My Way News - Comet making closest approach ever of Earth
My Way News reports: "Called Pan-STARRS, the comet passed within 100 million miles of Earth on Tuesday, its closest approach in its first-ever cruise through the inner solar system. The ice ball will get even nearer the sun this weekend - just 28 million miles from the sun and within the orbit of Mercury. [...] A much brighter comet show, meanwhile, is on the way. Comet ISON may come close to outshining the moon in November. It was discovered last September by Russian astronomers and got its acronym name from the International Scientific Optical Network."

My Way News - North Korea vows to cancel '53 Korean War cease-fire
My Way News reports: "North Korea's military is vowing to cancel the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War, straining already frayed ties between Washington and Pyongyang as the United Nations moves to impose punishing sanctions over the North's recent nuclear test. [...] North Korea says its nuclear program is a response to U.S. hostility that dates to the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula still technically in a state of war."

My Way News - Images of Japan's barren tsunami coast 2 years on
My Way News reports: "Japan's progress in rebuilding from the tsunami that thundered over coastal sea walls, sweeping entire communities away, is mainly measured in barren foundations and empty spaces. Next week, Japan will observe the second anniversary of the March 11, 2011, disaster that killed more than 19,000 people."

My Way News - US accuses Iran of nuke 'deception and delay'
My Way News reports: "A senior U.S. envoy accused Iran of "deception, defiance and delay" Wednesday in dealing with international concerns about its nuclear activities, reflecting frustration over Tehran's expanding uranium enrichment program and stalled U.N. attempts to determine whether Tehran has worked secretly on atomic arms."

My Way News - New Chaldean patriarch enthroned in Iraq
My Way News reports: "Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraqi Christians have suffered repeated violence by Islamic militants and hundreds of thousands have fled the country. The most recent Iraq census in 1978 said there were 1.4 million Christians in the country, but the number dropped significantly to only several hundred thousand following the invasion. The vast majority of Iraqi Catholics are Chaldean with a small Assyrian Catholic minority."

My Way News - Iran assails Western criticism, defends nuke talks
My Way News reports: "Off-and-on talks between Iran and the world powers - the United States, China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany - began after the six offered Tehran a series of incentives in 2006 exchange for a commitment from Tehran to stop enrichment and other activities that could be used to develop weapons. The Almaty talks were the first since negotiations stalled last May after a round in Moscow. The next round will also be held in Kazakhstan in April, after an expert-level meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, later in March."

My Way News - Egypt: Christian arrested on molesting charge
My Way News reports: "The incident took place in Assiut province. Over the weekend, there were clashes between Christians and Muslims in another southern province. Christians charge they are targets of more frequent attacks since the Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt last year."

Comment: I wouldn't be at all surprised if the charges were trumped up.

My Way News - Husband and wife behind 'The Bible' miniseries
My Way News reports: "The series debuts on History Sunday at 8 p.m. EST, the first of five two-hour chunks that will air each weekend. The finale airs on Easter Sunday. [...] Lifetime will air a repeat each week after a new episode appears on History. It will air internationally, and a DVD package will go on sale this spring. The series' scripts are bound together into a book. Producers will make a theatrical release movie of a portion of the story, and are looking at showing it in stadiums this fall. Burnett and Downey have also reached a deal to make parts of the film available as part of a religious education curriculum for churches."

My Way News - Kerry: Turkish comments complicate Mideast process
My Way News reports: "U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday waded into the controversy over comments by Turkey's prime minister equating Zionism to a crime against humanity, rebuking the leader of the NATO ally by saying such remarks complicate efforts to find peace in the Middle East."

My Way News - Companies struggle to popularize mobile money
My Way News reports: "Mobile money may seem like a hot concept, but consumers aren't warming to it [...] Companies are building chips antennas into phones that let the gadgets interact with "tap to pay" terminals and other devices equipped with short-range sensors, like subway turnstiles. But getting the technology to do something useful and convincing people to adopt it is a slow process."

Comment: Not really the MOTB, of course, but mobile-commerce news is always interesting because it always seems just about to take off but never quite gets there. Of course, I'm talking about Western markets, there are many places in the world where paying with cell phones is common, but so far, the U.S. consumer and even many Europeans can't pay now the way they do in parts of Asia. 

My Way News - Report: Religious violence rising in Indonesia:
My Way News reports: "Indonesia's government, security forces and courts must do more to protect religious minorities from growing episodes of intolerance and violence, an international rights group said in a report Thursday. [...] The report alleged building permits for houses of worship have been denied, police have failed to stop violent attacks, prosecutors have sought weak punishment and in two cases, local authorities refused to honor Supreme Court decisions allowing religious minorities to build places of worship. [...] The watchdog organization also cited reports from the Jakarta-based nonprofit Setara Institute, which recorded 264 attacks last year, up from 244 cases the previous year and 216 in 2010."

My Way News - Magnitude 6.3 quake causes no damage in Russia
My Way News reports: "Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry says that a magnitude 6.3 earthquake in the Pacific off the fareastern Kamchatka Peninsula has caused no casualties or damage [...] The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.9. Russia's seismic station in Obninsk near Moscow reported the same magnitude."

My Way News - Putin signals Russia can be more flexible on Syria
My Way News reports: "Russia has backed Assad throughout a conflict that has killed more than 70,000, using its veto at the U.N. Security Council to shield Assad's regime from sanctions for cracking down on what began as peaceful protests. Moscow also has rejected calls for Assad to quit, saying his government and rebels should pursue talks. France, meanwhile, has been among the most vociferous critics of Assad and a major booster of the Syrian opposition."

My Way News - Report: Stuxnet cyberweapon older than believed:
My Way News reports: "The sophisticated cyberweapon which targeted an Iranian nuclear plant is older than previously believed, an anti-virus company said Tuesday, peeling back another layer of mystery on a series of attacks attributed by many to U.S. and Israeli intelligence [...] In a new report issued late Tuesday, Symantec Corp. (SYMC) [...] found a primitive version of Stuxnet circulating online in 2007 and that elements of the program had been in place as far back as 2005."

My Way News - China launches stealth frigate amid ocean tensions
My Way News reports: "China has launched the first ship in a new class of stealth missile frigates, state media reported Tuesday, amid ongoing tensions with neighboring countries over Beijing's maritime claims. The People's Liberation Army Navy is building a total of 20 Type 056 Jiangdao class frigates to replace older models and bolster its ability to conduct patrols and escort ships and submarines in waters it claims in the South China and East China seas. [...] China has made no secret of its desire to extend its navy's global reach, and the service has received considerable attention in China's military modernization. China's first aircraft carrier, the overhauled Soviet-era Liaoning, entered service last year, while a growing array of nuclear submarines and ultra-modern surface ships are also joining the fleet."

My Way News - First Gaza rocket in 3 months rattles cease-fire
My Way News reports: "Gaza militants on Tuesday fired a rocket into Israel for the first time in three months, rattling a cross-border truce that has held since Israel's military offensive against the Hamas-run territory. Israel closed Gaza's main cargo crossing until further notice, an apparent warning to Gaza's Hamas rulers to clamp down on rocket squads."

Reuters - Magnitude 6.2 quake jolts eastern Japan, no tsunami warning
Reuters reports: "An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 jolted eastern Japan on Monday, public broadcaster NHK said, adding that no tsunami warning had been issued. The quake also shook buildings in Tokyo, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage."

My Way News - SD college tests fingerprint purchasing technology
My Way News reports: "Two shops on the School of Mines and Technology campus are performing one of the world's first experiments in Biocryptology - a mix of biometrics (using physical traits for identification) and cryptology (the study of encoding private information). Students at the Rapid City school can buy a bag of potato chips with a machine that non-intrusively detects their hemoglobin to make sure the transaction is legitimate."

My Way News - US senator calls Jerusalem Israel's capital
My Way News reports: "An influential Republican senator has called Jerusalem the capital of Israel, taking a stand on an explosive issue between Israel and the Palestinians. The fate of Jerusalem is one of the most intractable issues in the Mideast conflict with both Israelis and Palestinians claiming rights to the city."

My Way News - Diplomats: Iran starts upgrade of nuclear site
My Way News reports: "In a disheartening signal to world powers at upcoming Iran talks, Tehran has started installing high-tech machines at its main uranium enrichment site that are capable of accelerating production of reactor fuel and - with further upgrading - the core of nuclear warheads, diplomats said Wednesday."

My Way News - North Korea warns South of 'final destruction'
My Way News reports: "Nuclear-armed North Korea has used a U.N. disarmament meeting to warn that South Korea risks 'final destruction.' The comments Tuesday by a North Korean diplomat at the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament come a week after Pyongyang conducted a third nuclear test."

My Way News - US ready to strike back against China cyberattacks
My Way News reports: "As public evidence mounts that the Chinese military is responsible for stealing massive amounts of U.S. government data and corporate trade secrets, the Obama administration is eyeing fines and other trade actions it may take against Beijing or any other country guilty of cyberespionage. [...] The White House plans come after a Virginia-based cybersecurity firm released a torrent of details Monday that tied a secret Chinese military unit in Shanghai to years of cyberattacks against U.S. companies."

My Way News - UK patient dies from SARS-like coronavirus
My Way News reports: "The virus was first identified last year in the Middle East. Most of those infected had traveled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan, but the person who just died is believed to have caught it from a relative in Britain, where there have been four confirmed cases. The new coronavirus is part of a family of viruses that cause ailments including the common cold and SARS. In 2003, a global outbreak of SARS killed about 800 people worldwide. Health experts still aren't sure exactly how humans are being infected."

My Way News - A clear look at Scientology and its believers
My Way News reports: "Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright's new book about Scientology, its origins, its evolution and its believers, is a powerful piece of reportage. It is detailed, intense and at times shocking. But it's not merely an indictment of one of the world's newest faiths - Scientologists deny many parts of the book - it's also a reminder of the dangers of combining faith with fear, and the foolishness of choosing to believe anything blindly."

JPost.com - Why Jews should stand against Christian oppression
The Jerusalem Post reports: "The Open Doors website lists the countries responsible for persecuting Christians, with the worst perpetrators in sequence being: North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Maldives, Mali, Iran, Yemen, Eritrea, Syria, Sudan and Nigeria [...] Shared in common by the next 12 states that practice 'extreme persecution' is a majority Muslim population. [...] Public Christian worship is forbidden; worshipers risk imprisonment, lashing, deportation and torture.' In almost all Islamic countries, missionary activity and the distribution of Christian material, even the Bible, is illegal. Muslims who convert to Christianity risk honor killings, and accusations of blasphemy are an ever-present reality, punishable in many cases by mob violence."

My Way News - Israel PM: North Korea nuke test is lesson on Iran
My Way News reports: "Israel's prime minister says North Korea's recent nuclear test shows that 'sanctions alone will not stop' Iran's atomic program. Benjamin Netanyahu told a gathering of international Jewish leaders on Monday that the Western sanctions against Tehran 'have to be coupled with a robust, credible, military threat. If they are not, then there is no chance to stop them.' He says Iran will top his agenda when President Barack Obama visits Israel next month."

My Way News - Cuba, too, reports powerful meteorite explosion
My Way News reports: "Cuba apparently experienced a phenomenon similar to but smaller than the meteorite that detonated over Russia this week, island media reported, with startled residents describing a bright light in the sky and a loud explosion that shook windows and walls. There were no reports of any injuries or damage such as those caused by the Russia meteorite, which sent out shockwaves that hurt some 1,200 people and shattered countless windows. [...] Also Friday, residents of the San Francisco Bay Area reported seeing a fireball in the sky that scientists said was likely a piece of space rock."

My Way News - European Union slaps more sanctions on North Korea
My Way News reports: "The European Union imposed trade and economic sanctions on North Korea while condemning "in the strongest terms" the nation's latest nuclear test [...] The United States is currently negotiating in the Security Council for stronger U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang after the council quickly condemned the Feb. 12 atomic blast, the third conducted by the North since 2006."

CNN.com - 6.2-magnitude earthquake rattles southern Philippine island
CNN reports: "A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Saturday near the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, the state-run Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported."

WND - Al-Qaida alive and well, ready to attack West
WND reports: "In an agreement between al-Qaida and the Islamic regime, three camps have been set up within Iran to train terrorists, WND has learned. Al-Qaida members are trained to attack NATO forces in Afghanistan and collaborate with the Islamic regime on terrorist activities against Israel, the United States and some European countries, according to a source within the Revolutionary Guards intelligence division."

My Way News - Meteor explodes over Russia, 1,100 injured
My Way News reports: "With a blinding flash and a booming shock wave, a meteor blazed across the western Siberian sky Friday and exploded with the force of 20 atomic bombs, injuring more than 1,000 people as it blasted out windows and spread panic in a city of 1 million. While NASA estimated the meteor was only about the size of a bus and weighed an estimated 7,000 tons, the fireball it produced was dramatic."

My Way News - Russian arms trader: Syria shipments will continue
My Way News reports: "Russia will keep supplying weapons to Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime despite the country's escalating civil war, the head of Russia's state arms trader said Wednesday [...] Moscow has been the main protector of Assad's beleaguered regime, joining with China at the U.N. Security Council to block attempts to impose sanctions on Assad amid a civil war in which more than 60,000 people have died."

Comment: Who is to blame for the continuing carnage in Syria? Russia and China are to blame. All the international outrage at the loss of life should be directed towards those two countries. Oh, wait, there isn't any international outrage.

My Way News - Iran: Advanced enrichment centrifuges installed
My Way News reports: "Iran said Wednesday that it has begun installing a new generation of centrifuges at its main uranium enrichment facility, a move that will allow it to vastly increase its pace of uranium enrichment in defiance of U.N. calls to halt such activities [...] The announcement [...] could affect negotiations planned later this month between Iran and six world powers."

Comment: No, it won't affect negotiations, the Western powers will still meet at the negotiating table no matter what Iran does, they have convinced themselves that Iran will bow to diplomacy. 

My Way News - Syrian rebels close in on Aleppo airport
My Way News reports: "Syrian rebels knocked down army defenses and moved in on the country's second largest airport Wednesday, reportedly killing more than 40 soldiers and bringing them closer to what could be their biggest conquest since the beginning of the civil war. Control of Aleppo international airport and a military air base next to it would be a huge strategic shift for Syria's northeastern region, giving the opposition a potential air hub enabling aid and other flights."

CBS News - Earth in no danger from asteroid flyby this week
CBS News reports: "An asteroid a half a football field across traveling at a blistering 4.8 miles per second is expected to pass within just 17,200 miles of Earth on Feb. 15, a record close encounter that will carry it well inside the orbits of communications satellites. But scientists say a detailed analysis of its trajectory shows there is no chance asteroid 2012 DA14 will hit the Earth and very little chance of a collision with any satellites in geosynchronous orbits 22,300 miles above the equator."

Comment: In the email to the listserv I mistakenly noted Wednesday as the day of the close encounter, rather than Friday. Apologies. 

My Way News - NKorea brandishing nukes to get US to talk peace
My Way News reports: "The way North Korea sees it, only bigger weapons and more threatening provocations will force Washington to come to the table to discuss what Pyongyang says it really wants: peace. It's no coincidence that North Korea's third underground nuclear test - and by all indications so far its most powerful yet - took place Tuesday on the eve of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address."

NBC News - Sun unleashes solar eruption at Earth during long flare
NBC News reports: "A long-lasting solar flare erupted from the sun early Saturday, triggering an intense sun eruption aimed squarely at Earth. The solar storm, however, should not endanger satellites or astronauts in space, but could amplify auroras on Earth, NASA says [...] The sun is currently in an active period of its 11-year solar weather cycle, and is expected to reach its peak this year."

My Way News - SKorea believes NKorea conducted third atomic test
My Way News reports: "North Korea is believed to have conducted a widely anticipated nuclear test Tuesday, following an earthquake that monitoring agencies around the globe said appeared to be unnatural. The South Korean Defense Ministry, which raised its military alert level after the quake, said it was trying to determine whether it was a test."

My Way News - Pope's bombshell sends troubled church scrambling
My Way News reports: "The timing of Benedict's announcement was significant: Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday, the most solemn period on the church's calendar that culminates with Holy Week and Easter on March 31. It is also the period in which the world witnessed the final days of John Paul's papacy in 2005. [...] And by Easter Sunday, the Catholic Church will almost certainly have a new leader, Lombardi said - a potent symbol of rebirth in the church on a day that celebrates the resurrection of Christ."

MyWayNews - Pope to resign Feb. 28, says he's too infirm
MyWayNews reports: "Pope Benedict XVI said Monday he lacks the strength to fulfill his duties and on Feb. 28 will become the first pontiff in 600 years to resign. The announcement sets the stage for a conclave in March to elect a new leader for world's 1 billion Catholics."

Comment
Prophecies of Saint Malachy about to be put to test...according to his writings, the next pope will also be the last - Petrus Romanus.

My Way News - EU leaders inch toward budget deal at tough summit
My Way News reports: "European Union leaders closed in on a deal that would cut the bloc's budget for the first time in history and deliver a strong message that years of expanding EU powers were on the wane. If a deal emerges Friday, the budget would still need to be ratified by the European Parliament, and early signs suggest that may prove problematic [...] The hard-fought summit in Brussels is, at base, a tussle about what the 27-nation European Union stands for: some leaders argue that it's a drag on national budgets in tough economic times, while others say the economic crisis highlights the need for closer and deeper ties."

My Way News - Tunisia buries politician as crisis deepens
My Way News reports: "The funeral of an assassinated leftist politician drew hundreds of thousands of mourners chanting anti-government slogans to the Tunisian capital Friday - as well as gangs of armed youths who smashed cars and clashed with police just outside the cemetery."

My Way News - Iran's Ahmadenijad entices Egypt into alliance
My Way News reports: "A warming of ties between the two regional heavyweights could have uncomfortable repercussions for the U.S. and its wealthy Gulf allies, giving Iran a foothold to spread its influence in Egypt. In turn, Egypt could gain an avenue to influence the fate of Syria, a key ally of Iran, as well as economic benefits. The Iranian president arrived in Egypt on Tuesday to attend a two-day Islamic summit hosted by Egypt's president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi."

My Way News - 150-foot asteroid will buzz Earth, no need to duck
My Way News reports: "A 150-foot-wide asteroid will come remarkably close to Earth next week, even closer than high-flying communication and weather satellites. It will be the nearest known flyby for an object of this size. But don't worry. Scientists promise the megarock will be at least 17,100 miles away when it zips past next Friday."

My Way News - Tough times for Hezbollah in fast changing region
My Way News reports: "These are tough times for Hezbollah. The Shiite militant group's uncompromising support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and allegations that it attacked Israeli tourists in Bulgaria are both unpopular in Lebanon, where it is increasingly accused of putting the interests of longtime patrons Iran and Syria over those of its home country."

My Way News - Germany warns of 'consequences' for Hezbollah
My Way News reports: "Germany warned Wednesday of 'consequences' for Hezbollah if allegations are confirmed that the group was behind an attack which killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year. [....] The announcement put pressure on European countries such as France and Germany, which haven't designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization despite the urgings of Israel and the U.S."

My Way News - US tightens Iran sanctions, targets censorship
My Way News reports: "The United States is tightening sanctions on Iran to pressure Tehran government to limit its nuclear program and placing similar restrictions on institutions that Washington says are stifling political dissent and censoring speech."

My Way News - US to cut carrier fleet in Persian Gulf to 1
My Way News reports: "The Pentagon is cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region from two carriers to one, the Defense Department said Wednesday, in a move that represents one of the most significant effects of budget cuts on the U.S. military presence overseas. The decision comes as Washington struggles to find a way to avoid sharp automatic spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and domestic programs next month."

Reuters - Tsunami threat lifted after big South Pacific quake
Reuters reports: "A powerful 8.0 magnitude earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands on Wednesday, triggering a small tsunami that swept into isolated island communities and sparked tsunami alerts across the South Pacific that were later canceled."

My Way News - Iran says nuclear talks with West on for Feb. 26
My Way News reports: "Iran has agreed to hold talks with six world powers in Kazakhstan on Feb. 26 over its nuclear program, Iranian state TV said Tuesday. The TV says the timing of the talks was confirmed following a phone conversation Tuesday between the offices of Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, and EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton. [...] The West demands Tehran stop enriching uranium to 20 percent, which is close to the level used to arm nuclear warheads."

My Way News - Suicide bomber kills guard at US Embassy in Turkey
My Way News reports: "In the second deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic post in five months, a suicide bomber struck the American Embassy in Ankara on Friday, killing a Turkish security guard in what the White House described as a terrorist attack. Washington immediately warned Americans to stay away from all U.S. diplomatic facilities in Turkey and to be wary in large crowds. Turkish officials said the bombing was linked to leftist domestic militants."

My Way News - Israel may feel need to strike Syria again
My Way News reports: "An Israeli air attack staged in Syria this week may be a sign of things to come. Israeli military officials appear to have concluded that the risks of attacking Syria are worth taking when compared to the dangers of allowing sophisticated weapons to reach Hezbollah guerrillas in neighboring Lebanon. [...] In this week's incident, Israeli warplanes conducted a rare airstrike inside Syria, according to U.S. officials who said the target was a convoy carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran."

My Way News - US looking at action against China cyberattacks:
My Way News reports: "The Obama administration is considering more assertive action against Beijing to combat a persistent cyber-espionage campaign it believes Chinese hackers are waging against U.S. companies and government agencies. As The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that their computer systems had been infiltrated by China-based hackers, cybersecurity experts said the U.S. government is eyeing more pointed diplomatic and trade measures [...] A four-month long cyberattack against The New York Times is the latest in a long string of breaches said to be by China-based hackers into corporate and government computer systems across the United States. "

CNN Money - Nations prepare for cyber war
CNN reports: "Security analysts are predicting that 2013 is when nation-sponsored cyberwarfare goes mainstream -- and some think such attacks will lead to actual deaths. [...] Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said recently that the United States reserves the right to use military force against a nation that launches a cyberattack on the country. "

Washington Post - Pentagon to boost cybersecurity force
The Washington Post reports: "The Pentagon has approved a major expansion of its cybersecurity force over the next several years, increasing its size more than fivefold to bolster the nation’s ability to defend critical computer systems and conduct offensive computer operations against foreign adversaries, according to U.S. officials."

My Way News - Israeli jets bomb military target in Syria
My Way News reports: "Israel launched a rare airstrike inside Syria, U.S. officials said Wednesday, targeting a convoy believed to contain anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. The attack adds a potentially flammable new element to tensions already heightened by Syria's civil war [...] U.S. officials said the target was a truck convoy that Israel believed was carrying sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon."

My Way News - UN nixes reports of blast at Iran nuclear facility
My Way News reports: "The U.N. nuclear agency is dismissing reports of a major explosion at Iran's fortified underground nuclear facility. International Atomic Energy Agency spokeswoman Gill Tudor told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Iran's denial of 'an incident' at the Fordo uranium enrichment plant is 'consistent with our observations.' Some news organizations have cited Israeli intelligence reports of a blast at Fordo."

My Way News - French capture Islamists' last major Malian town
My Way News reports: "French forces met no resistance Wednesday in Kidal, the Islamists' last major town, as the two-week-old mission scored another success in its effort to dislodge the al-Qaida-linked militants from northern Mali. The capture of Kidal came just days after French and Malian forces retook two other provincial capitals - Gao and Timbuktu - that also had been under harsh Islamic rule for nearly 10 months. [...] There are 3,500 French troops involved in the operation and 2,900 Africans, according to the latest figures from the French Defense Ministry."

My Way News - China announces naval exercise amid Japan tensions
My Way News reports: "China said Wednesday that its navy will proceed with a deep-water training exercise amid a continuing spat with Japan over disputed islands in the East China Sea that has sparked regular confrontations between patrol boats from each side [...] The exercises reflect China's long-held aspirations to build a navy that can operate far from its shores."

My Way News - Timbuktu, ancient seat of Islamic learning
My Way News reports: "Timbuktu, the fabled desert city where retreating Muslim extremists destroyed ancient manuscripts, was a center of Islamic learning hundreds of years before Columbus landed in the Americas [...] The damage caused by the fleeing Islamists was limited, but irreplaceable treasures were lost [...] On Tuesday, Timbuktu was in control of French and Malian troops, including some 250 French paratroopers dropped from the sky. The extremists melted into the desert without firing a shot. Townspeople were jubilant at the city's liberation from intolerant Islamist extremists."

Comment: These Islamic radicals don't even respect their own culture. It's nice to see the media take note, finally.

My Way News - China leader says no compromising sovereignty
My Way News reports: "China will never compromise on its sovereignty, security or development interests, its leader said Tuesday, expressing a firm line on foreign affairs amid territorial disputes with Japan and other neighboring countries."

My Way News - Israel is a no-show at its UN human rights review
My Way News reports: "Israel became the first nation to skip a U.N. review of its human rights record without giving a reason - and then won a precedent-setting deferral Tuesday [...] Israel has gone through one review before in 2008, when many delegations demanded it recognize and respect Palestinians' right to self-determination and a homeland."

My Way News - Egypt army chief warns state could collapse
My Way News reports: "Residents of this Mediterranean coastal city burying their dead from Egypt's wave of political violence vented their fury at Egypt's Islamist president and the Muslim Brotherhood on Tuesday, demanding his ouster and virtually declaring a revolt against his rule, as the head of the military warned Egypt may collapse under the weight of its turmoil."

NYTimes.com - Iranian-American Pastor Given 8-Year Term by Iran
The New York Times reports: "An Iranian-American pastor imprisoned in Iran since September, Saeed Abedini, has been sentenced by a revolutionary court in Iran to an eight-year prison term on charges of disturbing national security by creating a network of Christian churches in private homes, the Iranian Students’ News Agency reported Sunday."

My Way News - Religion comes to Davos forum
My Way News reports: "In a study tracking freedom of religion worldwide over three years, Pew found that three-quarters of the world's population live in countries with tight government restrictions on religious expression. In Pakistan, Islamist groups have pushed through laws that marginalized Christians and other religious minorities. In Egypt, where the Coptic Christian minority has persistently faced discrimination, violence has flared more frequently between Christians and Muslims following the Arab Spring uprisings. Radical Islamists are behind deadly violence in Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines and elsewhere."

My Way News - Egypt in show of defiance against Islamist leader
My Way News reports: "Protesters battled police for hours in Cairo on Monday and thousands marched through Egypt's three Suez Canal cities in direct defiance of a night-time curfew and state of emergency, handing a blow to the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's attempts to contain five days of spiraling political violence."

My Way News - China could prove ultimate winner in Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "China, long a bystander to the conflict in Afghanistan, is stepping up its involvement as U.S.-led forces prepare to withdraw, attracted by the country's vast mineral resources but concerned that any post-2014 chaos could embolden Islamist insurgents in its own territory. Cheered on by the U.S. and other Western governments, which see Asia's giant as a potentially stabilizing force, China could prove the ultimate winner in Afghanistan - having shed no blood and not much aid."

My Way News - Iran official: Attack on Syria is attack on us
My Way News reports: "Iran considers any attack against Syria an attack on itself, an advisor to the Islamic Republic's supreme leader was quoted as saying Saturday, the strongest warning to date by a top Iranian official that Tehran will use any available means to keep the regime of President Bashar Assad in power."

My Way News - What's the threat? North Korean rhetoric, reality
My Way News reports: "This week, new U.N. sanctions punishing the North's successful December rocket launch have elicited a furious response from Pyongyang: strong hints that a third nuclear test is coming, along with bigger and better long-range missiles; 'all-out action' against its 'sworn enemy,' the United States; and on Friday, a threat of 'strong physical countermeasures' against South Korea if Seoul participates in the sanctions. 'Sanctions mean war,' said a statement carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency."

My Way News - Angry protests leave 7 dead on Egypt anniversary
My Way News reports: "Friday's rallies brought out at least 500,000 Morsi opponents, a small proportion of Egypt's 85 million people, but large enough to show that antipathy toward the president and his Islamist allies is strong in a country fatigued by two years of political turmoil, surging crime and an economy in free fall. Protests - and clashes - took place in at least 12 of Egypt's 27 provinces, including several Islamist strongholds."

My Way News - Syrian forces escalate offensive in Homs
My Way News reports: "Syria's army unleashed a barrage of rocket and artillery fire on rebel-held areas in a central province Friday as part of a widening offensive against fighters seeking to oust President Bashar Assad. At least 140 people were killed in fighting nationwide, according to activist groups [...] Despite significant rebel advances on the battlefield, the opposition remains outgunned by government forces and has been unable to break a stalemate on the ground."

My Way News - Gaza teens graduate from Hamas military school
My Way News reports: "More than 3,000 Palestinian teenagers on Thursday graduated from the ruling Hamas militant group's first high school military training program in the Gaza Strip, displaying mock weapons, crawling commando-style on the ground and taking up fighting positions for thousands of cheering supporters [...] Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, seized control of Gaza from the rival Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007."

Comment: Training a new generation to hate Israel, that's how much they really want peace. 

My Way News - US protests "State of Palestine" placard in UN:
My Way News reports: "U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice objected Wednesday to the Palestinians' latest bid to capitalize on their upgraded U.N. status when their foreign minister spoke at the Security Council while seated behind a nameplate that read 'State of Palestine.' [...] Rice said that the United States does not recognize the General Assembly vote in November 'as bestowing Palestinian 'statehood' or recognition.' 'Only direct negotiations to settle final status issues will lead to this outcome,' Rice said."

My Way News - Rise of Israeli centrist raises hopes for peace
My Way News reports: "The unexpectedly strong showing by a new centrist party in Israel's parliamentary election has raised hopes of a revival of peace talks with Palestinians that have languished for four years under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."

My Way News - Scientists to resume work with lab-bred bird flu
My Way News reports: "International scientists who last year halted controversial research with the deadly bird flu say they are resuming their work as countries adopt new rules to ensure safety."

My Way News - Israel: Netanyahu's style marked by caution
My Way News reports: "Israel's hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has emerged as the country's top politician with a cautious approach to peace making, saying Israel can never let down its guard if it wants to survive in a hostile region. This conservative style, which has often enraged even his closest allies abroad, was expected to propel Netanyahu to re-election in Tuesday's parliamentary election."

My Way News - Russia starts evacuating nationals from Syria
My Way News reports: "Key Syrian ally Russia began evacuating its citizens from the country on Tuesday as the civil war gathered momentum in the capital Damascus with intense fighting around the international airport. The evacuation was the strongest sign yet of Moscow's waning confidence in the ability of its ally President Bashar Assad to hold onto power. "

My Way News - After UN acts, NKorea vows 'nuclear deterrence'
My Way News reports: "North Korea swiftly lashed out against the U.N. Security Council's condemnation of its December launch of a long-range rocket, saying Wednesday that it will strengthen its military defenses - including its nuclear weaponry - in response."

My Way News - Algeria: 32 militants killed, with 23 hostages
My Way News reports: "In a bloody finale, Algerian special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the Sahara desert on Saturday to end a standoff with Islamist extremists that left at least 23 hostages dead and killed all 32 militants involved, the Algerian government said."

Washington Post - Christian stores burned in southern Egypt after Muslim girl allegedly sexually assaulted
The Washington Post reports: "Police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Muslim protesters trying to storm a Coptic Christian church in southern Egypt Friday, after a word spread that a Christian man sexually assaulted a 6-year-old girl. Witnesses in Marashda village in the province of Qena said several shops and cars owned by Coptic Christians were torched overnight after Muslim villagers accused a merchant in his sixties of molesting the young girl."

Comment: It's really sad to think that all it takes is a malicious rumor to incite mob violence against Christians in Egypt. 

My Way News - Algeria: 12 hostages have died in the siege
My Way News reports: "The bloody three-day hostage standoff at a natural gas plant in the Sahara took a dramatic turn Friday as Algeria's state news service reported that nearly 100 of the 132 foreign workers kidnapped by Islamic militants had been freed. That number of hostages at the remote desert facility was significantly higher than any previous report, but it still left questions about the fate of over 30 other foreign energy workers."

My Way News - Obama, Netanyahu seem headed for US-Israel clash
My Way News reports: "While the U.S. will not cut off aid to Israel or waver on its commitment to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Goldberg wrote, Israel might not be able to count on U.S. vetoes at the U.N. Security Council, as it has in the past, when the world lines up against it."

My Way News - Its allies reluctant, France goes it alone in Mali
My Way News reports: "France's allies have offered vocal support for the country's military operation in Mali, but when it comes to sending troops or weapons, they are agreeing to the bare minimum: a transport plane here and there, a handful of support staff and a lot of promises to think about it."

My Way News - Mali: French troops begin land assault
My Way News reports: "French soldiers pressed north in Mali territory occupied by radical Islamists on Wednesday, launching a land assault that was to put them in direct combat with al-Qaida-linked fighters 'in one to 72 hours,' military officials said. "

My Way News - Militants seize dozens of hostages in Algeria:
My Way News reports: "In what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali, Islamist militants attacked and occupied a natural gas complex in southern Algeria on Wednesday. Two people were killed and dozens of others, including several Americans, were reportedly taken hostage. "

My Way News - French triple troops in Mali, prepare for assault
My Way News reports: "After a punishing bombing campaign failed to halt the advance of al-Qaida-linked fighters, France pledged Tuesday to triple the size of its force in Mali, sending in hundreds more troops as it prepared for a land assault to dislodge the militants occupying the northern half of the country."

My Way News - Protesters clash with police in Pakistani capital
My Way News reports: "Protesters at an anti-government rally have clashed with police in the Pakistani capital. Television footage showed police shooting into the air to push back protesters early Tuesday."

My Way News - No easy exit for French fighting terror in Mali
My Way News reports: "France, breaking its own rules with a surprise military intervention in Mali, raises the specter of an African quagmire in a new theater of the West's war on terror just as France and other U.S. allies emerge from the old one in Afghanistan."

My Way News - A look at what countries are contributing to Mali
My Way News reports: "Here's a look at what countries are providing to help Mali's battle against armed Islamic extremists who have occupied the north since March. West African nations authorized immediate deployment and France launched attacks last week after fighters pushed even further south, toward the capital, Bamako."

My Way News - Jordan's king urges Israel, Palestinians to talk
My Way News reports: "Jordan's king has warned that the failure to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians is adding to regional tensions. A statement from the royal palace said King Abdullah II told a delegation from the Washington-based American Israel Public Affairs Committee that regional changes tied to the Arab Spring should 'drive' the Israeli government to 'embrace peace.'"

AR1654 is a Monster Sunspot. (And It’s Aiming Our Way.)
Universe Today reports: "Like an enormous cannon that is slowly turning its barrel toward us, the latest giant sunspot region AR1654 is steadily moving into position to face Earth, loaded with plenty of magnetic energy to create M-class flares — moderate-sized outbursts of solar energy that have the potential to cause brief radio blackouts on Earth and, at the very least, spark bright aurorae around the upper latitudes."

My Way News - Al-Qaida presence in Mali, Yemen and Afghanistan
My Way News reports: "As U.S. involvement in one war against the terror movement draws down, there's increasing talk about using force to stop al-Qaida affiliates elsewhere in the world, notably in Mali, Yemen and Somalia."

Student Suspended for Refusing to Wear RFID Tracker Loses Lawsuit | Threat Level | Wired.com

Wired.com - Student Suspended for Refusing to Wear RFID Tracker Loses Lawsuit:
Wired reports: "A Texas high school student who claimed her student identification was the 'Mark of the Beast' because it was implanted with a radio-frequency identification chip has lost her federal court bid Tuesday challenging her suspension for refusing to wear the card around her neck."

My Way News - Whew! Big asteroid no longer threat to Earth
My Way News reports: "Upon further review, a big scary-sounding asteroid is no longer even a remote threat to smash into Earth in about 20 years, NASA says. Astronomers got a much better look at the asteroid when it whizzed by Earth on Wednesday from a relative safe 9 million miles away. They recalculated the space rock's trajectory and determined it wasn't on a path to hit Earth on April 13, 2036 as once feared possible."

My Way News - Flu season strikes early and, in some places, hard
My Way News reports: "While flu normally doesn't blanket the country until late January or February, it is already widespread in more than 40 states, with about 30 of them reporting some major hot spots. On Thursday, health officials blamed the flu for the deaths of 20 children so far [...] Europe is also suffering an early flu season, though a milder strain predominates there. Flu reports are up, too, in China, Japan, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Algeria and the Republic of Congo. Britain has seen a surge in cases of norovirus."

My Way News - India summons Pakistan envoy over Kashmir shooting
My Way News reports: "Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan but divided between them. The countries have fought two wars over Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority state in largely Hindu India, but a cease-fire between the two rivals has largely held for a decade. India says Pakistani troops crossed the cease-fire line Tuesday and attacked Indian soldiers patrolling in the Mendhar region before retreating."

My Way News - Quake in Aegean Sea shakes Turkey and Greece
My Way News reports: "An earthquake centered beneath the Aegean Sea shook cities and islands in Turkey and Greece on Tuesday, causing panic in some areas but no injuries or damage, officials said. The Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said the quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, occurred at 4:16 p.m. (1416 GMT) off the coast from Turkey's northwestern Canakkale province. The earthquake was felt in the Turkish cities of Istanbul and Izmir, and their environs, officials said."

My Way News - Milder temperatures ease Australian wildfire fears
My Way News reports: "Temperatures cooled from record highs across much of southern Australia on Wednesday, reducing the danger from scores of wildfires that have blazed for days. Australia recorded its hottest day on record on Monday with a nationwide average of 40.33 degrees Celsius (104.59 degrees Fahrenheit), narrowly breaking a 1972 record of 40.17C (104.31F)."

CNN Money - Nations prepare for cyber war
CNN Money reports: "Security analysts are predicting that 2013 is when nation-sponsored cyberwarfare goes mainstream -- and some think such attacks will lead to actual deaths."

My Way News - Israeli premier: frontier fence with Syria needed:
My Way News reports: "Israel's premier pledged Sunday to build a fortified fence along the frontier with Syria, warning that radical Islamist forces have taken over the area. [...] Israel worries that Syrian President Bashar Assad might try to draw Israel into the fighting as a distraction if his situation becomes desperate. An even greater concern is a scenario in which Assad is toppled, Islamic extremists take his place and gain control of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons."

My Way News - Egypt's pope urges Copts to 'not be afraid'
My Way News reports: "Even before the rise of Islamists to power, the Christian minority had long complained of discrimination by the state and the Muslim majority. But over the two years since Egypt's uprising against authoritarian rule, the community has grown more concerned about its future as Islamist political forces, long repressed under the previous autocratic regime, grew more assertive."

My Way News - Hagel nomination unnerves some in Israel
My Way News reports: "Hagel's positions on Israel's two most pressing foreign policy issues - Iran's nuclear program and relations with the Palestinians - appear to be at odds with the Israeli government, and critics here fear the appointment could increase pressure on the Jewish state to make unwanted concessions."

My Way News - Strong earthquake shakes parts of Alaska, Canada
My Way News reports: "A powerful earthquake sparked a tsunami warning for hundreds of miles of Alaskan and Canadian coastline, but the alert was canceled when no damaging waves were generated. The magnitude 7.5 quake and tsunami warning that followed caused concern in some coastal communities, with alarms sounding and people rushing to higher ground for safety."

My Way News - Iran says it will restart nuclear talks
My Way News reports: "Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Friday his country has agreed in principle to resume international talks on its nuclear program later this month, although a place and date for the negotiations have not been finalized. Iran has been hit by punitive sanctions imposed by Western countries concerned that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes."

My Way News - India gang-rape victim's friend recounts attack
My Way News reports: "The suffering of a university student and her male friend who were brutally attacked aboard a bus in India's capital did not end after the woman was gang-raped and both were savagely beaten for 2 1/2 hours. Dumped naked on a roadside, the pair encountered shocking apathy as passersby offered only cursory looks and police debated jurisdiction for 30 minutes before taking them to a hospital, where the man received no treatment as he sat without clothes on the floor for hours, the friend recounted in a television interview."

My Way News - Brotherhood official urges Egypt's Jews to return:
My Way News reports: "Some denounced the Brotherhood for trying to put up a veneer of tolerance by inviting Jews to return while Egypt's other religious minorities, particularly Christians, are increasingly worried about persecution under the new Islamist rulers and an Islamist-slanted constitution."

My Way News - India launches new system for handling welfare
My Way News reports: "India will send billions of dollars in social welfare money directly to its poor under a new program inaugurated Tuesday, aiming to cut out the middlemen blamed for the massive fraud that plagues the system [...] The program will eliminate middlemen and transfer cash directly into bank accounts using data from Aadhar, a government project working to give every Indian identification numbers linked to fingerprints and retina scans. Currently hundreds of millions of Indians have no identity documents."