My Way News - Turkey scrambles to deal with Mideast upheaval
My Way News reports: "As a NATO ally, Turkey has cultivated warm relations with countries such as Libya and Syria as part of a regional outreach that included nations with a history of enmity with the West. Now this democracy led by devout Muslims is scrambling to preserve economic and other links to Mideast nations while urging their autocrats to meet the demands of protesters who want change [...] From next month [...] Turkish and Russian citizens will be able to travel to each other's countries without a visa, and trade between the two countries exceeded $25 billion last year."

Comment: The link between Turkey and Russia is growing stronger.

My Way News - Syrian president blames turmoil on 'conspirators'
My Way News reports: "Syria's president dashed expectations that he would announce sweeping reforms Wednesday and instead took a tough line, blaming two weeks of popular fury on a foreign conspiracy."

Comment: Can anyone be surprised that he is hanging tough? Reform and democracy are not coming to Syria anytime soon.

My Way News - Israel airstrike kills 1 Gaza militant
My Way News reports: "An Israeli aircraft attacked a pair of Palestinian militants riding on a motorcycle in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing one and wounding the other, the Islamic Jihad group said. The Israeli military said it had 'targeted and hit a terrorist squad' that had launched rockets toward southern Israel the previous day."

My Way News - Gadhafi's forces adapt to airstrikes, pound rebels
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi's ground forces recaptured a strategic oil town Wednesday and moved within striking distance of another major eastern city, nearly reversing the gains rebels made since international airstrikes began."

Giga OM - Will Apps Become the New Wallet?: Tech News and Analysis
Giga OM reports: "Two recent news reports are bringing the digital wallet closer to reality. American Express is offering a one-stop-shop payment platform in the form of an app for Apple iOS or Google Android users as well as through Facebook. The Wall Street Journal is also offering more details on Google’s planned mobile payments strategy which will use a technology known as near-field communications to transmit payment data."

Comment: It's interesting to think that in one or two years the way we pay for things may be completely changed by the new mobile payment platforms.

My Way News - Israel not eager to see Syria's Assad go
My Way News reports: "Syria has fought three wars with Israel and maintains close ties to its fiercest enemies in the region, including Iran and the Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups. So it may come as a surprise that many in Israel view the current unrest convulsing Syria with a wary eye, fearful that a collapse of Bashar Assad's regime might imperil decades of quiet along the shared border."

Comment: Better the enemy you know?

My Way News - Libya rebels flee Gadhafi assault as world debates
My Way News reports: "Moammar Gadhafi's forces hammered rebels with tanks and rockets, turning their rapid advance into a panicked retreat in an hourslong battle Tuesday. The fighting underscored the dilemma facing the U.S. and its allies in Libya: Rebels may be unable to oust Gadhafi militarily unless already contentious international airstrikes go even further in taking out his forces."

My Way News - Facebook drops uprising page after Israel protest
My Way News reports: "Facebook on Tuesday removed a page calling on Palestinians to take up arms against Israel, following a high-profile Israeli appeal to the popular social-networking site. The page, titled 'Third Palestinian Intifada,' had more than 350,000 fans before it was taken down. It called on Palestinians to take to the streets after Friday prayers on May 15 and begin an uprising. 'Judgment Day will be brought upon us only once the Muslims have killed all of the Jews,' a quote from the page reads."

Comment: Those peace-loving Palestinians never fail to surprise me in their efforts to demonstrate how much they want peace.

ABC News - UFO Sighting Spooks Lafayette, Colorado Town
ABC News reports: "The strange triangular formation of lights hovering above Lafayette, Colo., last week has many wondering if it's a sign that we're not alone."

My Way News - Israel warns Palestinians against rocket attacks
My Way News reports: "Israel's prime minister is warning Gaza militants of a military retaliation if they resume firing rockets at southern Israeli communities. Benjamin Netanyahu says it must be clear that Israel will not tolerate 'a drizzle of rockets and missiles' on its cities."

My Way News - Israel deploys rocket defense system against Gaza
My Way News reports: "Israel deployed a cutting-edge rocket defense system on Sunday, rolling out the latest tool in its arsenal to stop a recent spike in attacks from the neighboring Gaza Strip."

Comment: I hope this new defensive system is enough to deter the Palestinians from launching more rockets. Since Iran and Syria made sure to replenish the supply of rockets in Gaza, I'm not exactly optimistic.

My Way News - Syrian president wavers on crackdown or compromise
My Way News reports: "The unrest in Syria, a strategically important country of 23 million people, could have implications well beyond the country's borders given its role as Iran's top Arab ally and as a front line state against Israel."

My Way News - APNewsBreak: Source: minuscule fallout reaches US
My Way News reports: "A diplomat says Japan's radioactive fallout has reached Southern California but first readings are 'about a billion times beneath levels that would be health threatening.'"

Comment: The media has been playing up the sensationalism of the nuclear fallout possibilities in this country, which now show to be negligible at this point; meanwhile our prayers, thoughts, and efforts clearly still need to be directed toward Japan and their recovery and ongoing turmoil in the wake of the tsunami.

My Way News - Russia to spend $700 bln on new weapons
My Way News reports: "President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that Russia will spend the equivalent of $700 billion by 2020 to modernize the military's aging arsenals, but sternly warned arms industries against jacking up prices."

My Way News - Yemeni police open fire on protesters, kill 31
My Way News reports: "Yemeni security forces firing from rooftops and houses shot at tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators, killing at least 31 as the protesters entered a downtown square in the capital to demand the ouster of their autocratic president."

My Way News - Iran cleric tells Bahraini Shiites to protest on
My Way News reports: "A senior Iranian cleric on Friday urged Bahrain's majority Shiites to keep up their protests - until death or victory - against the Sunni monarchy in the tiny island kingdom."

My Way News - Libyan declares cease-fire after UN vote
My Way News reports: "Libya declared an immediate cease-fire and promised to stop military operations Friday in a bid to fend off international military intervention after the U.N. authorized a no-fly zone and 'all necessary measures' to prevent the regime from striking its own people."

Comment: It is good to see that there is a chance this might end in peace.

My Way News - Official: Gulf military force enters Bahrain
My Way News reports: "A military force from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations moved into Bahrain Monday to shore up the nation's Sunni rulers in the face of escalating Shiite-led protests seeking to break the monarchy's hold on power."

My Way News - Meltdown threat rises at Japanese nuclear plant
My Way News reports: "Water levels dropped precipitously Monday inside a stricken Japanese nuclear reactor, twice leaving the uranium fuel rods completely exposed and raising the threat of a meltdown, hours after a hydrogen explosion tore through the building housing a different reactor."

My Way News - Indonesia volcano erupts, spews lava and gas
My Way News reports: "One of Indonesia's most active volcanos has erupted, sending lava and searing gas clouds tumbling down its slopes."

Japan Earthquake News

My Way News - Hundreds killed in tsunami after 8.9 Japan quake
My Way News reports: "A ferocious tsunami spawned by one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded slammed Japan's eastern coast Friday, killing hundreds of people as it swept away boats, cars and homes while widespread fires burned out of control."

My Way News - Japan police say 200-300 found on northeast coast
My Way News reports: "Japanese police say 200 to 300 bodies have been found in a northeastern coastal area where a massive earthquake spawned a tsunami."

My Way News - Japan to evacuate residents near nuke plant
My Way News reports: "Japan ordered thousands of residents near a nuclear power plant to evacuate on Friday following a massive earthquake that caused a problem in the plant's cooling system."

Comments: I will continue to post updates to this developing story. Meanwhile, we should all pray not only for those affected, but also that any additional tsunamis will dissipate and prevent further death and destruction.

My Way News - Saudi police open fire at protest
My Way News reports: "Saudi police have opened fire at a rally in the kingdom's east in an apparent escalation of efforts to stop planned protests."

Comment: I do pray this is not the beginning of the "Day of Rage" that has been called for by anti-government activists, but I do think it quite possibly could escalate to that...