Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Violence Against Christians on the Rise in the Middle East
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsThe Balfour Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Persecution

Violence against Christians has become all too frequent in recent years, with attacks on them in a wide variety of countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.  Repression and intolerance have been displayed against the Christian community in Nigeria; against the Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt ; by bombing in a chapel in Sulu, Philippines; by bomb attacks against Assyrian Christians in Iraq; by discrimination against them in the Islamic Republic of Iraq; by prosecution under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan and elsewhere.

It was the interruption and disruption by force of the celebration of Christian Mass in the villages of Rizokarpaso and Ayia Triada in northern Cyprus that led the European Parliament in a resolution on January 19, 2011 to comment on the situation of Christians in the context of freedom of religion.  Since the “Arab Spring,” thousands of Christians have fled the countries of the Middle East except Israel.  Christian communities have existed for two thousand years in the Middle East, though they are now declining as a result of low birth rates and emigration caused by discrimination and persecution in most of the Arab and Muslim countries in the area.  The case of northern Cyprus is a recent example of that discrimination and intolerance towards a Christian community.

The disruption of the Christian liturgy in the two villages was, as admitted by the World Council of Churches at the time, a flagrant violation of fundamental freedoms and human rights, the freedom of religion and belief, as guaranteed in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in otherinternational declarations, including the 1981 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of all Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination based on Religion and Belief.

U.S. Immigration Service Ordered to Consider Same - Sex Visa Petitions
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsVOM
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

It’s official. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in a same-sex marriage to a foreign national can now sponsor their spouse for a family-based immigrant visa, according to a directive issued by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday.

The move follows last week’s Supreme Court decision ruling that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage between a man and a woman, as unconstitutional. U.S. President Barack Obama has directed federal departments to swiftly and smoothly ensure the court decision and its implication for federal benefits.

“To that end, I have directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse,”Napolitano said in a statement.

Muslim Brotherhood Rejects Army's Ultimatum
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Elad Benari
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) rejected on Monday the army’s 48-hour ultimatum for politicians to settle the country's political standoff.

"Everyone rejects the statement of the armed forces," Yasser Hamza, a member of the FJP's legal committee, told the Al Jazeera network.

He added, "Solutions will be in the framework of the constitution. The age of military coups is over."

Earlier on Monday, Egypt's top general, Abd al-Fatah a-Sisi, warned President Mohammed Morsi that he had 48 hours to resolve the crisis in Egypt. If he did not, the army would “intervene.”

The army would expect Morsi to lay out a road map of steps he plans to take to “satisfy the will of the people,” and restore calm; otherwise, he said, the army would take control of the country.

Hours later, the army insisted in a second statement that it was not carrying out a coup, and said that it would not be part of the government, according to Al Jazeera.

Four ministers from Morsi's government resigned in the wake of the mass protests demanding his resignation. The Muslim Brotherhood announced that it would “defend itself” from anti-government protesters, in the wake of the trashing of its headquarters in Cairo earlier Monday.

Egypt's presidency held a press conference on Sunday night at the presidential palace in Cairo, where spokesman Omar Amer stressed the presidency's respect for the demands of the street but also emphasized the need for dialogue.

"We respect the demands of the street and we acknowledge that the political scene in Egypt is continuously changing," said Amer. "But initiatives are being announced every hour and communication is ongoing."

Morsi Rejects Army's 48 - Hour Ultimatum
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Gil Ronen
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Egypt’s presidency on Tuesday rejected an army ultimatum threatening to intervene if Islamist President Mohammed Morsi does not meet the demands of millions of protesters.

Instead, the presidency said army declaration had not been cleared by the presidency and could cause confusion, AFP news agency reported.

The presidency also denounced any declaration that would “deepen division” and “threaten the social peace”.

The army statement, which was read out in a televised address on Monday, gave Morsi 48 hours to comply with its call.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

In Shiloh, an intriguing discovery alludes to the Tabernacle
Archaeologists discover holes carved into the ground in Shiloh which could have held the beams of The Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting, which, according to the Bible, housed the Ark of the Covenant. ...archaeologists have searched for evidence of the Tent of Meeting for years, which they posited would be found in ancient Shiloh (next to the settlement of Shiloh in the Binyamin region). Now it appears their efforts have borne fruit, yielding assumptions that the Tent of Meeting indeed stood there.  

Moderate earthquake strikes central Chile, shakes buildings in capital
SANTIAGO, Chile A magnitude-5.7 earthquake shook central Chile on Wednesday, causing buildings to sway in the capital but apparently causing no major damage.  

Will this be the first time the world sees the Ark of Covenant? Leaking roof in Ethiopian chapel 'will lead to relic being revealed'
A very British problem of a leaky church roof could be about to give the world the chance to glimpse the legendary Ark of the Covenant. That's because the claimed home of the iconic relic - a small chapel in Ethiopia - has sprung a leak and so the Ark could now be on the move. The Ark - which The Bible says holds God's Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai - is said to have been kept in Aksum, in the Chapel of the Tablet, adjacent to St Mary of Zion Church, since the 1960s.  

Catholic priest beheaded by Syrian rebels Obama wants to arm
The Vatican is confirming the death by beheading of Franciscan Father, Francois Murad, who was martyred by Syrian jihadists on June 23. Below is the news release from the Vatican, via news.va. On Sunday, June 23 the Syrian priest François Murad was killed in Gassanieh, in northern Syria, in the convent of the Custody of the Holy Land where he had taken refuge. This is confirmed by a statement of the Custos of the Holy Land sent to Fides Agency.  

Minor Earthquake Strikes Below Lake Erie
An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 3.6 struck early today beneath Lake Erie, just outside of Cleveland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).  

Wondering What Harmless ‘Metadata’ Like the NSA Compiles Can Actually Reveal? German Politician Shows You
“In Germany, whenever the government begins to infringe on individual freedom, society stands up. Given our history, we Germans are not willing to trade in our liberty for potentially better security. Germans have experienced firsthand what happens when the government knows too much about someone,” Spitz wrote. “Three weeks ago, when the news broke about the National Security Agency’s collection of metadata in the United States, I knew exactly what it meant. My records revealed the movements of a single individual; now imagine if you had access to millions of similar data sets. You could easily draw maps, tracing communication and movement. You could see which individuals, families or groups were communicating with one another. You could identify any social group and determine its major actors,”  

Allen West: Time to teach Obama ‘lesson our forefathers taught King George III’
“Obama said he would fundamentally transform America,” Mr. West concluded. “The time draws near to teach this usurper and charlatan the lesson our forefathers taught King George III. We will not be ruled by arrogance and edict.”  

Gay couple sexually abused adopted Russian boy for years
An American pedophile has been convicted to 40 years in prison for years of sexual abuse of adopted Russian boy. His boyfriend from New Zealand who assisted in meticulously recording acts of sexual offence is going on trial at home. Two members of the pedophile porn exchange ring Boy Lovers network, Mark J. Newton, 42 and his long-term partner Peter Truong, 36, were busted in 2011 on suspicion that they were sexually molesting their son, born to Russian mother in 2005.  

Vatican Bank Boss Arrested For Fraud And Corruption
Just weeks after Pope Francis set up a commission of inquiry into the dealings of the scandal ridden Vatican bank, condemning the bank as just a 'money cult' Monsignor Nunzio Scarano a senior Italian cleric along with a financial broker and a secret agent have been arrested for allegedly attempting to place 20m euros illegally into Italy. Monsignor Scarano however says that he can “explain everything” but after a lengthy investigation by the Italian police who in their own words say they were investigating him for a “series of suspicious transactions that seemed to involve recycling a series of cheques which he described as church donations through the Vatican bank” seems doubtful.  

Strong quake rattles Indonesia’s Aceh province, killing at least 1 and leaving 2 missing
The magnitude-6.1 quake struck at a depth of just 10 kilometers (6 miles) and its epicenter was located 55 kilometers (34 miles) west of the town of Bireun on the western tip of Sumatra island, the U.S. Geological Survey said.  

A Wave Of Anger Is Sweeping The Cities Of The World
The protests have many different origins. In Brazil people rose up against bus fares, in Turkey against a building project. Indonesians have rejected higher fuel prices, Bulgarians the government’s cronyism. In the euro zone they march against austerity, and the Arab spring has become a perma-protest against pretty much everything. Each angry demonstration is angry in its own way. Yet just as in 1848, 1968 and 1989, when people also found a collective voice, the demonstrators have much in common. Over the past few weeks, in one country after another, protesters have risen up with bewildering speed.  

Rothschild to advise on potential RBS split -FT
The British government is set to name Rothschild to advise on a potential break-up of Royal Bank of Scotland, the Financial Times reported on Monday. Rothschild beat competition from Deutsche Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch at presentations last week and its role as adviser could be announced as soon as this week, the newspaper said, citing people close to the situation.  

Egyptian ministers resign in wave as Army deadline nears
Egyptian foreign minister Kamel Amr became the sixth minister to tender his resignation from the Morsi government on Monday. Amr follows the ministers for tourism, environment, communications and legal affairs and water utilities.  

Pope Francis' first encyclical to be released July 5
The encyclical was begun by Benedict XVI and finished by Pope Francis in recent months. It is entitled “Lumen Fidei,” which means “The Light of Faith.”  

Arizona inferno: 19 firefighters killed, town evacuated, 250 homes feared destroyed
Arizona governor Janice Brewer ordered all state flags to be flown at half-mast from July 1 to July 3 to honor the “bravest firefighters.” “This fire is the deadliest wildfire in state history, and our nation’s deadliest in 80 years. The fire has also claimed the lives of more first responders than any single disaster since 9/11,” she said in a statement, calling the day of tragedy one of the state’s “darkest” and “most devastating.”  

San Diego Jury Erases 'Stupid' Chalk Charges
The mayor called the case "stupid" and a jury swiftly said it shouldn't stick, taking the eraser to vandalism charges for a man who wrote anti-bank slogans on San Diego sidewalks.  

Violence Against Christians On the Rise in The Middle East
Violence against Christians has become all too frequent in recent years, with attacks on them in a wide variety of countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Repression and intolerance have been displayed against the Christian community in Nigeria; against the Coptic Christians in Alexandria, Egypt ; by bombing in a chapel in Sulu, Philippines; by bomb attacks against Assyrian Christians in Iraq; by discrimination against them in the Islamic Republic of Iraq; by prosecution under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan and elsewhere.  

Syria: 3,500 tons of weapons already sent to rebels, says Lord Ashdown
Lord Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat leader, spoke out against arming Syria's rebels... “They do not need arms. It is an unchallenged figure that 3,500 tons of arms have been shipped in by way of Croatia with the assistance of the CIA, funded by the Saudis, funded by the Qataris, going almost exclusively to the more jihadist groups,” the former international high representative for Bosnia said in a debate.  

Top US cardinal 'paid off abusive priests'
Newly released documents show the cardinal of the Archdiocese of New York, in his former job, repeatedly warned the Vatican of the potential for scandal over church sexual abuse in Milwaukee and oversaw a plan to pay off problem priests. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of Milwaukee at the time, also transferred $57 million into a trust to protect it from legal claims by sex abuse victims the documents show.  

Texas abortion battle resumes amid mass protest
The state legislature in Texas has held a second special session to revive a controversial bill banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The session was called by Republican Governor Rick Perry after a Democratic senator used a delaying tactic called a filibuster to block a vote last week. Supporters say the strict law would protect women's health and the foetus.  

Obama urges Morsi to hear protesters demands, but careful to maintain neutrality
US President Barack Obama called embattled Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to urge him to respond to mass opposition demonstrations and said the political crisis could only be resolved by talks, the White House said on Tuesday. Obama also called on both sides to ensure rallies stayed peaceful, after the death toll in clashes between rival protesters since Sunday reached at least 16 people.

Kerry: Israeli Settlements not Obstacle to Peace
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today Staff
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

The Palestinian Authority and its supporters around the world regularly single out Jewish "settlements" on the biblical lands of Judea and Samaria as, if not the sole, then certainly the primary obstacle to peace.

But US Secretary of State John Kerry said before his departure from the region earlier this week that, in fact, Jewish settlements are not the primary obstacle to peace.

During a noisy press conference at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday, Kerry was asked if Israel's failure to fully impose a Jewish building freeze in compliance with Palestinian demands was the reason he had yet to succeed in getting the two sides back to the negotiating table.

"The answer is no," Kerry stated emphatically, adding that "there are any number of obstacles, but we are working through them."

In fact, the original "Oslo" accords never prohibited Jews from building homes in Judea and Samaria, though the Palestinians often claim otherwise. In later agreements, Israel committed to not building new Jewish communities, but always insisted on allowing natural growth of exiting towns.

Gay Couple Sexually Abused Adopted Russian Boy for Years
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsRT
Categories: Today's Headlines;Moral Decline

An American pedophile has been convicted to 40 years in prison for years of sexual abuse of adopted Russian boy. His boyfriend from New Zealand who assisted in meticulously recording acts of sexual offence is going on trial at home.

Two members of the pedophile porn exchange ring Boy Lovers network, Mark J. Newton, 42 and his long-term partner Peter Truong, 36, were busted in 2011 on suspicion that they were sexually molesting their son, born to Russian mother in 2005.

A US judge in Indianapolis has imposed maximum sentence on American-born Mark J. Newton, 42, for sexual exploit of a minor and conspiracy to possess child pornography. Newton is also obliged to pay $400,000 in compensation to the boy’s account.

Newton’s boyfriend Peter Truong, 36, awaits court in New Zealand.

US District Judge Sarah Evans Barker explained that Mark Newton was tried at district court level to save a jury from seeing the images produced by the defendants.

“‘What can be said? What can be done to erase some of the horror of this?’’ Judge Barker said while handing down her sentence, sharing a belief that the pair deserved a stricter punishment.

‘‘Personally … I think this is probably one of the worst [pedophile] rings … if not the worst ring I’ve ever heard of,’’ investigator Brian Bone of the US Postal Inspection Service told reporters outside the US Federal Courtroom.

“Russian orphans always attracted foreign perverts because of accessibility. The foreigners were simply coming and taking children for money,” Russian Ombudsman for Children’s Rights Pavel Astakhov told RT.

Russia has recently adopted two laws on adoption of Russian children by foreign families. In December 2012, Russia adopted the ‘Dima Yakovlev Law’ banning American citizens from adopting Russian children. In June 2013, The State Duma passed an amendment that bans the adoption of Russian children by same-sex couples from abroad.

Army Plans to Suspend Egypt’s Constitution - Report
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Military sources tell Reuters that a roadmap drafted by the army to end the protests would suspend the country’s constitution and dissolve the parliament.

Archaeologists: We Found Shilo Tabernacle
Jul 2nd, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Gil Ronen
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Archaeologists say they have found the remains of the Biblical Israelites' Tabernacle at site of ancient Shilo. The Tabernacle precedes the Temples and dates to the period between the conquest of the Land of Israel by Joshua and the rise of King David.

According to a report in Yisrael Hayom, the archaeologists will display their findings this week at the Shilo site in Samaria, in a conference that is to be held by the Shilo Organization.

Among the findings are holes hewn into the rock at the site. These holes, the archaeologists explain, could have been used in order to prop up wooden beams used in a temporary structure like the Tabernacle. The beams formed part of the walls of the Tabernacle, and they would have had to be fixed to the ground in some way.

Next to the hewn holes, in the northern part of Tel Shilo, structures have been discovered that date to the period between Joshua and King David.

Earthenware vessles and three large stoves were also found in one of the structures. The researchers say they were not intended for home use. This makes it more likely that the structures were part of a central public facility.

In addition, remains have been found of what appears to be the south-western corner of the wall that surrounded the city of Shilo. On the basis of this finding, researchers can also estimate where the entrance gate to the city was, and this in turn has implications for the location of the Tabernacle, which is known to have been located near the entrance gate.

Past findings at the hills that surround the site included what researchers say are the bones of sacrificed animals that were eaten by the Israelites who came to Shilo. The dating of the bones corresponded with the Biblical dates for the activity of the Tabernacle at Shilo.