north Lebanon camp:
My Way News reports: "Lebanese security officials say three soldiers and 10 Palestinians have been wounded in clashes inside a refugee camp in the country's north. The clashes broke out Monday in the Nahr el-Bared camp during the funeral of a Palestinian who was killed in a confrontation Friday."

Comment: The country of Lebanon keeps Palestinians in camps. In camps! They've done that for decades with no hope of change in sight. Where's the outrage?  Oh, that's right, it's ok because they are not Israel so they can do whatever they want to Palestinians and the world will not care.

My Way News - Militants cross into Israel from Egypt, 1 killed:
My Way News reports: "Militants crossed from Egypt's turbulent Sinai desert into southern Israel on Monday and opened fire, killing an Israeli worker, defense officials said. Two assailants were shot dead in a gunbattle with Israeli troops responding to the ambush [...] Several hours after the attack, an Israeli airstrike killed two men on a motorcycle in the northern Gaza Strip near the Israeli border."

My Way News - Putin says Russia needs new strategic bomber
My Way News reports: "President Vladimir Putin says Russia needs a new strategic bomber and will develop it despite high costs [...]  Russia's air force has several dozen Soviet-built Tu-95 four-engine turboprop bombers whose design dates back to the 1950s and just over a dozen more modern supersonic Tu-160 bombers."

My Way News - Iran shrugs off oil sanctions at OPEC meeting
My Way News reports: "Iran's oil minister on Thursday shrugged off the tightening international squeeze on his country's oil exports, declaring that Tehran was not feeling the pinch and warning that an energy-hungry world could not do without Iranian oil and natural gas."

My Way News - Iran's dreams for influence stymied in Egypt
My Way News reports: "With a struggling economy, Egypt is in dire need of financial help from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab nations whose relations with Tehran are fraught with tensions over its disputed nuclear program, its perceived support for the majority Shiites in Sunni-ruled Bahrain and occupation of three Gulf islands claimed by the United Arab Emirates."

My Way News - Magnitude-4.1 quake shakes Southern California
My Way News reports: "Southern California has been shaken by a small earthquake centered in Orange County. A preliminary report from the U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.1 quake struck at 8:17 p.m. Wednesday at a depth of about three miles. It was centered eight miles northeast of Anaheim, where a red carpet premiere was under way for the new Cars Land attraction at Disney's California Adventure. Several attendees tweeted that they felt it."

My Way News - Syria overruns rebellious village, violence spikes
My Way News reports: "Syrian forces overran a mountain enclave near the Mediterranean coast Wednesday, seizing the territory back from rebels as a serious escalation in violence signaled both sides are using more powerful weapons. With the bloodshed ramping up, France joined the U.N. peacekeeping chief in declaring Syria was in a state of civil war."

Helicopter allegations roil U.S.-Russia ties - The Washington Post:
The Washington Post reports: "While insisting that Iran diplomacy remains on track, officials in Washington and Moscow acknowledged damage to bilateral ties a day after the Obama administration publicly accused Russia of selling attack helicopters to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The allegation drew a chorus of denials and denunciations from Russian leaders, some of whom accused Washington of mistaking a shipment of refurbished or repaired helicopters for new ones. "

My Way News - Egypt Christians rally behind rival of Islamists
My Way News reports: "Many Christians see the vote as a clear-cut choice between a secular state and one in which an Islamist agenda slowly takes root [...] The region's turmoil has deeply unsettled the Middle East's Christians. Syria's Christian minority, for example, has largely stuck by President Bashar Assad, fearing the strength of Muslim hard-liners in the uprising against his rule. For a worst-case scenario, Christians can look to Iraq, which many Christians have fled after their community and others were repeatedly targeted by extremist militants in the chaotic years after Saddam Hussein's 2003 toppling."

My Way News - Annan wants powers to 'twist arms' over Syria
My Way News reports: "U.N. envoy Kofi Annan has asked governments with influence to 'twist arms' to stop escalating violence in Syria, amid few signs that international pressure is having any measurable effect on the fighting [...] He didn't specify the countries that might still have leverage with the Assad regime, but Russia, China and Iran are considered Syria's closest and strongest allies."

My Way News - Tens of thousands protest Putin despite crackdown
My Way News reports: "Undeterred by a sudden escalation in the Kremlin's crackdown on the opposition, tens of thousands thronged Moscow's tree-lined boulevards Tuesday in the first mass protest against Vladimir Putin since he returned to the presidency in May."

My Way News - Powerful quake shakes areas of Greece and Turkey
My Way News reports: "A powerful earthquake shook Greece's island of Rhodes and southwestern Turkey on Sunday. No deaths or serious damage were reported, but officials said six people were hurt in Turkey by jumping out of buildings."

My Way News - Up to 100 feared dead in Afghan earthquake:
My Way News reports: "As many as 100 people are feared dead in an earthquake and landslide that buried more than 20 houses in northern Afghanistan on Monday, officials said."

My Way News - Attacks strike Nigeria churches, kill at least 6
My Way News reports: "A suicide car bomber detonated his explosives Sunday outside a church in central Nigeria as gunmen attacked another church in the nation's northeast, killing at least six people and wounding dozens of others in the latest attacks targeting Christian worshippers in a nation increasingly divided by faith, officials and witnesses said. A radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram claimed the attacks."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the persecuted church in Nigeria. 

My Way News - Spain relieved, angry over humiliating bank rescue
My Way News reports "Spain on Saturday became the fourth - and largest - of the 17 countries that use Europe's common currency to request a bailout. This is a big blow to a nation that a few years ago took pride as the continent's economic superstar only to see it become the hot spot in the eurozone debt crisis. Its economy is the eurozone's fourth largest after Germany, France and Italy."

My Way News - Iran's Ahmadinejad wounded but wily in final year
My Way News reports: "The one-time favored son of Iran's theocracy - its flame-throwing populist in a common man's wind breaker or bureaucrat's off-the-rack suit - is now limping into his last year in office sharply weakened and in the unexpected position as an outcast among hard-liners."

Merkel says EU ready to act as Spain downgraded - Yahoo! News:
Yahoo News reports: "Speaking after talks in Berlin with British Prime Minister David Cameron - who called for 'urgent action' to tackle the debt crisis - Merkel said Germany stood ready, alongside the other 16 euro zone countries, to do whatever was necessary [...] As the EU's biggest economy and largest contributor, Germany holds the key to how the bloc comes to Spain's rescue, and whether Europe is able to agree on a banking union with a joint deposit guarantee and a bank resolution fund, as envisaged by the European Central Bank and the European Commission."

My Way News - In China, 1 in 10 TB cases are drug-resistant
My Way News reports: "One in 10 cases of tuberculosis in China cannot be treated by the most commonly-used drugs, driven by a lack of testing and misuse of medicine, according to a national survey that showed for the first time the size of the drug-resistant epidemic."

My Way News - Officials probe E. coli outbreak in 6 states
My Way News reports: "A mysterious and scattered outbreak of the E. coli bacteria is linked to 14 illnesses, including a child's death, health officials say [...] The reported illnesses were spread across six states. Georgia had five cases, Louisiana four, Alabama two, and Tennessee, Florida and California each had one."

My Way News - Gonorrhea growing resistant to drugs, WHO warns
My Way News reports: "A sexually transmitted disease that infects millions of people each year is growing resistant to drugs and could soon become untreatable, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. "

My Way News - Spring fever: US smashes heat record for season
My Way News reports: "Call it spring's fever. Federal records show the U.S. just finished its hottest spring on record [...] The first five months of 2012 were the hottest start to a year in U.S. weather record history. The 12-month period starting last June is also the hottest on record."

My Way News - Israel accuses Iran of nuclear deception
My Way News reports: "Renewing its criticism of Iran's atomic agenda, Israel's delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency accused Tehran on Wednesday of working secretly on nuclear weapons while pretending it does not want such arms, under a strategy of 'deception, defiance and concealment.'"

My Way News - China says it's not protecting Syria's Assad
My Way News reports: "China is not trying to protect Syrian President Bashar Assad and will respect the will of the country's people on its future, China's U.N. ambassador said Monday. Li Baodong told reporters that China is calling on all parties in Syria to immediately implement international envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan, stop the killings and launch an inclusive political process to restore peace and stability to the country."

My Way News - Eyes turn skyward as Venus travels across the sun
My Way News reports: "None of us will likely see Venus pass, like a moving beauty spot, across the face of the sun again. From the U.S. to South Korea, people around the world turned their attention to the daytime sky on Tuesday and early Wednesday in Asia to make sure they caught the rare sight of the transit of Venus. The next one won't be for another 105 years."

My Way News - New TV series awards bunker to winning survivalist:
My Way News reports: "The Spike television network is airing a competition this fall to award a fortified bunker to a family that believes the end of the world is near. Seriously. The network said Tuesday that its six-episode series called 'Last Family on Earth' will feature survivalists competing to show how tough and resourceful they are. The winner gets an underground bunker in an undisclosed location."

Comment: I guess they didn't get the memo that the Mayan doomsday gas been cancelled. 

My Way News - Rare sighting: Venus to trek across face of sun
My Way News reports: "It's a spectacle that won't repeat for another century - the sight of Venus slowly inching across the face of the sun. The silhouette of Venus will march across the face of the sun on Tuesday from the Western Hemisphere (Wednesday from the Eastern Hemisphere). Known as a transit of Venus, this won't happen again until 2117."

My Way News - Quake sways tall buildings in Indonesia's capital:
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake swayed tall buildings in Indonesia's capital Monday afternoon but caused no tsunami or apparent damage. Office workers said the swaying was felt for about 10 seconds in high-rise buildings around the city of 9 million people. Even two-story homes shook strongly. No damage or casualties have been reported."

My Way News - Tokyo cult attack suspect relieved by her arrest:
My Way News reports: "Naoko Kikuchi is a former member of the Aum Shinrikyo cult that released the nerve gas sarin in Tokyo's subways in 1995, killing 13 people and injuring more than 6,000. The cult had amassed an arsenal of chemical, biological and conventional weapons in anticipation of an apocalyptic showdown with the government [...] The cult, renamed Aleph, once had 10,000 members in Japan and claimed another 30,000 in Russia. It still has hundreds of members."

My Way News - Stay or go? Some towns are eyeing retreat from sea
My Way News reports: "Up and down the California coast, some communities are deciding it's not worth trying to wall off the encroaching ocean. Until recently, the thought of bowing to nature was almost unheard of. But after futile attempts to curb coastal erosion - a problem expected to grow worse with rising seas fueled by global warming - there is growing acknowledgment that the sea is relentless and any line drawn in the sand is likely to eventually wash over."

Comment: Better leave now people, it's only going to get worse. 

My Way News - Strong magnitude quake hits eastern Indonesia
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake has hit eastern Indonesia. There are no immediate reports of damage or casualties. Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency says the 6.2 magnitude quake struck at 3:56 local time (0656 GMT) Friday in the eastern province of Papua Barat on Papua island. It struck about 18 kilometers (11 miles) under the earth's surface and was centered about 72 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of the town of Tambraw."

UPI - Yemen faces famine, aid agencies say
UPI.com reports: "The agencies -- CARE, International Medical Corps, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Mercy Corps, Oxfam and Save the Children -- warned at an aid conference in Yemen 44 percent of Yemen's population is at risk of famine with a third of children in some parts of the country severely malnourished."

My Way News - Euro structure is 'unsustainable,' ECB chief warns
My Way News reports: "The head of the European Central Bank warned Thursday that the euro currency union is 'unsustainable' without stronger political and financial ties, and called for a new course to save it from a crippling debt crisis [...] in just over two weeks Greece returns to the polls with the real possibility that it might elect a government that rejects the terms of its multibillion-dollar bailout. This could force the country out of the euro, irreparably fracturing the eurozone and further roiling markets."

My Way News - Warming gas levels hit 'troubling milestone'
My Way News reports: "Monitoring stations across the Arctic this spring are measuring more than 400 parts per million of the heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere. The number isn't quite a surprise, because it's been rising at an accelerating pace. Years ago, it passed the 350 ppm mark that many scientists say is the highest safe level for carbon dioxide. It now stands globally at 395. So far, only the Arctic has reached that 400 level, but the rest of the world will follow soon."

My Way News - 13 corpses found in Syria amid massacre fallout
My Way News reports: "Thirteen bound corpses, many apparently shot execution-style, have been discovered in eastern Syria, U.N. observers said Wednesday, days after the massacre of more than 100 people provoked international outrage and the coordinated expulsion of Syrian diplomats from world capitals."

My Way News - Western nations expel Syrian envoys over massacre
My Way News reports: "Cranking up the pressure on Assad, the Obama administration gave Syria's most senior envoy in Washington, the charge d'affaires at the Syrian Embassy, 72 hours to leave the United States. Britain, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria also expelled Syrian diplomats."

My Way News - Iran, other Mideast states hit by computer virus
My Way News reports: "Iran and other Middle East countries have been hit with a cunning computer virus that can eavesdrop on computer users and their co-workers and filch information from nearby cellphones, cybersecurity experts said Tuesday. And suspicion immediately fell on Israel as the culprit."

My Way News - Israeli premier: World powers too soft on Iran
My Way News reports: "World powers are being too soft over Iran's nuclear program by only asking an end to low grade enrichment, Israel's prime minister said Tuesday, charging that Tehran is proceeding to develop atomic weapons."

VOA - Powerful Earthquake in Italy Kills 15
The Voice of America reports:  "A powerful earthquake in northern Italy has left at least 16 people dead, striking after another deadly quake in the same region earlier this month. Officials say 350 other were injured in the 5.8-magnitude quake Tuesday with the epicenter in the Emilia-Romagna region between the cities of Modena and Ferrara.The tremblor was felt across much of central and northern Italy, including the major city of Milan. Several strong aftershocks later hit the region."

My Way News - Egypt results point to deeply divisive runoff race
My Way News reports: "The Muslim Brotherhood's candidate and a veteran of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's autocratic regime will face each other in a runoff election for Egypt's president, according to first-round results Friday. The divisive showdown dismayed many Egyptians who fear either one means an end to any democratic gains produced by last year's uprising."

My Way News - Israeli archaeologists find rare ancient jewelry
My Way News reports: "Israeli archaeologists have discovered a rare trove of 3,000-year-old jewelry, including a ring and earrings, hidden in a ceramic jug near the ancient city of Megiddo, where the New Testament predicts the final battle of Armageddon [...] Megiddo was an important trade center in ancient times. According to the New Testament, Megiddo will be the site of the final apocalyptic battle between good and evil. "

My Way News - Israel steps up security ties with China
My Way News reports: "With Israel offering much-needed technical expertise and China representing a huge new market and influential voice in the international debate over Iran's nuclear program, the two nations have stepped up military cooperation as they patch up a rift caused by a pair of failed arms deals scuttled by the U.S."

Comment: China has many ties to the Middle East, some are trade ties, some are military ties, and as this report suggests, those ties are getting stronger.

CNN - Russia test-fires missile amid tensions over NATO defense shield announcement
CNN reports: "Russia test-fired a ballistic missile Wednesday, a move that comes amid tensions about a recent NATO announcement that it placed an interim missile defense shield in Europe."

My Way News - Europe's leaders to tackle growth at summit
My Way News reports: "The leaders of the 27 countries that make up the European Union are to meet in Brussels Wednesday to try and find a way to keep the debt crisis in Europe from spiraling out of control and promote jobs and growth [...] The electoral turmoil in Greece threatens to pull apart the eurozone."

Comment: This could well be a pivotal time for the European Union, it could either break up into smaller units composed of states more economically similar or it could find a path out of the debt crisis and actually start to grow and expand again. Many Bible prophecy students see the EU as a potential fulfillment of Daniel's final world empire and the launching pad for the final world leader depicted in the Book of Revelation.

My Way News - Eager Egyptians hold landmark presidential vote
My Way News reports: "Many of the candidates have called for amendments to Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel, which remains deeply unpopular. None is likely to dump it, but a victory by any of the Islamist or leftist candidates in the race could mean strained ties with Israel and a stronger stance in support of the Palestinians in the peace process."

Reuters - Iran's Ahmadinejad to visit as China slams new sanctions
Reuters reports: "Ahmadinejad will be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting hosted by Beijing in June, China's Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping told reporters at a briefing. The SCO is a regional security forum that groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and which Iran is attending as an observer."

My Way News - UN nuclear chief seeks pact on wider Iran probes:
My Way News reports: "The head of the U.N. nuclear agency pushed Monday for a breakthrough pact with Iran to resume inspections into suspected secret atomic weapons work and possibly set in motion further dealmaking when envoys from Tehran and world powers gather later this week in Baghdad."

My Way News - G-8 leaders hope Greece remains in eurozone
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama and other leaders of the Group of Eight industrial nations expressed hope Saturday that Greece will remain in the Eurozone, anxious to keep its economic troubles from spreading around the world [...] The Camp David gathering opened with a Friday evening discussion focused on global trouble spots Iran and Syria. Obama said the session also touched on North Korea's aggression and hopeful signs of democratic change in Myanmar."

My Way News - Iran, Syria among top for G-8 and NATO
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama and leaders of other major industrial powers grappled Friday with options to solidify world resolve against development of an Iranian nuclear bomb and encourage a more forceful response to worsening violence in Syria [...] The G-8 is made up of the leaders of the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia [...] The European Union is represented but is not granted the power to act as host of the annual sessions or to serve as the rotating leader."

Comment: I'm posting this under the "Ten Kings" label and I should probably point out that even though this informal alliance is called the G8, it is now actually the G10. Why? Well, the EU is allowed to send two representatives, the president of the European Commission and the president of the European Council. So, together with the other eight, that's makes it an alliance of ten leaders (see the group photo from the AP posted here and also posted above without the caption). Bible prophecy says that in the future such an alliance will be very important in empowering a new world leader in the period of time called the Tribulation. I'm not suggesting the G8 is that group (as it appears to be declining in influence) but merely noting that there is already a group of ten world leaders who could fulfill the prophetic role.

My Way News - Beijing rejects US report on Chinese military
My Way News reports: "China on Saturday rejected an annual Pentagon report that said Beijing is aggressively modernizing its military forces. [...] This year's report, which was released Friday, describes an ambitious, fast-growing Chinese military program aimed at transforming the People's Liberation Army into a modern force. It says its main goals include preserving Communist Party rule and preparing for possible hostilities with Taiwan."

My Way News - US envoy to Israel: US ready to strike Iran
My Way News reports: "The U.S. has plans in place to attack Iran if necessary to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, Washington's envoy to Israel said, days ahead of a crucial round of nuclear talks with Tehran."

My Way News - 'Ring of Fire' eclipse visible from China to Texas
My Way News reports: "Sunrises and sunsets often dazzle, but they'll have a special ring to them in a few days for people in the western United States and eastern Asia: The moon will slide across the sun, blocking everything but a blazing halo of light [...] The solar spectacle is first seen in eastern Asia at dawn Monday, local time. Weather permitting, millions of early risers in southern China, northern Taiwan and southeast Japan will be able to catch the ring eclipse. Then it creeps across the Pacific with the western U.S. viewing the tail end."

My Way News - Turkey shows renewed interest in EU bid
My Way New reports: "On Thursday, Turkey and the EU are to open talks aimed at bringing Turkey's membership bid back on track, and the Turkish government announced this week that its Parliament will soon vote on a series of draft laws designed to help advance its bid."

Comment: This could be significant. There are many Bible prophecy teachers who believe that Turkey will become alienated from the EU and join an alliance of anti-Western states that eventually invade Israel.

My Way News - Iran's tough nuclear stance masks struggles at top
My Way News reports: "Iran's Islamic leadership - which crushed an opposition groundswell nearly three years ago and later swatted back a power grab by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - has now staked its political credibility on its ability to resist Western sanctions and hold firm to its rights under U.N. treaties to enrich uranium. Any concessions - either too great or too fast - could risk internal rifts within Iran's power structure."

My Way News - Military hopes for 'great leader' from Egypt vote
My Way News reports: "The Muslim Brotherhood, the country's most influential political Islamic group which won close to half the seats in parliament, meanwhile warned Tuesday of 'reinventing the old regime' and urged voters not to support Mubarak-era candidates [...] The performance of the Islamists in the parliamentary elections and their strong organization has also stirred fear among many Egyptians they would monopolize power in the country if they succeed in their bid for president."

My Way News - April 2012 heats up as 5th warmest month globally:
My Way News reports: "Meteorologists say unseasonable weather pushed last month to the fifth warmest April on record worldwide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center calculated that April's average temperature of 57.9 degrees (14.4 degrees Celsius) was nearly 1.2 degrees (0.7 degrees Celsius) above the 20th Century normal. Two years ago was the hottest April since record keeping started in 1880."

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake downs walls, cuts power in northern Chile - The Washington Post
The Washington Post reports: "A magnitude-6.2 magnitude earthquake damaged walls, shattered windows and knocked out electricity in parts of far-northern Chile and the Peruvian city of Tacna but no injuries or major damage were reported."

Magnitude 6.0 earthquake strikes Papua New Guinea | Fox News
Fox News reports: "A magnitude 6.0 earthquake shook Papua New Guinea on Wednesday morning, the US Geological survey reported. The quake struck 29 miles west of Kimbe town on the island of New Britain. The impact on the surrounding area was not clear, although were no immediate reports of injuries and no tsunami warning was issued."

5.3 magnitude earthquake shakes Israel, ... JPost
The Jerusalem Post reports: "A 5.3 magnitude earthquake shook the eastern Mediterranean on Friday night, with locals in countries throughout the Levant reporting the quake. The United States Geological Survey’s website said the quake at a depth of 19.8 km. occurred in the sea between Cyprus and Lebanon at 9:48 p.m. local time."

My Way News - EU slams Israel over settlements, evictions
My Way News reports: "The European Union harshly condemned Israeli settlement policies on Monday, saying that continued construction in occupied territories threatens to make a peace agreement with the Palestinians impossible."

NASA - Solar Eclipse this Weekend
NASA reports: "Something strange is about to happen to the shadows beneath your feet. On Sunday, May 20th, the Moon will pass in front of the sun, transforming sunbeams across the Pacific side of Earth into fat crescents and thin rings of light.1 It's an annular solar eclipse, in which the Moon will cover as much as 94% of the sun. Hundreds of millions of people will be able to witness the event. The eclipse zone stretches from southeast Asia across the Pacific Ocean to western parts of North America."

My Way News - Syrian unrest spills into Lebanon for 3rd day:
My Way News reports: "On one side are Sunni Muslims who support the rebels trying to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad. On the other are members of the tiny Alawite sect, followers of an offshoot of Shiite Islam who are Assad's most loyal supporters."

My Way News - EU adopts new sanctions against Syria's regime
My Way News reports: "The European Union imposed visa bans and asset freezes Monday on three new people associated with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime - bringing to 128 the number of Assad supporters targeted by the bloc."

My Way News - Hezbollah leader says group can hit all of Israel
My Way News reports: "The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah says his militant group has weapons that can accurately hit targets throughout Israel. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah told supporters via video link Friday that if a new war breaks out, the group will destroy targets in Israel for every building destroyed in Beirut."

My Way News - Israel envoy meets with Palestinian president
My Way News reports: "An Israeli envoy met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday and delivered a letter from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu detailing his government's stance on stalled peace negotiations [...] Israeli media reported that Israel had called for renewed peace talks without preconditions. Palestinians are demanding that Israel cease settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas they claim as part of their future state, before talks can begin."

My Way News - EU predicts 0.3 pct eurozone contraction in 2012:
My Way News reports: "The European Union estimates that the economy of the 17 countries that use the euro is in recession in the wake of a debt crisis that has prompted savage spending cuts and a jump in unemployment to record highs [...] A recession is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth and figures next week are expected to show that the eurozone contracted by a quarterly rate of 0.2 percent for the second quarter running."

My Way News - Greek euro exit no longer unthinkable:
My Way News reports: "There have been two and a half years of bailouts, on top of broken promises by Greece to reform. The result: a fifth year of recession and, this week, political chaos. Voters on Sunday favored parties that either oppose the terms of the country's international bailout or want to renegotiate them. If it cannot get more rescue loans, Greece will go bankrupt and likely have to leave the eurozone, the currency union of 17 countries."

Comment: The EU is either on the verge of splintering or of forging a new consensus. Which will it be? Stay tuned. 

My Way News - Israel not invited to NATO's Chicago summit
My Way News reports: "Israel will not be invited to NATO's May 20-21 summit in Chicago, the alliance's top official said Friday. But he denied that alliance member Turkey had blocked Israel's participation [...] Representatives of about 60 nations and international organizations will attend the Chicago conference. Partner nations include include Sweden, Switzerland, Qatar, Georgia, Australia and New Zealand."

My Way News - Twin car bombs in Syrian capital kill dozens
My Way News reports: "Twin suicide car bombs exploded outside a military intelligence building and killed 55 people Thursday, tossing mangled bodies in the street in the deadliest attack against a regime target since the Syrian uprising began 14 months ago. The bombings fueled fears of a rising Islamic militant element among the forces seeking to oust President Bashar Assad and dealt a further blow to international efforts to end the bloodshed."

Juniper: NFC to reach $74 billion in transactions by 2015 — Tech News and Analysis:
GIGAOM.com reports: "Payments using near field communication or NFC have barely gotten off the ground in the U.S. but it is headed toward a bright future, according to research firm Juniper, which forecast that NFC transactions will triple to $74 billion by 2015."

Comment: This article provides a good overview of recent developments in mobile commerce technology.  

Space.com - Monster Sunspot May Erupt with Powerful Flares
Space.com reports: "An enormous sunspot group has taken shape on the surface of the sun, hinting that our star may soon start spouting off some powerful storms [...] Most experts expect such outbursts to continue over the next year or so. Solar activity waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle, and scientists think the current one — known as Solar Cycle 24 — will peak in 2013."

PopSci.com - Canada Launches Its Own Virtual Cash, Called MintChip
Popular Science reports: "Next time you visit Canada, you might use digital currency to purchase your poutine, using something called MintChip backed by the Canadian government. The Royal Canadian Mint announced it’s getting rid of the penny and starting a new e-currency instead, and it wants the software community to help develop it [...] MintChip would enable the same type of low-cost transactions for which you’d normally use cash."

My Way News - Egypt's extremist Islamists flex their muscles
My Way News reports: "Militants who have vowed allegiance to al-Qaida attack security forces in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula close to Israel and enjoy unchallenged control of two border towns. Radical Islamists in Cairo chant anti-US slogans and dream of turning the most populous Arab country into a religious state."

My Way News - Crisis threatens Europe's storied way of life
My Way News reports: "Elections in France and Greece reflect the anger and disillusionment coming to the surface across Europe as an entire way of life is challenged. The European landscape is undergoing profound change - from its sophisticated lifestyle to its cherished welfare benefits like guaranteed health care and a secure retirement, to a sense among many Europeans of being the world's elite."

My Way News - CIA thwarts 'undetectable' al-Qaida bomb plot
My Way News reports: "The CIA thwarted an ambitious plot by al-Qaida's affiliate in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design around the one-year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said Monday."

My Way News - Putin sworn in as Russia's president for 6 years
My Way News reports: "Vladimir Putin took the oath of office in a brief but regal Kremlin ceremony on Monday, while on the streets outside thousands of helmeted riot police prevented hundreds of demonstrators from protesting his return to the presidency. Putin, 59, has ruled Russia since 2000, first as president and then during the past four years as prime minister. The new, now six-year term will keep him in power until 2018, with the option of running for a fourth term."

My Way News - Syrian forces kill teen in Aleppo protests
My Way News reports: "Syrian forces fired on thousands of protesters Friday in Aleppo, killing a teenager, after a raid on dormitories at the city's main university killed four students and enflamed tensions in a key bastion of support for the regime."

My Way News - Look! Up in the sky! It's Supermoon! Due Saturday
My Way News reports: "Saturday's event is a 'supermoon,' the closest and therefore the biggest and brightest full moon of the year. At 11:34 p.m., the moon will be about 221,802 miles from Earth. That's about 15,300 miles closer than average."

Comment: Supernatural? No, but super cool. 

Huffington Post - Mayan Calendar, According To Poll One In 10 People Believe That The End Of The Mayan Calendar Points To Doomsday
The Huffington Post reports: "The Mayan calendar will cycle back to zero on Dec. 21, 2012 for the first time since 3114 B.C. and people around the world--from Argentina to Asia and the Middle East--believe that fact to be an indicator of doomsday."

My Way News - 4 students killed as Syrian forces raid university
My Way News reports: "The U.N. estimates 9,000 people have been killed since the revolt began, and a peace plan brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan nearly a month ago has done little to stem the bloodshed."

My Way News - Moderate quake jolts western Iran, injures 8
My Way News reports: "A moderate earthquake jolted a small town in western Iran near the Iraqi border on Thursday, injuring eight people and damaging buildings, Iranian media reported [...] Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes, experiencing at least one slight quake a day on average."

io9 - Nature goes ahead and publishes study explaining how to create deadly mutant bird flu
io9 reports: "After months of controversy, the journal Nature has published the details of an experiment describing how the avian flu can be modified into a human-contagious form [...] scientists worry that bioterrorists could use the information to weaponize the disease."

My Way News - Israeli defense minister talks tough on Iran
My Way News reports: "Israel's defense minister warned Monday that as long as Iran poses a threat to Israel with its nuclear program, all options are on the table, a reference to a possible Israeli attack [...] Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence because of its nuclear and missile development programs, frequent reference to Israel's destruction by Iranian leaders and Iran's support of violent anti-Israeli groups in Lebanon and Gaza."