Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

You are Being Tracked: How Cities Use Licence - Plate Scanners to Create Vast Databases
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsNational Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Ted Rhodes / Calgary HeraldParking Enforcement officer Mitch Dahl scans a vehicle's licence plate. 

Calgary resident Linda McKay-Panos doesn’t venture downtown often, but a city database knows where and when she parked her car during 10 visits over the past four years.

Each day, parking enforcement officers drive the city’s streets in cars equipped with cameras designed to scan licence plates and identify parking scofflaws. Even if no violation has been committed, the city still holds on to data showing the time and location the vehicle was spotted, as well as a photo of the vehicle.

As use of licence-plate scanning technology grows in Canada among bylaw enforcement agencies and police departments there is no consistency as to how long such data is retained or who it’s shared with.

It doesn’t matter that there are positive intentions behind this. It’s a surveillance system

While some agencies scrub their systems of so-called “non-hit” data daily, others hold on to that data for several years or indefinitely. Some agencies share the data they collect with police investigators, while others require a warrant.

Privacy advocates are worried.

In the U.S., some private companies are using the technology to amass giant databases of historical vehicle sightings and sharing that information with police, private investigators, insurance companies, banks and others.

The technology is becoming a “mass surveillance” tool and demands better oversight, said Christopher Parsons, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab specializing in technology and privacy issues.

“It doesn’t matter that there are positive intentions behind this. It’s a surveillance system,” he said.

Use by parking enforcers

McKay-Panos, executive director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, allowed Postmedia News to file a freedom-of-information request for her parking records.

The records mailed to McKay-Panos showed the date, time and address or parkade where she parked. One time, she was visiting her doctor, she recalled. Another time it was the courthouse. Yet another time she was delivering a presentation on privacy.

“That’s a lot of information about me. I don’t understand why they would need to keep it,” she said. “The more you keep, the more likely the wrong person gets their hands on it.”

Calgary Parking Authority officials explained that six vehicles scan an average of 20,000 licence plates daily. At the end of each day, the scanned plates are checked against a database to confirm payment was made. (The city does not use metered parking, only pay-by-licence plate parking).

Ted Rhodes, Calgary HeraldLinda McKay-Panos is upset that her personal driving information has been tracked by the Calgary Parking Authority through the use of it's ParkPlus system.

The system is also being used to help police. Each morning, Calgary police provide the parking authority with a list of licence plate numbers associated with stolen vehicles.

At the end of each day, the parking authority will run that list of stolen plates against all plates that were scanned that day, plus all plates scanned the previous 29 days. If there’s a match, police will be notified. The city says about eight to 10 stolen vehicles are recovered monthly.

On occasion — about three times a year — police go to the parking authority with a request to search for a specific licence plate. For these special requests, the parking authority will search its entire database of scanned plates, which goes back seven years.

“The police, for very good reason, don’t give us a lot of detail. In fact, the times I’ve been involved, they haven’t told us what the crime is. They kind of keep it under wraps,” said Miles Dyck, the city’s parking enforcement manager.

Even if police have a reason to sift through the stored data, the fact that the data consists of plate information belonging to people who are innocent of wrongdoing is troublesome, Parsons said.

“I don’t think people go around their daily lives with the expectation that my movements are going to be monitored because at some point in the future I may be of interest to the police.”

The City of Guelph, whose bylaw enforcers also use licence plate readers, takes a different stance. If police want to see if the city’s licence plate readers have scanned a particular plate in the past, they have to file a formal request or come with a warrant, said Doug Godfrey, the city’s manager of bylaw compliance. No such request has been made, he said.

He also noted that data related to “hits” are stored for one year, while “non-hit” data are deleted after three days. “We’re very privacy conscious,” he said.

The municipality of Whistler, B.C., also uses licence plate readers. Unless there is a violation, data is purged after 24 hours, said municipality spokeswoman Claire Piech. If police ever asked for access to the database, she said, “we would decline.”

The Calgary Parking Authority is now conducting a privacy impact assessment of its ParkPlus System, spokeswoman Shelley Trigg said.

Uses by police

In a growing number of cities, police cars are also being equipped with licence-plate scanners.

The RCMP first adopted the technology in B.C. in 2006. Today, 47 RCMP and municipal police vehicles across B.C. have them.

In December, the Ontario Provincial Police announced they were expanding the number of vehicles with the devices from four to 27. RCMP and municipal police across Saskatchewan will soon have 20 vehicles with the technology. Winnipeg police expect to have five by year’s end.

Other agencies, such as the Ottawa Police, are studying it.

How a “hit” is triggered varies by agency. RCMP in B.C. and Saskatchewan, as well as the Ontario Provincial Police, check scanned plates against federal and provincial databases containing licence plates associated with stolen vehicles, suspended drivers and wanted individuals. In Winnipeg, police use the technology to identify stolen cars and suspended drivers, but not wanted persons.

If somebody wants to go fishing, come with a court order

If a scanned plate matches a plate on these “hot lists,” the officer will be alerted to the “hit” and could pull the vehicle over. Data associated with a “hit” is stored for two years in B.C. and five years in Ontario.

Scanned plates that don’t trigger a “hit” are scrubbed from computers at the end of each shift or day in B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario.

“Collecting personal information for law enforcement purposes does not extend to retaining information on the suspicionless activities of citizens just in case it may be useful in the future,” B.C’s privacy commissioner wrote in a 2012 report.

But in Winnipeg, both “hit” and “non-hit” data are stored indefinitely.

“We haven’t deleted any data yet. It is kept in a database,” said Staff Sgt. Rob Riffel. “Only the program manager, one of my patrol sergeants, has access to it.”

Riffel couldn’t say why the data is stored so long.

Might investigators be tempted to poke around in the stored licence-plate data to see if a particular vehicle was spotted in the past?

Cpl. Robert McDonald, spokesman for the B.C. RCMP’s traffic division, said it’s possible, but querying the data must be approved by an officer in charge and be related to an active investigation.

Harry Alkema, project manager for the OPP’s communications and technology services bureau, said querying the system is not automatic.

“If somebody wants to go fishing, come with a court order,” he said.

Winnipeg police said the only time they searched all the plates the agency had ever scanned was when a citizen filed a freedom-of-information request to see if their plate was among them.

It wasn’t.

South of the border

Privacy worries recently forced the Department of Homeland Security to shelve plans to develop a national licence-plate tracking system using data collected from commercial and law enforcement plate readers. Officials had intended to use it to catch fugitive illegal immigrants, the Washington Post reported.

In December, police in Boston suspended the use of licence scanners after a Boston Globe investigation revealed questionable data management, including the accidental release of more than 69,000 plate numbers that had triggered “hits.”

To call attention to the use of licence plate readers, the American Civil Liberties Union has created a website with the ominous warning “You are being tracked.”

Some private U.S. companies are now using the technology to create huge databases of scanned licence plates and sharing that information with police, private investigators, insurance companies, banks and others.

One company, TLO, which was recently acquired by TransUnion, claims to have amassed a database of over one billion vehicle sightings. TransUnion spokesman Clifton O’Neal said the data is collected from a “third party vendor” but he would not say who.

Another company, Digital Recognition Network of Texas, was more open. CEO Chris Metaxas said the company’s vehicle sightings database relies on a network of “hundreds” of repossession agents in cities across the U.S. whose vehicles are equipped with automated licence plate readers.

Licence plates are metadata; they contain no personal information and carry no expectation of privacy, he said. Metaxas said the database helps police solve major crimes and financial institutions recover assets. “I believe these advocates are promoting misinformation and trying to scare people,” he said.

So far, his database does not include vehicle sightings from Canada, but he says he is working on it.

Yellowstone Volcano: Supervolcano Eruption Would Last for Many Months, Possible Even
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsEpoch Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

An eruption of the Yellowstone National Park supervolcano could last for over a year.

The park sits on top of the world’s largest active volcano, which erupted around 640,000 years ago and sent ash across most of North America.

The two other recorded eruptions are 1.3 million and 2.1 million years ago.

While discussing the effects of an eruption, supervolcano scientist Bob Smith told NBC that an eruption could last for a long time.

“These giant eruptions in Yellowstone – the supervolcano, if you wish — probably last many, many months, maybe even years,” Smith said.

The story also discussed news that is actually six months old–that Smith and other scientists discovered that the magma pool underneath the volcano is about 2.5 times larger than previously thought.

This map from the U.S. Geological Service shows the range of the volcanic ash that was deposited after the biggest of the Yellowstone National Park eruptions around 2.1 million years ago. “These eruptions left behind huge volcanic depressions called “calderas” and spread volcanic ash over large parts of North America,” it said. “If another large caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Thick ash deposits would bury vast areas of the United States, and injection of huge volumes of volcanic gases into the atmosphere could drastically affect global climate.”

They found that the cavern stretches for more than 55 miles. ”We’ve been working there for a long time, and we’ve always thought it would be bigger… but this finding is astounding,” Smith, who is a professor at the University of Utah, told BBC at the time.

The team used a network of seismometers to map the gigantic chamber.

“We record earthquakes in and around Yellowstone, and we measure the seismic waves as they travel through the ground,” said Dr. Jamie Farrell, also of the University of Utah.

“The waves travel slower through hot and partially molten material… with this, we can measure what’s beneath.”

One theory is that eruptions happen every 700,000 years ago, but Smith said more data is needed to back that theory up.

“If we were to have another big eruption, it would affect a large area, on the order of several states,” Smith said. “But, as I said, that probability is very, very, very, very small. In my calculations, it’s .0001 percent.”

White House Condemns Gaza Rocket Fire
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest

Reuters

The White House on Tuesday strongly condemned the incessant rocket fire from Gaza towards Israel and reiterated that Washington supports Israel’s right to self-defense.

"We strongly condemn the continuing rocket fire inside of Israel and the deliberate targeting of civilians by terrorist organizations in Gaza," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement.

"No country can accept rocket fire aimed at civilians and we support Israel's right to defend itself against these vicious attacks," he added.

Earnest joined several foreign European dignitaries who earlier on Tuesday condemned the wave of rocket fire engulfing Israel, after the IDF launched Operation Protective Edge the previous night.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague condemned the rocket fire on Israeli civilian population centers, but stopped short of calling those firing the lethal projectiles at citizens "terrorists."

"I condemn the firing of rockets into Israel by Gaza-based militants. The UK calls on Hamas and other militant groups to stop these attacks," stated Hague.

Also commenting on the situation Tuesday was EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen, who visited southern Israel where he expressed "unreserved solidarity" with the embattled Israeli civilians living under constant rocket fire.

"Indiscriminate shooting of rockets against innocent civilians can never be a legitimate response," said Faaborg-Andersen.

Earnest’s comments on Tuesday were made a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, and asked him to “act with restraint” in his response to Hamas's pounding of southern Israel.

With that, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said that the U.S. supported Israel's right to defend itself.

“We condemn the firing of missiles at Israel and support Israel's right to defend itself,” said Psaki.

Reports: Israel Bombs Targets East of Gaza City, Ceasefire Dead
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Israeli airstrike in Gaza

Reuters

Hamas's official website reported Tuesday that an Israeli drone has attacked targets east of Gaza City, according to Walla. The Maariv/NRG website also reported that Israel has attacked targets in eastern Gaza.

If true, this is the first Israeli attack in Gaza following the failed cease fire declaration.

According to the IDF, at least 35 rockets have been fired on Israel since 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, when an Egyptian-brokered truce was meant to come into effect. A direct hit was scored on a house in Ashdod but no one was injured. Two rockets were intercepted around 1:00 p.m. over the Shefelah coastal plain region. 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a message to Hamas Tuesday in a press conference, according to which the IDF operation in Gaza will continue and be widened, unless Hamas stops firing at Israel.

"If Hamas rejects the ceasefire, we will have international legitimacy to restore the necessary quiet,” he said, some three hours after the hour set for the ceasefire passed, only to be followed by more rockets from Hamas.

"The goal of the operation was and remains to restore quiet while delivering a harsh blow to Hamas. We have hit them very hard and we foiled attempts to terrorize Israel's population. We heeded the Egyptian offer in order to give a chance to demilitarization of the Gaza Strip by diplomatic means. If Hamas rejects this – and it looks that way – Israel will have all the legitimacy to restore quiet,” he added.

Israel accepted the truce in a surprise move Tuesday morning, after Hamas categorically rejected the notion of a ceasefire Monday night.

Record Cold Chills Midwest As Northwest Bakes
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsUSA Today
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Polar vortex or not, it is chilly

(Photo: USA TODAY)

Parts of the Midwest and Plains are getting a brief preview of September and October this week, as temperatures in many areas are dipping from 10 degrees to as much as 30 degrees below average.

Whether the chilly air is from the polar vortex or not -- a raging debate within the meteorological community over the past few days -- temperatures Tuesday morning could dip to record low levels (in the low 50s) in cities such as Chicago, Kansas City and Omaha, the Weather Channel predicts.

"Baseball fans watching Monday's Home Run Derby and Tuesday's All-Star Game at Target Field in Minneapolis may feel like they should be tailgating for a Minnesota Vikings football game in September," says AccuWeather meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.

The core of the cool air will spread across the Great Lakes Tuesday through Wednesday, holding high temperatures in the 60s and lower 70s, Pydynowski reports.

By Wednesday morning, temperature records could fall in 30 cities, including Cincinnati, Des Moines and Madison, Wis. The chill should ease by week's end, however.

The Northwest won't be seeing any of the cool air, though, as a heat wave could lead to record high temperatures across the region.

Temperatures in Seattle should be in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees through mid-week, according to the Weather Channel. As of July 12, the city is in 2nd place for its warmest July on record, with temperatures averaging over 5 degrees above-average.

Highs above the 100-degree mark are likely in some locations in the Columbia River Basin, including Boise, Idaho, and Medford, Ore.

Netanyahu: If Rockets Don't Stop, Operation will Widen
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu

Haim Tzach/GPO

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a message to Hamas Tuesday in a press conference, according to which the IDF operation in Gaza will continue and be widened, unless Hamas stops firing at Israel.

"If Hamas rejects the ceasefire, we will have international legitimation to restore the neeeded quiet,” he said, some three hours after the hour set for the ceasefire passed, only to be followed by more rockets from Hamas.

"The goal of the operation was and remains to restore quiet while delivering a harsh blow to Hamas. We have hit them very hard and we foiled attempts to terrorize Israel's population.

"We heeded the Egyptian offer in order to give a chance to demilitarization of the Gaza Strip by diplomatic means. If Hamas rejects this – and it looks that way – Israel will have all the legitimacy to restore quiet,” he added.

According to the IDF, at least 22 rockets have been fired on Israel since 9:00 am. 

Sirens have sounded in Sderot, the Eshkol region, Ashkelon, Ashdod and S'dot HaNegev (12:08 pm; again at 12:18 and 12:23 pm). 

Sirens also sounded in Rehovot and Yavne (12:24 pm), as well as up north - Zihron Ya'akov, Carmel, Haifa, Menashe areas (12:30 pm). 

Sirens sounded for a third time in the Hof Ashkelon area, at roughly 11:45 am. 

Earlier, sirens rang throughout Sderot, Sha'ar HaNegev, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Hof Ashkelon, Beit Raban, Gan Yavne, Kannot, Kiryat Malachi, Be'er Tuvia, and the Eshkol region, shortly after 11:15 am. 

Sirens sounded at 10:36 am throughout the Eshkol region. 

Sirens sounded at roughly 10:00 am in Ashkelon, throughout the Eshkol region, and in communities near Gaza. Two rockets fell in open areas in the Eshkol region; no injuries or damage have been reported. 

'Cease-Fire?'

Israel accepted the truce in a surprise move Tuesday morning, after Hamascategorically rejected the notion of a ceasefire Monday night. 

"A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don't cease fire and then negotiate," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told AFP.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zahri reiterated this Tuesday morning.

Netanyahu Promises 'Great Force' Until Hamas Stops Rockets
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Binyamin Netanyahu

Flash90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the security situation in Israel on Tuesday night, threatening a full ground invasion in the event that escalation from Gaza continues.

"If Islamic Jihad and Hamas do not respond to the Egyptian[-mediated] ceasefire, I will tell the IDF to act against them with great force," he said. "And this is what we did: the IDF bombed many terror targets in Gaza, the attacks will continue."

"Hamas chose to continue the conflict and it will pay the price for it," he continued. "Anyone who tries to harm the citizens of Israel, Israel will hurt them."

"For as long as there is no cease-fire, we will respond with fire [of our own]," Netanyahu added.

The Prime Minister vowed to take all necessary measures to protect Israeli civilians. 

He added that "this campaign has several fronts: the operational front, the political front and the home front. We operate in accordance with our determination, judgment and experience to protect Israeli citizens." 

"It would be better to resolve it politically but Hamas does not leave us any other choice but to expand and intensify the campaign," he continued. "We will act to restore peace to the citizens of Israel." 

Netanyahu also implied that the operation, which is finishing up its eighth day, will only intensify.

"These are moments when decisions must be made patiently and not recklessly, and I know you trust me to arrive at the decision that would bring peace," he said.  "We will do everything necessary to ensure that calm will return to Israeli citizens."

Hamas and Islamic Jihad fired more than 100 rockets on Israeli civilians on Tuesday, despite Israel's agreement to adhere to an Egyptian-brokered truce deal early Tuesday morning. Hamas categorically rejected the cease-fire in multiple statements, insisting that the terms of the agreement 'did not apply' to them. 

The latest volley of rockets left one Israeli dead, a 38 year-old man serving food to soldiers near the Gaza border. 

The Israeli Air Force responded by launching 30 airstrikes on terrorist targets in Gaza. 

Nearly 50 Rockets Rain Down on Israel Since Egyptian 'truce'
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Scene of a rocket strike in Ashdod

Reuters

According to the IDF, at least 47 rockets have been fired on Israel since 9:00 am Tuesday, when an Egyptian-brokered truce was meant to come into effect. A direct hit was scored on a house in Ashdod but no one was injured. Five rockets were fired at Rishon Letzion and intercepted.

Between 10:00a.m. - 11:00 a.m., four rockets hit open areas outside the Eshkol region. No injuries nor damage were reported. Sirens rang in the Eshkol region, Ashkelon, and communities near Gaza.

Between 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., the Iron Dome shot down at least two missiles over Ashdod, and sirens rang in Sderot, Sha'ar HaNegev, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Hof Ashkelon, Beit Raban, Gan Yavne, Kannot, Kiryat Malachi, Be'er Tuvia, and the Eshkol region.

Since 12:00 p.m., sirens sounded in Sderot, the Eshkol region, the Shefelah, Ashkelon, Ashdod and S'dot HaNegev; rocket fire was also spreading northward, with sirens in Rehovot, Yavne, Zihron Ya'akov, Carmel, Haifa, and Menashe. At least two rockets hit in Eshkol; no injuries or damage reported. 

Since 1:00 p.m., sirens have sounded in the Shefelah coastal plain region and in Ashdod. 

'Cease-Fire?'

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a message to Hamas Tuesday in a press conference, according to which the IDF operation in Gaza will continue and be widened, unless Hamas stops firing at Israel.

"If Hamas rejects the ceasefire, we will have international legitimacy to restore the necessary quiet,” he said, some three hours after the hour set for the ceasefire passed, only to be followed by more rockets from Hamas.

"The goal of the operation was and remains to restore quiet while delivering a harsh blow to Hamas. We have hit them very hard and we foiled attempts to terrorize Israel's population.

"We heeded the Egyptian offer in order to give a chance to demilitarization of the Gaza Strip by diplomatic means. If Hamas rejects this – and it looks that way – Israel will have all the legitimacy to restore quiet,” he added.

Israel accepted the truce in a surprise move Tuesday morning, after Hamas categorically rejected the notion of a ceasefire Monday night. 

"A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don't cease fire and then negotiate," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told AFP.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zahri reiterated this Tuesday morning.

"The idea of ​​disarmament is not subject to discussion," he said, adding that "the Palestinians are on occupied land, so it has a legitimate right to resist." 

In a statement issued around the same time, Hamas said it did not consider itself obliged by the Egyptian proposal.

"Because we were excluded from the consultations for this (truce) initiative, we are not obliged to abide by it," it said.

Meanwhile, an IDF spokesperson indicated to Walla! News shortly after the rocket fire that - truce or not - the IDF may enter Gaza after the attack on the Eshkol region. 

"We are prepared to enter Gaza," he said. He added that the cease-fire agreement only stipulated that Israel would hold back fire if Hamas followed suit.

"All the options and related programs from Operation Protective Edge are still relevant," he added.

MKs Fume Over, Welcome Cease - Fire With Hamas
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Binyamin Netanyahu at cabinet session

Israel news photo: Flash 90

The Security Cabinet agreed to a cease-fire mediated by Egypt Tuesday morning, in a move seen as highly controversial after Hamas rejected the terms of the deal over and over again. 

Meanwhile, several ministers are outraged over the Cabinet decision, fuming that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has "folded" to Hamas terror. 

"We were willing to pay a heavy price to complete the most significant achievements yet against Hamas," Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud) stated Tuesday morning. "There is no cosmetic facelift to a mistake like this." 

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) stated just before the agreement earlier Tuesday that the arrangement would be a major blow to Israel's security and political standing. 

"I am against a cease-fire," Katz said. "Under the circumstances, we can do a lot better." 

'We have not removed the threat of rocket fire completely, and we have not eliminated the Hamas elite," he continued. "If we were successful [in this], the world would give us a standing ovation." 

"No one has any doubts that it's only a matter of time before they return to firing missiles on Israel," Housing and Construction Minister Uri Ariel Jewish Home) stated. "We need to crush the serpent's head and let it rest - and there is no doubt that the residents of Israel will regret the lack of political ability to take on such a courageous decision." 

"The Cabinet decision is bad for Israel," Deputy Education Minister Avi Wortzman (Likud) added. "The ministers' decision constitutes a weak protest against Likud and Yisrael Beytenu." 

"It is sad to see those who have high words but take weak actions," he continued. "A cease-fire today will bring another war tomorrow." 

Security through peace talks?

Several leftist ministers and MKs, however, welcomed the cease-fire as the first step toward resuming peace talks. 

"If the government does not know to translate the ceasefire into a means of reshaping Israel's political foundations, it will be meaningless, and will result in more escalation and another conflict," Opposition Leader Yitzhak Herzog (Labor) stated Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, Netanyahu will not use years of silence to bring about an agreement [with the Palestinians], and it's time we stop with the endless loops of conflict; we must understand that the only solution to preserve Israel's political security is a peace agreement." 

Other leftist MKs jumped on the "peace talks" bandwagon as well. 

"This is a good and logical completion of a successful operation," MK Shelly Yechimovich (Labor) stated in the truce's wake. "The IDF and Israeli society demonstrated resilience, strength, and cohesion."

"Netanyahu showed composure, spirit, and responsibility in this operation, and was good to counter the threats and demands of [Economics Minister Naftali] Bennett and [Foreign Minister Avigdor] Liberman," she continued. Bennett and Liberman were the only two ministers to reportedly reject the cease-fire.

"Now, after demonstrating Israel's power, is the time to return to the negotiating table with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and strive for a two-state agreement."

Others are convinced that the truce is an indication that Netanyahu's policies are changing. 

"[Netanyahu] made the decision to stop the operation from the understanding that there is nothing like the elimination of potential terrorist infrastructure through force," Meretz Chairman Zehava Gal-On insisted. "He has currently forced Hamas to honor its agreements."

"Along with the ceasefire, the Israeli government must create economic incentives, and introduce moderate political elements, to prevent rocket fire from Gaza in the future," she continued, echoing 'conditions' set by Hamas terrorists themselves. "The framework should include lifting the blockade on Gaza and providing more humanitarian relief, as well as opening the Rafah crossing."

Minister Warns: Cease - Fire to Put Political Pressure on Israel
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Troops amassing at the border with Gaza

Flash 90

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) strongly vetoed Egypt's offer for a ceasefire Tuesday, speaking as the Security Cabinet was in the midst of meeting over the future of Operation Protective Edge against Hamas. 

"I am against a cease-fire," Katz said. "Under the circumstances, we can do a lot better." 

Katz noted that the issue is a matter of Israel's long-term security needs. 

'We have not removed the threat of rocket fire completely, and we have not eliminated the Hamas elite," he stated. "If we were successful [in this], the world would give us a standing ovation." 

"Ending the operation this way would put heavy political pressure on Israel," he continued.

Egypt offered a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to begin at 9:00 am IST on Tuesday; the Israeli Political-Security Cabinet is currently holding an emergency hearing on the offer. 

Meanwhile, Hamas categorically rejected the offer. 

"A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don't cease fire and then negotiate," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told AFP Monday night.

Earlier Monday night, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group would not agree to any ceasefire that does not “meet the demands of the Palestinian people.”

“Today we are facing an important stage in the conflict with the Israeli occupation. Years of a blockade did not prevent our resistance from taking all possible measures to protect the Palestinian people,” he added.

“The Zionist enemy forced the war on us and planned it. Today we are fulfilling our duty to protect our people and our honor," declared Haniyeh.

But according to Katz, the refusal is a front. 

"They say that the military wing of Hamas is against a cease-fire? Nonsense!" Katz stated. "They know how to do good business."

Liberman: Gaza Operation Should End With IDF Controlling All of Gaza
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday that Israel should "go all the way in Gaza," meaning it should reoccupy the territory.

Speaking during a Knesset press conference, Liberman said that Operation Protective Edge "should end with the IDF controlling all of Gaza."

The foreign minister said that such a move was the only way of properly dealing with Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror.

He said that even had Tuesday's short-lived ceasefire succeeded in holding, it would only constitute a break until the next round of fighting. Such a break would allow Hamas to create more rockets and develop more tunnels for carrying out terror attacks, Liberman said.

Let the Headlines Speak
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Damage Reported In Downtown Harrah Following Earthquakes
HARRAH, Oklahoma - Minor structure damage is being reported in downtown Harrah following two early morning earthquakes. News 9 viewers across the metro and the Harrah area have called and e-mailed us to say the quakes jolted them out of bed this morning and knocked personal belongings off walls and shelves.  

Israel’s new idea: Three states for two peoples
As Egypt-brokered draft cease-fire agreement takes shape, Netanyahu has gone from trying to kill Hamas’ Khaled Meshal to looking to partner with him in Gaza.  

Iran could accept deal to halt nuclear program for seven years, FM says
Iran is offering to hold off from expanding its uranium-enrichment program for about seven years in negotiations with six world powers, Tehran's foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said in remarks published by The New York Times Tuesday.  

‘We are giving all of our privacy for just the possibility of a little bit of safety’
Both governments believe that the best way to maintain control of their citizens and, to give them some credit, try to prevent future terrorist attacks, is to watch everything.  

Wisconsin Scientists Find Genetic Recipe To Turn Stem Cells To Blood
The ability to reliably and safely make in the laboratory all of the different types of cells in human blood is one key step closer to reality.  

People Are Undergoing Extreme Body Modifications In Order To Look More Like The Devil?
In recent years, the popularity of tattoos and body piercings has soared, but now there are thousands of people around the globe that are taking body modification to ridiculous extremes. For example, would you be willing to have your tongue split in two so that you could have a forked tongue? What about getting eyeball tattoos or having titanium horns implanted in your head? To most people, doing such things would be unimaginable, but there is a growing subculture of individuals out there that truly seem to enjoy “pushing the envelope” and seeing what is possible.  

Snowden files: Manipulating polls, netting from LinkedIn, YouTube in GCHQ bag of tricks
The UK's spy agency has developed a number of crafty tools to monitor and comb the web, planting false information when necessary, Glenn Greenwald said while disclosing a fresh batch of Snowden's files.  

The world's first photonic router
Weizmann Institute scientists have demonstrated for the first time a photonic router – a quantum device based on a single atom that enables routing of single photons by single photons. This achievement, as reported in Science magazine, is another step toward overcoming the difficulties in building quantum computers.  

3D Tattoos: The Bizarre Body Art Trend That Is Spreading Across America Like Wildfire
Would you like to have a picture of a 3D demon exploding out of your chest? Would you like to make it look like an exquisite piece of art was carved out of your right leg? Would 3D-Tatoo-Leg-300x300you like to see the shock on people’s faces when they think that a real scorpion is sitting on your shoulder or a real snake is crawling down your back?  

BLANK SUN
Ten days ago, the sun was peppered with large spots. Now it is nearly blank. This image taken on July 15th by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a solar disk almost completely devoid of dark cores.  

Crisis of faith at CDC after latest blunder: It somehow shipped a deadly strain of bird flu to a poultry lab
CDC workers had somehow shipped a dangerous strain of avian influenza to a poultry research lab run by the Department of Agriculture. Known as H5N1, the virus had killed more than half of the 650 people who had been infected with it since 2003.  

BRICS bank: 5 emerging powers to announce alternatives to IMF, World Bank
Fed up with U.S. dominance of the global financial system, five emerging market powers this week will launch their own versions of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.  

Californians Unprepared for Large-Scale Earthquakes
In a series of web videos, a trained emergency responder “ambushes” residents in Southern California to find out how prepared they are for a large earthquake. The videos are a different take on preparedness education after a recent survey revealed that less than 35 percent of Californians have learned how to make their house secure.  

5.3-magnitude earthquake strikes Palu
A 5.3-magnitude earthquake reportedly hit the city of Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday, at 10:37 a.m. local time (GMT+8), though no tsunami warning was issued.  

Ukraine and Russia edge closer to war amid accusations of cross-border attacks
Russia and Ukraine lurch closer toward open warfare on Monday as both countries accused each other of lethal cross-border attacks including the downing of a Ukrainian plane, and Moscow appeared to resume a build up of troops on its south-western frontier. The Russian government warned Ukraine could face “irreversible consequences” in response to cross border shelling that killed one person on Sunday...  

Neo-Nazis, Islamists declare 'You Jews are beasts' during protest of Israeli operation
A demonstration in Frankfurt against Operation Protective Edge erupted into violence, with protesters tossing stones at the police. ...about 2,500 protesters appeared in downtown Frankfurt, screaming “God is great,” and slogans such as “freedom for Palestine” and “children-murderer Israel.” ...One sign at the rally was titled, “You Jews are Beasts.”  

Endless wave of illegal immigrants floods Rio Grande valley
Life jackets...and the occasional punctured raft are strewn along the banks of the Rio Grande, just south of Mission, Texas, where a relentless onslaught of illegal immigrants eagerly surrender to beleaguered Border Patrol... It’s a cycle for which there is no end in sight. “You're going to be out here a long time,” Fernando...told FoxNews.com... “There are thousands of us."  

Afghan market car bomb 'kills 89' in Paktika province
At least 89 people have been killed in a car bomb explosion at a busy market in eastern Afghanistan's Paktika province, the defence ministry says. Officials say the attacker drove a 4x4 vehicle into the market in Orgun district and detonated the explosives. The market was crowded, full of people doing their shopping at the time of the attack.  

WTO rules against US in trade spat with China and India
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has found the United States violated global trade rules when it imposed tariffs on products from China and India. In response to a 2012 complaint, the WTO said the US improperly imposed tariffs on Chinese steel and solar panels. In a separate ruling, it said the US must change the way it imposes tariffs on India steel products.  

Kerry slams Hamas for bucking ceasefire with Israel
US Secretary of State John Kerry blamed Hamas for powering through a ceasefire with Israel, brokered by the Egyptian government and accepted by Israel's cabinet Tuesday morning. At least 35 rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire was set to begin, mere hours ago.  

Philippines braces for floods, slides from typhoon
A tropical storm strengthened into a typhoon Tuesday as it hurtled toward the northeastern Philippines, prompting disaster-response authorities to evacuate thousands of people from villages prone to floods and landslides.  

Church of England votes "yes" to women bishops
The Church of England voted on Monday to allow women to become bishops, a historic decision which overturns centuries of tradition in a Church that has been deeply divided over the issue. Two years ago, a similar proposal failed narrowly due to opposition from traditionalist lay members, to the dismay of modernisers, the Church hierarchy and politicians.  

China tells U.S. to stay out of South China Seas dispute
China told the United States on Tuesday to stay out of disputes over the South China Sea and leave countries in the region to resolve problems themselves, after Washington said it wanted a freeze on stoking tension.  

New rocket attack on Tripoli airport
Libya's main international airport has been hit by a new rocket attack a day after fighting forced it to close. At least one person has died and six have been injured at Tripoli airport, and 12 planes have been damaged in the attack. A government spokesman said Libya was considering calling for international forces to help re-establish security.  

Ukraine says Russian army officers fighting alongside rebels
Ukraine accused Russian army officers on Monday of fighting alongside separatists in the east of the country and said Moscow was once more building up its troops on the joint border.  

Bodies found north of Baghdad as Sunni insurgents turn on each other
Residents of a town north of Baghdad found 12 corpses with execution-style bullet wounds on Monday following fighting between rival Sunni insurgents that could eventually unravel a coalition which has seized much of northern and western Iraq.  

IMF Warns ECB Credibility At Risk Over Deflation Paralysis
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Telegraph
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The main thrust of QE should be through sovereign bonds, given the shortage of liquid assets and the taboo on buying equities Photo: Alamy

IDF Renews Strikes in Gaza After Hamas Ceasefire Violations
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Rocket fire from Gaza

Flash 90

The Israeli Air Force has renewed its strikes on terrorist positions in the Gaza Strip, following Hamas's refusal to accept an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and escalation in rocket fire towards Israeli civilians.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon ordered the IDF to act with force against Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions within the Islamist-held territory.

Witnesses reported at least one strike in Gaza City and Nusseirat in central Gaza, and another in Khan Yunis, to the south, according to AFP.

"Hamas has fired 47 rockets since we suspended our strikes in Gaza at 9:00 am. As a result, we have resumed our operation against Hamas," the IDF said on its official Twitter account.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Peter Lerner echoed those statements on his own Twitter account.

"Following six hours of indiscriminate rocket fire at Israel, the IDF (army) has resumed operational activities against Hamas," he said.

Earlier Tuesday, the IDF denied reports circulated by Hamas's official website that an Israeli drone has attacked targets east of Gaza City.

According to the IDF, more than 40 rockets have been fired on Israel since 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, when an Egyptian-brokered truce was meant to come into effect. A direct hit was scored on a house in Ashdod but no one was injured. Two rockets were intercepted around 1:00 p.m. over the Shefelah coastal plain region. 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a message to Hamas Tuesday in a press conference, according to which the IDF operation in Gaza will continue and be widened, unless Hamas stops firing at Israel.

"If Hamas rejects the ceasefire, we will have international legitimacy to restore the necessary quiet,” he said, some three hours after the hour set for the ceasefire passed, only to be followed by more rockets from Hamas.

"The goal of the operation was and remains to restore quiet while delivering a harsh blow to Hamas. We have hit them very hard and we foiled attempts to terrorize Israel's population. We heeded the Egyptian offer in order to give a chance to demilitarization of the Gaza Strip by diplomatic means. If Hamas rejects this – and it looks that way – Israel will have all the legitimacy to restore quiet,” he added.

Israel accepted the truce in a surprise move Tuesday morning, after Hamas categorically rejected the notion of a ceasefire Monday night.

Hamas Spokesman Rejects Ceasefire Proposal
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hamas terrorists in Gaza (file)

Reuters

Hamas rejected Egypt’s proposed ceasefire in Gaza on Monday night, as Arab foreign ministers in Cairo called on "all parties" to accept the proposal.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said the group would not accept a truce without a fully-fledged deal to end hostilities, according to AFP.

"A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don't cease fire and then negotiate," he told the news agency.

Barhoum added Hamas had not received any official proposal and that "the weapons of the resistance are a red line."

Earlier Monday night, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group would not agree to any ceasefire that does not “meet the demands of the Palestinian people.”

“Today we are facing an important stage in the conflict with the Israeli occupation. Years of a blockade did not prevent our resistance from taking all possible measures to protect the Palestinian people,” he added.

“The Zionist enemy forced the war on us and planned it. Today we are fulfilling our duty to protect our people and our honor," declared Haniyeh.

Meanwhile, the Arab foreign ministers said in a statement they "demand all parties concerned accept the Egyptian initiative" and commit to its terms.

The Cabinet is to vote about the Egyptian proposal early Tuesday morning, and diplomatic officials said that the proposal would return the situation on the ground to the state it was before Operation Protective Edge, but with a Hamas that is much weaker than before.

Nationalist Knesset Members expressed outrage over the ceasefire, including Housing Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home), who said the proposal is “a disaster.”

Minister Ariel stressed that the ceasefire would endanger Israeli citizens. "It won’t be long before Hamas will grow stronger, smuggle more elaborate rockets and open fire again,” he warned.

Asked how he believes Israel should act now, he responded that the operation must continue, “including ground entry. We need to finish the job. Doing half a job is worse than doing nothing.”

Hamas Reiterates 'Conditions' for Cease - Fire
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hamas terrorist in Gaza (file)

Reuters

Hamas officials reiterated on Monday that a cease-fire was not on the agenda, unless Israel agreed to major concessions – including several that Israel has in the past said are non-negotiable.

Earlier Monday, Israeli officials said that they were hoping to cause long-term damage to Hamas's military infrastructure before agreeing to ceasefire talks.

Speaking to AFP, Hamas legislative member Mushir al-Masri said that “talk of a ceasefire requires real and serious efforts, which we haven't seen so far. Any ceasefire must be based on the conditions we have outlined, nothing less than that will be accepted.”

Among those conditions: An Israeli lifting of the sea blockade around Gaza, allowing free access to the sea; the reopening of the Rafah crossing into Sinai, which was closed by Egypt; and the re-release of Hamas terrorists arrested in recent weeks as the IDF rounded up suspects who may have been involved in the kidnapping and murder of Israeli teens Eyal Yifrah, Naftali Frenkel, and Gilad Sha'ar.

In Cairo, a Hamas official said a general framework of the Hamas demands had been agreed upon by all factions of the terror group. Hamas, the official said, was determined to achieve more than it did in the truce deal that ended Operation Pillar of Defense. “We need to build on the 2012 truce and move forward. We don't want to go back," he said.

Masri said that "Arab countries and Islamic countries and Western countries" were involved in discussions about a truce, but declined to give details. He said Hamas was prepared to continue fighting and ready for a “long, drawn-out battle.”

Meanwhile, Israeli officials said that Israel had its demands as well, and was unlikely to agree to a cease-fire until they were fulfilled.

Chief among them is a commitment from Hamas, with guarantees, that the terror group will not gear up for another round of attacks next year or the year after. "The Israeli government at this stage is not answering ceasefire efforts because we want to know first that we have taken away Hamas's desire to do this again in another year or six months," Finance Minister Yair Lapid told army radio on Sunday. "That's not happened yet. When it does, then we'll talk."

"The IDF (military) has hit Gaza very hard, but has not hit Hamas's armed wing hard enough," former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin told army radio, saying that so far, only around 50 of the victims were believed to belong to the Islamist movement. Others hit include Islamic Jihad terrorists and a small number of members of other terrorist groups. Several civilians have also been killed as Hamas continues to enlist "human shields" to protect its positions from IAF strikes.

"Things are moving to another stage in which it will try to exact a very high price from Hamas's armed wing and strengthen both our position in the ceasefire negotiations and our deterrence, as well as hitting Hamas's ability to become stronger after the operation," Yadlin added.

Despite the pressure, Hamas has also shown little appetite for a truce, and has rejected ceasefire proposals outright. The Islamist group insists that Israel give in to its conditions for a ceasefire, including a total end to the blockade on Gaza and the release of terrorists arrested in the IDF's ongoing crackdown on Hamas in Judea and Samaria.

Hamas Fires Rockets on Israel After Egyptian 'Truce'
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hamas terrorists fire rockets at Israel

Flash 90

Rockets have fired once again, in a large volley from Hamas in Gaza.

Sirens sounded for a third time in the Hof Ashkelon area, at roughly 11:45 am. 

Earlier, sirens rang throughout Sderot, Sha'ar HaNegev, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Hof Ashkelon, Beit Raban, Gan Yavne, Kannot, Kiryat Malachi, Be'er Tuvia, and the Eshkol region, shortly after 11:15 am. 

Sirens are sounding again at 10:36 am throughout the Eshkol region, after a volley of rockets fired less than one hour after Israel's Security Cabinet agreed to a cease-fire mediated by Egypt landed in open areas. 

Two rockets have hit in open areas. No injuries or damage were reported. 

Sirens sounded at roughly 10:00 am in Ashkelon, throughout the Eshkol region, and in communities near Gaza. Two rockets fell in open areas in the Eshkol region; no injuries or damage have been reported. 

Israel accepted the truce in a surprise move Tuesday morning, after Hamas categorically rejected the notion of a ceasefire Monday night. 

"A ceasefire without reaching an agreement is rejected. In times of war, you don't cease fire and then negotiate," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told AFP.

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zahri reiterated this Tuesday morning.

"The idea of ​​disarmament is not subject to discussion," he said, adding that "the Palestinians are on occupied land, so it has a legitimate right to resist." 

Meanwhile, an IDF spokesperson indicated to Walla! News shortly after the rocket fire that - truce or not - the IDF may enter Gaza after the attack on the Eshkol region. 

"We are prepared to enter Gaza," he said. He added that the cease-fire agreement only stipulated that Israel would hold back fire if Hamas followed suit.

"All the options and related programs from Operation Protective Edge are still relevant," he added.

Brics Bank: 5 Emerging Powers to Announce Alternatives to IMF, World Bank
Jul 15th, 2014
Daily NewsCTV News
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

In this Sept. 5, 2013 file photo, from left, Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff gestures to then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, China's President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma, as they gather for a group photo after a BRICS leaders' meeting at the G-20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.