Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

UN Asked to Examine Chicago School Closings for Human Rights Violations
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsWBEZ
Categories: Today's Headlines;World Government

Chicago-based human rights advocates have sent a letter to the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights asking the international body to monitor Chicago’s school closings.

The “letter of allegation” sent Tuesday evening to Geneva, Switzerland, asks U.N. officials to investigate whether the closing of 49 Chicago elementary schools violates children’s human rights.

“The United Nations taking this issue up and giving it serious attention will really bring home to Chicago and the United States that there are violations occurring here of human rights, potentially, not just about a budget crisis,” said Sital Kalantry, the University of Chicago law professor who filed the letter on behalf of the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights.

“(It’s) not just about closing schools to save money, but you need to be concerned about the rights of children when you close schools,” said Kalantry.

The letter argues the closings violate the human right to equality and nondiscrimination by disproportionately affecting African American students. About 40 percent of the district’s students are black, but 80 percent of students impacted by this year’s historic number of school closings are black.  The school district has said the closings are driven by population declines in African American neighborhoods.

The letter also argues closings violate children’s right to live free of violence by forcing them to cross gang lines to get to new schools. It says educational quality is threatened by larger class sizes and argues the city “effectively denied people the right to participate in deciding whether or not to close the schools” by ignoring the public’s objections expressed at scores of public hearings.

Saudi Prince: Fracking is Threat to Kingdom
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily Newsskynews
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A Saudi prince has warned that his oil-reliant nation is under threat because of fracking technology being developed elsewhere around the world.

Billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal said the Gulf Arab kingdom needed to reduce its reliance on crude oil and diversify its revenues.

His warning comes as rising shale energy supplies in the United States cut global demand for Saudi oil.

In an open letter to his country’s oil minister Ali al Naimi and other government heads, published on Sunday via his Twitter account, Prince Alwaleed said demand for oil from Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) member states was “in continuous decline”.

He said Saudi Arabia’s heavy dependence on oil was “a truth that has really become a source of worry for many”.

He added that the world’s biggest crude oil exporter should implement “swift measures” to diversify its economy.

Prince Alwaleed, owner of international investment firm Kingdom Holding, is unusually outspoken for a top Saudi businessman.

But his warning reflects growing concern in private among many Saudis about the long-term impact of shale technology.

It is allowing the US and Canada to tap unconventional oil deposits which they could not reach just a few years ago.

Pope Francis Reaches Out to Gays
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsABC
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Pope Francis says it is not his place to judge homosexuals and they should not be marginalized, but the pontiff also condemned the gay lobby as a “serious problem”.

The remarks – made to journalists as he flew back to Rome from a trip to Brazil – appeared to be more conciliatory towards homosexuals than his predecessor Benedict XVI.

“If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?” he said.

“The problem is not having this orientation, it is lobbying. That’s the most serious problem I think.”

Pope Francis had to field questions about Battista Ricca, who was appointed by the pontiff to a key position at the troubled Vatican bank, but is embroiled in allegations that he had gay relationships with male prostitutes.

The Pope said he had ordered a “brief investigation but we found nothing on him”.

“I have not seen anyone at the Vatican who is registered as gay on his identity card. We acknowledge that there are (gays),” he said.

Nevertheless, “the catechism of the Catholic Church says clearly that we must not marginalise these people who should be integrated in the society.”

The Italian weekly L’Espresso this month reported that Mr Ricca had gay relationships during his time at the Vatican embassy of Montevideo in Uruguay as well as an affair with a Swiss guard which ultimately saw him sent back to Rome in disgrace in 2010.

He was once left badly beaten after trawling notorious gay hangouts and also had to be rescued from an elevator in which he was stuck while he was with a young gigolo he had invited to the embassy for the night.

Editors Note.....The Present Pope is preparing to swing open the doors of the Catholic Church to the whole world. When the time arrives the whole world will be invited to join the new world-wide church that is on the near horizon. What name will be given to it we do not know, we do know that it will include all the peoples of the world.

Palestine: No Jews Allowed!
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsIsrael Today - Ryan Jones
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Israeli media on Tuesday picked up on the fact that renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in Washington had gotten off to a rocky start after Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared that what he was aiming for was an independent state ethnically cleansed of all Jews.

"In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli — civilian or soldier — on our lands," Abbas told reporters in Cairo on Monday following a meeting with interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour.

The statement was a difficult one for Israelis to swallow, especially since one of Abbas' peace demands is that Israel provide thousands more work permits to Palestinian laborers and open its gates to settlement by millions of so-called "Palestinian refugees."

But that the Palestinians expect their future state to be Judenrein - cleansed of Jews - was never in doubt.

In an interview with Tablet Magazine in 2011, Palestinian Ambassador to the US Maen Rashid Areikat clearly stated that no Jew would be allowed to reside in the State of Palestine.

"Any Jew who is inside the borders of Palestine will have to leave?" Areikat was asked by interviewer David Samuels, to which the ambassador answered, "Absolutely."

Similar statements have been uttered by Palestinian officials since the launch of the peace process nearly two decades ago.

In fact, the Palestinian Authority under Abbas continues to enforce the death penalty against any Arabs who dare to sell land to Israeli Jews.

In 2012, Hebron resident Mohammed Abu Shahala was reportedly tortured and sentenced to death by the Palestinian Authority for brokering the sale of a local apartment to a Jewish family.

In 2010, a Palestinian court ruled in favor of an appeal by public prosecutor Ahmed al-Mughani requesting that anyone found guilty of selling land to a Jew automatically receive the death penalty.

Al-Mughani felt the law in its prior form had been too lax by allowing Abbas to indefinitely delay the execution of any "traitor" who had dealings with the hated Jews.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The real preconditions for peace
The first precondition that needs to be set, both by Israel and the Palestinians, covers the issue of the legitimacy of any negotiated deal. In fact, prior to any round of talks the Hamas leadership states that the Gaza-based movement will not recognize or accept any agreement which may result from the contacts between the government of Israel and Mahmoud Abbas.  

Siberia Heat: Did The Arctic Region Break A Heat Record?
According to English-language outlet The Siberian Times, temperatures of 32 degrees Celsius, or 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit, were recorded in the Siberian city of Norilsk on July 21. The average temperature in July in the region is 13.6 C, or 56.48 F.  

Pope Francis reaches out to gays
In a significant shift of stance, the Pope struck a much more conciliatory tone than traditional Vatican doctrine, which has called homosexuality “a deviation” and “an irregularity” that should preclude gay men from becoming priests.  

Obama celebrates Ramadan: ‘Islam has contributed to the character’ of US
Obama late Thursday celebrated Ramadan with a traditional dinner in the State Dining Room, saying that throughout the nation’s history, “Islam has contributed to the character of our country.” In remarks before the Iftar dinner, eaten by Muslims after sunset to end the day of fasting, Obama quoted from the Koran, according to a White House pool report. “As the Koran teaches, whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see its results.”  

Key military commander to testify on Benghazi — the day before his retirement
Col. George Bristol, the former commander of a task force that operated in Northern and Western Africa, will appear at a classified, members-only briefing with a House Armed Services subcommittee, congressional and Defense sources told The Hill. Republicans have been pressing the military to allow Bristol to testify.  

Why a Mideast peace deal seems far off
The contours of Israeli-Palestinian peace are clear, experts say: If only the sides summon up the will, the inevitable outcome is two states roughly along the pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as a shared capital and a finessing of the Palestinian refugee issue.  

A Saudi man has died of the coronavirus Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the Saudi Health Ministry said on Saturday, raising to 39 the number
A Saudi man has died of the coronavirus Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), the Saudi Health Ministry said on Saturday, raising to 39 the number of deaths from the SARS-like virus in the kingdom where it first emerged last year.  

VOLCANO WATCH: U.S. ranks high with active volcanoes
An updated review of the Nation’s active volcanism from 1980 through the end of 2012, however, shows that 107 eruptions occurred at 32 volcanoes (most of which are located in Alaska), and at least 41 episodes of unrest were observed at 13 volcanoes.  

Spacecraft Sees Giant 'Hole' In the Sun
A space telescope aimed at the sun has spotted a gigantic hole in the solar atmosphere — a dark spot that covers nearly a quarter of our closest star, spewing solar material and gas into space.  

Military judge set to rule in Bradley Manning case
A military judge is set to issue a verdict in the court martial of the US soldier who disclosed reams of secret documents to the Wikileaks website. Pte Bradley Manning, 25, will hear Judge Col Denise Lind's ruling at 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday. Pte Manning has acknowledged leaking the documents but denies the most serious charge of "aiding the enemy".  

IMF approves $2.29bn financial package for Greece
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s executive board has sanctioned a further €1.72bn ($2.29bn) in financial aid for Greece under its bailout package following completion of the fourth review of the country’s economic program. Under an extended fund facility (EFF) arrangement, the recent aid would bring total payments to nearly €8.24bn, or $10.94bn, while the total funding from the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank stood at €5.8bn.  

EU's Ashton meets ousted Egypt leader Mohammed Morsi
The European Union's foreign policy chief has met Egypt's ousted President, Mohammed Morsi, her spokeswoman says. Catherine Ashton visited Mr Morsi on Monday evening and held two hours of "in-depth" discussions with him.  

Syria army 'retakes' key Homs district of Khalidiya
Syrian government forces have fully captured a district that was a key rebel stronghold in the central city of Homs, state media report. The Sana news agency said the military had "restored security and stability to the neighbourhood of Khalidiya". Activists reported clashes in Khalidiya on Monday morning, but said that most of the area was under army control. The announcement comes a month after troops launched an offensive to oust rebels from Syria's third largest city.  

It’s Not What the Pope Said About Gays, It’s How He Said It
At first glance, Pope Francis’ statement on homosexuality, delivered today in an impromptu press conference aboard the papal plane, seemed to indicate a remarkable break with church tradition. “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis told journalists, as he flew from Rio de Janeiro to Rome. “The tendency [to homosexuality] is not the problem … They’re our brothers.”  

Taliban gunmen storm Pakistan prison, free hundreds
Taliban fighters disguised as police and armed with bombs and grenades broke 250 prisoners out of a Pakistan jail in a brazen overnight operation that raised serious questions over the new government's ability to combat militancy.

Do We Really Need Keystone? As Obama Dithers, Canada Moves on Other Options
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsFinancial Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

President Obama’s latest smug comments on the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline suggest the Canadian project’s odds of being approved under his watch are waning.

Thankfully, Canada hasn’t stood still while the U.S. President dithered.

So many new pipeline options have emerged that Keystone XL’s relevance is diminishing as each one gains momentum.

Sure, it will be hard to fill Keystone XL’s void and promise over the short term — perhaps a couple of years around 2016 and 2017 until new pipeline options are up and running.

But over the long-term, Canada is better off fast-tracking oil market diversification to global markets that are not beholden to U.S. anti-oil interests and that remain very motivated to buy Canadian supplies.

Two all-Canadian options — TransCanada’s Energy East project from Alberta to New Brunswick, and pipelines from Alberta to the West Coast — made big leaps forward in the past few days.

On Friday, TransCanada, the Keystone XL proponent, said it’s optimistic about its Energy East project, involving a conversion to oil service of its gas Mainline that could start delivering Alberta oil as far as New Brunswick in 2018. TransCanada said it plans to finalize agreements with prospective shippers in the next two weeks. Energy East would single-handedly replace Keystone XL, which would not be ready to move oil until 2016 even if approved by the end of the year.

Atheist Group Demands School Stop Prayer Caravan
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily Newsfoxnews.com - Todd Starnes
Uncategorized

For the past two years hundreds of people in Cullman, Ala. have voluntarily gathered on the weekend before the start of the new school year to pray on every school campus. But now a Wisconsin-based group is demanding the school system end the practice, claiming the district is forcing religion on students.

The caravan was promoted as a “time to lift our schools up to God and ask His blessings for the upcoming school year.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to Billy Coleman, the superintendent of the Cullman County Board of Education, warning him to either cancel the prayer caravan or face a possible lawsuit.

“The ‘Prayer Caravan’ is an especially egregious violation,” FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel wrote, calling the event a violation of the Constitution. “It does not matter that this event occurs outside normal school hours because prayers at other after-school events such as football games and graduations have been found unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Coleman told Fox News the event is not officially sponsored by the school district and he’s not cancelling anything.

“We’re not going to call it off,” he said. “The community has really rallied around this. It’s a way for people that believe in prayer to lift our kids up.”

Coleman, who was a pastor before being elected superintendent, said the prayer caravan will be held Aug. 10 – the Saturday before the start of the school year. He said parents, grandparents and community members gather in front of a school for about 15 minutes of prayer before getting in their cars and traveling to another campus.

“We pray outside the school,” he said. “The building is never opened. We pray out on the campus – much like they do at the annual ‘See You at the Pole’ rallies.”

Seidel said the voluntary nature of the event doesn’t matter.

Archbishop of Canterbury: Ignoring Views on Gay Marriage is 'foolish'
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsThe Telegraph - Claire Carter
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Church of England needs to acknowledge the revolution in attitudes to sexuality, the Archbishop of Canterbury said as he warned ignoring issues like gay marriage would be “foolish.”

Abbas: Palestine will be Judenrein
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily NewsINN - Gil Ronen
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas presented a racist and hateful vision of a future Palestinian state when he spoke to reporters in Cairo Monday.

“In a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli – civilian or soldier – on our lands,” he told a group of reporters, most of them Egyptians, on Monday.

“An international, multinational presence like in Sinai, Lebanon and Syria – we are with that,” he went on, referring to United Nations peacekeeping forces like UNDOF and UNIFIL.

"Israelis" or "Jews"?

Arab affairs expert Dalit Halevy explained that when Abbas speaks of “Israelis”, he in fact means “Jews." She pointed out that the PA refers to all of the Arabs who live in what they term “Palestine” – including “Israeli Arabs” – as Palestinians. There is, therefore, no distinction in the PA's approach between “Palestinians” and “Arabs,” and similarly no distinction between “Jews” and “Israelis,” when speaking of residents of the territory of the Land of Israel (“Palestine”).

Even now, Jews are not permitted to live inside the PA-controlled territory, and the sale of land to Jews is punishable by death.

It was after meeting Egyptian prime minister Adly Mansour, that Abbas laid out his vision for a the permanent status arrangement he will insist upon in the talks that opened in Washington Monday, between the Israeli delegation headed by Minister Tzipi Livni and the PA delegation headed by Saeb Erekat.

"We have already made all of the necessary concessions,” he said, adding that “eastern Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine.”

As for the idea of so-called “land swaps” in an arrangement based on the 1949 borders, Abbas said that “If there is a need to carry out limited exchanges of territories that are equal in their size and value, we are willing to discuss that, no more and no less.”

Observers note that while the future “Palestine” in the PA head's vision is apparently to be “Judenrein” (“Jew-free” in the German term employed by the Nazis) Israel will, of course, remain anything but “Arabrein." Arabs make up about 20% of the Jewish state, enjoy full equal rights and regularly elect representatives to the Knesset who openly despise the state in whose parliament they serve, support terrorists and and issue calls to their fellow Arabs to rise up against the Jewish state.

Abbas Breaks Confidentiality Pledge on Peace Talks
Jul 30th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

By the extreme statements he made Monday in Cairo on the issues before Israel-Palestinian negotiations beginning in Washington Tuesday, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was in direct breach of the secrecy pledge the parties gave US Secretary John Kerry.  Abbas declared that not a single Israeli, soldier or civilian, must remain n the future Palestinian state. "An international, multinational presence like in Sinai, Lebanon and Syria - we are with that," he said, adding "East Jerusalem is the capital of the state of Palestine ... if there were and must be some kind of small exchange (of land) equal in size and value, we are ready to discuss this - no more, no less.” As for the Jordanian border, Abbas said he stood by an understanding reached with Ehud Olmert that NATO forces could deploy there "as a security guarantee to us and them."  On the West Bank and Jerusalem, he said, “We’ve already made the necessary concessions.”