Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Syrian Army Retakes Villages Along Israel, Jordan Borders
Aug 12th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Syrian troops are slowly and quietly pushing rebels out of their southern village strongholds on the Israeli and Jordanian borders, DEBKAfile reports. In the West, government forces and Hizballah troops reinforced from Lebanon have stalled the drive the rebels launched last week into Assad’s homeland Latakia province and Allawite Mts. The rebels have demonstrated once again their inability to sustain an offensive up to strategic gains against Assad’s combined army and air force.

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 12th, 2013
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Pope urges respect between Christians, Muslims
Pope Francis departed from his prepared remarks to recall that this coming Thursday is the solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven and said on that day we will honour Her. He then said he wished to send greetings to Muslims, our brothers, throughout the world...  

India launches first home-built aircraft carrier
India has launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier on Monday, joining the world’s military elite. It comes two days after the activation of India’s first nuclear submarine, a move hailed as a "giant stride in technological capabilities.”  

Revival in America? Time to Get off the Sidelines!
First there was the removal of the Bible from public schools; then there was the legalization of abortion. And just last month the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in support of same-sex marriage. All of this has evangelical Christians hoping and praying for a spiritual revival in America. But are too many Christians sitting on the sidelines both spiritually and politically?  

Saudi prince defects: 'Brutality, oppression as govt scared of Arab revolts'
Saudi Prince Khaled Bin Farhan Al-Saud confirms reports of increased prosecution of anti-government activists and says that it’s exactly what forced him to defect from his family. He accuses the monarchy of corruption and silencing all voices of dissent and explains how the Saudi mechanism for suppression functions.  

Air Force Says Drag Acts Symbolize Gay Pride
The U.S. Air Force said that a well-known drag queen group was invited to perform on base during a “Diversity Day” celebration because drag is a “symbol of gay pride and unity. But the performance sparked outrage among some airmen who called the drag show “totally offensive and inappropriate.”  

How you're tracked digitally all day (and what you can do about it)
It's not just high-priority targets and would-be terrorists that leave a digital trail as they go about their business — millions of Americans each produce gigabytes of data associated with themselves just by walking down the street, browsing the Internet, and using their mobile phone. PRISM and XKeyscore may be in the news, but we've been tracked by other means for a long time.  

This is no way to build trust
While the headlines in Israeli newspapers have dealt extensively with the criticism leveled by the families of victims killed by the prisoners to be released, on the Palestinian side there has been no shortage of voices expressing disappointment in the make-up of the list.  

Retailers keeping tabs on consumers' return habits
It's not just the government that might be keeping tabs on you. Many retailers are tracking you, too - or at least your merchandise returns. The companies say it's all in the name of security and fighting fraud. They want to be able to identify chronic returners or gangs of thieves trying to make off with high-end products that are returned later for store credit.  

4.8 earthquake near Volcano shakes, wakes Hawaii Island
Hawaii County Civil Defense sent out a quick alert on the quake, which was at first measured at a magnitude 4.6, assuring the public that no tsunami was generated as a result.  

Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes Tibet: USGS
The epicenter of the quake, which was initially reported as magnitude 6.1, was located 89 miles south-southeast of Qamdo, Xizang Province in China. A magnitude 5.7 quake is considered moderate and capable of causing considerable damage.  

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Nearing Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh, India
As seen below the town of Tezu is has more recently experienced multiple earthquakes ; they have had four earthquakes in the past year with three of them occurring today.  

Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia - USGS
There were no immediate reports of casualties, damages or tsunami. The earthquake struck at 9:35 local time (0053 GMT), 189 kilometers of Saumlaki, Indonesia, at a depth of 92 km, the USGS said.  

Sudden Flood of Asylum Requests at U.S./Mexico Border
At the Otay crossing near the San Diego border last Monday, about 200 people coming from Mexico gained entry to the United States all using the same key phrase; they claimed they had a 'credible fear' of drug cartels. According to KSAZ FoxPheonix: So many were doing this that they had to close down the processing center and move the overflow by vans to another station.  

6.5 Magnitude Earthquake Struck Maluku Islands in Indonesia
On Monday, an earthquake measuring 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale struck the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. The Meteorlogy and Geophysics Agency said that there was no potential that a tsunami would result, as the epicenter of the earthquake was very deep. Initial reports mentioned that the earthquake was one of 6.0 magnitude, but a report in The Hindu has raised it to one of 6.5 magnitude.  

Israel names 26 Palestinian prisoners for release
Israel's government has given details of 26 long-term Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of a deal which will see peace talks resume this week. A list of names chosen by a ministerial committee was published overnight. The prisoners will be freed on Tuesday. The delay allows time for last-minute legal challenges by victims' families.  

Destruction of Israel guaranteed, ayatollah says
The ayatollah promises a restructuring of the Middle East: “Palestine will be free, have no doubt in this. … Palestinians will return there and there will be a Palestinian government … and that is based on the truth revealed by God. A new Middle East will be … an Islamic Middle East.”  

Pope Francis reaches out to Muslims at end of Ramadan
Pope Francis has urged Christians and Muslims to work together to promote mutual respect, particularly by educating new generations of believers. He greeted Muslims around the world during his Sunday blessing of pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square in Rome. He said that "our brothers'' the Muslims had just concluded their holy month of Ramadan, dedicated to fasting, prayer and alms-giving.  

Egypt pro-Morsi protest camps braced for crackdown
Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have been preparing for action from the interim authorities after reports emerged of plans to break up two protest camps. An interior ministry source said an operation would begin just before dawn. Egypt's foreign minister said the sit-ins could not continue "endlessly".  

Assange says Obama's NSA reform vindicates Snowden
Assange, the head of the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, released a statement Saturday, just a day after Obama drafted steps to reform intelligence gathering measures, CNN reported. Assange has been living in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London for over a year after losing appeals fighting extradition to Sweden for questioning in a sexual assault case.  

Egypt braces for bloodshed; police poised to end sit-ins
The military-led government gave no official statement as of early Monday, but Interior Ministry officials told The New York Times and security sources told al-Jazeera police would make their move around daylight, first completely encircling the encampments of tens of thousands of people, including women and children, at Cairo University and Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque.  

Pakistan accuses India of shelling, killing man
Pakistan accused Indian troops of shelling its territory along the disputed Kashmir border on Monday and killing a civilian, the latest in a series of allegations by both sides over the past week.  

Typhoon Utor leaves 1 dead, 23 missing in Philippines
The strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year flattened houses and triggered landslides in remote towns Monday, killing at least one person and leaving 23 others missing, authorities said. With wind gusts of 200 kilometres (124 miles) an hour, authorities said they feared many people may have died as Typhoon Utor swept across coastal and mountainous regions of the northern Philippines.  

Egypt pro-Morsi protest camps braced for crackdown
Supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi have been preparing for action from the interim authorities after reports emerged of plans to break up two protest camps. An interior ministry source said an operation would begin just before dawn. Egypt's foreign minister said the sit-ins could not continue "endlessly". But there was no sign of police activity at the camps outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in eastern Cairo and at Nahda Square, to the west.  

Israel approves nearly 1,200 more settlement homes
Israel approved building nearly 1,200 more settlement homes Sunday and agreed to release 26 long-held Palestinian security prisoners — highlighting an apparent settlements-for-prisoners trade-off that got both sides back to peace talks after a five-year freeze.  

Manila, Washington begin talks to increase U.S. troop rotations
The United States and the Philippines begin formal negotiations this week to increase rotational presence of U.S. forces in the former U.S. colony, deploying aircraft, ships, supplies and troops for humanitarian and maritime security operations.  

On Closed Embassies, the Worldwide Travel Alert, and Wimpitude
In April, the city of Boston was effectively under military curfew because two terrorists were on the loose. Now, fears of al-Qaeda attacking has led the U.S. government temporarily to close 21 U.S. embassies in Muslim-majority countries and then issue a worldwide travel alert announcing that “Terrorists may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests. U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure.”  

Israel to Free 26 Convicted Palestinian Terrorists
Aug 12th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

A ministerial committee headed by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon Sunday night approved the release of 26 Palestinians serving life sentences for murdering Israelis. This was the first batch of 104 long-term prisoners Israel agreed to free in order to facilitate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’s entry into peace talks. Fourteen will be transferred to the Gaza Strip and 12 to the West Bank. The names, dates and victims of their crimes were published. Victims’ families petitioned the High Court against the releases but were overruled. Wednesday, Israel’s Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat meet in Jerusalem to begin talks.

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Goes Underground, Hides Command Structure in Gaza
Aug 12th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

On July 22, debkafile revealed that a group of six Muslim Brotherhood officials escaped from Egypt after the July 3 overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi in a military coup and smuggled themselves into the Gaza Strip to lead an uprising against the military. The group was headed by Mahmud Izzat Ibrahim, known as the Brotherhood’s “iron man” and fourth in rank in its hierarchy after Supreme Guide Muhammed Badie.

The fugitives set up a command post at the Gaza Beach Hotel for operations against Egyptian military and security targets in collaboration with Hamas and armed Al Qaeda-linked Salafist Bedouin in Sinai. The group planned their revolt to spread quickly out from Sinai to Egypt proper and topple the interim rulers in Cairo.
Western intelligence agencies following the inner workings of the Muslim Brotherhood have since discovered that the Brotherhood’s plans are a good deal more high-powered than first thought.

According to debkafile’s intelligence sources, the movement never dismantled its clandestine paramilitary underground. Its hidden commanders manipulated front politicians from the shadows under three Egyptian presidents and continued to do so after the Brotherhood was elected to power in Cairo in 2012. 
At all times since then, the Brothers stood ready to step in should their Freedom and Justice Party leaders be ousted and sent back to prison. “Supreme Guide,” Mohammed Badie was therefore no more than an obedient front for the Muslim Brotherhood’s real leader, who was until now Mr. X.
It now transpires that he is none other than Mahmoud Izzat Ibrahim, who is firmly at the helm and running the show both in Sinai and Cairo from the Gaza Beach Hotel, under the auspices of the Palestinian Hamas rulers.
He plans to confront with violence every action ordered against the Brotherhood by Defense Minister, Gen. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

While conducting a war of terror against military targets in Sinai, Izzat Ibrahim’s orders keep thousands of followers maintaining their sit-in protests in Cairo for their president's reinstatement. They are determined to leave the military no option but to use force to disperse them.
Ibrahim's goal is to lead his movement into a bloody confrontation with the military.
Gen. El-Sisi, for his part, knows that the Brotherhood’s underground command center in the Gaza Beach Hotel must be destroyed in order to beat its war of resistance.

For effective action in the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian military needs help from Israel’s Defense Forces, just as the IDF needs the Egyptian army to counteract the al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists in Sinai who are dedicated to attacking Israel as well as Egypt.

This tacit interdependence and the interchanges against a shared enemy shot into prominence over two incidents. The first was the two-hour closure Thursday, Aug. 8 of Eilat airport at Israel’s southernmost tip, following an Egyptian intelligence tip-off over a missile threat from Sinai.  Then Friday, Aug. 9, foreign sources reported that two missiles fired by an Israeli drone in North Sinai destroyed a missile launcher and killed four or five terrorists at Ajarah.
Israel never confirmed this attack. The impression it made was quickly overlaid with conflicting reports. Egyptian officials initially attributed the Israeli drone attack to intelligence cooperation between the two armies. An Al-Qaeda group in Sinai, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, accused Israel of killing four of its members by a drone strike and vowed vengeance. debkafile reported that the attack may not have been conducted by Israel but Egyptian authorities, which preferred to disavow an operation carried out on the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.
Finally, Sunday, the Egyptian military reported that its operation against armed groups in the Sinai believed to have been plotting attacks on security forces and other targets was ongoing. At least seven people were killed over night and six arrested in a raid.
The Egyptian military statement went on to report that the raid followed an air strike by the Egyptian military on Friday, which saw at least four people killed. The assault on Saturday happened when Apache helicopters hit areas south of Sheikh Zuwaid in north Sinai, according to Egyptian state media.

Israel’s Defense minister commented: “The Egyptian army is fighting first and foremost to defend Egyptian citizens and sovereignty. We will not let rumors and speculation impair the peace relations between our countries.”

Cairo Braces for Crackdown on Pro - Morsi Protest Camps
Aug 12th, 2013
Daily Newsdebkafile
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Egyptian security forces are expected to go into action Monday to break up the two protest sit-ins encamped at two sites in the capital since Mohamed Morsi was ousted last month. The protesters have refused to negotiate a quiet dispersal. Sandbags fortify their camps and sentries guard entries, while inside facilities are available for entire families. The police plan to create cordons around the tent cities to block supplies of food and water. The Muslim Brotherhood and inmates say they are determined to withstand any blockade.