My Way News - Israel warns EU to tone down its criticism

AP reports: "Israel warned the European Union on Thursday to tone down its criticism of the new Israeli government or risk forfeiting the bloc's role as broker in Mideast peace efforts."

Comment: A sizable majority of BP commentators believe that the EU role in Mideast peace will only grow over time, so perhaps they will head this warning.

My Way News - Britain ends combat operations in Iraq
AP reports: "British troops ended six years of combat operations in Iraq on Thursday, beginning to withdraw from the southern city of Basra after a bloody and costly mission that was deeply unpopular at home."

My Way News - Italy frees hijacker of Achille Lauro ship
AP reports: "One of the Palestinians who hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship and killed an American passenger in 1985 has been released after more than 23 years in jail, officials said Thursday."

Comment: Ok, not really war, but I still have misgivings about treating terrorism as something akin to a criminal act instead of an act of war.

My Way News - Pakistan army: Taliban holding town hostage
AP reports: "As troops pursued an offensive praised by the United States, a burst of shootings in a southern city left dozens dead and added the specter of ethnic conflict to the Islamist violence gnawing at the nuclear-armed country's stability."

My Way News - WHO says swine flu pandemic is imminent
AP reports: "Global health authorities warned Wednesday that swine flu was threatening to bloom into a pandemic, and the virus spread farther in Europe even as the outbreak appeared to stabilize at its epicenter. A toddler who succumbed in Texas became the first death outside Mexico."

My Way News - World takes drastic steps to contain swine flu
AP reports: "From Egypt's order that all 300,000 pigs in the country be slaughtered to travel bans and putting the kibosh on kissing, the world is taking drastic - and some say debatable - measures to combat swine flu."

My Way News - Mexico death toll stabilizes as epidemic spreads

AP reports: "The toll from the swine flu epidemic appears to be stabilizing in Mexico, the health secretary said late Tuesday, with only seven more suspected deaths. But an outbreak of the virus at a New York school showed it is capable of repeated jumps between humans - meaning it can keep spreading around the world."

My Way News - Israel marks Independence Day without peace

AP reports: "In a jarring contrast, Israel switched moods Tuesday evening from a somber Memorial Day for fallen soldiers to a joyous Independence Day celebrating 61 years since the Jewish state was created, but the absence of Mideast peace weighed on the festivities."

Comment: Happy Birthday to Israel! Hey, did you know that the "two-state solution" was the original idea, part of the U.N. plan, but it was rejected by the Arab states? They could have had their two states way back then, and yet they chose war. Why do they now think the two-state solution is still on the table?

My Way News - Judge disciplines accused in terror trial
AP reports: "An Islamic terrorist suspect, on trial with three others on charges they plotted attacks on American targets in Germany, was thrown out of the courtroom Tuesday after an outburst."

My Way News - Pakistani jets pound militants close to capital
AP reports: "Pakistani jets and attack helicopters struck Taliban positions in mountains close to the capital Tuesday as part of a widening offensive against militants spreading out from the lawless region along the border with Afghanistan, the military said."

My Way News - NYPD officers plead not guilty to rape charges
AP reports: "A police officer called to help a drunken woman get home safely instead raped her as she lay semiconscious and facedown in her bed while his partner acted as a lookout, prosecutors alleged Tuesday."

In Cyberweapons Race, Questions Linger Over U.S. Offensive Capability - Series - NYTimes.com
The New York Times reports: "Just as the invention of the atomic bomb changed warfare and deterrence 64 years ago, a new international race has begun to develop cyberweapons and systems to protect against them."

Obama promises major investment in science - Science- msnbc.com
AP reports: "President Barack Obama on Monday promised a major investment in research and development for scientific innovation, saying the United States has fallen behind others."

Scientists claim to have cloned glowing dogs - Science- msnbc.com
MSNBC reports: "The scientist said his team has started to implant human disease-related genes in the course of dog cloning, saying that will help them find new treatments for genetic diseases such as Parkinson's. He refused to provide further details, saying the research was still under way."

My Way News - Astronomers see oldest object in universe yet
AP reports: "Astronomers have spotted a burst of energy from a dying star, setting a record for the oldest and most distant object seen by Earth yet."

My Way News - Iraqi archbishop decries Christian slayings
AP reports: "Iraq's Christians, who numbered about 1 million in the early 1980s, are now estimated at about half that as families flee warfare and extremist attacks that target their churches and homes."

Comment: Please join me in praying for the church in Iraq, that they will persevere with hope and love, that they will practice forgiveness and leave revenge to God's justice.

My Way News - Quake jars already-nervous Mexico City residents

AP reports: "A strong earthquake struck central Mexico on Monday, swaying tall buildings in the capital and rattling nerves in a city already tense from a swine flu outbreak suspected of killing as many as 149 people nationwide."

Pestilence - Swine Flu Update



My Way News - WHO raises its pandemic alert level on swine flu
AP reports: "The World Health Organization raised its global alert level Monday, signaling the swine flu virus was spreading from human to human in community outbreaks, but it stopped short of declaring a full-blown pandemic."

My Way News - US responding as if swine flu will be pandemic
AP reports: "Confirming at least 40 cases of swine flu in the U.S., the Obama administration said Monday it was responding aggressively as if the outbreak would spread into a full pandemic. Officials urged Americans against most travel to Mexico as the virus that began there spread to the United States and beyond."

My Way News - What you need to know about swine flu
AP reports: "A never-before-seen strain of swine flu has turned killer in Mexico and is causing milder illness in the United States and elsewhere. While authorities say it's not time to panic, they are taking steps to stem the spread and also urging people to pay close attention to the latest health warnings and take their own precautions."

My Way News - Swine flu epidemic enters dangerous new phase
AP reports: "The swine flu epidemic entered a dangerous new phase Monday as the death toll climbed in Mexico and the number of suspected cases there and in the United States nearly doubled. The World Health Organization raised its alert level but stopped short of declaring a global emergency."

My Way News - Watchdog warns arms transfers to Mideast rising
AP reports: "The volume of weapons exported to the Middle East has risen sharply in the last four years, threatening to destabilize the volatile region further, a leading Swedish think tank warned Monday."

My Way News - Peace in peril, but Pakistan says don't 'panic'
AP reports: "Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari insisted Monday his country was doing what it must to root out domestic militants. In a wide-ranging interview with reporters from foreign media outlets, Zardari said Pakistan's nuclear capabilities were in 'safe hands,' but called for more foreign support for his cash-strapped country to prevent any danger of that changing."