Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

UN Launches Probe Into Alleged Israeli Crimes in Gaza After 650 Deaths
Jul 24th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Age
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Geneva: The United Nations on Wednesday launched an international inquiry into human rights violations and crimes that may have been committed by Israel during its military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The UN Human Rights Council condemned the Israeli assault which it said had involved "disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks", including aerial bombing of civilian areas, collective punishment, and the killing of more than 650 Palestinians.

At the end of an emergency session, the 47-member forum adopted a resolution presented by Palestinians by a vote of 29 states in favour, 1 against (the United States) with 17 abstentions (including all nine European Union members).

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Eviatar Manor, listens to a statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council at the UN headquarters in Geneva. Photo: AP

"We came here to try to achieve together with you at least minimum justice for children who are being dismembered, for women whose bodies are lying in the streets, to find some justice for those who are being exterminated," said Ibrahim Khraishi, ambassador of the Palestinian observer mission to the UN in Geneva.

Israel and its ally United States rejected the probe, calling it one-sided and counterproductive amid efforts to clinch a ceasefire. Israel has observer status at the talks.

Israel ambassador Eviatar Manor, in remarks before the vote, told the forum: "Why does this Council believe that naming and shaming Israel will get it anywhere?

"Throughout the entire escalation of events, Israel has always acted with maximum restraint, fully committed to international law in general and the laws of armed conflict."

Israel had established its own special commission of inquiry "with a scope beyond what is required under international and criminal law," Mr Manor said.

"Hamas is the aggressor. Hamas is the one committing war crimes ... Open your eyes to reality," he said.

Possible war crimes

UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay said that Israel may have committed war crimes by killing civilians and shelling houses and hospitals during its offensive in Gaza that began on July 8.

She also condemned the firing of rockets and mortars by Palestinian militants into Israel, saying such acts also constitute breaches of international law.

Ms Pillay, citing cases Israeli air strikes and shelling hitting houses and hospitals in the crowded coastal enclave, said: "These are just a few examples where there seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes.

"Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated," she said.

Ms Pillay, a former UN war crimes judge, said that any warning by Israel to Gaza residents ahead of strikes must be "clear, credible and allow sufficient time for people to react".

Gaza fighting continued to rage on Wednesday, displacing thousands more Palestinians in the battered territory as US Secretary of State John Kerry said indirect truce talks between Israel and Hamas had made some progress.

The Geneva forum convened the special one-day session at the request of the Palestinians, Egypt and Pakistan.

Israel, which accuses the Council of bias, boycotted the Geneva forum for 20 months, resuming co-operation in October.

Its envoy Mr Manor defended Israel's air strikes and ground assault on Gaza as being necessary to defend the Israeli people.

The Council "cannot be supportive of an organisation that is no different than al-Qaeda, ISIL (Islamic State), Boko Haram, Hezbollah and other extreme radical Islamist organisations that negate the very essence of human rights," Mr Manor said.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki hit back, accusing Israeli forces of perpetrating "heinous crimes" by destroying whole neighbourhoods and killing entire families.

The UN aid agency OCHA said at least five entire families, with 36 people, had been killed in the past few days.

The United States said that Mr Kerry was seeking to secure an immediate ceasefire based on the November 2012 ceasefire agreement. US ambassador Keith Harper, calling for a vote, said that the resolution was "destructive" and a "political and biased instrument".

"Once again, this Council fails to address the situation in Israel and in the Palestinian territories with any semblance of balance. There is no mention of indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas into Israel or the tunnels used to cause mayhem," he said.

MH17 Crash: Ukraine Rebel Commander Acknowledges Fighters Had Buk Missile System
Jul 24th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Sydney Morning Herald
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Donetsk, Ukraine: A powerful Ukrainian rebel leader has confirmed that pro-Russian separatists had an anti-aircraft missile of the type Washington says was used to shoot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and it could have originated in Russia. The admission was refuted almost immedialy in Russian media.

In an interview with Reuters, Alexander Khodakovsky, commander of the Vostok Battalion, acknowledged for the first time since the airliner was brought down in eastern Ukraine on Thursday that the rebels did possess the BUK missile system and said it could have been sent back subsequently to remove proof of its presence.

A video still purportedly showing the BUK-M1 system being transferred by rebels back to Russia, according to the Ukraine Security Service. Photo: Ukraine Security Service

However, Russian media quickly put out a report that Khodakovsky had denied making the admission. RIA Novoski quoted a "source close to the commander" saying he did not say anything of the sort, and claimed to have a recording of the conversation to back it up.

Before the Malaysian plane was shot down, rebels had boasted of obtaining the BUK missiles, which can shoot down airliners at cruising height. But since the disaster the separatists' main group, the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk, has repeatedly denied ever having possessed such weapons.

Since the airliner crashed with the loss of all 298 on board, the most contentious issue has been who fired the missile that brought the jet down in an area where government forces are fighting pro-Russian rebels.

The trail of smoke left by a missile after it was fired by a the BUK-M1 system at MH17 by pro-Russia rebels, according to the Ukraine Security Service. Photo: Ukraine Security Service

Khodakovsky blamed the Kiev authorities for provoking what may have been the missile strike that destroyed the doomed airliner, saying Kiev had deliberately launched air strikes in the area, knowing the missiles were in place.

"I knew that a BUK came from Luhansk. At the time I was told that a BUK from Luhansk was coming under the flag of the LNR," he said, referring to the Luhansk People's Republic, the main rebel group operating in Luhansk, one of two rebel provinces along with Donetsk, the province where the crash took place.

"That BUK I know about. I heard about it. I think they sent it back. Because I found out about it at exactly the moment that I found out that this tragedy had taken place. They probably sent it back in order to remove proof of its presence," Khodakovsky told Reuters on Tuesday.

This file picture shows a Russia's air defence system Buk-2M armoured launcher vehicle at the Red Square in Moscow during Victory Day parade on May 9, 2013. Photo: AFP

"The question is this: Ukraine received timely evidence that the volunteers have this technology, through the fault of Russia. It not only did nothing to protect security, but provoked the use of this type of weapon against a plane that was flying with peaceful civilians," he said.

"They knew that this BUK existed; that the BUK was heading for Snezhnoye," he said, referring to a village 10 km west of the crash site. "They knew that it would be deployed there, and provoked the use of this BUK by starting an air strike on a target they didn't need, that their planes hadn't touched for a week."

"And that day, they were intensively flying, and exactly at the moment of the shooting, at the moment the civilian plane flew overhead, they launched air strikes. Even if there was a BUK, and even if the BUK was used, Ukraine did everything to ensure that a civilian aircraft was shot down."

Civilian flight

Washington believes that pro-Russian separatists most likely shot down the airliner "by mistake," not realising it was a civilian passenger flight, US intelligence officials said.

The officials said the "most plausible explanation" for the destruction of the plane was that the separatists fired a Russian-made SA-11 - also known as a BUK - missile at it after mistaking it for another kind of aircraft.

US President Barack Obama's administration has said it is convinced the airliner was brought down by an SA-11 ground-to-air missile fired from territory in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

Other separatist leaders have said they did not bring the Malaysian plane down. Russia has denied involvement.

Khodakovsky is a former head of the "Alpha" anti-terrorism unit of the security service in Donetsk, and one of the few major rebel commanders in Donetsk who actually hails from Ukraine rather than Russia.

There has been friction in the past between him and rebel leaders from outside the region, such as Igor Strelkov, the Muscovite who has declared himself commander of all rebel forces in Donetsk province.

Khodakovsky said his unit had never possessed BUKs, but they may have been used by rebels from other units.

"The fact is, this is a theatre of military activity occupied by our, let's say, partners in the rebel movement, with which our cooperation is somewhat conditional," he said.

"What resources our partners have, we cannot be entirely certain. Was there (a BUK)? Wasn't there? If there was proof that there was, then there can be no question."

Khodakovsky said it was widely known that rebels had obtained BUKs from Ukrainian forces in the past, including three captured at a checkpoint in April and another captured near the airport in Donetsk. He said none of the BUKs captured from Ukrainian forces were operational.

While he said he could not be certain where the BUK system operating on rebel territory at the time of the air crash had come from, he said it may have come from Russia.

"I'm not going to say Russia gave these things or didn't give them. Russia could have offered this BUK under some entirely local initiative. I want a BUK, and if someone offered me one, I wouldn't turn it down. But I wouldn't use it against something that did not threaten me. I would use it only under circumstances when there was an air attack on my positions, to protect people's lives."

He added: "I am an interested party. I am a 'terrorist', a 'separatist', a volunteer ... In any event, I am required to promote the side I represent, even if I might think otherwise, say otherwise or have an alternative view. This causes real discomfort to my soul."

Let the Headlines Speak
Jul 24th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Rep. Jordan to IRS on Lost Emails: ‘You Guys Were Never Going to Tell Us Until We Caught You’
My theory is this, Mr. Koskinen, you guys were never going to tell us until we caught you,” Jordan said. Jordan explained that the committee first “caught” the IRS after a series of events which started with Judicial Watch’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the IRS. Judicial Watch found that there was a collaboration going on between the Justice Department (DOJ) and the IRS, namely that Lerner had communicated with the DOJ about “whether it was possible to criminally prosecute certain tax-exempt entities.”  

What Happened to the Sunken City of Cuba?
"50,000 years ago there wasn't the architectural capacity in any of the cultures we know of to build complex buildings." A specialist in underwater archaeology at Florida State University added "It would be cool if they were right, but it would be real advanced for anything we would see in the New World for that time frame. The structures are out of time and out of place."  

Islamists planning imminent attack in Norway: police
"We have information indicating that a terrorist action against Norway is planned to be carried out shortly, probably within days," Benedicte Bjoernland, the director of the Police Security Service, the police's intelligence unit, said.  

Sanctions Could Push Russia Into Recession
Even before the U.S. announced tough new sanctions last week, Russia’s economy was already in trouble. After 15 years of strong growth driven by higher commodity prices, the economy is now on the edge of recession.  

Group Warns UN Treaty on Persons with Disabilities Can Override Will of Parents
A Christian homeschooling organization is warning that a UN treaty approved this week by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee may threaten the rights of American parents to make their own decisions about their child’s care if that child is disabled. On Tuesday, the Committee voted 12-6 in favor of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The vote was mostly along party lines, with the exception of Republican Sens. John McCain (AZ) and John Barrasso (WY), who approved of the proposal.  

Sudanese woman spared death for apostasy arrives in Rome
A Sudanese woman who was spared a death sentence for converting from Islam to Christianity and then barred from leaving Sudan flew into Rome today on an Italian government plane, officials said.  

Egypt army prevents 2 attacks on Israel near border
Egyptian military sources said that Egyptian troops killed a "suicide bomber" who tried to approach the Israeli border near Kerem Shalom military base on the border on Wednesday night. The sources told Ma'an that the army also destroyed a vehicle loaded with Grad missiles shortly before they were launched towards Israeli territory.  

Earthquakes Are Rising in Oklahoma, and Insurance Is Booming
Earthquakes used to be rare in Oklahoma, a handful per year or so. Not anymore. So far this year, the state has experienced some 2,300 earthquakes, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey, an average of more than 11 per day.  

Hezbollah Talks Big but Bows Out of the Gaza War
Hezbollah boss Hassan Nasrallah made a phone call to Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal on Monday and vowed to support “the resistance in Gaza in any way necessary.” Then Nasrallah, whose fame has spread far and wide over the years as the head of the Iranian-backed Lebanese “Party of God,” called Palestinians Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Salah to talk about maintaining close diplomatic ties in the fight against Israel. But here’s the real message from Nasrallah: Hamas, you’re on your own.  

Glenn Greenwald Suggests There's a Second NSA Leaker
Glenn Greenwald, one of the journalists who has worked closely with exiled whistleblower Edward Snowden to reveal the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance programs, says there may be a second leaker providing the NSA’s secrets to the press.  

MERS Virus Found in Air in Camel Barn
Genetic fragments of the deadly MERS virus were detected in the air of a barn where an infected camel was kept, a new study says. The findings show the need for further studies to determine if Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) can be transmitted through the air, the researchers said.  

Clouds spark quake fears
Meteorologists have dismissed rumors Beijing could be rocked by an earthquake following sightings of translucent clouds in the city on July 22, the Beijing News reported. Qiao Lin, director of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, said the cloud formation indicated the weather would be hot and damp.  

Increased Earthquake Risk Along New Madrid Fault, USGS says
USGS says the New Madrid Fault, which runs through a number of midwestern states, has been identified as an area that has potential for larger and more powerful quakes than previously thought.  

Air Algerie plane 'disappears' with 116 on board: live
Air Algerie plane with 110 passengers and six crew loses contact with air traffic control and disappears from radar after taking off from Burkina Faso on flight to Algeria. ...An Algerian aviation official has told Reuters that the last contact Algerian authorities had with the missing Air Algerie aircraft was at 0155 GMT when it was flying over Gao, Mali.  

Feds Spending $10 Million to Build Robot Companions for Children
The National Science Foundation has committed $10 million to build robots that will act as “personal trainers” for children, in an effort to influence their behavior and eating habits. The government has spent $2.15 million so far for the five-year project, which is being led by Yale University... “Robots Helping Kids,” will ultimately “deploy” robots into homes and schools to teach English as a second language, and encourage kids to exercise.  

Jihadi cleric calls for Muslim fighters to join the fighting in Gaza
A new jihadi media outlet called Al-Fawaris released a video calling on Gazans to endure the military operation, saying that victory looms and that Muslims all over the world support them. According to...MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute) Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor, the video also features jihadi cleric Abu hareth Al-Maqdisi threatening Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, saying his demise is coming soon.  

Militants 'kill 60' in ambush on Iraq prison convoy
Suicide attackers have mounted a bomb and gun attack on a prison convoy in Iraq, killing 51 prisoners and nine police officers, security sources say. Roadside bombs exploded as the convoy was taking the prisoners from the town of Taji to the capital Baghdad 24km (15 miles) away, justice ministry and medical sources told Reuters. Gunmen opened fire and a battle ensued with security forces, AFP reports.  

Sudan 'apostasy' woman Meriam Yahia Ibrahim flies to Italy
A Sudanese woman who was spared a death sentence for renouncing Islam has flown to Italy after more than a month in the US embassy in Khartoum. Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag and her family were met in Rome by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who said: "Today is a day of celebration." There was global condemnation when she was sentenced to hang for apostasy.  

Iraq: al-Maliki rejects Iran's urging to step down
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected an attempt by Iran to persuade him to step down, senior Iraqi politicians said Wednesday, underlining his determination to defy even his top ally to push for a third term in office and further exacerbating the country's political crisis.  

MH17 crash: Ukraine rebel leader denies having Buk missile
A leader of pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine has told the BBC that his forces do not possess the Buk missile thought to have been used to to bring down Malaysia airlines flight MH17. Alexander Borodai, prime minister of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said that evidence that showed otherwise was "fake".  

Iran's supreme leader calls for end to 'murderous' Israeli regime
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday called for a referendum canvassing the Arabs and Jews that live in Israel in order to end the "Zionist state", but said until such a vote could be held, armed resistance was necessary.  

Great Crash of 2016, third $10 trillion loss this century
Sometime after the Great Crash of 2016, Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen will be testifying before Congress, just like Alan Greenspan was forced to do in 2008. She will be explaining why America has already had three megacrashes in the 21st Century, each draining roughly $10 trillion, each a direct result of Federal Reserve policy failures. She will be forced to explain why the Great Crash of 2016 was a clone of the bank credit crash of 2008 and the 2000 excesses.  

Atlantic City’s Credit Rating Cut Two Steps to Junk by Moody’s
Atlantic City, New Jersey, the gambling hub that’s been pummeled by regional competition in the U.S. Northeast, had its credit rating cut two levels to speculative grade by Moody’s Investors Service.  

Hamas tactics exact high toll in Israeli ground thrust
Using tunnels, mines, booby traps and snipers, Hamas fighters have inflicted record casualties on Israeli troops waging an offensive in the Gaza Strip, applying years of training in urban warfare with a new tactical acumen and suicidal resolve.  

Jewish Groups Praise Obama on LGBT Worker Rights Expansion
Jul 24th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

President Obama signs executive order extending work protection rights to LGBT employees of federal contractors, as Rabbi David Saperstein (l), director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, looks on at the White House on July 18 2014. (Hadar Susskind/ Bend the Arc via JTA)