Persecution

AP - Egypt: Muslim mob attacks Christians, parade naked woman
The AP reports: "An armed Muslim mob stripped an elderly Christian woman and paraded her naked on the streets in an attack last week in which seven Christian homes were also looted and torched in a province south of the Egyptian capital. According to the local Orthodox Coptic church and security officials, the assault in the Minya province village of Karma on Friday began after rumors spread that the elderly woman's son had an affair with a Muslim woman — a taboo in conservative Egypt. [...] Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's population of more than 90 million people, have long complained of discrimination in the mostly Muslim nation."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the persecuted church in Egypt. May the Holy Spirit guide them in their perseverance, instructing them in mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love.  Let us pray specifically for the healing of that poor traumatized woman who was assaulted.

Rumors of War

Retired U.S. commander: North Korea collapse not far off - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A former U.S. Forces Korea commander says a North Korea collapse could take place sooner than expected. [...]  North Korea is under multiple pressures, most recently heavier U.N. Security Council sanctions that could choke off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program. China's support of the sanctions could mark a turning point, as well, and there are increasing signs Beijing's North Korea policy is changing. In addition to agreeing to enforce sanctions, China could be taking a different approach to North Korean defectors, as evidenced by the flight of 13 North Korean state restaurant workers who were permitted to leave China for Southeast Asia on valid passports."

Covenant With Many

Palestinians reject Netanyahu's call for direct peace talks in Paris - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The Palestinian Authority on Monday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call to hold direct peace talks in Paris. [...] The Palestinian Authority has preferred an international peace process, largely because many countries seek Israel's return to pre-1967 borders and a halt to Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank."

Comment: I wonder if the June 3rd conference will even take place? Will the nations (at least 20 according to this report) pass up an opportunity to meet and condemn Israel? Stay tuned!

War

Iraqi forces, allies begin offensive to retake Fallujah - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iraqi security forces, supported by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, on Monday began an offensive on Fallujah aiming to recapture the city from Islamic State control. [...] Mosul is considered one of the most important battles in the fight against the Islamic State -- also known as Daesh, ISIS and ISIL -- in Iraq. U.S. President Barack Obama said he expects Mosul to be retaken by the Iraqi government by the end of the year."

Covenant With Many

Netanyahu seeks face-to-face with Mahmoud Abbas, rejects Paris peace talks - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a French proposal for a Middle East peace conference Monday, suggesting instead direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. [...] Netanyahu added he is prepared to discuss all matters pertinent to the peace process, as long as it occurs at a face-to-face meeting with Abbas."

War - Global Government - Ten Kings

G7 leaders agree on plan to combat terrorism financing - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Finance ministers from the Group of Seven pledged to work more closely to stop the global funding of terrorism following a meeting in Japan. The G7 nations agreed to an 'action plan' that includes sharing financial and intelligence data in order to halt the international flow of money to terrorist elements like the Islamic State and al Qaida. [...] The G7 consists of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Great Britain and Italy. Russia was expelled from what was the G8 after it annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine."

Pestilence

The Yellow Fever Outbreak: What You Should Know - TIME
Time reports: "An outbreak of yellow fever in Africa has global health experts worried. On Thursday the World Health Organization (WHO) convened an emergency meeting over a yellow fever outbreak that started in Angola and has now infected well over 2,000 people, including imported cases to other countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya and China. The group concluded that while the yellow fever outbreak is 'a serious public health event which warrants intensified national action and enhanced international support,' it will not be declared a public health emergency of international concern at this time."

Zika Cases In U.S. Pregnant Women Near 300 - TIME
Time reports: "There are 279 pregnant women in the United States and in U.S. territories who have Zika, health officials announced on Friday. There are 157 women pregnant women with the virus in the continental United States and 122 infected pregnant women in U.S. territories. The new numbers are from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Zika pregnancy registry systems in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. The new numbers include all pregnant women who have had laboratory confirmation of a Zika infection regardless of whether they had symptoms or not."

Zika Strain Linked to Birth Defects on ‘Doorstep of Africa,’ WHO Warns - TIME
Time reports: "The strain of the Zika Virus raging in South America that has been linked to birth defects has been confirmed in Africa for the first time, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday.  [...] This strain of Zika has been linked to neurological problems and babies being born with microcephaly, but the virus as it originated in Africa has not been known to cause the defects."

Comment: I don't normally cite Time Magazine, but they are doing a great job reporting on the Zika virus and the Yellow Fever outbreak. 

Doomed Damascus

Assad forces take significant territory from rebels near Damascus - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad took the key town of Deir al-Asafir near Damascus back from rebels on Thursday. Assad's efforts were supported by Lebanese Hezbollah militants, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group. The government capture of the town has diminished the rebel's access to Damascus' Eastern Ghouta suburb. [...] The capture of territory by government forces is one of the most significant advances by Assad's regime in 2016, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said."

Kings of the East

China-Pakistan railroad will help curb extremism: Ex-Pakistan PM
CNBC reports: "The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a railroad which will traverse western China through Pakistan, will help job creation as well as help to curb terrorism as people grow more prosperous, Pakistan's former prime minister told CNBC on Wednesday. The $46B deal agreed upon between China and Pakistan will allow China to avoid its current maritime sea routes to bring products into the Middle East and Europe."

Covenant With Many

France delays Mideast peace conference for U.S. - CNNPolitics.com
CNN reports: "France has postponed an international conference on Israeli-Palestinian peace in order to ensure U.S. officials are able to attend -- but American political currents may stymie their efforts to fully engage the Obama administration even with its participation."

Comment: The Islamic State threat is the central issue motivating the Arab states right now, not the Mideast peace process, so France may find it difficult to put this high on the international agenda without U.S. support. Still, as I argued last year, the Iran arms deal provides a framework for the a Mideast peace deal that could be the prophetic "Covenant with Many" of Daniel 9:27. Once this idea was endorsed by a major power I don't think it will ever really go away, even if this latest effort fizzles, it will remain something that could be adopted (or 'confirmed') if and when the timing is right.

Famine

Is the Era of Great Famines Over? - The New York Times
The New York Times reports: "How did Ethiopia go from being the world’s symbol of mass famines to fending off starvation? Thanks partly to some good fortune, but mostly to peace, greater transparency and prudent planning. Ethiopia’s success in averting another disaster is confirmation that famine is elective because, at its core, it is an artifact and a tool of political repression."

Comment: I like this op-ed because it highlights an essential truth about famine. In the modern world, people most often go hungry for political reasons (like the famine in North Korea) rather than natural or climate-related reasons.  Peace and good-governance can be as effective as modern farming techniques in defeating famine.

Pestilence

Zika Virus Means Brazil’s 2016 Olympics Must Not Proceed - TIME
Time magazine reports: "The outbreak that began in the country’s northeast has reached Rio de Janeiro, where it is flourishing. Clinical studies are also mounting that Zika infection is associated not just with pediatric microcephaly and brain damage, but also adult conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which are debilitating and sometimes fatal. Simply put, Zika infection is more dangerous, and Brazil’s outbreak more extensive, than scientists reckoned a short time ago. Which leads to a bitter truth: the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games must be postponed, moved, or both, as a precautionary concession."

Comment: Ok, let's see if I'm getting this clearly. The country that is ground-zero for a communicable disease outbreak that is getting worse and for which there is no cure is set to host  an international event that will draw thousands of people there and then send them back home to their native lands. Some experts are suggesting that this big international event be moved or at least postponed as a precaution. That seems prudent. Unfortunately, the big international event in question is the Olympic Games, which means millions of dollars in corporate sponsorship, advertising, and state sponsored preparations have already been spent on this event even before the opening ceremony begins. The money that has already been spent and will be spent before the games are over suggest to me that the desire for a return on the investments made will override any health concerns the experts may have. Does anyone really doubt that corporate sponsors are willing to risk the health of the athletes, spectators and world press for the sake of profits? Never underestimate human greed. I think there is only one conclusion we can reach: the Olympics will not be canceled, postponed or moved.

Earthquakes

Study predicts chance of mega-earthquake in the Aleutians - UPI.com
UPI reports: "There's a nine percent chance a magnitude 9 or larger earthquake will strike the Aleutian Islands in the next 50 years. That is the prediction offered by scientists from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa -- made with the help of a newly designed computer model. Researchers say an earthquake of that size could send a mega-tsunami in the direction of the Hawaiian Islands."

Rumors of War - King of the North

Russia calls new U.S. missile shield in Romania a security threat - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Russian officials sounded off against a newly activated U.S. missile defense site in Romania, calling it a threat to Russia and European stability in general. As the Aegis Ashore missile defense site was formally activated during a ceremony featuring U.S., NATO and Romanian officials at a Cold War-era base, Admiral Vladimir Komyedov, head of the State Duma's defense committee, told the Interfax news agency 'they are moving to the firing line.' 'This is not just 100,' he said. 'It's 200, 300, 1,000 percent aimed against us.' The former commander of the Russian Black Sea fleet brushed aside U.S. claims that the missile defense site was intended to deter Iranian threats."

Comment: In a better world, both sides would acknowledge their past actions that have created this crisis in relations and would mutually agree on measures to restore confidence. The West, for example, could acknowledge that Russia has a point about the "color revolutions" sometimes not being entirely indigenous. Russia, for it's part, could acknowledge that the stealth invasion of Ukraine in 2014 following the Ukrainian revolution and Euromaidan movement and the annexation of Crimea the same year may have contributed to the perception in the West that Russia was returning to Cold War patterns. This is not that world.

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

U.S., South Korea, Japan say no to North Korea nukes - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The United States, South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea after Kim Jong Un defended his weapons program at the Seventh Party Congress. [...] The three envoys had agreed to step up international pressure based on the principle of denuclearization. Additional sanctions would not be ruled out if it means it could lead to North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons, the foreign ministry said."

North Korea defends hydrogen bomb, blames U.S. for tensions - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea pointed the finger at the United States on Wednesday for Pyongyang's decision to develop a hydrogen bomb. [...]  Pyongyang's state-controlled news agency KCNA published a commentary claiming the United States, 'the world's largest nuclear power, has acted hostile toward us, escalating the nuclear threat.' 'Inevitably, we had to develop a nuclear weapon,' the North Korea statement read. [...] The message issued Wednesday and last week, however, could be for domestic propaganda purposes. The United States has repeatedly called for negotiations and for the easing of tensions but has insisted denuclearization is key to the talks."

No substantial reform in North Korea, Seoul ministry official says - UPI.com:
UPI reports: "No meaningful outcome has emerged in North Korea after the Seventh Party Congress, South Korea's unification minister said Tuesday. Speaking before a parliamentary committee, Hong Yong-pyo said the Kim Jong Un regime has no new strategy that departs from the 'teachings of the departed,' or the earlier generation, Yonhap reported. "

Comment: While young Un survived his first party congress without a coup or assassination, it's clear that the mood in the country has changed. Unless he can deliver some improvement in living standards the chances of his elimination by a rival remain high. I'm betting the purges will continue, if for no other reason than to keep his rivals off balance. The real worry is that he may seek to use an international crisis to unify party and military leaders and cement his leadership.  

False Prophets

International 'psychic' mail operation that netted $180 million shut down - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A  'psychic'  mail fraud operation that bilked more than 1 million Americans out of more than $180 million over 10 years has been shut down by a federal court. U.S. District Judge Sandra Feuerstein, of the Eastern District of New York, approved the consent decree Friday that bans Montreal's Infogest Marketing, Hong Kong's Destiny Research Center Ltd. and six individuals from accessing the U.S. mail system to send items from alleged psychics, astrologers and clairvoyants."

Comment: It's sad that these people got taken advantage of, but they put their faith in the wrong place.  Bible prophecy demonstrates that the future is known only to God who declares the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

Persecution

North Korea denies connection to pastor's murder - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea slammed the South after activists said North Korean agents murdered a Christian pastor in China. Pyongyang's propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri released a statement Thursday calling the claims 'absurd anti-North Korean sophistry,' South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. North Korea called the move a plot to overthrow the regime. [...] South Korean news service News 1 reported the pastor founded Jangbaek Church in Jilin in 1993."

Comment: North Korea's reckless behavior continues to endanger the peace of the region and is threatened by any behavior or belief it can't control. It is wrong about Christians being a threat to the state. Christians are told to be submissive to authorities and treat others with respect (Romans 13). Christianity is not a rebel religion, it is not a jihad religion. 

Rumors of War - Persia

Iran to close key oil shipping lanes If U.S. proceeds with military drills - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iranian high officials have threatened to close the vital Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its allies if they threaten the regime in Tehran in the wake of American military drills launched in the Persian Gulf in April. [...] While the stated purpose of the drills is to protect international trade routes, Iran views the drills as a potential threat to its regime. [...] The Strait of Hormuz accounts for almost one-third of the world's oil trade sea passages."

Pestilence

CDC: Hepatitis C kills more Americans than any other infectious disease - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Despite hepatitis C being preventable and curable, the number of people who died after contracting it hit an all-time high in 2014, baffling researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC researchers found nearly half of the 3.5 million people with hepatitis C are unaware of their infection, and the numbers are rising among people at high risk because of a lack of awareness. Hepatitis C is caused by a virus that attacks the liver, and while some people have symptoms most do not, the CDC reports."

Comment: I really don't know much about this disease and find it scary that people can have it and not know it.  At least it's not a contagious disease that you can get from other people.

Rumors of War - King of the North

Russia strengthening military in challenge to NATO - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Russia is set to establish three new military divisions -- around 30,000 troops -- along its borders in a direct challenge to Western allies' troop buildup in the region. NATO revealed last month that it would be sending around 4,000 troops to Poland and the former Soviet countries in the Baltic. Now Moscow has hit back by announcing its own plans to expand its military presence."

Comment: I think what's happening here is a sad example of dueling narratives. Russia and NATO look at the history of the last thirty years and they each see something different.  NATO sees a Russia under Putin that appears to be desperate to recapture the glory days of the Soviet Empire. In an almost classic example of a revanchist power, Russia is expanding and recapturing territory (Crimea) and expanding a sphere of influence among neighbors (Ukraine). Russia's neighbors are unsettled and turning to NATO for reassurance and protection. Russia, on the other hand, sees a NATO alliance that never disbanded, even after winning the Cold War, and instead added new members among former Eastern bloc countries, pushing NATO right up to Russia's borders. Russia, in this view, is responding to the NATO threat by increasing defense spending and carving out a frontier or buffer in Eastern Europe between it and NATO. Usually diplomats are able to negotiate when leaders talk past one another, after all, there are many common interests, but in this case, Putin has established his national narrative so strongly in the minds of his people that his ability to maneuver is hampered by is own rhetoric (assuming he doesn't actually believe the "Russia is a victim of NATO" narrative) and this makes compromise (so necessary in avoiding conflict) unlikely.   It's more likely that Russia will continue to act out as an expression of frustration and aggrievement with NATO, nationalism, or Putin's personal agenda to stay in power.

War

U.S. Navy SEAL killed by Islamic State in Iraq combat - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A U.S. Navy SEAL was killed by enemy fire on Tuesday after the Islamic State breached a Kurdish Peshmerga position near Mosul amid increased American presence, U.S. defense officials said. [...] The service member's death comes as the United States last week announced increased efforts to support Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish Peshmerga in their fight against the Islamic State, also known as ISIL, Daesh and ISIS."

Comment: I wonder when the politicians will admit the U.S. has "boots in the ground" or will Obama continue to insist that he ended the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? 

Persecution

North Korea sent agents to kill Christian pastor, activists say - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korean agents are responsible for the 'murder' of a Christian pastor who assisted North Korean defectors in China, activists in Seoul said Monday. Choe Sungyong, a Korean-Chinese minister, had been the target of past North Korean threats, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. [...] South Korea's unification ministry warned its citizens of the heightened risk of kidnapping and 'acts of terror' on Monday after the North announced its plan to kidnap 120 South Koreans in the coming weeks."

Rumors of War - King of the North - Kings of the East

Russian aircraft barrel rolls U.S. Air Force plane, second time in a month - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A Russian fighter jet performed what the United States considers an unsafe arial [aerial?...Ed.] maneuver over a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane while flying over the Baltic Sea, the second such maneuver in a month. CNN reported a Russian SU-27 flew within 25 feet of the U.S. Air Force RC-135 and performed a barrel roll, by flying over the U.S. plane from one side to the other in an inverted position."

China denies U.S. Navy carrier port visit to Hong Kong - UPI.com
UPI reports: "China denied a U.S. aircraft carrier entry into a Hong Kong port, Pentagon officials said Friday. A spokesman for the Hong Kong Security Bureau would not comment on the decision to deny entry to the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and its escort ships access to the port. [...] The denial came as tension rise between the United States and China after Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter visited the Stennis while it was stationed in the South China Sea. The United States is attempting to challenge Beijing's claim to more than 80 percent of the maritime area."

Comment: Probably one of the most important changes in the last few years has been the pivot. No, not the U.S. pivot to Asia but the Russian pivot to China. The profound impact of Western sanctions on the Russian economy have driven Russia to seek a new economic partner in China. This is entirely understandable and represents a lost opportunity to fulfill the dream of a new Europe that included Russia. As that door closed, Russia acted to open new doors with new partners like China. Trade deals have been HUGE, weapons deals have been HUGE, and more importantly, the strategic understanding between the two has been HUGE.  The two share a determined resolve to end the unipolar post-Cold War era in world affairs and replace American leadership with a new international order that is more responsive to their interests.  The two countries have an informal agreement to join in challenging American global presence in both small ways and large. These two incidents today represent only the most recent examples of this shared effort. The U.S. response under Obama has been uneven, at times accommodating and at other times, resolute in pushing back against challenges. Although commentators and talking-heads are reluctant to admit it, Obama has been far more pragmatic than most observers expected. He has avoided conflict with Russia and China while seeking to preserve and maintain the current international order. It is growing increasingly evident that the effort to maintain the Pax Americana will eventually lead to conflict with one or both of these countries. It will take shrewd diplomacy and clear strategic vision backed by overwhelming military power to maintain the current international order. We can only hope - and pray - that the next American president will have the skill and wisdom to safely navigate the ship of state through this gathering storm.

Pestilence

Puerto Rico Zika cases now include 65 pregnant women, one death: CDC | Reuters
Reuters reports: "Health officials on Friday confirmed the first U.S. death of a patient infected with the Zika virus in Puerto Rico. The man, who was in his 70s, died from severe thrombocytopenia, a bleeding disorder caused by abnormally low blood platelets, which are needed for blood clotting."

Comment: The first U.S. death from the Zika virus seems like it should be big news but I fear it was lost amid the other news of the day. 

War

Islamic State-linked hackers target thousands of New Yorkers - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Some 3,000 New York City-area residents, most of them private citizens with no government ties, were targeted in an Islamic State 'hit list,' law enforcement said. The list, intended as a threat, contains as many as 3,600 names. It includes some employees with the State Department and Homeland Security, but mostly contains personal information from private citizens. It was posted on site accessible to only IS supporters and is being considered a scare campaign from the IS-related group Caliphate Cyber United. Law enforcement authorities said there is no specific threat to any one person or group."

Comment: No specific threat? When bureaucracy and PR meet, the results are always the same: inanity ensues.

Wickedness Increases

Woman who cut baby from mother's womb gets 100-years - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A Colorado woman who lured an expectant mother to a home and cut the unborn baby from her womb was sentenced Friday to serve 100 years in prison. [....] In March 2015, Lane, 35, lured Michelle Wilkins to a home in Longmont, about 35 miles north of Denver, by posting an online ad for baby clothes. When Wilkins arrived, Lane attacked her and cut the baby from her womb. The baby died and Lane was captured by police when she showed up at a hospital claiming she had just miscarried."

Comment: I remember that case when it first made the news, it was so shocking and unbelievable. I wish this article was more complete, it doesn't even mention motive. Maybe there was no motive beyond pure evil? 

Rumors of War - Nations in Distress

Kim Jong Un unpopular among top North Korea top officials - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A senior North Korean official who resigned because he was 'overcome with stress' was forced to return to his position under Kim Jong Un's orders. That and other signs indicate Kim Jong Un doesn't have adequate levels of support from top cadres of the Korean Workers' Party, said Ko Young-hwan, a former North Korean diplomat and defector. [...] North Korea has purged more than a hundred officials under Kim. In other parts of the country, ordinary North Koreans have 'given up hope' in the future of the Kim regime, and lead a hand-to-mouth existence on a daily basis, Ko said."

China's Xi Jinping warns against Korea instability - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Chinese President Xi Jinping told a ministerial gathering in Beijing his government would not tolerate any instability on the Korean peninsula. Speaking at the fifth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, or CICA, Xi said China is fully committed to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and to its peace and stability  [...] Twenty-six member countries, including Russia and South Korea, were in attendance. North Korea did not send a representative – but it was unclear whether Pyongyang had received an invitation in the wake of worsening relations with Beijing."

North Korea tightens security ahead of congress: South Korea | Reuters
Reuters reports: "North Korea has tightened security ahead of a ruling party congress, South Korea said on Friday, with authorities keen to avoid any 'mishap' at the gathering at which advances in the drive for nuclear weapons will likely be hailed. Thousands of delegates are expected in the capital, Pyongyang, from May 6 for the first congress in 36 years at which young leader Kim Jong Un is expected to cement his leadership and formally declare the country a nuclear-armed state. "

Comment: Although missile launches and bomb tests make a war initiated by North Korea a real concern, the primary threat is the implosion of the North Korean state. A bloodless coup is a possibility, if staged by a respected member of the party/military, but given how indoctrinated the military in that country is and how pervasive the cult of personality around Kim Jong Un is, it's likely that a coup would meet with strong resistance. A civil war between generals competing to be the next dictator is the more likely scenario. The upcoming party conference provides an ideal nexus for intrigue and machinations. If young Un can hold on to power over the next few weeks he may yet be able to stabilize his country...if he wants to.

Pestilence

'Platform' could spur development of new vaccines, scientists say - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Researchers in Denmark have created a 'platform' for vaccines that mimics the structure of a virus, which they say could speed up the process and make it easier to create effective vaccines. The virus-like structure, to which harmless parts of viruses can be attached, aids in provoking an immune response [...] The researchers also report their virus-like structure can motivate the immune system to attack its own cells, potentially allowing for the treatment of cancer and other diseases that are not caused by pathogens."

 Comment: It's nice to have some good news to share once in a while!

Famine

Famine Threatens Parts of Sub-Saharan Africa - VOA
Voice of America reports: "Many parts of Asia, Africa and the Americas are scorching in heat caused by a cyclical phenomenon known as El Nino. The unusually warm waters that come up to the surface in the Pacific Ocean every three to six years cause extreme weather conditions. The resulting drought is especially hard on the poorest people of sub-Saharan Africa. [...] Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous country, is in the grip of its worst drought in decades. The government is appealing for aid to help 10 million affected people. The food shortage is also grave in Malawi, which has not yet recovered from last year's record flooding."

Comment: This short article does not address it, but the international aid community has now come around to the realization that international aid alone will never provide a long-term solution to the endemic famine that Africa experiences. Local efforts to combat corruption, promote good governance, micro-financing and development should go hand-in-hand with international relief efforts. Only the combination of the local and the international have any hope of breaking the cycle. 

Rumors of War - War

Obama sends more Special Forces to Syria in fight against IS | Reuters
Reuters reports: "President Barack Obama announced on Monday the biggest expansion of U.S. ground troops in Syria since its civil war began, but the move was unlikely to mollify Arab allies angry over Washington's cautious approach to the conflict. The deployment of up to 250 Special Forces soldiers increases U.S. forces in Syria roughly sixfold and is aimed at helping militia fighters who have clawed back territory from Islamic State militants in a string of victories. Defense experts said giving more fighters on the ground access to U.S. close air support could shift the momentum in Syria."

Comment: So, no boots on the ground. I wonder what kind of footwear they will have then? Seriously though, I heard Obama explaining this to the media and trying to make it sound acceptable to them and to our "allies" by going out of his way to assure them that American special forces won't take the lead. That turn of phrase explains everything wrong with his approach. He is asking the most expertly trained elite forces we have to go there and NOT lead. That's simply not what they are trained for and a poor use of their skills. There is a difference between special operators and regular military advisors and perhaps he is counting on us to not know the difference, but we do, and he should know better. 

Earthquakes

Ecuador earthquake death toll rises to nearly 650 - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Ecuador's President Rafael Correa announced the death toll from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country climbed to nearly 650. The death toll now stands at 646 people on Saturday as the country registered more then 300 aftershocks after the initial quake struck on April 16. A second 6.5 magnitude quake also struck the coast of Ecuador on Thursday night, as the aftershock centered around the city of Bahia de Caraquez."

Comment: The "Ring of Fire" continues to be in fire. I know that seismologists say the recent quakes on both sides of the Pacific are not related but it's hard to dismiss the current series of quakes as merely isolated events.

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

Chinese President Xi Jinping takes title of commander in chief - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Chinese President Xi Jinping has taken to the additional title of commander in chief of the country's military, a move that could be seen as an effort to exert more control over the armed forces. The new title was debuted by state-run media Wednesday after Xi visited a battle command center while wearing camouflage military fatigues. He said China should build a command system 'capable of winning wars,' state media reported."

Comment: I wonder which wars they are planning to win? It's not as if any country is currently attempting to invade China or threaten them with invasion. Perhaps a defensive war is not what they are planning for? Could it be that China's military strategists are planning offensive wars that expand China's territory and power? The War of the South China Sea perhaps? Or maybe the War for Taiwan? It will be interesting to see how the new "commander in chief" uses his new powers.

Rumors of War

Counter-terror officials warn: Islamic State seeks nuclear, biological materials - UPI.com UPI reports: "Last month, Belgian investigators reported that during searches of the Brussels apartment of Salah Abdeslam, one of the Paris attackers, the documents relating to the nuclear research center near the Belgian border in northwest Germany. According to nuclear scientists, only 10 grams of radiological material would be required for a so-called 'dirty bomb,' which combines radioactive material and conventional explosives."

Comment: Of all the kinds of attacks that IS could perpetrate, an NBC attack is by far the worst. Most of the time we are scared enough just to think of a few random bombs going off in an urban area. Not to minimize what happened in Belgium and Paris, but once the bombs go off, that's pretty much it, it's over. With a nuclear, biological or chemical attack, the damage to people lingers over time and presents far more obstacles to clean-up and investigation. What I find most worrisome is that experts say it's only a matter of time before it happens. Not IF it will happen someday, but WHEN it will happen.  We can only hope the international fight against IS succeeds before they can acquire these deadly weapons.

Wars & Rumors of War

Fight against Islamic State in Iraq is becoming a major ground war - UPI.com
UPI reports: "As the authorities in Western Europe face up to the increased risk of attacks from Islamic State, arrests have been made in Britain and security operations in Belgium and France, all point to intensive government action against the 'new' domestic IS threat. The popular media narrative is that this is a desperate move from IS as it retreats in Iraq and Syria – but security professionals take a very different view."

Comment: While the U.S. news media remains fixated on all things Trump other things have been happening in the world. It could not be made more clear by Iraq and the Pentagon that a new phase in the war against IS is underway and there will be more American boots on the ground. If the majority of Americans (and the world) believe that Obama has been winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, they are in for a rude surprise. 

Peace & Security of Jerusalem

Jerusalem bus explosion injures 20 - UPI.com
UPI reports: "An explosion aboard a public bus in southeast Jerusalem on Monday injured at least 15 people. Initial reports said at least two victims were seriously injured and one was hospitalized in critical condition. [...] No group or individual has claimed responsibility thus far. Jerusalem district police confirmed the bus was targeted. Police initially said either a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside the bus, or it was struck by a thrown explosive."

Comment: No group has claimed responsibility for this attack and while it may be tempting to point the finger that the Palestinians, there are so many more hostile groups in play now that it could well be ISIS or even Iranian agents using Hamas as cover in their proxy war against Israel. 

MOTB

Novel e-skin may monitor health, vital signs - UPI.com
UPI reports: "In a bid to take high-performance wearable electronics to a new level, Japanese researchers have developed an 'e-skin' that may be a noninvasive way to monitor patients' health and vital signs. The ultra-thin, flexible film can light up and display numbers or images. It moves easily with the body and is resistant to air and water damage, according to the scientists who created the technology."

Comment: It will be interesting to see what future versions of the technology will look like. Presumably the tech will improve in terms of how thin it is, how long it can be applied to the skin, and the number of apps that it will work with. 

Earthquakes

Ecuador earthquake death toll likely to rise, president says - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The death toll from one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Ecuador in decades has risen past 413, including one American, officials said Monday, and left thousands of others injured and homeless. More than 2,500 people were injured in the major earthquake that struck Saturday evening -- the most powerful to hit the South American nation in decades. "

Rescuers dig out survivors after quake kills 238 in Ecuador - AP
AP reports: "Aid began to flow in Sunday to areas devastated by Ecuador's strongest earthquake in decades and the death toll continued to rise as people left homeless hunkered down for another night outside in the dark. Officials said the quake killed at least 246 people and injured more than 2,500 along Ecuador's coast. Vice President Jorge Glas said the toll was likely to rise because a large number of people remained unaccounted for, though he declined to say how many."

Earthquakes

7.4-magnitude quake strikes Ecuador - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A magnitude-7.4 earthquake has struck coastal Ecuador, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. [...] The quake comes after a trio of powerful temblors struck on the opposite side of the Pacific in Japan form Thursday to Saturday, the strongest of which was magnitude-7.4, and is estimated to have killed up to 32 people there."

Earthquakes

Japan hit by major earthquake for second day in a row - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A powerful earthquake rocked southern Japan on Friday for the second day in a row, in the same region where a quake hit on Thursday, killing nine people. The new quake struck near Kumamoto on the island of Kyusha with a magnitude of 7.0, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Some news reports said it had a magnitude of 7.4."

Comment: There have been other smaller quakes all around the Ring of Fire lately, the region appears to be entering an active phase. 

Earthquakes

6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Japan - UPI.com
UPi reports: "A powerful preliminary 6.2-magnitude earthquake Thursday on southern Japan's Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu Island killed at least two people and is the first high-intensity quake since a magnitude-9.0 temblor five years ago, the U.S. Geological Surey said."

Wickedness Increases

Two charged after alleged rape was live-streamed on Internet - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A man is accused of raping a 17-year-old girl while the girl's friend broadcast the incident on the live-streaming app Periscope, the Franklin County, Ohio, prosecutor said. [...] O'Brien said he is unaware of any prior case in the country in which an alleged crime was streamed live on the Internet, the Columbus Dispatch reported Thursday."

Earthquakes

Myanmar shaken by 6.9 magnitude earthquake - BBC News
The BBC reports: "A strong earthquake has struck Myanmar, the US Geological Survey reports, with shaking felt across the region. The 6.9 magnitude quake took place at a depth of around 140km (87 miles), north-west of Mandalay. There were no initial reports of any fatalities."

Comment: 6.9 magnitude is a pretty big quake it's fortunate that there were no fatalities. 

Pestilence

CDC: Zika Virus causes birth defects - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Wednesday the Zika virus can cause birth defects like very small heads and other neurological damage in the fetuses of infected mothers. CDC officials said they had gathered enough data to make the announcement, putting to rest questions about whether microcephaly was caused by Zika. The findings are also being published in the New England Journal of Medicine."

Comment: Maybe I've been reading too many news reports on this subject, but I thought they'd already established that the virus caused birth defects?  I guess the individual studies, which they note, had previously prompted headlines saying the link had been established but this represents an authoritative conclusion announced by the medical community.

Rumors of War - King of the North

Watch: Russian fighters harass U.S. destroyer in the Baltic - UPI.com
UPI reports: "For two days in a row, Russian fighter jets conducted several aggressive, low-altitude passes above a U.S. Navy destroyer participating in maritime warfare exercises in the Baltic Sea. The USS Donald Cook was carrying out landing deck drills with partner nation forces on April 11 when two Russian-flagged Su-24 fighter jets 'made numerous, close-range and low altitude passes' above the vessel, according to a statement by Navy officials with U.S. European Command."

Comment: I know there are some who still dismiss the notion that Russia under Putin is trying recapture former Soviet imperial glory, but the evidence just continues to mount. The actions depicted here are best described as belligerent and confrontational.  

Pestilence

Yellow fever outbreak in Angola spreads to neighboring Congo - UPI.com
UPI reports: "An outbreak of yellow fever that started in December in Angola is spreading, with the number of cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rising and individuals who have picked up the infection in Angola showing up in other countries, according to new reports. [...] Yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes, including the Aedes aegypti that also spread the Zika virus, causing fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue."

Rumors of War - Persia

New Iranian drone reportedly takes first flight - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, or IRGC, on Tuesday unveiled its newest aerial surveillance drone during large-scale military exercises in the western part of the country. [...] Aside from long-range surveillance operations, the drone is also reportedly designed to carry out airstrikes as part of its anticipated multimission package."

Comment: The articles doesn't say who will be targeted by the airstrikes. I guess we are left to wonder who would be on Iran's enemies list.

Pestilence

U.S. officials warn Zika 'scarier' than initially thought | Reuters
Reuters reports: "Top health officials expressed heightened concern on Monday about the threat posed to the United States by the Zika virus, saying the mosquito that spreads it is now present in about 30 states and hundreds of thousands of infections could appear in Puerto Rico. At a White House briefing, they stepped up pressure on the Republican-led Congress to pass approximately $1.9 billion in emergency funding for Zika preparedness that the Obama administration requested in February. [...] Zika, linked to numerous cases of the birth defect micocephaly in Brazil, is spreading rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean."

Comment: I hope the U.S. political process can work efficiently to fund these efforts because the seasons (and mosquitoes) will not wait for them. People get upset by the seasonal flu and that's so common, imagine Zika spreading in the southern U.S. and becoming an annual seasonal threat just like the flu. They'd better start funding vaccine efforts now before the public starts to understand the scope of the threat.

War

U.S. Air Force deploys B-52s to join Islamic State bombings in Qatar - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The United States Air Force deployed B-52 long range bombers to join air strikes agains the Islamic State. An undisclosed number of B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana landed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Saturday, according to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command. [...] B-52s are described as 'a long-range heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions' and have not been deployed since Operation Desert Storm 26 years ago."

War

Belgians seize key suspects in Paris, Brussels attacks - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Belgian police detained two key suspects on Friday in the Islamic State attacks on Paris and Brussels as operations go on to track down militants who have fought with or take direction from leaders in Syria. Mohamed Abrini, a Belgian thought to have helped prepare the Nov. 13 bombing and shooting attack that killed 130 people in the French capital, was held with two others, prosecutors said. They were trying to confirm that he was also the 'man in the hat' seen with the Brussels airport suicide bombers on March 22."

Comment: A good day for Belgium and a milestone in the war against Islamic terrorism. It's also a dangerous development, as the arrests of the two suspects may prompt their associates to step up the timetable for future attacks. Let's hope the security services remain vigilant.

Kings of the East

China's Xinjiang seals Pakistan ties with $2 billion in deals | Reuters
Reuters reports: "Companies from China's violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang signed deals worth about $2 billion with Pakistan this week during a visit to Pakistan by Xinjiang's top official, who sought to cement ties with an important security partner. Pakistan last year agreed energy and infrastructure projects worth $46 billion with China to set up a so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, in a boost to Pakistan's crumbling infrastructure and energy sector. In return, China will get a free trade zone in Pakistan's Gwadar port and access to the Arabian Sea. New Pakistani roads will open up routes for Chinese goods into Europe and the Middle East from landlocked Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan."

Comment: This is important as China is more inaccessible than the open country one would imagine from merely looking at a map. Movement west of goods, people, and if necessary, troops, is largely restricted by mountains and deals like this are helping to overcome than natural barrier to trade and transport.

Global Community

Facebook expands live video, challenging TV and web rivals | Reuters
Reuters reports: "Facebook Live, which offers streaming video in real time, was launched last year. On Wednesday, it added features, including a map of video streams around the world, expanded search and filters that echo those on other platforms. Videos can be turned into black-and-white shots, like on Facebook's Instagram, for instance, and soon users will be able to add doodles, a nod to a feature on Snapchat."

Comment: So, in other words, if you are witnessing a news event you can record it and share it with friends. Or, if you are merely reacting to an event, you can record your reaction in real time and share that with your friends. I'm thinking about this in the context of Rev. 11:9-12 but also about how it helps promote a common global community by dissolving borders. Experiencing events together is what matters, not where they happen. 

Wars & Rumors of War

U.S. may open 'fire bases' to help Iraqi troops retake Mosul - UPI.com
UPI reports:  "The United States could increase the number of fire support bases in Iraq in continued efforts to help the Iraqi security forces recapture the city of Mosul. Fire support bases are temporary military camps used to provide artillery fire in support of ground troops. Iraq launched a significant offensive recently to retake Mosul, Iraq's second largest city that was seized by the Islamic State in June 2014."

Comment: So, in other words, American military personnel are fighting in Iraq...but not really. No boots on the ground. No new authorization to use military force (AUMF). We have still officially withdrawn from Iraq. Just acting in a support capacity, lending a helping hand, that's all. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Pestilence

U.S. moving money from Ebola fund to help fight Zika - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The Obama administration is shifting $589 million in funding to prepare for likely outbreaks of Zika virus in the United States during the upcoming mosquito season, senior officials announced Wednesday. The money includes $510 million originally intended for fighting the Ebola virus, which officials said remains a global health threat."

Comment: You can tell when the government thinks a problem is serious when they start spending money on it. This might be a good time to buy stock in mosquito repellent makers. 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

China announces new North Korea sanctions - UPI.com
UPI reports: "China announced it's implementing new sanctions on North Korea that could hit Pyongyang's vital trade in coal exports. Beijing's ministry of commerce announced Tuesday a list of banned North Korean imports and exports, including coal, iron, iron ore, gold, titanium and rare earth elements, Yonhap reported. This is the first official Chinese announcement of unilateral sanctions on North Korea. It follows the United Nations Security Council sanctions resolution passed on March 2, 2016."

North Korea releases video of attack on Seoul - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea released a video of a simulated attack on Seoul, less than two weeks after the country produced a film showing an imaginary nuclear attack on Washington, D.C."

North Korea circulating counterfeit Chinese bills - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea could be counterfeiting Chinese currency and the fake bills are in circulation in several Chinese cities. [...] Pyongyang is also using other illegal means, weapons and drug trafficking, to earn money in Russia and Japan, according to Phoenix. The Hong Kong television network reported North Korea also has 'world-class' counterfeiting technology capable of manufacturing U.S. dollars and Japanese yen, in addition to the yuan."

Comment: It appears that China is finally realizing that North Korea is more of a problem child than an ally. Hopefully the latest bought of tantrums from the North will end without sparking conflict.

Rumors of War

Global military spending grows 1 percent in 2015 - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Global military expenditure rose to nearly $1.7 trillion in 2015, reflecting continued growth in Asia and Oceania, Central and Eastern Europe, and some Middle Eastern states, according to a SIPRI report. [...] Expenditures by the United States fell by 2.4 per cent to $596 billion but it still remains the world's largest military spender. China's expenditure rose by 7.4 percent to $215 billion, Saudi Arabia spent $87.2 billion, a 5.7 percent increase, while Russia's spending rose 7.5 percent to $66.4 billion."

Earthquakes

6.9-magnitude earthquake strikes island nation of Vanuatu - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Officials lifted a tsunami warning after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu. No damage was reported Sunday when the temblor struck before 7:30 p.m. about 260 miles northwest of the capital city of Port Vila. [...] The quake was originally measured at 7.2 though the USGS said the quake was shallow at a depth of 21 miles below the surface."

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

U.S. plans third patrol near disputed South China Sea islands: source | Reuters
Reuters reports: "The U.S. Navy plans to conduct another passage near disputed islands in the South China Sea in early April, a source familiar with the plan said on Friday, the third in a series of challenges that have drawn sharps rebukes from China. Other U.S. officials, speaking after Reuters reported the plan, disputed that such an exercise was imminent. But they made clear Washington will continue to challenge what it considers Beijing's unfounded maritime claims."

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

North Korea's Kim Jong Un attends test of surface-to-air missile - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un provided field guidance during a test firing of a surface-to-air guided weapon, according to KCNA. Pyongyang's state media news agency reported Kim was present during the test of a "new" missile, which was being evaluated for combat performance. This is the first time in eight days the North Korean leader has attended a military-related event, Yonhap reported."

North Korea could miniaturize nuclear warheads faster, analyst says - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea could accelerate nuclear warhead miniaturization, a South Korean analyst said Friday. [...] North Korea has Rodong and Scud missiles, the analyst said, and if Pyongyang begins to develop a "triggering device," miniaturization would be simplified."

Comment: What is the word to describe it when Kim is testing missiles on the same day world leaders are meeting in Washington to discuss nuclear threats? 

Roaring Waves - Nations in Distress

Collapsing Antarctic ice sheet may double predicted sea level rise - UPI.com
UPI reports: "New research suggests previous sea level rise predictions err on the conservative side. In a paper published this week in the journal Nature, scientists argue that the continued collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet will accelerate sea level rise at nearly twice the rate predicted by the United Nations."

Comment: It may be time to sell the beach house.  The acceleration in sea level rise will take place over a considerable amount of time, but it would appear that the era of tranquil coastal communities is at an end. Unusually large coastal storms, massive property damage, flooding, and beach erosion are the new normal in the near-term. In the long-term, the contours of coastal areas will change dramatically in the next half-century and island nations that exist now will no longer exist.

Rumors of War - Persia

Khamenei: Iran's future needs missiles; treasonous to suggest only diplomacy - UPI.com UPI reports: "Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday said missiles are necessary for the future of the Islamist republic. Khamenei's remarks follow comments by former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a moderate political leader who last week said Iran's 'future is in dialogue, not missiles.' Khamenei in October approved of the historic Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action U.S.-led nuclear agreement, but in September warned that no further negotiations would take place with the United States."

Comment: This is not an attitude one could describe as conciliatory. Didn't Obama just conclude an agreement to bring Iran out of the cold and into the family of nations? It's confusing, isn't it? Unless that agreement, received with such international fanfare, was simply smoke and mirrors and Iran's rogue personality has not changed at all?

Persecution

Hundreds detained in Pakistan Easter attack - UPI.com
UPI reports: "More than 200 people have been detained and thousands questioned in the deadly Easter attack in Pakistan's populous Punjab region over the weekend, government officials said Tuesday. Sunday's bombing at Gulshan-i-Iqbal park in Lahore killed at least 72 people, officials confirmed, and that toll is expected to rise in the coming days. [...]  Taliban offshoot Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which claimed responsibility for the bombing, said it had targeted members of Pakistan's minority Christian community with the blast. Most of those killed, though, were Muslims, officials said."

Pakistan's Christians call for protection, unity after Easter bomb - Reuters
Reuters reports: "Two days after the attack, a sense of vulnerability is growing among members of the Christian community, who are calling on the government of Muslim-majority Pakistan to do more to protect them. Christians, who number around 2 million in a nation of 190 million people, have been the target of a series of attacks in recent years."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the persecuted church in Pakistan, that they will endure persecution with grace, faith and forgiveness.  Pray also for the security services, that they will bring the perpetrators to justice and for the government, for their resolve to finally deal with the Islamic militants that many officials have tolerated (and even actively supported) over the years.

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

Earthquakes in Western Canada blamed on fracking - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korean drones continue to infiltrate South Korean airspace, and they're not easy to take down, a Seoul military official said. North Korea's military has been sending drones across central and western regions of the heavily fortified demilitarized zone, South Korean news service News 1 reported. Seoul is looking out for any escalation of tensions across the Military Demarcation Line that bisects the DMZ due to intruding North Korea drones."

Earthquakes

Earthquakes in Western Canada blamed on fracking - UPI.com
UPI reports: "New research suggests hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is inducing earthquakes in Western Canada. Though alarming, the correlation isn't new. Several studies have linked gas and oil operations in the Plains states to a rise in the frequency of earthquakes."

Comment:  I wonder if this earthquake danger is decreasing due to the changing economics of the oil industry? The price of oil is so low now that fracking is quickly losing economic viability. 

Pestilence

Many Americans misinformed about Zika virus - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Many Americans are woefully misinformed when it comes to understanding the risks of Zika virus, a new Harvard poll has found. [...] At this time, there has been no local transmission of Zika in the United States. But, about 273 residents have acquired Zika through travel to countries where the virus is active, primarily Latin America and the Caribbean [...] The virus, which generally doesn't cause serious illness in adults, has been associated with thousands of cases, mostly in Brazil, of a severe birth defect call microcephaly. Babies with microcephaly have abnormally small heads, and most wind up with stunted brain development, according to the CDC."

Comment: I'm sure we will be hearing more about this as the seasons change in North America. 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

North Korea’s foreign minister blames U.S. for tensions - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea's foreign minister said joint military exercises were bringing the Korean peninsula to the brink of war. In an interview with TASS News Agency of Russia, Ri Su Yong criticized Washington and Seoul for raising tensions. North Korea is ready to launch a preemptive nuclear attack on the United States, Ri said, adding war on the peninsula would be brought about by the United States."

North Korea propaganda video depicts Washington, D.C., nuclear attack - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea's newest propaganda video, "Last Chance," shows a nuclear strike on Washington, D.C., and warns the United States against provoking an attack. The four-minute video, uploaded Saturday to the North's propaganda website DPRK, includes a computer-generated scene of a submarine-launched nuclear missile striking the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. "

Signs in the Stars

Scientist claims there's even more evidence of Planet Nine's existence - The Verge
The Verge reports: "More evidence is pointing toward a mysterious Neptune-sized planet lurking at the outer edges of our Solar System. One of the scientists who claimed in January to have found strong evidence for a ninth planet — temporarily named "Planet Nine" — now says there are even more clues that support the world's existence."

Comment: I know this news encourages the Nibiru fan club, but I'm not thinking of that, I'm thinking of this in terms of Luke 21:26 and Matthew 24:29. 

Persecution

Pakistan bombing: Taliban targets Christians, kills 69 - CNN.com
CNN reports: "A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Easter Sunday, saying it intentionally targeted Christians. The suicide blast in the eastern Pakistan city of Lahore killed at least 69 people, a local government spokesman told CNN. [...] In March last year, suicide bombers attacked a Christian community, also in Lahore, setting off two blasts that killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, officials said. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack too and warned of more to come."

Gospel

Christians in Holy Land, across world celebrate Easter - Israel News, Ynetnews:
Ynetnews reports: "Christians in the Holy Land and across the world are celebrating Easter, commemorating the day followers believe Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. The cavernous Holy Sepulcher church in Jerusalem was packed with worshippers on Sunday. The site is where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected."

War

Paris police: Terror attack in 'advanced stages' foiled - UPI.com
UPI reports: "French authorities foiled a terrorist attack in the works by raiding a suspect's home in a Paris suburb, France's interior minister said Thursday. The raid was carried out Thursday morning in the suburb of Argenteuil, just 10 miles northwest of downtown Paris, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said during a news conference late in the day. Arrested was a suspect, he said, who was involved in the future plot that was in the 'advanced stages.'"

Six arrested in raids in Brussels - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Raids across Brussels on Thursday led to the arrests of six suspects thought to be connected to the airport and subway bombings that killed 31 people and injured more than 300, prosecutors said. Three of the arrests were made in front of the prosecutor's office in Brussels. None of the suspects were identified. Officials charges will be made on Friday. Police are still looking for one suspect from the airport bombing and another from the subway bombing. "

Comment: I hope the Brussels security services are taking notes and learning from their French counterparts.

War

AP - IS trains 400 fighters to attack Europe in wave of bloodshed
The AP reports: "The Islamic State group has trained at least 400 fighters to target Europe in deadly waves of attacks, deploying interlocking terror cells like the ones that struck Brussels and Paris with orders to choose the time, place and method for maximum chaos, officials have told The Associated Press. The network of agile and semiautonomous cells shows the reach of the extremist group in Europe even as it loses ground in Syria and Iraq."

Comment: Let's hope Belgium and other European countries are training at least 400 new security personnel to foil these jihadi attackers.  

War

Police seek suspect in Brussels bombings; Islamic State takes credit - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Police in Brussels are searching for a man seen in surveillance footage at an airport prior to blasts that killed 30 people there and at a subway station Tuesday. Two explosions killed at least 10 people at the Zaventem airport in Brussels' outskirts at about 8 a.m. local time. Another explosion an hour later killed at least 20 people at the Belgian capital's Maelbeek metro station. Reports indicate shots were fired and shouts in Arabic were heard before the explosions. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attacks."

Islamic State claims Brussels suicide attacks, killing at least 30 | Reuters
Reuters reports: "Islamic State claimed responsibility for suicide bomb attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train in the Belgian capital on Tuesday which killed at least 30 people, with police hunting a suspect who fled the air terminal. Police issued a wanted notice for a young man in a hat who was caught on CCTV pushing a laden luggage trolley at Zaventem airport alongside two others who, investigators said, had later blown themselves up in the terminal, killing at least 10 people. Officials said 20 died on the metro train close to European Union institutions."

Comment: Praying for the people of Brussels and for the diligence of the Belgian security services in preventing further attacks. 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

South Korea simulates strikes against ‘key’ North Korea facilities - UPI.com
UPI reports: "South Korea fighter jets simulated a precision strike against key North Korean facilities in a Seoul training exercise. The drill involved F-15K aircraft as well as the C-130H transport aircraft, Yonhap reported. [...] The jets were equipped with air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons, and drills included attacks on simulated North Korea combat planes, elimination of surface-to-air missiles, and scenarios where joint direct attack munitions would guide bombs to key North Korea military facilities."

Earthquakes

Threat of epic California quake far greater, report says - CNN.com
CNN reports: "The San Andreas Fault has an infamous reputation, but there are other fault lines lying around California that can trigger a powerful earthquake, especially if they rupture simultaneously, a new report says. [...] Through dynamic rupture modeling, it has been discovered that the San Jacinto fault is capable of rupturing along with the San Andreas in just a single earthquake, according to Julian C. Lozos, an assistant professor of Geological Sciences at the California State University, Northridge."

Mark of the Beast

Amazon Files Patent to Let You Complete a Payment With a Selfie - ABC News
ABC News reports: "No need for a password -- the transaction of the future could be completed by simply taking a selfie. Amazon filed a patent application this month, spotted by Re/Code, for a system that would allow users to take a selfie or video of themselves to complete a transaction."

Comment: This is interesting as it suggests an advancement in image recognition software with a focus on faces as a means of completing transactions. 

Nations in Distress - Gog Alliance

EU, Turkey agree on deal to return migrants to Turkey - UPI.com
UPI reports: "European Union and Turkish leaders reached a landmark agreement Friday to stop the flow of migrants and send thousands back to Turkey in a last-ditch effort to resolve the largest displacement of people in Europe since World War II."

Comment: Expect to see little mention of this in the mainstream news, but it's of huge prophetic significance. Huge. Turkey has skillfully leveraged it's geography to advance it's EU ambitions while the government of President Erdogan presses his vision of a new Ottoman Empire and abandons the modern secular state founded by Ataturk after the fall of the earlier empire. The seeds of the rift between Turkey and the West and it's eventual drift into the Gog Alliance are clear. Turkey will now be the return destination for thousands of refugees, many of whom are Muslim, and this will no doubt have an impact on the character of Turkey over time, something sure to alienate those in the EU already doubtful of Turkey's place in Europe. Turkey, eventually spurned by Europe, will find new partners in Russia and Iran. This process will no doubt take years to work out, but today was an historic day in Turkey's prophetic journey.

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

U.N. Security Council condemns North Korea launches - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned North Korea's most recent launch of ballistic missiles. The U.N. body held an emergency meeting Friday regarding Pyongyang's provocations in response to the firing of at least one ballistic missile into waters off the eastern coast of the peninsula Friday. [...] In their press statement, the Security Council condemned both the Friday launch and Pyongyang's March 10 announcement of rocket tests, calling the actions violations of U.N. resolutions."

Persecution

Kerry: Islamic State committing genocide in Syria, Iraq - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Secretary of State John Kerry called the Islamic State's assault in Syria and Iraq "genocide" on Thursday. 'Daesh is genocidal by self-proclamation, by ideology and by actions,' Kerry said at the State Department, referring to IS by another common name in reference to IS slaughter of Christians, Yazidis and Shiite Muslims. [...] Designating IS actions as genocide could prompt a referral by the United States to the United Nations Security Council to establish a tribunal specifically for crimes committed by IS in Iraq and Syria."

Comment: The Islamic State's barbaric attacks on Christians have been well documented and have included beheadings and crucifixion as well as harsh imposition of sharia law, misuse of blasphemy laws and taxes on non-muslims. Christians have been deprived of life, liberty and livelihood under their harsh and repressive rule. Diplomacy often moves at a glacial pace and these offenses have been going on for some time, but it's nice to see these facts acknowledged on the record.

War

Analysis: Islamic State has lost 22 percent of territory - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The Islamic State militant group has lost more than 20 percent of its territory in the last three months -- potentially turning the tide in the war against the terror group, a data analysis showed Wednesday.  [...] Several contributing factors also coincided with some of the territory loss, the report said, including financial struggles owing partly due to tax increases and substantial salary cuts to Islamic State fighters. U.S. and Russian military airstrikes against oil depots have further impacted the group's revenue."

Comment: The Russians are leaving now, I wonder what impact that will have on the war against IS? 

Temple Mount

Temple Mount cameras will be installed before Passover - Arutz Sheva
Israel National News reports: "Israel and Jordan agreed that cameras will be installed on Temple Mount before the holiday of Passover, Israel Hayom reports. A senior diplomatic source said that the move will be a 'Significant form of supervising and maintaining order on Temple Mount.' According to the deal between Israel and Jordan, the cameras will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Both sides will be able to access the broadcast and watch what is being recorded."

Comment: I'm not optimistic that an agreement to install, monitor and share the cameras will actually be reached in time for Passover. Still, I can't ignore the obvious prophetic implications if someday they do have constant surveillance of the Temple Mount with the video broadcast live on the internet. 

Covenant With Many

Obama Seeks to Pave Way to Mideast Deal After He Leaves Office - NYT
The New York Times reports: "The White House is debating whether the president should lay down the outlines of an agreement, several officials said, perhaps through a resolution at the United Nations Security Council or in a presidential speech. The objective would not be to revive direct negotiations — almost nobody believes that is likely now — but to enshrine the proposals Secretary of State John Kerry made during his last failed effort at peacemaking in 2014."

Rumors of War - King of the North

Russian President Vladimir Putin orders troops out of Syria - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said he will begin withdrawing troops from Syria this week as the peace process moves forward in the war-torn nation. Putin had military forces in Syria for months, primarily to fight terrorist factions, to aid the regime of President Bashar Assad. Additionally, Moscow has pummeled parts of Syria with airstrikes for months."

Comment: I wonder how many Russian troops will stay in Syria? This report doesn't say, but I'm sure a good-sized contingent will remain to keep Russian control over the port facility in Tartus.

Earthquakes - Roaring Waves

Japan pauses for 5th anniversary of Fukushima tsunami, quake, meltdown - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Japan's emperor and prime minister led a solemn ceremony in Tokyo Friday marking the fifth anniversary of the tsunami and earthquake in Fukushima. The tidal wave and magnitude-9 earthquake killed nearly 20,000 people as it overwhelmed entire towns in northeastern Japan and triggered a partial meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. Five years later more than 180,000 people remain displaced, and 100,000 people are still unable to return home because of local radiation leaks."

Comment: Has it been five years already? It's extraordinary that Japan is still recovering from this disaster, but remember, this was one of the largest earthquakes and tsunamis in recorded history. It makes sense that it would take some time to recover.  There also remains the hidden danger of the radiation still being released slowly into the ocean. 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

Report: North Korea's Kim Jong Un calls for more nuclear tests - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered more nuclear tests after watching a ballistic missile launch Friday, the state news agency reported. The report comes days after the United Nations approved sanctions on North Korea in response to its nuclear testing in January. [...] North Korea has threatened to launch attacks on the South and the United States as the countries continue their joint military drills."

Comment: I thought we might go at least one day without some new development with North Korea...apparently not. 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

North Korea fires two short-range missiles - CNN.com
CNN reports: "North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early Thursday, according to the South Korean military, as already heightened tensions on the peninsula continued to worsen. The two missiles were fired from North Hwanghae province, south of Pyongyang, toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The South tracked the projectiles and is monitoring the situation, it said. The launch is the latest saber rattling on the peninsula that roils with tension."

Comment: It seems not a day goes by now without some new development with North Korea.  The potential for miscalculation is very high.

Rumors of War - Persia

Reuters - Iran officer says missiles designed to reach Israel
Reuters reports: "Iran's medium-range ballistic missiles are designed to be able to hit Israel, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards' missile battery was quoted as saying on Wednesday as the Guards test-fired two missiles."

Rumors of War - Kings of the North

UPI - North Korea releases photo of miniaturized nuclear warhead
UPI reports: "North Korean state media showed off a photo of what it says is leader Kim Jong Un with a nuclear warhead small enough to fit on a ballistic missile. [...] If true, this could pose a serious threat to North Korea's neighbors as well as to the United States. North Korea said it tested a nuclear bomb on Jan. 6, and has recently accelerated its belligerent rhetoric in response to recent additional sanctions imposed by the United Nations."

Reuters - North Korea fires missiles, liquidates Seoul's assets
Reuters reports: "North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday, Seoul said, as South Korea and the United States conducted massive war games. The North also announced it has scrapped all agreements with the South on commercial exchange projects and would 'liquidate' South Korean assets left behind in its territory. North Korea has a large stockpile of short-range missiles and is developing long-range and intercontinental missiles as well. "

Comment: Well, that didn't take long. A day after China signaled a new willingness to enforce UN sanctions North Korea has reminded the world that not only to they have nuclear weapons, they now have warheads small enough to fit on a ballistic missile. This is a very dangerous situation.

Roaring Waves - Nations in Distress

Scienmag - Sea level rise threatens larger number of people than earlier estimated
Science Magazine reports: "More people live close to sea coast than earlier estimated, assess researchers in a new study. These people are the most vulnerable to the rise of the sea level as well as to the increased number of floods and intensified storms. By using recent increased resolution datasets, Aalto University researchers estimate that 1.9 billion inhabitants, or 28% of the world's total population, live closer than 100 km from the coast in areas less than 100 meters above the present sea level."

Comment: Thinking of selling your beachfront property? Now's the time! 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

UPI - China to block North Korea ships from returning home
UPI reports: "China could soon be blocking the return of North Korean ships in Chinese ports from returning to their country of origin. After supporting the adoption of a sanctions resolution in early March at the United Nations Security Council, China is getting ready to enforce the new laws at its ports [...] any North Korean ships already docked at Chinese ports are to be banned from leaving for home, starting Thursday."

UPI - China signals interest in denuclearization talks
UPI reports: "China's foreign minister said Beijing would be 'open' to five-party talks that could work toward North Korea denuclearization. Wang Yi's statements Tuesday mark a change in position, Yonhap reported. South Korean President Park Geun-hye had proposed on Feb. 22 the resumption of five-party talks without the North, but Beijing had promptly declined the offer."

Comment: We are again left to wonder what crazy reaction will come from North Korea. In the past, the North could count on China to say all the right things at the UN but do nothing on the ground, that seems to be changing.  This could either signal the end of the long simmering crisis or cause it to flash anew.

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

UPI - North Korea threatens 'nuclear strike
UPI reports: "U.S. and South Korean troops launched large-scale military exercises on Monday, a move that drew condemnations from North Korea. The exercises Key Resolve and Foal Eagle are to be held until April, CNN reported, and, according to The Washington Post, are to include rehearsals of surgical strikes on Pyongyang's weapons facilities. They are the largest-ever joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises. [...] Pyongyang also stated a 'preemptive and offensive nuclear strike' could be made in response to the joint drills."

Gog Alliance

Reuters - Rivals Turkey and Iran seek to 'manage differences'
Reuters reports: "Turkey and Iran, two countries on opposite sides of Syria's civil war, agreed they must cooperate to end sectarian strife, including support for a fragile ceasefire, in the region after their leaders met in Tehran on Saturday. Iran, along with Russia, has stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the five-year war, providing him with military and financial support, while Turkey is his most outspoken critic and has backed opposition forces. [...] Turkey will serve as a key transit route for Iranian energy supplies to Europe and wants to integrate high-speed rail projects to connect ports on its Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts with Iran, Davutoglu said."

Comment: Could the Syrian Civil War be responsible for driving Turkey into the prophetic Gog Alliance with Russia and Iran?  Turkey already has a president determined to destroy the secular republic and impose Islamic rule and the country becoming more authoritarian by the day.  And while it may seem counter-intuitive that a vital member of the NATO alliance would drift over time into an alliance with Russia and Iran, it's clear that many of their values and interests are now aligned.

Rumors of War

UPI - Cold war prep: Canadian tests Army vehicles in the Arctic
UPI reports: "Canada is conducting trials with two types of vehicles to determine the specific features and capabilities needed for Army operations in Arctic terrain."

Comment: Are you ready for war in the Arctic? The major powers bordering the frozen region are now building up their capacity even as climate change puts more land and resources in play. 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

UPI - Kim Jong Un orders use of nukes at moment’s notice
UPI reports: "Kim Jong Un has ordered his military to be ready to use nuclear weapons at a moment's notice, two days after the adoption of a tough sanctions resolution at the United Nations Security Council, and days away from a large-scale joint military exercise involving U.S. and South Korean troops."

Comment: Well, as tantrums go, that's pretty good. 

Earthquakes

UPI - 7.8-magnitude earthquake off Indonesia triggers tsunami warnings
UPI reports: "A major 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of western Indonesia's Sumatra region on Wednesday, triggering a tsunami warning. [...] The earthquake struck at 6:49 p.m., local time (12:49 GMT), the U.S. Geological Survey said."

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

UPI - U.N. Security Council passes sanctions on North Korea
UPI reports: "The United Nations Security Council adopted sweeping sanctions against North Korea on Wednesday, introducing the toughest measures against Pyongyang in a bid to bring an end to its controversial nuclear weapons development. The vote was unanimous, adopted by the council 15-0."

Comment: Given the North's history, the only real question know is, how will Kim act out his anger? 

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

UPI - China expected to increase military budget
UPI reports: "China could soon announce a significant increase in its military budget in order to accommodate the army's reorganization and continue its defense of disputed territories in the East and South China Seas. The proposed budget, to be made public Saturday during the annual National People's Congress, could increase as much as 20 percent, according to an unidentified source who spoke to the South China Morning Post."