My Way News - Icy Arctic rising as economic, security hot spot
My Way News reports: "Russia is planning to train and equip a brigade of military troops specifically for Arctic warfare, and Canada is revitalizing its Arctic fleet with $33 billion to build 28 ships over the next 30 years. Norway, Denmark and the U.S. are all expanding military command centers and operations within the Arctic. The U.S. Navy is nearing the end of a five-year plan, set in 2009, to plot out what path it will take in the Arctic. [...] The military ramp-up is a piece of what experts say is an inevitable political competition that will grow in the Arctic as it opens."

Comment: As the Arctic melts, coastal powers are jockeying for position in what is developing as an area of future conflict. There are those who talk about global warming as if it's still up for debate, the Arctic countries are investing billions of dollars on the assumption that it's not.

My Way News - Strong quake jolts southern Iran, 15 injured
My Way News reports: "Iranian state TV says a strong 6.2 magnitude earthquake has jolted the south of the country, injuring at least 15 people. The report said the quake struck the Arabian Sea port town of Jask at 6:38 a.m. (GMT 2:08 a.m.) Saturday damaging hundreds of homes."

My Way News - Experts: CO2 record illustrates 'scary' trend
My Way News reports: "Carbon dioxide stays in the air for a century, some of it into the thousands of years. And the world carbon dioxide pollution levels are accelerating yearly. Every second, the world's smokestacks and cars pump 2.4 million pounds of the heat-trapping gas into the air. Carbon pollution levels that used to be normal for the 20th century are fast becoming history in the 21st century. [...] Carbon dioxide traps heat just like in a greenhouse. It accounts for three-quarters of the planet's heat-trapping gases. There are others, such as methane, which has a shorter life span but traps heat more effectively. Both trigger temperatures to rise over time, scientists say, which is causing sea levels to rise and some weather patterns to change."

My Way News - Israeli police guard women praying at Jewish site
My Way News reports: "Forming human chains and using metal barriers, Israeli police held back thousands of ultra-Orthodox protesters who tried to prevent a liberal Jewish women's group from praying at a sensitive holy site Friday, the first time police have come down on the side of the women and not the protesters. The reversal followed a court order backing the right of the women to pray at the Western Wall using religious rituals Orthodox Jews insist should be practiced only by men."

Comment: It's great to see the Temple Mount in the news for something other than Palestinian agitation, but it's sad to see it causing such division in Israeli society. Perhaps this will cause a wider segment of society to reflect on the meaning of the Temple Mount and ask why, if Israel has total sovereignty over the Mount, do others control it? 

My Way News - Russia says it will keep selling missiles to Syria
My Way News reports: "Russia defended its sales of anti-aircraft systems to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, just days after joining forces with the U.S. for a new push to end Syria's civil war through negotiations."

My Way News - Church of Scotland report angers Jewish community
My Way News reports: "Israel's ambassador to the U.K. has condemned a report by the Church of Scotland that questioned the divine right of Jews to the land of Israel. Daniel Taub says the document 'negates and belittles the deeply held Jewish attachment to the land of Israel in a way which is truly hurtful.'"

My Way News - Israel to Russia: Don't give Syria S-300 missiles:
My Way News reports: "Israel has asked Russia to cancel an imminent sale of an advanced air defense system to Syria that could complicate further military intervention, Israeli security officials confirmed Thursday. [...] There was no immediate comment from Russia or Israel's Defense Ministry regarding the alleged sale of S-300s, considered to be the cutting edge in aircraft interception technology."

My Way News - Police: Ohio captive suffered 5 miscarriages
My Way News reports: "Prosecutors said Thursday they may seek the death penalty against Ariel Castro, the man accused of imprisoning three women at his home for a decade, as police charged that he impregnated one of his captives at least five times and made her miscarry by starving her and punching her in the belly."

My Way News - France confirms 1st case of new SARS-related virus
My Way News reports: "A 65-year-old Frenchman is hospitalized after contracting France's first case of a deadly new respiratory virus related to SARS, and French health authorities said Wednesday they are trying to find anyone who might have been in contact with him to prevent it from spreading. [...] Since September 2012, the World Health Organization has been informed of 30 confirmed cases of the virus, and 18 of the patients have died. "

My Way News - Cleveland man charged with 3 women's kidnap, rape
My Way News reports: "A man suspected of keeping three women captive inside his decrepit house for a decade was charged Wednesday with kidnapping and rape, accused of holding them under conditions so oppressive they were allowed outside for only a few moments in disguise and never saw a chance to escape until this week. Investigators said the women apparently were bound with ropes and chains, and a city councilman briefed on the case said they were subjected to prolonged sexual and psychological abuse and suffered miscarriages."

My Way News - Kerry to return for a new effort on Mideast peace
My Way News reports: "Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday he would depart in two weeks on another trip to the Middle East to push peace between Israel and the Palestinians [...] The former Massachusetts senator, who visited the region twice in March and again last month, has been trying to end a 4 1/2 year stalemate between the parties over issues ranging from Israeli settlement construction in disputed lands to Palestinian efforts to win statehood recognition at international bodies."

My Way News - China denies renewed US cyberattack claims
My Way News reports: "China's military on Tuesday denied renewed U.S. accusations that it sponsored cyberattacks and said the two sides should cooperate against the global threat of computer crime."

My Way News - Pakistan warns Afghanistan to show restraint
My Way News reports: "Pakistan warned Afghanistan on Tuesday that it would not be responsible for the consequences if a border spat between the two countries escalated further, even as hundreds of Afghans rallied in a southern city to protest the latest incidents along their country's frontier. "

My Way News - Analysis: Syria has limited response options
My Way News reports: "The Syrian regime on Tuesday dispatched an obscure proxy, a Damascus-based Palestinian militant group, to threaten retaliation for two Israeli airstrikes over the weekend. The relatively tepid response to Israel's breach of Syrian sovereignty highlighted Syrian President Bashar Assad's limited options as he, along with allies Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, is bogged down at home in a fight for survival against armed rebels."

My Way News - Encroaching sea already a threat in Caribbean
My Way News reports: "Storms and beach erosion have long shaped the geography of coastal environments, but rising sea levels and surge from more intense storms are expected to dramatically transform shorelines in coming decades, bringing enormous economic and social costs, experts say. The tourism-dependent Caribbean is thought to be one of the globe's most vulnerable regions."

My Way News - Police facing questions in 3 women's Ohio rescue:
My Way News reports: "Now, after three women who vanished a decade ago were found captive Monday at the run-down house, Cleveland police are facing questions for the second time in four years about their handling of missing-person cases and are conducting an internal review to see if they overlooked anything. [...] Three brothers, ages 50 to 54, were arrested. One of them, former school bus driver Ariel Castro, owned the home, situated in a poor neighborhood dotted with boarded-up houses just south of downtown."

My Way News - Israeli airstrike in Syria aimed at Iran
My Way News reports: "From Israel's perspective, its airstrikes near Damascus were more about Iran than Syria: Tehran's shipment of guided missiles destroyed in the weekend attacks would have posed a potent threat had the weapons reached Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Israel says it has no interest getting involved in the Syrian civil war, it could find itself drawn into the conflict if Syrian leader Bashar Assad's Iranian patrons continue to use his territory to ship arms to Hezbollah. [...] Syria and Iran have hinted at retaliation, though they took no action Monday and the official rhetoric has been relatively mild."

My Way News - Officials: Israel launches airstrike into Syria
My Way News reports: "Israel launched an airstrike into Syria, apparently targeting a suspected weapons site, U.S. officials said Friday night. The strike occurred overnight Thursday into Friday, the officials told The Associated Press. It did not appear that a chemical weapons site was targeted, they said, and one official said the strike appeared to have hit a warehouse."

My Way News - Syrian air defenses pose formidable challenge
My Way News reports: "International military action against Syria's government over its alleged use of chemical weapons would run up against one of the Middle East's most formidable air defenses, a system bolstered in recent years by top-of-the-line Russian hardware."

Dezeen - Biostamp temporary tattoo wearable electronic circuits by MC10
Dezeen.com reports: "Materials scientist John Rogers and his firm MC10 have developed flexible electronic circuits that stick directly to the skin like temporary tattoos and monitor the wearer's health. [...] The team are now working on the integration of wireless power sources and communication systems to relay the information gathered to a smartphone."

My Way News - Moderate earthquake hits Indian-controlled Kashmir
My Way News reports: " Officials say a moderately strong earthquake has hit a mountainous region in Indian-controlled Kashmir, injuring at least nine people and damaging several buildings. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-5.4 earthquake struck Wednesday and was centered near the border between Indian-held Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh state to its south."

My Way News - Syria's Assad in rare visit as rockets hit capital
My Way News reports: "Syrian President Bashar Assad made a rare public appearance at a Damascus power station on Wednesday, while two bombs exploded near the city center, killing one and wounding over two dozen people, Syria's state news agency reported."

Breitbart - Pentagon May Court Martial Soldiers Who Share Christian Faith
Breitbart News reports: "The Pentagon has released a statement [...] confirming that the military will make it a crime--possibly resulting in imprisonment--for those in uniform to share their faith. This would include chaplains—military officers who are ordained clergymen of their faith (mostly Christian pastors or priests, or Jewish rabbis)--whose duty since the founding of the U.S. military under George Washington is to teach their faith and minister to the spiritual needs of troops who come to them for counsel, instruction, or comfort."

Comment: Given the source, I wonder how much of this has been sensationalized so as to become a sensational story? I mean, how would military chaplains even do their jobs? There are a lot of Christians in the U.S. military, both enlisted ranks and officers, and I just don't think this kind of extreme policy will be tolerated. The military places a lot of emphasis on tradition and military chaplains have a long and storied history in the American military.

And what is driving this? It's not like religious proselytizing is even a "problem" in the military that needs to be addressed. They have real problems (like wars, repeated deployments and underfunded veterans programs) to worry about and not some exaggerated problem that people are sharing their faith too much.

My Way News - Hezbollah warns of possible Syria intervention
My Way News reports: "The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group said Tuesday that Syrian rebels will not be able to defeat President Bashar Assad's regime militarily, warning that Syria's 'real friends,' including his Iranian-backed militant group, were ready to intervene on the government's side."

My Way News - Israel lawmaker: Hezbollah getting chemical arms
My Way News reports: "A former Israeli defense minister alleged Monday that Syria's chemical weapons are "trickling" to the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. It was the first such claim by a senior politician in Israel, but he did not supply evidence to support his assertion [...] Israel has repeatedly expressed concern that Syria's chemical arsenal could fall into the hands of anti-Israel militants like Hezbollah, an Assad ally, or an al-Qaida-linked group fighting with the rebels. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that militants' acquisition of chemical arms or other sophisticated weapons is could trigger military action."

My Way News - Report: 260,000 died in Somali famine
My Way News reports: "The 2011 Somali famine killed an estimated 260,000 people, half of them age 5 and under, according to a new report to be published this week that more than doubles previous death toll estimates [...] The toll was also exacerbated by extremist militants from al-Shabab who banned food aid deliveries to the areas of south-central Somalia that they controlled."

My Way News - Arab League sweetens Israel-Palestinian peace plan
My Way News reports: "The Arab League's decision to sweeten its decade-old proposal offering comprehensive peace with Israel has placed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a bind and swiftly exposed fissures in his new government [...] The changes are meant to win Israeli support by allowing it to keep parts of the West Bank and east Jerusalem as part of an agreement."

My Way News - Hubble snaps image of approaching comet
My Way News reports: "The operators of the Hubble Space Telescope say the orbiting observatory has snapped photos of an approaching comet. The Baltimore-based Space Telescope Science Institute says the Comet Ison is being called the 'comet of the century' because it could be brighter than the full moon when it makes its closest pass by the sun in late November."

My Way News - Putin, Japanese leader step up peace treaty effort
My Way News reports: "The leaders of Russia and Japan have instructed their diplomats to intensify efforts to work out a peace treaty between the two nations. Russia and Japan have yet to sign a formal peace treaty ending hostilities from World War II due to a dispute over four islands that were captured by Soviet forces at the end of the war."

My Way News - Germ-zapping 'robots': Hospitals combat superbugs
My Way News reports: "The diarrhea-causing C-diff is now linked to 14,000 U.S. deaths annually. That's been the catalyst for the growing focus on infection control, said Mayfield, who is also president-elect of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. C-diff is easier to treat than some other hospital superbugs, like methicillin-resistant staph, or MRSA, but it's particularly difficult to clean away."

My Way News - NATO crash kills 4; Taliban begin spring offensive
My Way News reports: "A NATO plane crash in southern Afghanistan killed four international troops on Saturday, the same day the Taliban announced its spring offensive and said it will target military and diplomatic sites with suicide bombers and infiltrate enemy forces to conduct deadly insider attacks."

My Way News - Israel fears end to 40-year peace on Syrian front
My Way news reports: "Assad is a bitter enemy, an ally of Iran and a major backer of Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla attacks against Israel. But like his father whom he succeeded as president, he has faithfully observed U.S.-brokered accords that ended the 1973 war. Israel worries that whoever comes out on top in the civil war will be a much more dangerous adversary. Chief among Israeli concerns is that Assad's advanced weaponry could reach the hands of either his ally, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, or Islamic extremist groups among the rebels trying to oust him."

My Way News - Southern Baptist website blocked on some US bases
My Way News reports: "Some military chaplains trying to access the Southern Baptist Convention website this week were surprised to find it blocked with a message that it contained 'hostile content.' The problem left military officials having to explain to leaders of the nation's largest Protestant denomination that it was an unintentional software glitch."

Comment: Is Christianity becoming too subversive for the multi-faith religionism of the American military? 

My Way News - Smartphones overtake 'dumb' phones worldwide
My Way News reports: "Research firm IDC said more smartphones than 'dumb' phones are being made this year, a milestone in a shift that's putting computing power and Internet access in millions of hands worldwide. [...]  In the U.S., smartphones overtook regular cellphones in 2011. IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said Friday that the shift to a global majority of smartphones is now being driven by consumers in developing countries such as China, India and Indonesia."

My Way News - Israel shoots down drone, Hezbollah suspected
My Way News reports: "Israel shot down a drone Thursday as it approached its northern coast from neighboring Lebanon, raising suspicions that the Hezbollah militant group was behind the infiltration attempt. Hezbollah denied involvement, but the incident was likely to heighten Israeli concerns that the Shiite militant group is trying to take advantage of the unrest in neighboring Syria to strengthen its capabilities."

My Way News - Official says China plans more aircraft carriers:
My Way News reports: "A top navy commander says China plans to operate more aircraft carriers in the future that will be even larger and carry more aircraft than the initial one launched last year. [...] China spent a decade refurbishing a derelict Soviet-era carrier bought from Ukraine before commissioning it as the Liaoning last year. The carrier is part of a major expansion of the Chinese navy that is equipping it with sophisticated new surface ships and submarines, prompting China's neighbors to upgrade and enlarge their own navies."

My Way News - Crossing a 'red line'? US says Syria used poison
My Way News reports: "The White House declared Thursday that U.S. intelligence indicates Syrian President Bashar Assad has twice used deadly chemical weapons in his country's fierce civil war, a provocative action that would cross President Barack Obama's 'red line' for a significant military response. But the administration said the revelation won't immediately change its stance on intervening."

NBC News - A suspected meteor flash briefly transforms night to day in Argentina
Cosmic Log reports: "A suspected meteor flash wowed observers in Argentina early Sunday — and sparked memories of February's more serious blast over Russia. The fireball lit up the night in north and central Argentina at about 3:30 a.m. local time, according to accounts from Argentine news outlets. "The sky lit up completely for a couple of seconds and interrupted the calm in this area of Argentina," BarrioOeste.com reported. Witnesses in Catamarca, Tucuman and Santiago del Estero reported sightings."

My Way News - China says new North Korea nuclear test possible
My Way News reports: "China's top general said a fourth North Korean nuclear weapons test is a possibility that underscores the need for fresh talks between Pyongyang and other regional parties [...] North Korea has been threatening to attack the U.S. and South Korea over recent military drills and sanctions imposed as punishment for its third nuclear test in February."

My Way News - Israeli official: Syria's Assad used chemical arms
My Way News reports: "A senior Israeli military intelligence official said on Tuesday that Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons last month in his battle against insurgent groups. It was the first time that Israel has accused the embattled Syrian leader of using his stockpile of nonconventional weapons."

My Way News - Kerry: NATO needs plan for Syrian chemical weapons
My Way News reports: "U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged NATO on Tuesday to prepare for the possible use of chemical weapons by Syria on the same day that a senior Israeli military intelligence official said Syrian President Bashar Assad had used such weapons last month in his battle against insurgents."

My Way News - Israel: Gaza militants fired from Sinai last week
My Way News reports: "Israel's prime minister is accusing Gaza militants of carrying out a rocket attack from Egypt's Sinai desert on a southern Israeli resort last week. [...]  A shadowy extremist Muslim Salafi group claimed responsibility for firing two rockets at Eilat. Nobody was hurt."

My Way News - Diplomats: New Iran-nuke agency talks agreed on:
My Way News reports: "Two diplomats say Iran and the U.N. nuclear agency have agreed to mid-May talks focused on restarting a probe of suspicions that Tehran has worked secretly on atomic arms. Their last meeting in February extended a string of inconclusive attempts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to re-launch investigations stalled for more than five years."

My Way News - Syrian regime shoring up hold on capital, coast
My Way News reports: "In the past week, government troops have overrun villages near the Lebanese border and suburbs of Damascus, including two districts west of the capital where activists say regime forces killed more than 100 people. The advances have improved the regime's footing in strategic areas that are seen as crucial to its survival."

My Way News - Even in desert retreat, monks feel Egypt's turmoil
My Way News reports: "A mob attack this month on the Cairo cathedral that serves as the seat of the Coptic pope raised alarm bells among Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the country's 90 million people. There has been a surge in attacks on Christians and churches in the two years since the ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. But for Christians, the cathedral violence laid bare their vulnerability. Morsi quickly condemned the violence, saying attacking the cathedral was like attacking him personally. But the Coptic Pope Tawadros II accused him of failing to protect the cathedral in an unprecedented direct criticism."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the church in Egypt, that they will not allow their hearts to be embittered but will persevere in faith, love and compassion.

My Way News - Strong quake jolts China's Sichuan, killing 156
My Way News reports: "Residents huddled outdoors Saturday night in a town near the epicenter of a powerful earthquake that struck the steep hills of China's southwestern Sichuan province, leaving at least 156 people dead and more than 5,500 injured. [...] The quake - measured by the earthquake administration at magnitude-7.0 and by the U.S. Geological Survey at 6.6 - struck the steep hills of Lushan county shortly after 8 a.m., when many people were at home, sleeping or having breakfast."

My Way News - 7.0 quake hits ocean off Japan, Russia; no damage
My Way News reports: "A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck in seas off far northern Japan and far eastern Russia on Friday, but no damage was expected. The Japan Meteorological Agency said sea changes were possible. No tsunami warnings have been issued."

My Way News - Rockets fired at Eilat in southern Israel
My Way News reports: "Militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula fired at least two rockets at Israel's southern resort town of Eilat early Wednesday, officials said, highlighting what Israel says is a dire security situation across its border. Nobody was hurt in the attack, police said, although one rocket exploded near the courtyard of a house. A shadowy hard-line Muslim group, likely based in the Gaza Strip, claimed responsibility for the attack."

My Way News - Thousands of Pakistanis homeless after quake
My Way News reports: "Thousands of people are homeless and desperate for aid in southwestern Pakistan following a deadly earthquake centered in neighboring Iran that toppled scores of mud brick homes and killed at least 36 people, officials said Wednesday. The Pakistani army has deployed several hundred soldiers to help the relief effort in Mashkel, the area of Baluchistan province hit hardest by Tuesday's magnitude 7.8 earthquake."

My Way News - Volcanic Japanese island hit by series of quakes
My Way News reports: "A strong earthquake and about 20 smaller temblors struck a small volcanic island south of Tokyo on Wednesday, slightly injuring three people but causing no danger of a tsunami. The strongest quake had a magnitude of 6.2 and hit just off Miyake island Wednesday evening at a depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles), Japan's Meteorological Agency said. About 20 smaller temblors, half of them strong enough to be felt by humans, were recorded in the area throughout the day."

My Way News - A new case in China adds unknowns to bird flu
My Way News reports: "A new case of bird flu in China's capital, a 4-year-old boy who displayed no symptoms, is adding to the unknowns about the latest outbreak that has caused 63 confirmed cases and 14 deaths, health officials said Monday."

My Way News - Quake hits Iran, Pakistan; dozens killed
My Way News reports: "An earthquake toppled homes and shops on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border Tuesday, killing dozens of people and causing skyscrapers to sway in Dubai. It also forced Iranian officials - for the second time in less than a week - to issue assurances that its main nuclear reactor wasn't damaged. [...] The U.S. Geological Survey put the preliminary magnitude at 7.8 and at a depth of 15.2 kilometers (nine miles)."

My Way News - Israel honors war dead with somber Memorial Day
My Way News reports: "Israelis paused Monday to honor fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism with sirens and ceremonies on the country's annual Memorial Day. It is one of the most melancholy dates on the Israeli calendar. After decades of conflict, most Israelis have lost loved ones or know someone who has."

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. 

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."

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."

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.

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."

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."

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)."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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.'"

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."

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.  

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."

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."