Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

World Bank Rings Alarm Over Worst - Case Ebola Scenario
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Telegraph
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The World Bank urged the international community to help Photo: Seyllou/AFP

Under a “High Ebola” scenario, in which the virus spreads beyond the current locations to neighbouring Nigeria and Ivory Coast, the World Bank estimated the cost to these economies would be $32.6bn (£20.3bn) – or 3.3pc of the combined GDPs of the countries affected – by the end of next year.

It would also see growth across the region fall from 6.9pc last year to 5.6pc in 2014 and 4.1pc in 2015.

If the virus can be contained and managed within the three countries currently affected, this “Low Ebola” scenario would mean a $3.8bn hit.

Was Noah's Flood Global or Local?
Oct 9th, 2014
Commentarycreationmoments
Categories: Creation - Evolution

The most detailed account of Noah's Flood is given in the Book of Genesis. Here there seems little doubt that the Flood had to be truly global and not just "global" in the minds of one minor tribe of people:

All the high hills under the whole heaven were covered…the mountains were covered. And all flesh died…All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died. So He destroyed all living things…the waters were on the face of the whole earth (Gen. 7:19-23; 8:9).

If these verses are referring to just a local flood, then Noah was a fool to have spent 120 years building an enormous vessel to save himself, his family and the animals. It would have been far simpler to have moved out of the area. But Jesus and Peter were equally as foolish, since they both spoke of Noah and the Flood (Matt. 24:37; 2 Pet. 2:5; 3:1-10).

Moreover, after the Flood, God made a covenant promise with Noah and all mankind that the waters would never again become a flood to destroy all flesh (Gen. 9:11-15). There have been many local floods since, so either God has broken His covenant promise or the Genesis Flood was global.

There are 138 other accounts of a great flood of long ago in the traditions of widely diverse cultures from around the world. The details vary, but the story is essentially the same. It relates how the gods were angry with humans and destroyed them all with a flood – but allowed one man, his family, and some animals to be saved on a large vessel. These accounts existed prior to the introduction of Christianity; they are well documented and rather difficult to explain unless the event actually happened.

The physical evidence of the global nature of this Flood is abundant. The surface of the earth consists mostly of sedimentary rocks; that is, layers of rock that were at one time sediment in water. These layers contain fossils, which are the remains of once-living creatures. It is now well known that many of these sedimentary layers extend in continuous bands, some of which encircle more than half the earth. Clearly, this means that at some time in the past, half the earth's continental land masses were covered in water at the same time. The problem is referred to as "the persistence of facies."

Geology textbooks show each stratum or layer cleanly separated from the layer beneath it. But on-site inspection will often show the two strata blending together at the interface. This is known as "interbedding." The straightforward conclusion here is that strata were not laid down in sequence, with millions of years between one deposit and the next. Rather, they were laid down in rapid succession or even simultaneously. Recent laboratory work that is observable and repeatable has shown that simultaneous deposition under flood conditions does indeed leave stratified layers.

U.S. Aggressive Policy Toward Russia Could Trigger Nuke War: Nuclear Disarmament Advocate
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsRia Novosti
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

An author and nuclear disarmament advocate claimed that NATO expansion to Russia's borders was "very, very dangerous."

WASHINGTON, October 9 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown a great deal of restraint in the face of provocations by the United States and NATO directly at the Russian borders, but a conflict between the two greatest nuclear powers remains a very grim perspective, Dr. Helen Caldicott, an author and nuclear disarmament advocate told RIA Novosti.

"Putin... I think he is being very restrained at the moment," Dr. Caldicott said during a press briefing on Wednesday, adding that US attempts to create an enemy image around Putin are "totally inappropriate."

While many analysts have compared the current relationship between the United States and Russia to the days of the Cold War, there has been little attention paid to the possible threat of a nuclear exchange, according to Caldicott who was a respected anti-nuclear weapons activist and lobbyist throughout the 1980s.

"Of the 16,300 nuclear weapons in the world, Russia and America own 94 percent," she said, arguing that NATO expansion to Russia's borders was "very, very dangerous."

Caldicott called for nuclear disarmament and a greater effort to educate the public and younger generations of the risks posed by nuclear weapons.

"A nuclear war, that will be the end of everything. And we've known that forever," she stressed.

Currently both the United States and Russia are engaged in upgrading their nuclear arsenals, which have been largely degraded since the end of the Cold War.

According to a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office, the United States is expected to spend about $355 billion over the next ten years to upgrade and modernize the nuclear triad.

In Russia, defense officials and publications have announced the goal of upgrading and modernizing 98 percent of the strategic missile force by 2021.

Spanish Nurse May Have Been Infected With Ebola By Touching Face With Contaminated Gloves
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Age
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Infection scene: Madrid's Hospital Carlos III where the nurse infected with Ebola worked. Photo: AFP

Madrid: A Spanish nurse, who is the first person to contract Ebola outside Africa, may have touched her face with the gloves of her protective suit while caring for a priest who died of the disease, a doctor treating her said.

The nurse, Teresa Romero, was being treated for the deadly infection at a Madrid hospital while Spanish officials launched an investigation into how she contracted Ebola despite strict protocols for handling contagious patients.

The virus, which the World Health Organisation said had killed 3879 people by October 5 in West Africa since March in the largest outbreak of the disease on record, causes haemorrhagic fever and is spread through direct contact with body fluids from an infected person.

Risky patient: Miguel Pajares was transferred from West Africa to Spain after contracting Ebola. Photo: Reuters

A Liberian man who was the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the United States died in hospital on Wednesday and the US government has ordered extra screenings at five major airports.

The World Health Organisation said it saw no evidence of the disease being brought under control in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, with neighbouring countries being told to prepare for the disease to spread across their borders.

Britain said it was sending extra troops, aircraft and a naval vessel to Sierra Leone to help stem the spread. The deployment will see 750 military personnel help set up treatment centres and a training facility. Three helicopters and a 100-bed naval hospital will also be sent to the region.

Flew from Liberia: Thomas Eric Duncan, the first patient in the US diagnosed with Ebola, has died. Photo: AP

While Ms Romero is the only confirmed Ebola case in Spain aside from two priests who contracted the disease in Africa and died, more than 50 other people who may have had contact with the virus in the country are being monitored, including primary health care and hospital staff, European officials said.

"She has talked to me about the gloves, she touched her face with the gloves. That's what she remembers and what she has told me three times," German Ramirez, one of the doctors at Carlos III hospital where the nurse is being treated, said on Wednesday.

The nurse took leave from work immediately after Spanish missionary Manuel Garcia died on September 25. Wearing a full protective suit, she had entered the priest's room once while he was alive and once after his death to clean the room.

"I believe the error was made when taking off the suit," she told Spain's El Pais newspaper. "I see that as the most critical moment, when something could have happened. But I'm not sure."

Health worker union officials said Ms Romero alerted hospital staff three times to say she had a fever and a rash, but because her temperature had not gone above 38.6 degrees the hospital did not see her as a risk.

Ms Romero found out she had the disease by looking at the news online while she was waiting for the result of her test, she told Cuatro television station.

"I asked the doctor for the result and he didn't answer in a very clear way and that's when I started to suspect," adding she then looked at her phone to find there was a positive case of Ebola in Spain.

Health authorities on Thursday put down the dog, a labrador-type breed called Excalibur, who lived with the nurse and her husband in a suburban Madrid flat, saying it posed a biological risk and there was evidence dogs could carry the virus.

The couple are two of six people under observation in the sealed-off sixth floor of the hospital in Madrid. The rest of the people, including other nurses who cared for the infected priests, have initially tested negative for Ebola, health authorities said.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy defended his country's health authorities and urged people not to panic. He said the investigation into how the infection had occurred was a priority and was still under way.

Satellite Photos Reveal Massive Damage At Suspected Iran Nuke Facility
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Times of Israel
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

2004 satellite image of the military complex at Parchin, Iran (photo credit: AP/DigitalGlobe - Institute for Science and International Security)

Following Monday’s mysterious blast at a suspected Iranian nuclear facility east of Tehran, satellite imagery obtained by Israel’s Channel 2 and Israel Defense magazine Wednesday claimed to show extensive damage at the site.

Images of the facility taken Tuesday, a day after the reported explosion which killed at least two people at the secretive Parchin plant, showed that several buildings at the location sustained heavy damage and some even collapsed, Channel 2 reported.

The photos “clearly show damage consistent with an attack against bunkers in a central locality within the military research complex at the Parchin military compound,” Israel Defense wrote.

The images were taken by the French satellite Pleiades the morning following the blast, the source of which remains unknown.

Screenshot from Israel Defense showing satellite images of the Parchin site east of Tehran before and after Monday’s explosion at the suspected nuclear facility on October 8, 2014.

Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported Monday that the explosion occurred at a defense ministry plant east of Tehran for the production of explosives.

The Defense Industries Organisation, quoted by IRNA, said the fire broke out at the plant on Sunday night but it gave no further details.

The BBC, citing a report from the semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), reported on Monday that the incident happened in an “explosive materials production unit” at the site south-east of the capital Tehran.

According to ISNA, the blast was so powerful it shattered windows up to 12 kilometers away and the glare from the explosion lit up the night sky.

Several arms facilities and military bases are located east of the Iranian capital, including Parchin. UN nuclear inspectors have been seeking to visit the site to answer concerns about Iran’s atomic program.

The base lies at the center of allegations of past Iranian research into sophisticated explosives that can be used to detonate a nuclear warhead.

Tehran, which has denied inspectors access to Parchin since 2005, insists its nuclear program is for purely civilian uses. Israel and the West fear Iran is seeking to attain nuclear weapons.

In August Iran reiterated that it will not allow IAEA inspectors to visit the site.

Satellite Evidence Proves Explosion in Iran's Parchin Took Place
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Aerial view of Parchin site

Reuters

Satellite evidence has been received that refutes the denials of the Iranian government regarding this week’s mysterious explosion at the military compound in Parchin, Israel Defense reported on Wednesday.

Satellite images of the area, to the east of Tehran, prove that the explosion reported by the Iranian media had, indeed, occurred inside the military compound in Parchin, where, according to western intelligence agencies, trials are being conducted on nuclear missile fuzes.

Satellite images obtained by the Israel Defense website and analyzed by specialist Ronen Solomon clearly show damage consistent with an attack against bunkers in a central locality within the military research complex at the Parchin military compound.

The locality in question is situated at the center of the compound, adjacent to another installation where, according to intelligence sources, the trials being conducted involve controlled detonation of fuzes intended to serve as triggers for nuclear devices.

The locality consists of a sizable testing center and what appears to be an area with bunker-shaped structures. "Before and after" images indicate that a complete section of structures was simply eliminated by an unexplained explosion, according to the website.

The explosion wiped several testing units off the face of the earth while inflicting collateral damage on adjacent buildings, with traces of fire clearly visible in a section located in a sparsely afforested area.

The images, taken by the French satellite Pleiades at a 0.5 meter resolution on the day following the reports at 07:30 a.m., also show vehicles – probably fire trucks, at the scene.

At least two people, among them an unnamed "nuclear expert", were killed in Monday’s explosion at the compound, though official Iranian sources said that there had been an “incident,” but not an explosion.

The sources added that there was no nuclear work being done at Parchin.​

Iran has refused to allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to access Parchin since 2005, and both opposition figures and others have accused the regime of using the site to house an illegal nuclear weapons program.

Last month, Israel's Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said he had "reliable information" that Parchin was being used for secret tests of technology that could be used only for detonating a nuclear weapon.

Report: Blast At Iran's Parchin Nuclear Plant Was Sabotage
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Today's Headlines

A section of the Parchin military facility in Iran

Reuters

Kuwaiti newspaper A-Rai reported Thursday that the explosion that took place earlier this week at the Iranian nuclear site in Parchin was not the result of a malfunction, but an intentional act of sabotage.

The report relies on European diplomatic sources in Washington, DC, who said that a foreign country carried out the attack in order to foil experiments in the mounting of nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles.

The report also said that Iran asked its proxy Hezbollah to carry out the bomb attack Tuesday in which two Israeli soldiers were hurt at Har Dov, in response to this attack on Parchin.

Photos published by Israel Defense show satellite images of a location in the Parchin site before and after Monday's blast. The photos show extensive damage to several buildings, at least one of which seems to have completely disappeared.

The locality in question is situated at the center of the compound, adjacent to another installation where, according to intelligence sources, the tests being conducted involve controlled detonation of fuses intended to serve as triggers for nuclear devices.

The explosion at Parchin killed at least two people, one of whom was an unnamed "nuclear expert", according to Iranian media reports.

Report: 10 Isis Fighters Arrested Crossing Southern Border
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsBreitbart
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

US Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) reported that Border Patrol agents told him that ten ISIS fighters were caught trying to cross the southern border on Tuesday’s “On the Record” on the Fox News Channel.

“ISIS is coming across the southern border” he said. And “at least ten ISIS fighters have been caught coming across the Mexican border in Texas,” knowledge he stated was from his conversations with Border Patrol agents.

He added that “if they [the Border Patrol] catch five or ten of them, then you know there’s going to be dozens more that did not get caught by the Border Patrol.”

Hunter further declared “if you want to protect Americans from ISIS, you secure them from the southern border…the only way that ISIS is going to harm Americans is by coming in through the southern border, which they already have.”

Protestants to Go Slow on Same - Sex Marriage
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Washington Times
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

PLA Join Exercises With Australia, U.S.
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsChina Daily
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

SYDNEY -- Members of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) joined Australian and United States troops on Tuesday in the the first joint military exercise to be staged in Australia.

The PLA soldiers are part of Exercise Kowari, which is scheduled to run until October 25, and has been hailed as a milestone in defence co-operation between Australia, China and the US.

"Exercise Kowari 14 will provide participants with an understanding of the basic principles, procedures, techniques and equipment that can enhance survival prospects in the harsh Australian environment," Australian Defense Minister David Johnston said in a statement.

"The exercise demonstrates the willingness of Australia, China and the United States to work together in practical ways."

Ten soldiers from the Australian Army, 10 from China's People' s Liberation Army, five from the US Army and five from the US Marine Corps will take part, with a further 100 military personnel providing support in roles including liaison and logistics.

Exercise Kowari is focusing on the development of survival skills in northern Australia's harsh environment. The soldiers will learn how to find food in the rugged countryside and also identify which plants can be used for emergency medicine.

Commander of the exercise, Brigadier Peter Clay, said Australia was pleased to host the Chinese and US personnel.

"The exercise will provide some extremely challenging situations for the participants to work through, in some of the toughest terrain that Australia has to offer," he said. "The troops will have to depend on each other absolutely in order to succeed."

"Norforce, with its deep connections to indigenous communities, and unrivaled expertise in survival skills, is the ideal unit to provide this training."

The Northern Territory's home-grown, 500-strong reservist regiment, Norforce is a Regional Force Surveillance Unit of the Australian Army, which includes about half of whom are from remote indigenous communities. Its soldiers are experts in bushcraft and the Territory's harsh environment.

Let the Headlines Speak
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Proof: Virus leaving U.S. children paralyzed did come from Central America
Though the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) refuses to discuss the origin of the current outbreak of Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), the fact that emergency rooms across the country began seeing infected children around the same time as the nation's public schools were re-opening for the 2013-2014 school year, should serve as at least a clue as to how the virus made its way here.  

U.N. Liberia medic arrives in Germany for Ebola treatment
A medical official with the U.N. Mission in Liberia who tested positive for Ebola arrived in the German city of Leipzig on Thursday to be treated at a local clinic with specialist facilities, authorities said. The unidentified medic infected in Liberia is the second member of the U.N. mission, known as UNMIL, to contract the virus. The first died on Sept. 25. He is the third Ebola patient to arrive in Germany for treatment.  

Two new strange and charming particles appear at LHC
wo new particles have been discovered by the LHCb experiment at CERN's Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. One of them has a combination of properties that has never been observed before.  

Top U.S. general says Ebola outbreak coming through Central America is real threat
A top U.S. general admitted that a potential Ebola outbreak in Central America is a real threat to the United States and a scenario which could result in a mass migration across the U.S./Mexico border, as thousands would attempt to flee the deadly virus.  

The Obama Administration's Unprecedented Outburst Against Israel
The irrationality and severity of the recent rebukes of Israel by Obama, encouraging other "friends" to join in the condemnation, suggests that he remains obsessively determined to force Israel to adopt his approach. And this, despite the events of recent months and his own admission in his U.N. speech that he had hitherto erred in asserting that the Israeli-Arab conflict was a major impediment to regional stability.  

U.S. top court allows North Carolina voting restrictions
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed North Carolina's new voting restrictions, considered among the nation's most stringent, to go into effect.  

Actually, The Court Just Undercut Gay Marriage’s Inevitability
But the reality may be the opposite. The surprise judicial (in)action on this year’s “First Monday in October” means there will probably be no term-ending decision implementing gay marriage nationwide – a step most Court watchers had been expecting. In fact, the next big case asking whether there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage could come before a far more conservative court – which may rule that no such right exists.  

U.S. Fed frets over strong dollar, global woes: minutes
The minutes expressed concern the rising dollar could slow a needed rebound in inflation. They also highlighted economic turmoil in Europe and Asia, another factor behind the bank's keeping policy accommodation in place for the near future.  

'Possible Ebola Patient' from LAX Isolated in L.A. Hospital
On the same day the first Ebola patient diagnosed with the virus in the United States, Thomas Eric Duncan, was pronounced dead in Texas, news broke that an unidentified patient had been admitted to and placed under isolation in a Los Angeles hospital directly after landing at LAX from the West African nation of Liberia. Liberia is also Duncan's country of origin.  

Magnitude 5.0 Earthquake at Bárðarbunga
Two earthquakes over magnitude 4.0 have occurred during the past 12 hours, the largest, which was of magnitude 5.0, at 4:37 this morning.  

Magnitude 6.8 quake strikes near Easter Island
An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 6.8 struck off Easter Island early on Thursday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said, but added there was no threat of a tsunami.  

Earthquake in China's south-west Yunnan province leaves one dead, 324 injured
One person has died and 324 have been injured when a 6.4 magnitude struck China's south-western province of Yunnan.  

Palestinian unity government holds first Gaza meeting in 7 years
The ministers of the Palestinian unity government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, arrived in Gaza on Thursday morning to hold the government's first meeting in the Strip in seven years. Dozens of Fatah security personnel ...and policemen of the Hamas-led interior ministry in the enclave were out in force to protect Hamdallah, who did a walk-past inspection of a police guard of honor.  

Several US banks attacked by hackers who hit Chase
Several US financial institutions were targeted by the same computer hackers who breached the systems of JPMorgan Chase earlier this year, sources familiar with the matter said Wednesday. While the location of the hackers was not clear, the sources told AFP that numerous intrusion attempts were made at computer systems at major banks and other institutions.  

Turkish action against IS in Syria 'unrealistic'
Turkey's foreign minister says it cannot be expected to lead a ground operation against Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria on its own. Mevlut Cavusoglu also called for the creation of a no-fly zone over its border with Syria after talks in Ankara with new Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg. Turkey is under intense pressure to do more to help Kurdish forces fighting IS in the strategic Syrian town of Kobane.  

Kashmir: India warns Pakistan to stop 'unprovoked attacks'
India has warned Pakistan of heavy retaliation if it does not stop "unprovoked firing" in Kashmir. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said India would make it "unaffordable" for Pakistan if the attacks continued. These are the strongest comments yet from India's government on the recent escalation of tension.  

Ebola: US begins West Africa air passenger screening
Travellers from Ebola-affected countries will face increased security scrutiny at five major US airports. Passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will have their temperatures taken and have to answer questions. The new measures at O'Hare in Chicago, JFK and Newark in the New York area, Washington's Dulles, and Atlanta's airport will begin in the coming days.  

Israel must play key role in reconstructing Gaza, US says
Israel must play a central role in the reconstruction of Gaza, the United States said on Wednesday. In a press briefing in Washington, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki welcomed efforts by Israel and the Palestinians to allow the entry of much-needed aid into Gaza, following 50 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas.  

Super Typhoon Vongfong Takes Aim at U.S. Pacific Bases
Super Typhoon Vongfong — the strongest tropical cyclone of the year, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane — was moving inexorably toward Japan and one of the U.S. military's largest concentrations of manpower and firepower on the islands of Kadena and Okinawa, forecasters said Thursday morning.  

Trinity Western grad 'attacked' for being Christian in job rejection
A Trinity Western University graduate says she was “attacked” over her religion by a Norwegian wilderness tourism company, just for applying for a job. Bethany Paquette claims her application to work in Canada's North for Amaruk Wilderness Corp. was rejected because she's Christian.  

Quake of magnitude 6.8 strikes near Easter Island - tsunami warning center
An earthquake with an initial magnitude of 6.8 struck off Easter Island early on Thursday, the Pacific Tsunami Center said, but added there was no threat of a tsunami. The quake hit at 10.15 p.m. ET and was centered in an isolated spot of the southeast Pacific Ocean, around 570 km (350 miles) south of Easter Island, at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).  

Texas Man Under Observation After Potential Ebola Exposure
Sgt. Michael Monnig, an employee of the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, was taken to the hospital Wednesday amid fears that he had been exposed to the Ebola virus, the sheriff's office confirmed. Authorities later announced that Monnig was at "minimal" risk, but said they were proceeding "with an abundance of caution."  

China Just Overtook The US As The World's Largest Economy
China just overtook the US to become the world's largest economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. Chris Giles at the Financial Times flagged up the change. He also alerted us in April that it was all about to happen. Basically, the method used by the IMF adjusts for purchasing power parity, explained here.  

It Took Just 2 Sentences From The Fed Today To Make The Stock Market Go Wild
The stock market violently reversed its slide today, with the Dow gaining over 270 points, and the NASDAQ rallying over 2%. The event that made stocks take off like a rocket was the Fed minutes that came out at 2 p.m. ET. The minutes — which reflect the nature of the conversation at the Fed's last meeting — contained two critical lines.  

Kerry: Despite Tragedy Taking Place in Kobani, We Won't Alter Strategy
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

US Secretary of State John Kerry addressed the issue of the campaign being waged int the Turkish-Syrian border town of Kobani.

"What is happening in Kobani is a tragedy, and demonstrates the cruelty of the "Islamic State", but it will not alter our our strategy in confronting the IS," the Secretary stated.

Hamas Vows Fight to 'Last Drop of Blood' on Temple Mount Friday
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hamas flag on Temple Mount (file)

Flash 90

Apparently Israel's "gesture" to allow 500 Gazans to pray on the Temple Mount on the Eid al-Adha "sacrifice of Ishmael" - which fell on Yom Kippur and Shabbat - wasn't enough to appease the terrorist group Hamas.

Hamas on Thursday threatened to attack Israel on the Temple Mount, the holiest site in Judaism, this Friday during the Muslim day of rest.

"We will fight till the last drop of blood," Hamas declared in its call for Muslims to gather at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and "defend it."

That call comes shortly after Jerusalem district police decided Thursday to limit entry on Friday to Muslim visitors, allowing only men over 50-years-old out of fear of renewed riots and violence. Police added that forces will be spread out in the eastern parts of the city and the Old City from the morning to prevent rioting.

The latest round comes after Muslim rioters hurled rocks and fireworks at police on Wednesday ahead of the first day of Sukkot, wounding at least four officers.

Jordan, whose Waqf (Islamic trust) maintains de facto control over the site and forbids Jews to pray there, condemned Israel for arresting the attacking rioters.

Arab rioters likewise attacked before Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), and have recently been stepping up their violence on the holiest site in Judaism as part of a general "silent intifada" that has been hitting Jerusalem hard.

As for Hamas's threats to act on the Temple Mount, their influence on the site has already been revealed.

Shabak (Israel Security Agency) revealed in May that senior Hamas terrorists Mohammed Toameh had been captured and admitted in investigation that the group funds violent riots on the Temple Mount.

Toameh stated that Islamist groups in Israel launder Hamas cash and "donate" it to young Muslims to "study Islam" on the Temple Mount - in fact, they were earning between 4,000 and 5,000 shekels a month to throw rocks when Jews visit the site so as to block Jewish access.

Fatah and Hamas: Unity Government's First Meeting in Seven Years
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh held a press conference today (Thursday) following a meeting in the Gaza Strip today of the two factions.

They both stated that following the rebuilding of Gaza, they will hold elections. Haniyeh said that elections require an immense effort both on the side of the local residents and the authorities, as well as the rehabilitation of Palestinian institutions. Haniyeh added to his comments that the cabinet meeting which had taken place today was the first one in seven years, and this had resulted in a "split between the Palestinian peoples."

We have one government, and one regime," he declared.

Ebola Could Trigger Huge Migration Into the U.S., Says Top General
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Dailer Caller
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

If Ebola reaches South America, the U.S. border will be swamped by a huge wave of terrified migrants, says a top military commander.

“If it breaks out, it’s literally, ‘Katie bar the door,’ and there will be mass migration into the United States,” Marine Corps Gen. John F. Kelly, chief of U.S. Southern Command, said Tuesday at a speech in Washington, D.C.

“They will run away from Ebola, or if they suspect they are infected, they will try to get to the United States for treatment,” he said at National Defense University.

Liberians and other Africans are already trying to get into the United States via Mexico and other Latin American countries, he said.

In a recent visit to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Kelly met Africans trying to cross the border. On one street, a group of men “were waiting in line to pass into Nicaragua and then on their way north,” he said.

“The embassy person walked over and asked who they were and they told him they were from Liberia and they had been on the road about a week. … They met up with the [smuggling] network in Trinidad and now they were on their way to the United States — illegally, of course,” Kelly said.

If not blocked by U.S. border guards, the men “could have made it to New York City and still be within the incubation period for Ebola.”

Kelly was also pessimistic that the deadly disease can be contained within Africa. ”By the end of the year, there’s supposed to be 1.4 million people infected with Ebola and 62 percent of them dying. … That’s horrific and there is no way we can keep Ebola [contained] in West Africa.”

CDC Head: Ebola's Spread Reminiscent of Aids
Oct 9th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Director of the US Center for Disease Control, Dr. Thomas Frieden, commented that the spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa is reminiscent of the HIV  (AIDS) outbreak.

"The world needs to act quickly to ensure that the Ebola virus does not become the "next" AIDS," he said.