Monday, April 15, 2013

My Way News - Boston Marathon bombing kills 3, injures over 130
My Way News reports: "Two bombs exploded in the crowded streets near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing three people and injuring more than 130 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs that raised alarms that terrorists might have struck again in the U.S."

Comment: What a terrible thing. Please join me in praying for the victims and their friends and families, for the first-responders, for the investigators who are trying to find out who did this, and for the security services on guard to prevent further attacks. We know that even though there are bad people in the world who do bad things, they are outnumbered by the many good people who step up in such times to provide aid and comfort to those hurt and injured. 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

My Way News - Israeli artillery retaliates for Syrian fire
My Way News reports: "Israel's military says its troops have shelled a position on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights from which they received fire. It said 'artillery and shots' were fired along the border Friday evening, causing no damage and no injuries. Soldiers responded with artillery fire and identified a 'direct hit.' It did not provide further details. Israel has found itself in a difficult position as clashes rage near its frontier with the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau it captured from Syria in the 1967 war."

Friday, April 12, 2013

My Way News - US stresses limits of N. Korea's nuclear firepower
My Way News reports: "The tensions playing out on the Korean peninsula are the latest in a long-running drama that dates to the 1950-53 Korean War, fed by the North's conviction that Washington is intent on destroying the government in Pyongyang and Washington's worry that the North could, out of desperation, reignite the war by invading the South."

Friday, March 29, 2013

My Way News - Christians mark Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of Christians streamed through the cobblestone alleyways of Jerusalem's Old City on Friday, hoisting wooden crosses and chanting prayers to mark the crucifixion of Jesus. [...] Israel's Tourism Ministry said it expects some 150,000 visitors in Israel during Easter week and the Jewish festival of Passover, which coincide this year."

Comment: I will be off for Easter, so I wanted to wish you all a happy Easter, the day when we commemorate his death, celebrate his resurrection, and we look forward to his return. May you find in this holiday the peace, joy and hope that comes from living your new life in Jesus, a life that will never end.

Thursday, March 28, 2013

My Way News - US sends nuclear-capable B-2 bombers to SKorea
My Way News reports: "The U.S military says two nuclear-capable B-2 bombers have completed a training mission in South Korea amid threats from North Korea that include nuclear strikes on Washington and Seoul."
My Way News - Officials: Arms shipments rise to Syrian rebels
My Way News reports: "Mideast powers opposed to President Bashar Assad have dramatically stepped up weapons supplies to Syrian rebels in coordination with the U.S. in preparation for a push on the capital of Damascus, officials and Western military experts said Wednesday."
CSMonitor.com - In the wee hours, Putin orders impromptu Russian war games
My Way News reports: "Russian security experts appear to overwhelmingly approve the move, which they say is a sign that Russia's reformed and rapidly rearming military forces are shaking off their post-Soviet torpor."

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

My Way News - Strong quake sways buildings in Taiwan, kills 1
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake struck central Taiwan on Wednesday, killing at one person and injuring 19 as it damaged buildings on the quake-prone island. The Central Weather Bureau said the magnitude-6.1 earthquake was felt throughout the island. Buildings swayed in the capital, Taipei, and sections of the high-speed rail line were suspended from service to be inspected for damage."

Comment: The "ring of fire" has been particularly active the last few days. 
My Way News - Guam governor says North Korea attack unlikely
My Way News reports: "People in the U.S. territory of Guam should not be distracted by threats from North Korea to launch a nuclear strike, Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo said. Calvo said at a news conference Wednesday in Guam that an attack is unlikely and the region is adequately protected. [...] The Defense Department cannot detail military operations, plans or intelligence, Calvo said. But he said the country is ready to defend Guam and other U.S. territories, as well as its allies."
My Way News - Syria's Assad appeals to African summit for help:
My Way News reports: "Bashar Assad's appeal to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa came a day after the Arab League endorsed Syria's Western-backed opposition coalition, allowing it to take the country's seat at a summit in Doha, Qatar. The move drew strong condemnation from Damascus, which warned it will take 'appropriate measures' to defend its sovereignty. [...] BRICS countries, including Assad's key ally Russia, oppose foreign intervention in Syria and accuse the West of trying to force regime change. Russia, China and South Africa have also voted against U.N. Security Council resolutions on Syria."

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

My Way News - Icelandic police issue civil warning after quakes
My Way News reports: "Icelandic police say seismic activity near the Hekla volcano has prompted them to declare an "uncertainty phase" - the lowest level of civil warning. [...] Concern about seismic activity in the north Atlantic nation has grown since April 2010, when ash from the Eyjafjallajokul volcano grounded flights across Europe for days, disrupting travel for 10 million people."

My Way News - Earthquake shakes Mexico City
My Way News reports: "Earthquakes shook a broad swath of southern Mexico on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway in the capital and sending thousands fleeing into the streets as quake alarms sounded. But there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries."

My Way News - Magnitude-6.2 quake hits near Guatemala City
My Way News reports: "A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck near Guatemala City on Monday, but residents said they barely felt the temblor and authorities had no immediate reports of damages or deaths. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake's epicenter was located 4 miles (6 kilometers) northwest of San Jose Pinula and had a depth of 200 kilometers (124 miles)."

Monday, March 25, 2013

My Way News - New pope opens Holy Week at Vatican on Palm Sunday
My Way News reports: "Palm Sunday recalls Jesus' entry into Jerusalem but its Gospel also recounts how he was betrayed by one of his apostles and ultimately sentenced to death on a cross. Francis presided over the Mass at an altar sheltered by a white canopy on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica."
My Way News - Experts: NKorea training teams of 'cyber warriors'
My Way News reports: "Investigators have yet to pinpoint the culprit behind a synchronized cyberattack in South Korea last week. But in Seoul, the focus is fixed on North Korea, which South Korean security experts say has been training a team of computer-savvy 'cyber warriors' as cyberspace becomes a fertile battleground in the nations' rivalry."

Saturday, March 23, 2013

My Way News - Clashes near Syria-Israel frontier add to concerns
My Way News reports: "The rebel effort to overrun the Quneitra region along the cease-fire line separating Syria and Israel has heightened worries that Islamic extremists among those fighting President Bashar Assad could take over the front line with Israeli troops and gain a potential staging ground for attacks on the Jewish state."

Friday, March 22, 2013

My Way News - NASA: Flash in East Coast sky likely a meteor
My Way News reports: "East Coast residents were buzzing on social media sites and elsewhere Friday night after a brief but bright flash of light streaked across the early-evening sky _in what experts say was almost certainly a meteor coming down."

Comment: Does it seem like there are a lot more of these meteor sightings than there used to be? 
My Way News - Putin: Russia, China help build new world order
My Way News reports: "Ahead of a visit by China's new president, Russian President Vladimir Putin says the Moscow-Beijing partnership is aiding global security and helping create a fairer world order. Russia is Xi Jinping's first foreign destination as China's president. Xi's talks with Putin on Friday are set to focus on oil and gas as China seeks to secure new energy resources to fuel its growing economy."
My Way News - Israel and Turkey agree to restore diplomatic ties:
My Way News reports: "Israel and Turkey agreed to restore full diplomatic relations on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized in a phone call for a deadly naval raid against a Gaza-bound international flotilla in a dramatic turnaround partly brokered by President Barack Obama [...] Israel and Turkey were once close allies. Relations began to decline after Erdogan, whose party has roots in Turkey's Islamist movement, became prime minister in 2003. Erdogan has embarked on a campaign to make Turkey a regional powerhouse in an attempt to become the leading voice in the Muslim world and distanced from Israel."
My Way News - Obama warns of 'enclave for extremism' in Syria
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama warned Friday that an "enclave for extremism" could fill a leadership void in war-torn Syria, a chilling scenario for an already tumultuous region, especially for Jordan, Syria's neighbor and a nation at the crossroads of the struggle for stability in the Middle East."

Thursday, March 21, 2013

My Way News - Obama visit poses tough choices for Palestinians
My Way News reports: "Abbas signaled that he's not changing course, creating a moment of rare public friction between him and Obama at a joint news conference following their meeting Thursday. After Obama said neither side should set terms for renewing negotiations, basically siding with Israel, Abbas pointed out that most of the world deems Israeli settlements illegal. [...] The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in 1967. Since that war, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem - now home to more than a half million Israelis - that make a partition deal increasingly difficult, some say impossible."

Comment: The Palestinians and much of the world ignore willfully ignore world history that teaches a simple lesson: when a country wins territory in war it belongs to them. It's not disputed land, it's not controversial land, it's not occupied land, it's the spoils of war. How do nations resolve differences over the ownership and control of territory? They may start with negotiations and diplomacy, but the ultimate recourse is war. War and victory decide who owns the land. Israel won the West Bank (from Jordan, not the Palestinians), the Gaza Strip (from Egypt, not the Palestinians), and East Jerusalem (again, from Jordan and not the Palestinians) in 1967. Israel won, no one doubts that, so the land should be considered theirs. For some reason, the world wants to apply a different standard for Israel than has existed for all of recorded history. Strange, isn't it?  
My Way News - 'Peace is possible,' Obama insists in Middle East:
My Way News reports: "Insisting 'peace is possible,' President Barack Obama on Thursday prodded both Israelis and Palestinians to return to long-stalled negotiations with few, if any, pre-conditions, softening his earlier demands that Israel stop building settlements in disputed territory. The president made his appeal just hours after rockets fired from Hamas-controlled Gaza landed in a southern Israeli border town, a fresh reminder of the severe security risks and tensions that have stymied peace efforts for decades."

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

My Way News - Obama, Netanyahu show solidarity on Iran
My Way News reports: "Seeking a fresh start to a strained relationship, President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday demonstrated solidarity on the key issues that have stirred tensions between them. The U.S. president vowed he would do "what is necessary" to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while Netanyahu reaffirmed that his newly formed government seeks a two-state solution to Israel's decades-long dispute with the Palestinians. [..] Although Obama did not promise that the United States would act militarily against Iran if Israel decided that must be done, he offered an explicit endorsement for Israel to take whatever unilateral measures it deems necessary to guard against the threat."

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

My Way News - Muslims attack Christians in Egypt's south
My Way News reports: "Hundreds of Muslim villagers in Egypt's south have attacked Christian-owned stores in search of a girl whose family claims was abducted. The villagers assaulted the stores Tuesday and surrounded two churches in the city of al-Wasta in Bani Suef province in Egypt's south. Security forces guarded the churches. No casualties were reported."
My Way News - Remade Mideast poses new perils for Obama on trip
My Way News reports: "U.S. officials have set expectations low for the trip. No new plan to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. No big boost in assistance to the struggling Palestinian Authority. No new strategy for dealing with the chaos in Syria. No new outreach to Muslims like the one that was the centerpiece of his June 2009 visit to Cairo. Instead, they have presented Obama's visit to Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan as a symbolic, hand-holding trip."
My Way News - Commander: Contingency plans under way for Syria
My Way News reports: "Syria's state-run news agency said 25 people were killed in a chemical attack on the Khan al-Assad village in northern Aleppo province. It said 86 people were wounded, some critically, and published pictures of children and others on stretchers in what appeared to be a hospital ward. Russia, which has steadfastly supported Assad in Syria's civil war, on Tuesday backed Assad's assertion of a chemical attack."

Monday, March 18, 2013

My Way News - Israeli government sends mixed signals on peace
My Way News reports: "Ahead of the arrival of President Barack Obama on a high-profile Mideast mission, Israel's new government on Monday sent mixed messages about pursuing peace with the Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech to parliament that his hand is outstretched in peace and that he is ready for a 'historic compromise,' but one of his closest allies called hopes for peace 'delusional.'"

Friday, March 15, 2013

My Way News - US to beef up missile defense against N. Korea
My Way News reports: "The Pentagon announced Friday it will spend $1 billion to add 14 interceptors to an Alaska-based missile defense system, responding to what it called faster-than-anticipated North Korean progress on nuclear weapons and missiles."
My Way News - China maintains hard line on ties with Vatican
My Way News reports: "China has an estimated 12 million Catholics, millions of whom worship in independent congregations outside the control of the party's Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. Priests who reject party control run the risk of severe punishment, including Shanghai's would-be Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who was stripped of his title by the association and remains under virtual house arrest nine months after announcing he was withdrawing from the Patriotic Association and its accompanying official bishops' conference."
My Way News - New Zealand suffering biggest drought in 30 years
My Way News reports: "The drought is costing farmers millions of dollars each day and is beginning to take a toll on New Zealand's economy. On Friday, the government officially declared its most widespread drought in at least 30 years. Parts of the North Island are drier than they've been in 70 years and some scientists say the unusual weather could be a harbinger of climate change."

Thursday, March 14, 2013

My Way News - New style of papacy: Pope Francis pays hotel bill
My Way News reports: "Speaking off-the-cuff for 10 minutes in easy Italian, he said all Catholics must 'build' the church and 'walk' with the faith. He urged priests to build their churches on solid foundations, warning: 'What happens when children build sand castles on the beach? It all comes down.' 'If we don't proclaim Jesus, we become a pitiful NGO, not the bride of the Lord,' he said. 'When we walk without the cross, and when we preach about Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are mundane. We are bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, but we are not disciples of the Lord.'"

Comment: This is a very encouraging statement from the new pope.  

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

My Way News - Erratic North Korea poses serious threat
My Way News reports: "An erratic North Korea, with its nuclear weapons and increasingly belligerent tone, poses a serious threat to the United States and East Asia nations, the director of National Intelligence warned Tuesday in the annual accounting of the threats worldwide."
My Way News - Argentine Jorge Bergoglio elected Pope Francis
My Way News reports: "From 'the end of the earth,' the Catholic Church found a surprising new leader Wednesday, a pioneer pope from Argentina who took the name Francis, a pastor rather than a manager to resurrect a church and faith in crisis. He is the first pontiff from the New World and the first non-European since the Middle Ages."

Comment: Even after all the recent scandals, the pope still commands the largest worldwide audience and therefore the largest opportunity to effectively proclaim the gospel. I'm all for wishing the new pontiff well and hoping that he will lead the world to Jesus. 
My Way News - China names Xi Jinping president, capping his rise
My Way News reports: "China's new leader Xi Jinping capped his rise Thursday by adding the largely ceremonial title of president, though he will need cautious maneuvering to consolidate his power and build support from a public that is increasingly clamoring for change."

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

CBS News - Hamas: ‘Declaration Of War’ If Obama Visits Temple Mount
CBS News reports: "Hamas is warning that if President Obama visits the Temple Mount it would be a “declaration of war” against the Islamic world. Israel National News reports the terror group made the threat during a protest march at the religious site following riots on Friday."
My Way News - History shows NKorean pattern: wait, then attack
My Way News reports: "Recent Korean history reveals a sobering possibility: It may only be a matter of time before North Korea launches a sudden, deadly attack on the South. And perhaps more unsettling, Seoul has vowed that this time, it will respond with an even stronger blow."
My Way News - Pentagon forming cyber teams to prevent attacks
My Way News reports: "The Defense Department is establishing a series of cyber teams charged with carrying out offensive operations to combat the threat of an electronic assault on the United States that could cause major damage and disruption to the country's vital infrastructure, a senior military official said Tuesday."

Monday, March 11, 2013

My Way News - Egyptians protest death of Christian in Libya
My Way News reports: "Protesters burned a flag belonging to the Libyan Embassy in Cairo on Monday to protest the death in prison of an Egyptian Christian suspected of proselytizing in Libya. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said that Ezzat Atallah likely died of natural causes. He suffered from diabetes and a heart ailment. Protesters said they suspect that poor prison conditions and possible abuse may have contributed to his death."
My Way News - NKorea's Kim visits front-line troops amid tension
My Way News reports: "North Korea's young leader urged front-line troops to be on "maximum alert" for a potential war as a state-run newspaper said Pyongyang had carried out a threat to cancel the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War."

Comment: I'm not sure whether to tag this as a rumor of war or as war. Technically, since the Korean War ended without a peace agreement, merely a ceasefire agreement (armistice), and North Korea has just renounced that, the Korean War is back on. 
My Way News - Insider attack kills 2 US troops, 2 Afghans
My Way News reports: "A police officer opened fire on U.S. and Afghan forces at a police headquarters in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, sparking a firefight that killed two U.S. troops and two other Afghan policemen. The attacker was also killed in the shootout, officials said. In a second incident, outside Kabul, U.S. troops fired on a truck approaching their military convoy, killing two Afghan men inside."
My Way News - Heavy workload awaits next pope; church in turmoil
My Way News reports: "Catholics and other Christians live as religious minorities in many countries, including Syria, India and China, where they face discrimination, government interference and, in many cases, violence as they try to practice their faith. The issue is a rare one that unites religious leaders across faiths. The pope is considered a key voice in the fight. Some of the tougher conditions are in Muslim nations, which often ban and punish Christian evangelizing. Addressing the issue requires utmost diplomacy; a misstep can cost lives."

My Way News - Nations seek EU mechanism to protect bloc's values

My Way News - Nations seek EU mechanism to protect bloc's values
My Way News reports: "Germany and three other nations say the European Union needs a powerful watchdog to insure that member states adhere to fundamental values including democracy, respect for human rights and freedom of expression."
My Way News - Comet posing beside crescent moon in cool photo op
My Way News reports: "Now's your chance to see the comet that passed within 100 million miles of Earth last week. Twilight on Tuesday will provide the best photo op for the comet called Pan-STARRS. It will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere just above the western horizon - right next to a crescent moon."

Saturday, March 09, 2013

Yahoo! News - Mob in Pakistani city torches Christian homes
Yahoo News reports: "Hundreds of people in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore ransacked a Christian neighborhood Saturday and torched dozens of homes after hearing reports that a Christian man had committed blasphemy against Islam's prophet, said a police officer. Blasphemy is a serious crime in Pakistan that can carry the death penalty but sometimes outraged residents exact their own retribution for perceived insults of Islam's Prophet Muhammad."
My Way News - Israel prepares for next war with Hezbollah
My Way News reports: "As the Syrian civil war intensifies, military planners are growing increasingly jittery that the fighting could spill over into Israel, potentially dragging the Islamic militant group that is allied with President Bashar Assad into the fray. After battling Hezbollah to a stalemate in 2006, the Israeli military says it has learned key lessons and is prepared to inflict heavy damage on the group if fighting begins again. [...] Israel says Hezbollah has systematically restocked its arsenal with tens of thousands of even more powerful rockets and missiles capable of striking virtually anywhere in the Jewish state. Israeli military officials frequently say it is only a matter of time before the next war erupts."
My Way News - Recent heat spike unlike anything in 11,000 years
My Way News reports: "Research released Thursday in the journal Science uses fossils of tiny marine organisms to reconstruct global temperatures back to the end of the last ice age. It shows how the globe for several thousands of years was cooling until an unprecedented reversal in the 20th century. Scientists say it is further evidence that modern-day global warming isn't natural, but the result of rising carbon dioxide emissions that have rapidly grown since the Industrial Revolution began roughly 250 years ago."

Comment: I know many of you are climate change skeptics, but I'm convinced it's in line with what the Bible said would happen. 
My Way News - Egyptian Soccer fans rampage over court verdicts
My Way News reports: "Egyptian soccer fans rampaged through the heart of Cairo on Saturday, furious about the acquittal of seven police officers while death sentences against 21 alleged rioters were confirmed in a trial over a stadium melee that left 74 people dead."

My Way News - Police strikes in Egypt accelerate, adding turmoil
My Way News reports: "Strikes and protests spread around the country Friday by police units frustrated with being blamed for deadly crackdowns on protesters and accusing Islamist President Mohammed Morsi of using them to fight his enemies. In at least 10 of the country's 29 provinces, some units sealed their stations with chains, some calling for the removal of their boss, the interior minister, appointed by Morsi."

Friday, March 08, 2013

My Way News - Israeli police disperse Palestinians at key site
My Way News reports: "Israeli police have entered Jerusalem's holiest site to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who were throwing rocks. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Palestinian worshipers rioted after Friday Muslim prayers at the hilltop site in the Old City of Jerusalem. It's known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque stands."

Washington Times - Hamas warns Obama: Don't visit Temple Mount
The Washington Times reports: "Designated terrorist group Hamas has warned President Obama against visiting the holy Temple Mount site in Jerusalem when he visits Israel next month, saying the action would be 'a diplomatic catastrophe.' Mr. Obama hasn’t confirmed a visit to the Temple Mount. But Muslim leaders have heard rumors and have issued a blunt statement nonetheless, The Times of Israel reports."

Thursday, March 07, 2013

My Way News - Strong earthquake sways buildings in Taiwan
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake has been felt throughout Taiwan, but no casualties or damage has been reported yet. The Central Weather Bureau says the quake Thursday registered at magnitude 5.6."
My Way News - Old Catholic orders fade as monks and nuns age
My Way News reports: "Several factors are behind the decline, including higher birthrates of Jews and Muslims and an exodus driven by continued Israeli-Palestinian violence and better opportunities in the West. In some instances, particularly in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Christians have been subject to intimidation by a minority of Muslims. Before retiring, Pope Benedict XVI expressed deep concerns about Christians in the Middle East. On his final foreign trip, a visit to Lebanon last September, Benedict warned that a Middle East without Christians 'would no longer be the Middle East.' The plight of Catholics in the cradle of Christianity is sure to be a priority for the next pope."
My Way News - North Korea hit by new UN sanctions after test
My Way News reports: "The U.N. Security Council responded swiftly to North Korea's latest nuclear test by punishing the reclusive regime Thursday with tough, new sanctions targeting its economy and leadership, despite Pyongyang's threat of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States."
My Way News - Obama downplays prospects for Mideast peace
My Way News reports: "President Barack Obama told American Jewish leaders Thursday that near-term prospects for Mideast peace may be bleak, but a deal with the Palestinians remains the only way for Israel to achieve long-term security. Obama said he has no intention of delivering a 'grand peace plan when he travels to the Mideast later this month, downplaying expectations for a breakthrough on his highly anticipated visit to Israel and the West Bank."

Wednesday, March 06, 2013

My Way News - Officials alarmed by increasing superbug reports
My Way News reports: "Health officials are reporting an alarming increase in some dangerous superbugs at U.S. hospitals. These superbugs from a common germ family have become extremely resistant to treatment with antibiotics. Only 10 years ago, such resistance was hardly ever seen in this group."
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."

Tuesday, March 05, 2013

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."

Monday, March 04, 2013

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.

Saturday, March 02, 2013

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."

Friday, March 01, 2013

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. 

Thursday, February 28, 2013

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."

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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."

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

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."

Monday, February 25, 2013

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."

Friday, February 22, 2013

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."

Thursday, February 21, 2013

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."

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

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."

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

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."

Monday, February 18, 2013

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."

Friday, February 15, 2013

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."

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

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."

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

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."

Monday, February 11, 2013

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.

Friday, February 08, 2013

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."

Thursday, February 07, 2013

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."

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

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."

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

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."

Friday, February 01, 2013

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."