Rumors of War - Kings of the East

Seoul: North Korea’s two Musudan missile launches end in failure - UPI.com
UPI reports: "North Korea fired two mid-range Musudan ballistic missiles early Wednesday, local time, but both tests ended in failure. Pyongyang has now fired the Musudan a total of six times in 2016. The last four launches, all failures, cost Pyongyang $80 million, according to one South Korean estimate. The missiles were launched from an area near the North Korean city of Wonsan on the country's eastern coast, South Korean news service Newsis reported. The Musudan has a range of between 1,800 and 2,500 miles, and is capable of targeting Japan."

Comment: One would think that the international community would act while they are still testing rather than when they achieve a demonstrated nuclear missile launch capability?

Rumors of War - King of the North

Canada considers European troop commitment as CSIS warns Russia is 'mobilizing for war' - CBC News
CBC News reports: "The Trudeau government is considering a request to commit hundreds of troops to eastern Europe and take part command of a new NATO force being assembled to deter Russian aggression. [...] This comes just days after the Canadian Security Intelligence Service quietly released an open-sourced global security analysis warning, among other things, that the hard-line policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin are becoming more deeply entrenched and that Moscow is retooling its military for a fight."

Rumors of War - Kings of the East

U.S. sends aircraft carriers to South China Sea - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The U.S. Navy deployed two aircraft carriers near the South China Sea on Saturday in an exercise designed to calm Asian allies in the region and to make a show of military force to the Chinese. The aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis and USS Ronald Reagan arrived in the Philippine Sea for exercises on Saturday ahead of a key international court ruling on China's claims in the disputed South China Sea. The exercise will feature more than 12,000 sailors, 140 aircraft and six other ships, the U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement."

Comment: Let's hope and pray everyone keeps a cool head. Even a small incident at sea could quickly spiral out of control.

War

Iraqi forces targeting Mosul after reclaiming Fallujah from Islamic State - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iraqi forces expressed their plans for continuing the offensive against the Islamic State after reclaiming the city of Fallujah on Friday. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared that Fallujah was 'back home' after the successful combined efforts of elite Iraqi forces and U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and promised they would now turn their sights to Mosul. 'Fallujah has returned to the nation and Mosul is the next battle, Daesh will be defeated,' he said of the Islamic State on his Twitter account. The Iraqi flag flew above the Fallujah mayor's office on Friday after the Islamic State held control of the city for nearly two years, as it was the first major city to fall when they began seeking control of Iraqi territory in 2014."

Comment: This is a big victory for Iraq in the war against the Islamic State and it demonstrates the capabilities of the U.S. trained elite forces. Iraqi military forces are no longer running away from battle as they did when Fallujah fell.

Wars & Rumors of War

U.S. State Department employees urge strikes against Syrian President - UPI.com
UPI reports: "More than 50 U.S. State Department diplomats signed an internal memo urging the United States to use military force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government. The 51 career diplomats who signed the 'dissent channel cable' repeatedly called for 'targeted military strikes' against the Syrian government as it continues to violate cease-fire agreements in the country's five-year civil war. The memo calls for 'a judicious use of stand-off and air weapons, which would undergird and drive a more focused and hard-nosed U.S.-led diplomatic process.'[...] The memo amounts to a scathing critique of President Barack Obama's longstanding policy of not taking sides in the Syrian War. Obama has continually refused direct U.S. military involvement, saying it would only add to the violence and not improve the situation in the country."

Kremlin says deposing Bashar al-Assad would create 'total chaos' - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Russia warned the United States that overthrowing the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad would create 'total chaos,' but said it would support incorporating members of Syria's opposition into the government. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that overthrowing Assad could make 'the region plunge in total chaos.' At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said incorporating Syrian opposition into the government may be an effective move, if approached carefully."

Comment: It amazes me how some very bright people can be so misguided. The State Department dissenters seem intent on not learning the lessons of the past. We need a return to the status quo ante of Western supported dictators ruthlessly suppressing Islamic fanaticism and promoting regional stability. This has been achieved, to some extent, in Egypt, where the post-dictatorship government of the new dictatorship has banned the Muslim Brotherhood.  Good for them. Let's get over the absurd notion that democratic governments that respect pluralism could be imposed in one generation. If that ever happens it will take place over many generations and will be an indigenous movement and not imposed by the West. Right now, stability is far more important than a mirage that runs contrary to all local traditions and customs. So let Assad keep whatever small portion of his country he still controls and then join together in a broad coalition of countries (including the U.S. and Russia) to defeat the Islamic State. That is the way forward.

War

Iraqi forces take government compound in Fallujah - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iraqi forces recaptured the government compound in Fallujah from Islamic State occupiers Friday and said they were close to taking back the entire city. [...]  The success of Iraqi forces in Fallujah's central neighborhoods comes after an assault by the Iraqi army, federal police, counter-terrorism units, Shiite militiamen and local tribal forces, backed by airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition. The assault began on May 23."

Comment: How's the war against the Islamic State going in Iraq? Pretty good according to this report. 

Pestilence

Zika spreading rapidly through Puerto Rico: CDC - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The Zika virus is spreading fast through Puerto Rico, placing hundreds of pregnant women at risk for delivering babies with the devastating birth defect known as microcephaly, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. [...] Only one in every five people infected with Zika develops any symptoms, making the virus very difficult to track."

Pestilence

CDC reports six cases of birth defects caused by Zika - UPI.com
UPI reports: "In the first reporting of Zika-related birth defects in the United States, federal health officials said Thursday that three babies have been born with these birth defects while three pregnancies have been lost because of brain damage caused by the virus. Those six cases will likely not be the last, as 234 pregnant women in the United States have already been diagnosed with Zika infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Comment: In these cases the exposure happened abroad, so at least we are not yet at the point where infection is happening in the U.S., but experts say it's only a matter of time. 

War

NATO to stay in Afghanistan for four more years - UPI.com
UPI reports: "NATO will stay in Afghanistan for four more years, a senior NATO official said this week. Despite plans by the United States to reduce its troop strength by the end of 2016, the 28 countries that are members of NATO will pledge $5 billion each at a July meeting in Warsaw to train, equip and pay Afghan troops and security forces [...] The proposed plan will offer President Barack Obama some flexibility when deciding U.S. troop strength in what has become the United States' longest war. The war began in October of 2001 with the U.S. invasion. NATO became involved in 2003."

Comment: There's such an incredible disconnect between a culture awash in trivial pursuits and distracted by endless entertainment and a military that's been at war since 2001. To the friends and family members of those who serve in Afghanistan (and other war zones) the war is all too real.

Rumors of War

NATO officially recognizes cyberspace as domain for war - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday, for the first time, recognized cyberspace as a frontier for war -- in addition to the traditional sites of battle, like land and sea. The declaration was made following a meeting of NATO's defense ministers Tuesday. [...] Making cyberspace an official war zone means attacks carried out in that manner can trigger an Article 5 response, which is a collective action by the 28-member organization against the perpetrator of an incident aimed at any NATO-protected state. Before, only actions in traditional war frontiers -- land, sea or air -- had that potential."

North Korea hackers stole military information, Seoul says - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Hackers of North Korean origin are believed to be behind a large-scale cyberattack against South Korean corporations. The attack targeted about 10 different company networks, including that of Hanjin Group, the holding group for Korean Air, and SK Group, a leading South Korean conglomerate, local news network YTN reported Monday. According to police investigations, stolen documents included diagrams for the basic model of the F-15K fighter jet and unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones."

Russian hackers accessed DNC computers, took research on Trump - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Two Russian government hackers groups accessed the Democratic National Committee's computer network and took research on GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to party officials and security experts The cyber intruders were able to read all email and chat traffic, the Washington Post reported. A Russian Embassy spokesman said he didn't know about the hacking. The groups also targeted the White House, the State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Comment: The world is changing so quickly. Hackers are not just kids in their parent's basement they are skilled technicians employed by state actors to conduct military operations against adversaries. 

War - Wickedness Increases

Police: Pulse nightclub shooter pledged allegiance to Islamic State - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Law enforcement officials said Omar Saddiqui Mateen, the suspected gunman who opened fire at an Orlando nightclub, killing 50 people, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. Before the shooting early Sunday, Mateen, 29, of Fort Pierce, Fla., allegedly called 911 to align himself with the militant group, officials told CNN and NBC News reported."

What to Know About ISIS’s Role in the Orlando Shooting | TIME
Time reports: "ISIS claimed responsibility for the mass shooting attack in an Orlando gay club on Sunday that left at least 50 people dead. 'The attack that targeted a nightclub for homosexuals in Orlando, Florida, and that left more than 100 dead and wounded was carried out by an Islamic State fighter,' the group said in a report on its official Amaq news agency. The message was attributed to an unnamed 'source' and distributed over the Telegram messaging app on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, an ISIS-run radio station also labeled the man identified as the shooter, Omar Mateen, as 'one of the soldiers of the caliphate in America.'

Comment: I'm tagging this post under War and Wickedness Increases. I think the wickedness tag is pretty clear, we can say that all of these terrorist attacks fall under the category of increasing wickedness. I've read several BP commentators who say that terrorism is linked to the "days of Noah" prophecy (Matthew 24:37) because of how wicked the antediluvian world was, there was a lot of violence and no respect for life. Personally, I always thought their logic was a bit of a stretch given the context of the entirety of the verse, but I take the point.

Tagging this post under War makes much more sense, as the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack and praised the shooter was one of their own. Experts are saying the links are not clear. From what I've read, the links are there. He went to the same mosque as a known terrorist and he had visited Saudi Arabia and also had bragged about terrorist connections. These are links. How deep they are and what happened behind the scenes we may never know, but from what we can see only on the surface, it's enough. He may have been a lone wolf in operational terms, but he had plenty of encouragement and guidance. His intent was to act as an soldier in a jihadist war and he succeeded in doing that.

War

Obama lightens restrictions on U.S. combat forces in Afghanistan - UPI.com
UPI reports: "President Barack Obama's administration on Friday eased restrictions on American military forces in Afghanistan, which will allow U.S. troops to take on more of an active role in ongoing fighting there. Obama's decision removes some key restrictions that barred U.S. support forces from actively fighting against Taliban militants. [...] The president's move also allows American ground forces to accompany Afghan government fighters into combat -- something they haven't formally been allowed to do for almost two years."

Earthquakes

Hospital patients spend night outdoors after Nicaraguan earthquake - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The epicenter of the 6.1-magnitude earthquake late Thursday was 16 miles northeast of the city of Chinandega, near the border with Honduras, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Buildings, including a church, were damaged."

5.2-magnitude earthquake shakes California's Borrego Springs - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A 5.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Southern California's Borrego Springs on Friday, leading to aftershocks felt throughout San Diego County and beyond. The quake originated in a low-populated area at 1:04 a.m. local time and was felt as far away as Los Angeles, which is located about 100 miles from its epicenter. San Diego and Palm Springs also felt effects of the quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey."

Persecution

Turkey plans retaliatory measures for German genocide resolution - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Last week, the German Parliament declared the 1915-16 killings of some 1.5 million Armenians a deliberate act of ethnic cleansing. Turkey has long rejected the label, saying there was no systematic killings of Christian Armenians and the death toll was much lower. The country has accepted some responsibility for the killings but said they do not constitute genocide. To date, 11 of the 28 European Union nations have recognized the killings as genocide. Since the German resolution, the two countries have been verbally sparring."

War

Four dead in 'terrorist attack' on Israeli restaurant, police say - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Four people were shot dead and several others were wounded at an Israeli restaurant late Wednesday after two Palestinian gunmen suddenly opened fire, authorities said. Investigators said the gunmen were posing as patrons in the popular Tel Aviv cafe. Both men, who police said are cousins from Yatta, were arrested. Four people died from their wounds and at least six others were injured in what authorities are classifying as a terrorist attack."

Comment: First there was the wave of knife attacks on civilians and now this. I hope this does not suggest a change in tactics. 

Persecution - Gog Alliance

Greek ministry officials criticize Koran reading at Turkey landmark - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Greek foreign affairs ministry officials expressed opposition and disappointment in the Turkish government this week, for its allowing the reading of prayers from the Koran at a former religious landmark that remains sacred to both Christians and Muslims. [...] Another Greek politician said the prayers amount to 'disrespect against Orthodox Christians across the world.' [...] Hagia Sophia, recognizable around the world for its large dome, was originally a Christian church and a Greek Orthodox cathedral centuries ago before it became an imperial mosque when the Ottoman Empire took power in the 15th century. It was turned into a secular museum in 1935 and designated a UNESCO world heritage site 50 years later."

Comment: Sometimes it seems that history moves at a glacial pace and at others times, we notice events moving at a much faster pace. Turkey is on an accelerating path toward a prophetic destiny that will take it away from the West. Close observers will note that Turkey is becoming a one-man dictatorship that is intentionally undermining the secular Turkish republic established by  Ataturk. With dreams of restoring the Ottoman Empire, the administration of Erdogan is embracing Islam and, as this news report notes, ignoring the sensibilities of Christians to re-Islamize a museum that had been more a home to tourists than worshipers.

Rumors of War

NATO launches largest war games since Cold War - UPI.com
UPI reports: "NATO launched on Monday the largest war game exercise in eastern Europe since the end of the cold war. Named Anaconda-2016, the 10-day military exercise has begun in Poland and involves 31,000 troops and thousands of vehicles from 24 countries. The exercise is designed to reassure NATO allies in the region and to be a show of strength in response to recent Russian actions in Eastern Europe."

Comment: How will Russia respond? Stay tuned. 

War

U.S. fighter jets bomb 16 more IS targets in Syria - Reuters:
Reuters reports: "U.S. Navy fighter jets flying from an aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean Sea bombed 16 new Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria on Monday. Now in their fourth day, the strikes from the Mediterranean have opened a new front in the U.S. air campaign against the militant group. "

Islamic State shooting civilians fleeing Fallujah, NGO says - UPI.com
UPI reports: "An international aid group has confirmed the Islamic State is shooting civilians as they attempt to escape the embattled Iraqi city of Fallujah while tens of thousands remain trapped. Up to 50,000 Fallujah residents are trapped in the center of the city as Iraqi security forces, aided by tribal militias, a Shiite militia and U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, continue to diminish the Islamic State's control of the city."

U.S.-backed Syrian militia surrounding key town in Islamic State fight - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Syrian fighters supported by the United States have captured at least 21 villages surrounding the town of Manbij away from Islamic State control. U.S.-led coalition airstrikes aided the ground effort by the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, which includes the Kurdish Peshmerga. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the SDF is about 3 miles away from Manbij, adding that at least 30 Islamic State militants died Sunday. [...] The Syrian regime under President Bashar al-Assad, aided by Russian airstrikes, is also making efforts to advance into the Raqqa province."

Fearsome Events

Europe floods: Seine at highest level since '82; at least 15 dead - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Rising floodwaters in France set another historic level on Friday, as the Seine River swelled to its highest level in more than three decades. The water level in the river had risen 20 feet above normal by Friday night, officials said, and was expected to go even higher. High water levels are also expected to remain through the weekend. [...] Continuing floods pushed the death toll in Western Europe to at least 15 Friday, after days of relentless rainfall -- 10 in Germany, two in France, two in Romania and one in Belgium."

AP - Heavy rain continues in parts of Texas
AP reports: "Heavy rains are drenching much of Texas, bringing almost 5 inches to parts of the Houston area within a three-hour period. The heaviest rainfall Thursday night was reported in LaPorte on the western shore of Galveston Bay, where 4.36 inches of rain was recorded between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday. The rain came in bands that circled around a disturbance that covered much of the state Thursday night. A flash flood watch continues in effect for most of Texas, from the Red River to the Rio Grande. "

Comment: As the northern hemisphere moves into summer we can say the late spring and early summer rains are more than making up for recent drought conditions. People say storms and floods are getting worse all over the world. Some attribute that to global warming. Some say it's due to other things.  Regardless of the reasons, it's hard to deny that it's happening.

Covenant with Many

AP - Nations struggle to craft new Mideast peace strategy
The AP reports: "Nations struggled Friday to craft a viable new strategy for Mideast peace, failing to agree on a French proposal for an international conference that would bring together Israel and the Palestinians. Diplomats nevertheless vowed to reinvigorate a peace process that has been all but dead for two years. The gathering in Paris of top diplomats from the United States and more than two dozen Western and Arab countries ended with a call for 'fully ending the Israeli occupation,' a rhetorical shift from what Washington has previously endorsed. [...] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed France's efforts, having long grown frustrated with Washington's two-decade domination over peace efforts. Palestinians see the U.S. heavily favoring Israel and want an effort with more world powers involved, like last year's Iran nuclear diplomacy."

Comment: It is not surprising that  many nations could be persuaded to become indignant that Israel continues to occupy Israel but as this report makes clear, this meeting was more a representation of Palestinian grievances than a serious attempt to make peace. After all, the Palestinians have the means of making peace within their control. All they have to do is stop attacking (with knives, rockets, etc.) and actually negotiate. They could, for example, agree to any of the past three or four peace agreements brokered by the U.S. that they foolishly rejected. If they'd wanted, they could have had peace years ago. It's difficult to see anything in their recent behavior to suggest that they've suddenly had a change of heart and now sincerely desire peace. Perhaps the international community, represented by France, could ask the Palestinians for a concrete gesture of peace?  Something solid, like when Israel gave them control over Gaza in 2005, actually relinquishing territory for the sake of peace. How did the Palestinians react to this grand gesture? They could have used Gaza as a showpiece, really fix it up, build schools  and hospitals and green spaces and generally show the world that they were capable of governing in a modern and competent manner. Instead, they turned Gaza into a launching pad for rocket attacks on Israel. A nice piece of territory given by Israel to the Palestinians was turned into a weapon, small wonder Israelis are skeptical of further territorial concessions. What does self-government look like for Palestinians? Gaza. It looks like Gaza.

Earthquakes

6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia, USGS says - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A powerful 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia late Wednesday, U.S. geological officials said. [...] Office buildings in Singapore, more than 300 miles to the northeast, swayed and shook as the tremor hit, Bloomberg reported. [...] Seismic activity is common in Indonesia, which is part of the so-called Pacific Rim. "

Persecution

Turkey recalls ambassadors from Germany in response to Armenian genocide vote - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Turkey recalled its ambassador in Berlin after German lawmakers approved a resolution declaring the World War I mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks a genocide. [...] Turkey has long rejected the label, saying there was no systematic killings of Christian Armenians and the death toll was much lower. The country has accepted some responsibility for the killings but said they do not constitute genocide. To date, 11 of the 28 European Union nations have recognized the killings as genocide."

Covenant With Many

Major powers meet to revive moribund Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking | Reuters
Reuters reports: "France convenes foreign ministers from major powers on Friday to put Israel-Palestinian peacemaking back on the international agenda and find enough common ground to bring the two sides back to the table by the end of the year. [...] The gathering of ministers in Paris includes the Middle East Quartet - which comprises the United States, Russia, the European Union and United Nations - as well as the Arab League, the U.N. Security Council and about 20 countries. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians have been invited."

Comment: I'm not all that excited by this development. It appears to be a classic example of international diplomacy: a meeting to plan more meetings.  Still, it establishes the legitimacy of an international gathering (ie. the "many" of Daniel 9:27) to broker Mideast peace rather than the traditional two-party talks hosted by the U.S.

Pestilence

Baby girl born with Zika-related microcephaly defect in New Jersey - UPI.com
UPI reports: "A baby girl was born with the microcephaly birth defect on Tuesday in Hackensack, N.J., to a woman who was exposed to the Zika virus in her native country of Honduras. This is the second recorded birth of a baby with Zika-related illnesses in the United States, the first in the continental United States. [...] The Zika epidemic is blamed on the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits the Zika virus -- along with dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever."

Pestilence

WHO Strengthens Guidelines to Prevent Sexual Transmission of Zika Virus - ABC News ABC News reports: "The World Health Organization has strengthened its guidelines for Zika due to fears that the virus may persist in bodily fluids for longer than previously thought. The WHO advised couples to use barrier contraception or abstain from sexual contact for at least eight weeks after returning from an area with ongoing Zika virus transmission. This is double its previous guideline of four weeks. For men who have symptoms of the Zika virus, the WHO advises them to abstain from sex or use barrier contraception for six months over concerns that the virus could persist in semen. For women who have symptoms of the Zika virus, that recommended period is eight weeks. Additionally, couples who want to conceive are advised to wait six months if they had any symptoms of the Zika virus."

Comment: It's a bit scary that they keep revising these guidelines but at least they appear to be taking the threat seriously. 

Signs in the Stars

Study suggests Planet 9 is stolen exoplanet - UPI.com
UPI reports: "New research suggests the mysterious and controversial 'Planet 9' isn't an original member of our solar system. According to a new computer simulation developed by astronomers at Lund University in Sweden, the ninth planet is an exoplanet -- stolen by the sun from its original host star. [...] The new simulation suggests that as our sun and another star passed by each other, the gravitational pull of our sun pulled in an exoplanet -- a theft that's gone unnoticed until recently."

Is a ninth planet to blame for Earth's mass extinctions? - UPI.com
UPI reports: "In a new study published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Daniel Whitmire argues that an undiscovered ninth planet triggers disruptive comet showers every 27 million years. [...] Those that miss Earth disintegrate in the inner solar system and dim the sun's solar energy, cooling Earth."

Comment: So, the real question is: When was the last Planet 9 mass extinction event and it another due to happen anytime soon? 

Pestilence

Postpone or move Olympics, doctors urge - CNN.com
CNN reports: "The summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro should be postponed or moved "in the name of public health" due to the widening Zika outbreak in Brazil, more than 100 prominent doctors and professors said Friday in an open letter to the World Health Organization. [...] The CDC's current recommendation is that pregnant women should not travel to areas where the virus is spreading and that men with the virus who have pregnant partners should use condoms when having sex for the duration of the pregnancy. [...] There have been calls in recent months for a delay or postponement of the Olympics, but what makes Friday's letter different is the scope and number of physicians, professors and bioethicists who signed it -- from Japan to South Africa, Norway to the United States."

Comment: Will the Olympics in Rio be postponed or moved? Stay tuned!

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?