Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Setback for Morsi’s Referendum
Dec 12th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Egyptian judiciary announced Tuesday that judges will not supervise the constitutional referendum scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 15 as required by law. This setback came after President Mohamed Morsi gained the army’s consent to protect state institutions, including the right to arrest civilians, until the results are announced of the hotly-disputed constitutional referendum. The judges’ announcement cut through the rising tensions attending two rival demonstrations in Tahrir Square Tuesday night. Opponents of the referendum representing liberals, Christians, women and human rights proponents, called out their supporters, whereas the Muslim Brotherhood mobilized its supporters to counter the protest.

North Korea’s Long - Range Rocket Test Draws Worldwide Condemnation
Dec 12th, 2012
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Warning

The US and UK called the launching of the three-stage Unha-3 rocket a provocative action; Japan called it “intolerable” and even China said it was “extremely regrettable.” But the Japanese government, which had placed its forces on alert ahead of the launch, said that although the missile passed over parts of Okinawa, “We launched no interception.” A US defense official confirmed that North Korea had indeed placed an object in orbit as Pyongyang claimed.
The concern is that the launch brings North Korea closer to combining its long-range missile program with its nuclear capabilities and so bring the West US coast within range. North Korea and Iran have long cooperated in both areas and, as DEBKAfile reported earlier, a group of Iranian missile scientists was present the testing site at Pyongyang’s invitation.

Let the Headlines Speak
Dec 12th, 2012
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

French Teacher Suspended After She Tells Students To Write Their Own Suicide Notes
An unidentified French teacher has been suspended after she issued a very unsettling homework assignment to her class at at the college Antoine-Delafonte in France. The students, which were reportedly around 13 and 14-years-old, were asked to pen their own suicide notes.

‘Death To Christianity’: Vandals Desecrate Jerusalem Church With Spray-Painted Messages Of Hate
Vandals have spray-painted “Death to Christianity” and “Jesus, son of a whore” on a Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem. Similar messages were plastered on the outside of another church in the area earlier this year. The overnight attack on the Monastery of the Cross was the latest in a series of vandalisms of Christian holy sites. Extremist Jews sympathetic to Israel’s settlement movement are suspected.

'Jedi' religion most popular alternative faith
Today's Census figures show that 176,632 people in England and Wales identify themselves as Jedi Knights, making it the most popular faith in the "Other Religions" category on the Census and the seventh most popular faith overall.

Jersey City Unveils 3-Story High ‘Eye In The Sky’ Surveillance Tower To Fight Crime
A warning to criminals in Jersey City: Every step you take, every move you make, police are watching. As part of a stepped-up effort to deter and detect criminal activity, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Police Chief Tom Comey announced new initiatives Tuesday that they hope will be effective.

Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake Shakes Costa Rica
The USGS said the quake, which struck at 12:54 a.m. local time, had an epicenter about two miles (three kilometers) south-southwest of Naranjo, which is about 22 miles (35 kilometers) west of the capital San Jose. Its depth was 6.3 miles (10.1 kilometers).

US recognizes Syria's main rebel group, Obama says
"Obviously, with that recognition comes responsibilities," Obama said in an interview Tuesday with ABC News. "To make sure that they organize themselves effectively, that they are representative of all the parties, that they commit themselves to a political transition that respects women's rights and minority rights."

New Coronavirus Could Have Many Hosts
The new virus, hCoV-EMC, is blamed for five deaths and several other cases of severe disease originating in countries in the Middle East. The new study shows hCoV-EMC uses a different receptor in the human body than the SARS virus, which caused an epidemic in 2002 through 2003. HCoV-EMC can infect cells from a wide range of bat species and pigs, indicating there may be little to keep the virus from passing from animals to humans.

NKorea has fired its long-range rocket
South Korean defense officials said the rocket was fired from a west coast launch pad but there was no immediate word if the rocket was successful. North Korea had indicated technical problems with the rocket and extended its launch window. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.

Kamchatka Volcano ‘Flexes Muscles’ in Record Lava Spill
The erupting Plosky Tolbachik volcano in Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula is spilling a record 1,200 metric tons of lava every second, local seismologists reported on Tuesday. The 3,085-meter Plosky Tolbachik, which is part of a volcanic complex located 343 kilometers from the region's capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, erupted on November 27 for the first time in 36 years.

Obama planning direct talks with Iran; US will strike in 4-5 months if they don’t bear fruit, Israeli TV report says
Obama had decided to bypass Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and leave Israel out of the loop. Rosen said that Obama believed Netanyahu was personally behind a recent series of purported leaks from reports produced by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) about the Iranian program.

US to give Israel thousands of 'bunker-buster' bombs
The Pentagon has appealed to Congress in a bid to increase the United States' military aid to Israel by $647 million... According to a Bloomberg report, in wake of Operation Pillar of Defense, the Pentagon wants to arm the IDF with a tail kit system used to convert free-fall bombs into satellite-guided ordnance, as well as with missiles that can be mounted on F-15 and F-16 fighter jets and are capable of penetrating underground or fortified targets.

British government to legalize same-sex marriage
The British government announced Tuesday that it will introduce a bill next year legalizing gay marriage - but banning the Church of England from conducting same-sex ceremonies. Equalities minister Maria Miller said the legislation would authorize same-sex civil marriages, as well as religious ceremonies if religions decide to "opt in."

Obamacare just raised your health care premium by $63
If you’re a member of the mainstream media, you’re “surprised” by this in the same way that every bad jobs report is “unexpected.” Among the regulations being rushed out the door by the Department of Health and Human Services 32 months after Obamacare passed is a requirement that every plan in America be subject to a $63 fee.

526,421 family farms threatened by new death tax
New legislation that jumps the death tax to 55 percent of estates exceeding $1 million threatens 526,421 family farms...according to a Senate analysis. According to...the Senate Republican Policy Committee, chaired by Wyoming's John Barrasso: If President Obama and Senate Democrats do not act, the federal government will begin taking more than half the value of family farm estates exceeding $1 million beginning next year.

Putin warns of foreign meddling in politics in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested some opposition politicians are in the pay of foreign interests, saying it is unacceptable. In an annual state-of-the-nation address in Moscow strong on patriotic themes, he talked of the need to preserve Russian national identity. He urged more births, saying a family with three children should be the norm.

North Korea defies warnings in rocket launch success
North Korea has successfully launched a long-range rocket, defying international warnings. The rocket, launched at 09:49 local time (00:49 GMT), appears to have followed its planned trajectory, with stages falling in expected areas. North Korea says a satellite has been placed in orbit; the US confirmed an object had been put into space.

Egypt referendum goes ahead in foreign embassies
Egypt's referendum on a controversial draft constitution has begun in embassies abroad, days before the vote is due to take place at home. But with many judges refusing to oversee the process, it is unclear whether the vote will take place on one day or continue the next week. The opposition has called for the entire referendum to be scrapped.

Michigan passes 'right-to-work' legislation
Lawmakers in the state of Michigan, a cradle of the US labour movement, have passed a law limiting union power, amid mass protests at the statehouse. Republicans, who control the state legislature, have succeeded in banning a requirement that workers pay union fees as a condition of employment. Outside, police in riot gear used tear gas to control tensions among a crowd of more than 10,000 protesters.

Deadly Oregon shooting at Clackamas shopping centre
A gunman has opened fire at a shopping mall near the city of Portland, Oregon, killing two people and himself. One other person was seriously injured at the Clackamas Shopping Center and taken to hospital, Lt James Rhodes of Clackamas County Police said. Officials say the gunman killed himself after the shooting spree. Police who arrived at the scene did not fire.

Israeli leader mocks EU 'dismay'
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has mocked EU foreign ministers' "dismay" over his plan to split Palestine in three and to take away its capital. ..."I don't understand how people say that a Palestinian state cannot exist if Maalah Adumim is connected to Jerusalem ... These are the same people who say that you'll have a Palestinian state between Gaza and the West Bank, and they're divided by 60-70km," he said.

Israeli FM: Europe Doesn't Care If We Survive
Dec 12th, 2012
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Israel this week expressed deep disappointment after the European Union condemned the building of new homes for Jews in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank") as the main obstacle to peace.

In an official response to the EU statement, Israel's Foreign Ministry noted that "settlement activity" had never before hindered the peace process, and that the true obstacle to peace is the Arabs' ongoing refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist.

A key component of the peace process started in the early 1990s was full recognition of Israel and its right to exist as a Jewish state in the Middle East. Without such recognition, Israel argues that the conflict will carry on indefinitely, regardless of any signed pieces of paper, as all future generations of Palestinian Arabs will continue to view Israel as an enemy and usurper.

In the past two weeks, both Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal have publicly rejected the idea of recognizing that the Jews have a right to a state in this region. The European Union failed to similarly see either of those speeches as an obstacle to peace.

"This one-sided position taken by the EU rewards rejectionism and does not contribute to promoting a permanent peace agreement," read the Foreign Ministry response.

At a Hannukah candle-lighting ceremony on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman asserted that Europe remains silent on these Palestinian violations because many of it leaders actually agree with the long-term goals of Hamas. "As far as they're concerned, the destruction of Israel is a matter of course," said Lieberman.

A day later, Lieberman told a gathering of diplomats hosted by The Jerusalem Post that "the international community's attitude regarding Israel's security reminds me of its attitude regarding Czechoslovakia's security in 1938," referring to the Western powers' abandonment of Czechoslovakia in the face of a mounting Nazi threat.

"We will not be Czechoslovakia," insisted Lieberman.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority was all too pleased with Europe's tone, and urged the union to go a step further in its condemnation of Israel.

"We call on the EU to hold Israel accountable for its illegal occupation of Palestine, reconsider its political and trade relations with Israel and agreements, including the EU-Israel Association agreement, implement a ban on Israeli settler products and extremist settlers, and rescue the chances for peace and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," said PA representative Hanan Ashrawi.

Israel Grows Jittery of a New Palestinian Uprising
Dec 12th, 2012
Daily Newsapnews.myway.com
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

The rising confidence and bellicosity of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, combined with rapidly deteriorating relations with Israel's would-be peace partner in the West Bank, are raising jitters in Israel that a new Palestinian uprising could be near.

A number of prominent voices urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to take steps to ease the tensions and bolster the Western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu's political rival, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, warned that renewed violence might not be "far off."

But the Israeli leader stood tough. Poised for re-election, it appears unlikely he will float a bold new initiative anytime soon. "We in the government have no illusions. We want a true peace with our neighbors. But we will not close our eyes and stick our heads in the sand," Netanyahu told his Cabinet.

Over the past month, Netanyahu has taken a series of steps that appear to have unintentionally emboldened the rival Palestinian leaderships in Gaza and the West Bank.

In mid-November, Israel carried out an eight-day military offensive in Gaza in response to months of intensifying rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled territory.

Although Israel claimed to inflict heavy damage, the operation failed to halt the rocket fire before an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire took hold and Hamas emerged intact. Hamas has claimed victory, won newfound recognition across the Middle East and boosted its popularity with the Palestinian public.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Gaza over the weekend to welcome the movement's exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal, as the Islamic militant group celebrated its 25th anniversary with rallies, speeches and displays of weapons.

It was the first time Mashaal has ever been to Gaza, and his presence in the seaside territory was a reflection of the group's rising clout. Mashaal, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 1997, is now confident enough to enter Gaza and walk around in public, thanks to his group's warm relations with the new Muslim Brotherhood-dominated regime in neighboring Egypt.

Mashaal, known as a relative pragmatist inside the movement, showed no signs of moderation during the three-day visit. In speech after speech, Mashaal praised Hamas fighters for standing up to Israel and repeated the movement's original goal of wiping Israel off the map.

"God willing, we shall liberate Palestine together, inch by inch," Mashaal told university students on Sunday, referring to the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and Israel. "We started this path and we are going to continue until we achieve what God has promised."

Hamas seized control of Gaza in mid-2007, ousting forces loyal to Abbas. Repeated attempts at reconciliation have failed.

The Palestinian rift has pushed Abbas into an uneasy alliance with Israel, with both sides united in their opposition to Hamas. But Israel's ties with Abbas have also frayed as peace efforts remained frozen. Abbas and Netanyahu blame each other for the deadlock.

Fed up with the impasse, Abbas last month won U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

While the move did not change the situation on the ground, it was seen as an international endorsement of the Palestinian position on future borders with Israel.

It also amounted to international rejection of Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Netanyahu responded by announcing plans to build thousands of new settlement homes, sparking fierce international condemnations.

The tensions further escalated over the weekend when a Palestinian security officer briefly scuffled with Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Hebron. The incident quickly attracted some 250 Palestinian protesters. A second clash developed elsewhere in the West Bank.

Israel's Channel 10 TV showed video from the second clash on Sunday under the headline, "Third Intifada?" using the Arabic word for uprising.

Speaking at a business conference, President Shimon Peres, a Nobel peace laureate, said the events in Gaza over the weekend showed that Abbas is a peaceful and desirable alternative to Hamas.

"We have two clear choices, nobody is perfect but one is right and the other is wrong. We have to choose between Mashaal and Abbas," Peres said.

Olmert, speaking at the same conference, accused Netanyahu of undermining moderate Palestinian elements.

"We methodically hurt the ones who do want peace. We help raise the radical elements instead. The result of this policy could be the collapse of the Palestinian Authority government very rapidly, which would create the worst intifada we've seen thus far. We are not far from it," Olmert warned.

Olmert's government conducted a year of peace talks with Abbas in 2008 that resulted in closing many gaps but no final accord.

Netanyahu showed no signs of bending. Speaking to his Cabinet, Netanyahu said the celebrations in Gaza over the weekend exposed "the true face of our enemies."

"They have no intention of compromising with us. They want to destroy our country, but they will obviously fail," he said.

He also said it was "interesting" that Abbas "has issued no condemnation" of the Hamas comments. "To my regret, he strives for unity with the same Hamas that is supported by Iran."

Netanyahu's tough approach has gone over well with the Israeli public. With elections scheduled for Jan. 22, opinion polls forecast Netanyahu winning re-election as leader of a coalition dominated by hard-line nationalist and religious parties.

The Palestinians have launched two uprisings against Israeli occupation. The first erupted exactly 25 years ago, on Dec. 9, 1987, and lasted nearly six years. The second, deadlier uprising broke out in late 2000 and stretched for about five years. More than 3,000 Palestinians and more than 1,000 Israelis died in the fighting.

Palestinian officials in the West Bank have signaled they have no desire to return to the days of the uprising, when armed militant gangs controlled Palestinian cities, Israeli military raids were common and Israeli troops strictly controlled movement throughout the West Bank.

"We are not ready for war. The only way forward is peace," Abbas told Arab leaders at a gathering in Qatar on Sunday.

Majed Swailim, a Palestinian political scientist, said Palestinian disappointment in failed peace efforts could lead to anti-Israel street protests in the West Bank in the coming months. But he did not expect an open armed rebellion.