Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

World Parliamentarians Call for Scrutiny of UNRWA
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The Israel Allies Foundation (IAF) on Sunday will hold a meeting of parliamentarians demanding an investigation of the UN and UNRWA's management, after Hamas terrorist rockets were found numerous times in institutes of the organization in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

The meeting in Jerusalem will call for more careful scrutiny of the funding for UNRWA from its international funders, and will be attended by around 20 senior parliament members from 16 world nations.

On Sunday a tour will be held in Ma'ale Adumim to the east of Jerusalem at an aluminum factory where 200 Jewish and Arab workers work together, as well as a tour of the Psagot Winery and debate on the international boycott on Judea and Samaria industries.

On Monday, a parliamentarian panel will be held on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's reported - and immediately denied - plan to widen Gaza into Sinai. Also a speech by President Reuven Rivlin and Jewish Congress president Ron Lauder will be heard at a meal for 5,000 supporters of Israel from 90 countries at Jerusalem's new Payis Arena.

On Tuesday, a press conference will be held at the Mamila Hotel, in which the parliamentarians will present Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a letter from their countries calling for the tightening of oversight on the money sent to UNRWA.

White House Says Need to Accelerate Turkish Help in Iraq, Syria
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

WASHINGTON - The White House on Friday emphasized the importance of quickly getting Turkish military help in the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, an issue that came to the forefront this week in the Syrian border town of Kobani.

Lisa Monaco, a top national security aide to President Barack Obama, met with Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan on Friday, part of a series of US-Turkish meetings on Turkey's support for training moderate Syrian fighters.

Monaco "expressed appreciation for Turkey's support to ongoing US military operations in Iraq and Syria and underscored the importance of accelerating Turkish assistance as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS," the White House said in a statement

U.S. Says Sees Higher Chance of Islamic State Reprisal Attacks
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

WASHINGTON - The United States said on Friday that it sees a higher chance of reprisal attacks on members of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State militant group since they began air strikes against the fighters last month.

In a periodic update of its "worldwide caution" on potential threats, the State Department noted the United States and regional partners began military action against Islamic State, also referred to as ISIL, on September 22.

"In response to the airstrikes, ISIL called on supporters to attack foreigners wherever they are," it added. "Authorities believe there is an increased likelihood of reprisal attacks against US, Western and coalition partner interests throughout the world, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia."

U.S. Military Says It Conducts Airstrikes Against Islamic State in Syria, Iraq
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The US military conducted six airstrikes against Islamic State militants near the besieged Syrian city of Kobani on Friday and Saturday, US Central Command said.

The US and Dutch militaries also carried out three airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq near Tal Afar and Hit on Friday and Saturday, Central Command said in a statement.

Additionally, US forces "conducted multiple airdrops to help resupply Iraqi security forces at the request of the Government of Iraq," it said, adding the supplies of food, water and ammunition were dropped around Baiji.

Syrian Rebels Overrun Intelligence Base on Golan Heights Used to Spy on Israel
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Syrian rebel forces fighting the government of President Bashar Assad overran a military intelligence base on the Golan Heights that served as a joint Russian-Syrian forward post for information-gathering on Israel.

In a four-minute video clip which was posted on the Internet by the rebels, Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in a building in Quneitra, just near the boundary between Syria and the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

The footage shows pictures of Russian officers visiting the base as well as Russian-language maps of Israel. There are also photographs of the Russian defense minister’s top intelligence advisor as well as various other senior Russian defense and military officials having once visited the base.

The base, which goes by the name “C,” is situated on the “Tel al-Hara” hill in Quneitra.

The footage and evidence found suggests that Russian and Syrian spies used the premises to analyze raw espionage data which was gathered by troops from both countries.

One of the documents seized by FSA rebels and dated May 31, 2014 gives an order to intelligence officers at the base to “record all of the wireless conversations between the terrorist groups,” a reference to the coalition of organizations seeking to topple the Damascus government.

The FSA officer seen in the footage appealed to “all the honorable people of Russia” to urge their government to cease all cooperation with forces loyal to Assad, “who are murdering children and women and using chemical weapons against civilians.”

Supreme Court Upholds Ruling Against State Ban of Gay Marriage
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily Newswww.wayoflife.org
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

The following is excerpted from "Supreme Court Declines to Hear Gay Marriage Cases," The Christian Post, Oct. 6, 2014: "The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear appeals from five states of appellate court rulings striking down state marriage laws. The decision to not hear the cases, for now, means that Virginia, Wisconsin and Utah will begin recognizing marriages of two people of the same gender. Since the appeals courts for those states cover other states, the decision could mean that an additional six states may be required to recognize same-sex marriages, even if the voters or elected bodies of those states chose to define civil marriage as only the union of one man and one woman. The Court was petitioned by both traditional marriage supporters and same-sex marriage supporters to hear the cases. The Court could be waiting for a split decision at the appellate level before hearing the cases. So far at the appellate level, the courts have only struck down state marriage laws. There are several cases pending at other appeals courts, however. If one of those courts upholds a state marriage law, the Court will be more likely to hear the cases. The Court has until January, if it is going to take up gay marriage this term. Ryan Anderson, William E. Simon Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, criticized the Court's decision as leaving in place poor court decisions that trampled upon democratic processes, or government of the governed. 'This is an unfortunate setback for sound constitutional self-government and a setback for a healthy marriage culture,' he wrote. ... In a system of limited constitutional self-government, the people and their elected representatives should be making decisions about marriage policy...' he wrote. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a social conservative advocacy organization, also warned that the decision undermines democracy and the rule of law. 'Even more alarming,' he said, 'lower court judges are undermining our form of government and the rights and freedoms of citizens to govern themselves. This judicially led effort to force same sex "marriage" on people will have negative consequences for our Republic, not only as it relates to natural marriage but also undermining the rule of and respect for law.'"

Seeing God With the New Eyes of Contemplative Prayer
Oct 11th, 2014
CommentaryRay Yungen
Categories: Contemporary Issues

Contemplative advocates propose that there has been something vital and important missing from the church for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have been lacking something necessary for their spiritual vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now the secret key has been found that unlocks God’s full power to know Him. These proponents believe that Christianity has been seriously crippled without this extra ingredient. This kind of thinking leads one to believe that traditional, biblical Christianity is merely a philosophy without the contemplative prayer element. Contemplatives are making a distinction between studying and meditating on the Word of God versus experiencing Him, suggesting that we cannot hear Him or really know Him simply by studying His Word or even through normal prayer—we must be contemplative to accomplish this. But the Bible makes it clear that the Word of God is living and active, and has always been that way, and it is in filling our minds with it that we come to love Him, not through a mystical practice of stopping the flow of thought (the stillness) that is never once mentioned in the Bible, except in warnings against vain repetitions.

Thomas Merton said that he saw various Eastern religions “come together in his life” (as a Christian mystic). On a rational, practical level Christianity and Eastern religions will not mix; but add the mystical element and they do blend together like adding soap to oil and water. I must clarify what I mean: Mysticism neutralizes doctrinal differences by sacrificing the truth of Scripture for a mystical experience. Mysticism offers a common ground, and supposedly that commonality is divinity in all. But we know from Scripture “there is one God; and there is none other but he” (Mark 12:32).

In a booklet put out by Saddleback Church on spiritual maturity, the following quote by Henri Nouwen is listed:

Solitude begins with a time and place for God, and Him alone. If we really believe not only that God exists, but that He is actively present in our lives—healing, teaching, and guiding—we need to set aside a time and space to give Him our undivided attention.1 (emphasis mine)

When we understand what Nouwen really means by “time and space” given to God we can also see the emptiness and deception of his spirituality. In his biography of Nouwen, God’s Beloved, Michael O’ Laughlin says:

Some new elements began to emerge in Nouwen’s thinking when he discovered Thomas Merton. Merton opened up for Henri an enticing vista of the world of contemplation and a way of seeing not only God but also the world through new eyes. . . . If ever there was a time when Henri Nouwen wished to enter the realm of the spiritual masters or dedicate himself to a higher spiritual path, it was when he fell under the spell of Cistercian monasticism and the writings of Thomas Merton.2 (emphasis mine)

In his book, Thomas Merton: Contemplative Critic, Nouwen talks about these “new eyes” that Merton helped to formulate and said that Merton and his work “had such an impact” on his life and that he was the man who had “inspired” him greatly.3 But when we read Nouwen’s very revealing account, something disturbing is unveiled. Nouwen lays out the path of Merton’s spiritual pilgrimage into contemplative spirituality. Those who have studied Merton from a critical point of view, such as myself, have tried to understand what are the roots behind Merton’s spiritual affinities. Nouwen explains that Merton was influenced by LSD mystic Aldous Huxley who “brought him to a deeper level of knowledge” and “was one of Merton’s favorite novelists.”4 It was through Huxley’s book, Ends and Means, that first brought Merton “into contact with mysticism.”5 Merton states:

He [Huxley] had read widely and deeply and intelligently in all kinds of Christian and Oriental mystical literature, and had come out with the astonishing truth that all this, far from being a mixture of dreams and magic and charlatanism, was very real and very serious.6 (emphasis mine)

This is why, Nouwen revealed, Merton’s mystical journey took him right into the arms of Buddhism:

Merton learned from him [Chuang Tzu—a Taoist] what Suzuki [a Zen master] had said about Zen: “Zen teaches nothing; it merely enables us to wake and become aware.”7

Become aware of what? The Buddha nature. Divinity within all.That is why Merton said if we knew what was in each one of us, we would bow down and worship one another. Merton’s descent into contemplative led him to the belief that God is in all things and that God is all things. This is made clear by Merton when he said:

True solitude is a participation in the solitariness of God—Who is in all things.8

Nouwen adds:

[Chuang Tzu] awakened and led him [Merton] . . . to the deeper ground of his consciousness.9

This has been the ploy of Satan since the Garden of Eden when the serpent said to Eve, “ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:4). It is this very essence that is the foundation of contemplative prayer.

In Merton’s efforts to become a mystic, he found guidance from a Hindu swami, whom Merton referred to as Dr. Bramachari. Bramachari played a pivotal role in Merton’s future spiritual outlook. Nouwen divulged this when he said:

Thus he [Merton] was more impressed when this Hindu monk pointed him to the Christian mystical tradition. . . . It seems providential indeed that this Hindu monk relativized [sic] Merton’s youthful curiosity for the East and made him sensitive to the richness of Western mysticism.10

Why would a Hindu monk advocate the Christian mystical tradition? The answer is simple: they are one in the same. Even though the repetitive words used may differ (e.g. Christian words: Abba, Father, etc. rather than Hindu words), the end result is the same. And the Hindu monk knew this to be true. Bramachari understood that Merton didn’t need to switch to Hinduism to get the same enlightenment that he himself experienced through the Hindu mystical tradition. In essence, Bramachari backed up what I am trying to get across in A Time of Departing, that all the world’s mystical traditions basically come from the same source and teach the same precepts . . . and that source is not the God of the Old and New Testaments. The biblical God is not interspiritual!

Evangelical Christianity is now being invited, perhaps even catapulted into seeing God with these new eyes of contemplative prayer. And so the question must be asked, is Thomas Merton’s silence, Henri Nouwen’s space, and Richard Foster’s contemplative prayer the way in which we can know and be close to God? Or is this actually a spiritual belief system that is contrary to the true message that the Bible so absolutely defines—that there is only one way to God and that is through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice on the Cross obtained our full salvation? In my book, A Time of Departing, I endeavored to answer these questions with extensive evidence and documentation showing the dangers of contemplative prayer.

If indeed my concerns for the future actually come to fruition, then we will truly enter a time of departing. My prayer is that you will not turn away from the faith to follow a different gospel and a different Jesus but will rather stay the course and finish the race, so that after having done all you can, you will stand.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:13).

Endnotes:

1. Henri Nouwen, cited in Saddleback training book, Soul Construction: Solitude Tool  (Lake Forest, CA: Saddleback Church, 2003), p. 12.
2. Michael O’ Laughlin, God’s Beloved (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2004), p. 178.
3. Henri J.M. Nouwen, Thomas Merton: Contemplative Critic (San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row Publishers, 1991, Triumph Books Edition), p. 3.
4. Ibid., pp. 19-20.
5. Ibid., p. 20.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid., p. 71.
8. Ibid., pp. 46, 71.
9. Ibid., p. 71.
10 . Ibid., p. 29.

Scientific Hoaxs
Oct 11th, 2014
CommentaryCreation Facts
Categories: Creation - Evolution

Biogenetic Law Fraud: Ernst Haeckel was actually called before a board of examiners and chastised for fudging the data. He proposed Biogenetic Law was supported with fraudulent pictures showing similarities of human embryos to those of fish, pig, chicken,etc. This was his attempt to demonstrate our common ancestry with animals. Although discredited 100 years ago, his drawings are still in some textbooks today.

Stem Cell Fraud: South Korean stem-cell researcher, Woo Suk Hwang, was “the centre of one of  the largest investigations of scientific fraud in living memory.” Hwang was discredited by his own home research institution,  Seoul National University, for presenting fraudulent data,  Nature Reported.  ”The revelation has destroyed the best evidence so far that stem cells can be extracted from a clone matched to a specific patient. With Hwang discredited, both the field of therapeutic cloning and the public’s trust in science have suffered a serious setback.”  Nature, 1-11-2006

Piltdown Man Hoax: Perpetrated in 1912. The Piltdown Man Hoax led to erroneous pictures of mankind’s supposed ape-like ancestors in textbooks for 70+ years.

Editor’s Note: This hoax has recently been spotted as an example of evolution nearly 100 years after it was found to be one of the greatest hoaxes in history. “The significance of the specimen remained the subject of controversy until it was exposed in 1953 as a forgery, consisting of the lower jawbone of an orangutan that had been deliberately combined with the skull of a fully developed modern man.”

Scientists Invent Results: Times Online (June 4, 2009) headline reports that “One in seven scientists say colleagues fake data.” That figure applies to serious breaches of “acceptable conduct by inventing results.” The article went on to say that “46 percent say that they have observed fellow scientists engage in ‘questionable practices‘, such as presenting data selectively or changing the conclusions of a study in response to pressure from a funding source.”

ClimateGate: Washington Times (Nov 20, 24, etc. 2009) reported on potential fraud relating to global warming turned up by hackers breaking into the e-mails from the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia (UAE) in England. “Those e-mails involved communication among many scientific researchers and policy advocates with similar ideological positions all across the world. Those purported authorities were brazenly discussing the destruction and hiding of data that did not support global-warming claims.” If investigations confirm that climate data has been hidden which negates the currently “politically correct” global warming hysteria, as well as the attempt to silence the “dissenters,” this would likely become the biggest scandal ever perpetrated on the whole world.

Editor’s Note: These are just a small sampling of the plethora of  ”scientific” frauds that have been told and written over and over again.

PLO Ambassador to U.S.: not Looking for Clashes With Washington At UN
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Today's Headlines

Palestinians hope to see larger role for world body and European Union.

A Palestinian boy waves a flag in the West Bank. (photo credit:REUTERS)

Maen Rashid Areikat has served as the Palestine Liberation Organization’s ambassador to the United States for the past six years. He was director general of the Negotiation Affairs Department under Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas while serving as the president’s personal aide

TML: Are the Palestinians finding resistance from the US regarding their plans to obtain a UN Security Council Resolution setting a timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli forces?

Areikat: When President Abbas met with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Kerry did not tell Abbas not to go through with it. He asked for clarifications and stressed that the US prefers to advance the political process through direct negotiations: the same US position we’re all familiar with.

If the Palestinians know that the US will veto any Security Council resolution for an independent state, why are they going ahead with it?

First of all, we hope that the US will not veto such a resolution.

That is why we are talking to them and talking to other parties: the United Nations, Europe, Russia and others to make sure that the resolution is submitted to the Security Council. We hope that the US will understand that trying to get such a resolution passed is not contradictory to the American position. We still have hope that the United States will not veto it.

Will the PA join the International Criminal Court if the resolution fails to pass?

This is an issue for the Palestinian leadership to decide. He [Abbas] did indicate before that unless there is a real process that is limited to reaching an agreement on the borders between Palestine and Israel in a very short period of time, that he would go to the UN to obtain that resolution. It’s not a secret that we did say that if our efforts do not produce results, we will seriously consider joining international organizations, treaties and conventions.

Do you believe the US can be an honest broker in the conflict? What specifically would you like to see the US do?

Everybody knows the importance of the United States. Everybody knows that they have always been engaged in efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the larger Middle East conflict since this conflict started. We also know the special relationship between the United States and Israel – which the United States provides to Israel militarily, economically and politically. Having said that, some people argue that it is difficult for the United States to be an honest broker when they are giving so much unlimited support for Israel. I still believe that there is a role for the United States to play. They need to understand that the approach that they have taken over the last 20 years did not produce any results. Therefore, there has to be something wrong with the approach and the process.

And a new approach must be considered that could involve the United Nations, the international community, in order to arrive at a formula that would be supported by the entire world. We hope the United States will view the Palestinian efforts at the United Nations as part of a larger effort to get the international community involved in order to expedite the resolution.

You have included timetable [in the Palestinian proposal], although the Americans have not [agreed to one]. Are you worried that there will be a clash?

No. We said we want to reach out to people to specify a time frame for the end of the occupation.

We would like to do all this in coordination with the Americans.

We haven’t reached the point of discussing the number of years, but in principle, we’re specifying a time frame for the end of the occupation. We would like to do all of this in coordination with Americans. There have in the past been media reports that three years are needed to phase out the Israeli occupation. Nothing has been agreed to yet. However, it is important to see a specific time to put an end to this occupation.

Was President Abbas saying that he expects an Israeli withdrawal within three years?

The number of years will be specified when we submit that resolution. As we explained to the US administration, we have no desire of clashing with the American administration or having any confrontation with the United States. We have said that clearly to them. We, as a leadership, have to provide for our people that this occupation has to come to an end. Endless and open-ended negotiations with Israel are being used to consolidate the occupation.

If the United States agrees to your position and says, “We have agreed to these things and we are not going to use our veto,” then what are the Palestinians willing to agree to?

That would be the best-case scenario, if we manage to get international support including the United States. What the United States and the entire world should understand is that this is a genuine effort on the part of the Palestinian leadership to once again highlight the importance – the urgency – to solving the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, of ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people, especially given all the changes and developments taking place in the region. I don’t think we have the luxury of wasting any more time. It will be something that we welcome very much if the United States will be on board to support our effort, because the end objective is a peaceful resolution to this long conflict with Israel.

Do you think the United Nations and Europe have advanced the Palestinian cause?

It was UN General Assembly Resolution 181 that in 1947 partitioned Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. The United Nations has been involved since the beginning of this conflict. You cannot envision a solution that does not involve the United Nations. I think the UN went through different stages. For example, in the 1970s and the 1980s they were stronger in terms of supporting the Palestinians. From the 1990s to the present, when they came under the influence of US policies, the UN focus and support somehow changed but remained the same on the fundamental issue. They have not been as strong in that regard. There are certain issues and certain areas and aspects that the United Nations cannot change its position toward, because those positions are supported by the majority of United Nations member states.

We consider the role of the United Nations to be important and that is why we want them to play a more active role in presenting their vision to the world and to help resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As for Europe: Europe has been helpful in terms of providing financial support. We would like to see a more active European role to stress the importance of the relationship between Europe and the Middle East, Palestinian and Arab countries. We would like to see that role more active and to contribute to creating the conditions conducive for the international community to be involved with the United Nations and the international community to find a quick solution to this conflict.

Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon recently told The Media Line that: “As long as Hamas is associated with the Palestinian Authority, there is no way for us to conduct a serious dialogue with them and Mr. Abbas.” Do you think the unity government between Hamas and Fatah has helped or hurt the Palestinian cause?

It’s not a “unity” government; it’s a “national consensus” government.

A unity government follows elections when different factions join in forming the unity government. This would be hopefully the ultimate objective after we have elections. If we have elections, we can decide on a unity government. We have a national reconciliation agreement; we have a national consensus government.

The Israeli prime minister always said, “How can we talk to a divided Palestinian leadership – one in Gaza, the other in the West Bank?” Now, we are united and the Israelis say we have to choose between peace and Hamas.

The Israeli people don’t want to see the Palestinian people united. Israel wants to see the Gaza Strip separated from the West Bank. They want to keep the status quo in the West Bank. And they don’t want at all to provide any political vision for a solution. It’s very obvious; very obvious that they want the Palestinians to be divided.

Are you concerned that world attention is shifting away from the Palestinian issue because of ISIS?

There are so many different concerns for every country, not only the US or Europe, but also at the regional level. Of course, people are being slanted by what’s going on in the region. The Palestinian issue has the ability to impose itself on the agenda. No matter how distracted we are, there will always be focus and attention to the Palestinian issue, because solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is key to solving other issues in the region. I’m not saying that it will magically solve all the problems, but it will diffuse one area of tension and help the United States and the international community reach stability and end this chaos in the region – if the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is resolved. I am realistic. People have different agendas. People have different issues to deal with. But I am not worried at all that the Palestinian issue will be forgotten, or ignored or completely neglected.

Following his United Nations speech, do the Palestinians believe that Mr. Netanyahu is a partner for peace?

Many in Israel and around the world, including the United States, have already lost faith in Prime Minister Netanyahu to be the Israeli leader who would be courageous enough to end Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian people and to put an end once and for all to this conflict.

The actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu speaks louder than his rhetoric, and what he is doing on the ground in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, vis-à-vis settlements, land confiscations, and what he has done in Gaza over the summer undoubtedly presents a man who is seeking continued conflict and not peace. Everyone who listened to his speech at the UN [on September 29] concluded that he does not have any meaningful political agenda with which to engage the Palestinians. Instead, he embarked on propaganda, repeating old clichés that are no longer appealing to the international community.

US President Barack Obama warned that the status quo between Israel and the Palestinians must change to avoid a repeat the war with Hamas in Gaza. Your thoughts.

President Obama is addressing an important and fundamental issue which deals with the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people. We would prefer to hear US officials use the term “ending the occupation” rather than the “status quo.” However, we believe that President Obama is fully aware that the Israeli military occupation is the source of instability and the absence of peace.

Let the Headlines Speak
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

'Museum of the Bible' hopes to have faithful flock to Washington
Green’s collection is well known, and includes such priceless prizes as several Dead Sea Scrolls, a portion of the Gutenberg Bible, the Codex Climaci Rescriptus, the largest portion of scripture in Palestinian Aramaic and the so-called “Aitken Bible,” the first ever printed in the U.S. The 40,000-piece collection is now mainly kept in Oklahoma City, although Green has exhibited some of it around the world, including at the Vatican.  

ERUPTION MISSES EARTH
The eruption also hurled a CME into space, but the storm cloud appears set to miss Earth.  

Earthquake strikes 110 miles off east coast of Japan
An earthquake measuring 6.2 struck off the east coast of Japan's main island of Honshu, the US Geological Survey reported on Saturday.  

Russia Deploying Tactical Nuclear Arms in Crimea
Russia is moving tactical nuclear weapons systems into recently-annexed Crimea while the Obama administration is backing informal talks aimed at cutting U.S. tactical nuclear deployments in Europe. Three senior House Republican leaders wrote to President Obama...warning that Moscow will deploy nuclear missiles and bombers armed with long-range air launched cruise missiles into occupied Ukrainian territory.  

Explosion at Key Military Base in Iran Raises Questions About Sabotage
A spectacular explosion on Sunday night outside Tehran took place deep inside the Parchin military base, where Iran produces crucial elements of its missiles and other munitions, raising new questions about whether the blast was an accident or sabotage. The explosion and resulting fire...could be seen from apartments in Tehran and appeared to have destroyed several buildings.  

U.S.-led air war in Syria is off to a difficult start, with moderate rebels disenchanted
The U.S.-led air war in Syria has gotten off to a rocky start, with even the Syrian rebel groups closest to the United States turning against it, U.S. ally Turkey refusing to contribute and the plight of a beleaguered Kurdish town exposing the limitations of the strategy.  

Brazil says it has a suspected Ebola case
Brazil says it has identified a suspected Ebola case who arrived in the country on Thursday. The patient, Souleymane Bah from Guinea, presented himself after coming down with a fever at a public health centre in the town of Cascavel in the southern state of Parana. He has been flown to Rio de Janeiro to the National Institute of Infectology.  

New York's JFK airport to start Ebola checks
Passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea - the worst-hit countries - will have their temperatures taken and have to answer a series of questions. Checks at O'Hare in Chicago, Newark, Washington's Dulles and Atlanta's airport will begin in the coming days.  

Brazil's biggest city facing drought conditions
The governor of Sao Paulo says he's asking Brazilian federal officials for permission to again engage in emergency pumping of water into a main reservoir that supplies water to the country's biggest city.  

Americans abroad warned of "increased likelihood" of ISIS attack
The State Department is renewing its global terrorism alert for Americans traveling abroad, saying it sees a heightened risk of reprisal attacks from the by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its supporters.  

Christian Clerics to Europe: Recognize 'Palestine'
Three leading Christian clerics in Israel on Friday called on more European governments to recognize "Palestine" as a state with eastern Jerusalem as its capital. The call from the Arab Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Lutheran prelates came after EU member Sweden last week announced its intention to recognize Palestinian statehood late last Friday during Yom Kippur. The UK is likewise set to vote on recognition on Monday.  

While Kim Jong Un is absent, North Korean diplomats are working overtime
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may have disappeared from the public eye, but his diplomatic representatives sure haven’t. There’s Ri Su Yong, who’s been everywhere from Burma and Indonesia to Ethiopia and Iran since he became foreign minister in April. Last month, he addressed the United Nations, the first North Korean to do so in 15 years, and on Friday, he wrapped up 10 days in Russia.  

Canada advises citizens to leave Ebola-hit countries
The Canadian government advised its citizens to leave the West African countries hardest hit by Ebola, while taking measures at its own borders to screen for potentially exposed travelers.  

Greek PM wins confidence vote, snap election fears remain
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras comfortably won a confidence vote aimed at rallying support for his plan to abandon a widely-reviled EU/IMF aid package and ending speculation that his government is on its last legs.  

Hidden STD Epidemic: 110 Million Infections in the US
Infectious diseases seem to come and go, sometimes causing scary outbreaks, while other times seeming to disappear. But some infectious pathogens are always with us, lurking just below the surface of society.  

Here's where Ebola could spread next
An interactive map plotting the airline flights originating in Monrovia, Liberia, makes clear why international health officials are concerned Europe is the next place where the Ebola virus could spread.  

Kurdish Leader Threatens Turkish Peace Deal Collapse
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Jerusalem Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

A senior Kurdish militant has threatened Turkey with a new Kurdish revolt if it sticks with its current policy of non-intervention in the battle for the Syrian town of Kobani.

Kurdish forces allied to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the People's Defense Units (YPG), are fighting against Islamic State insurgents attacking Kobani close to the Turkish border. Turkey is reluctant to open its border to allow arms to reach the out-gunned Kurds.

Turkey passed a mandate for cross-border military operations in Syria and Iraq but has so far refused to join the military coalition against Islamic State or use force to protect Kobani and has resisted calls to allow the flow of weapons and volunteer fighters into the besieged town.

"We have warned Turkey. If they continue on this path, then the guerrillas will re-launch our defensive war to protect our people," Cemil Bayik, a founding member of the PKK who is also its most senior figure not in prison, told the German network ARD in Arbil in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region.

Kerry to Push for Return to Peace Talks in Cairo
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

John Kerry

Flash 90

US Secretary of State John Kerry may have had his efforts to force peace talks on Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) foiled in April when the PA signed a unity deal with the Hamas terror group, but officials say that won't stop him for calling for a return to talks on Sunday.

Kerry is to take part in the Cairo international donor conference aiming to gather billions of dollars to rebuild Gaza after the latest Hamas terror war on Israel - he will be joined by 30 other US diplomats, along with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and many other officials.

On the sidelines of the conference, Kerry is to meet with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, after recently meeting him last month at the UN General Assembly where Abbas accused Israel of a "war of genocide."

"You will hear the secretary reaffirm the commitment of the United States to helping the parties achieve a negotiated two-state solution and our willingness to re-engage in the negotiations and help facilitate successful negotiations," a State Department official said.

"More broadly we are interested in sort of breaking the cycle we have been in in the last six years of war and reconstruction there," added the official.

In response to the first PA unity government cabinet meeting held last Thursday in Gaza with the attendance of Hamas, the White House praised the meeting as a "positive step in the right direction."

That came despite the fact the US previously claimed Hamas was not represented in the unity government to justify its supportive stance towards it - even though one of the unity government ministers was previously the education minister in Hamas's Gaza government.

The UN is posed to ask for $1.6 billion to reconstruct Gaza at the conference, while the PA unity government in its Gaza meeting decided to demand a whopping $4 billion, aside from $4.5 billion for itself to keep the government afloat in its massive debt.

However, a Western diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity last Friday warned there was "considerable donor fatigue."

"We have seen infrastructure projects that we have contributed to which have been destroyed," the diplomat said, adding that skepticism had existed even before the recent conflict.

Many fear the money will once again be funneled for terrorism and to pad the pockets of officials, particularly after a Fatah spokesperson recently accused Hamas of stealing $700 million in international funds.

Indeed, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have already started rebuilding the terror tunnels into Israel to attack Israeli civilians.

Jewish Girl from France Joins ISIS in Syria
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;War;The Nation Of Israel

Islamic State supporters (file)

Reuters

French intelligence revealed on Friday that 100 girls and young women have left the country to join Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Syria in recent weeks - shockingly, one of them was a Jewish girl.

How the Jewish girl was ensnared by ISIS recruiters with their extremist anti-Semitic jihadist ideology remained unexplained by the anonymous security official quoted by the British Daily Mail.

The number of French girls leaving for jihad has skyrocketed from a year and a half ago when the danger wasn't even known; in parallel young girls are being recruited from other European locations, including between 20 and 50 from the UK, although France is thought to have some of the largest numbers given its massive Muslim population.

The girls are targeted by propaganda videos showing veiled women firing machine guns along with images of Syrian children killed in the war against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Ironically the jihadist group has been committing mass torture and rape on women in the areas that have fallen under its control.

French-language recruitment videos also use the French ban on Muslim face veils, which comes given the secular nature written into the legal structure of the country, as a tool to call French girls to jihad.

Once arriving in Syria and Iraq, the girls generally serve as wives, babysitters and housekeepers for the jihadists.

The girls disappear without notice on tickets and routes clearly planned by experts in deception, according to the intelligence sources. Most are first and second-generation immigrants from Muslims states, although many come from French ancestry.

Foad, the brother of 15-year-old Nora who left for Syria in January, said "as soon as they manage to snare a girl, they do everything they can to keep her. Girls aren't there for combat, just for marriage and children. A reproduction machine."

Nora was able to avoid marriage, instead being given a job babysitting for ISIS. Although Foad has traveled to Syria to try and free his sister, his efforts have been to no avail.

The family's lawyer Guy Guenoun said "it is not at random that these girls are leaving. They are being guided. She was being commanded by remote control. And now she has made a trip to the pit of hell."

Iran Warns of Israel Attack If U.S. Hits Assad
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hossein Amir Abdollahian

Reuters

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Saturday warned the US that if America and its coalition tries to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, Israel will be attacked, reports Associated Press.

In fact, this is not the first time Abdollahian has made such a warning against deposing Iran's ally Assad; last September he likewise said a US strike on Syria would lead to attacks on Israel by "some groups and movements that have formed over the past two or three years."

The statements are viewed by many as a thinly veiled threat by the Islamic regime, which has repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel - just over a week ago for the Hajj pilgrimage Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for Muslim unity for Israel's annihilation.

Iran has been actively pursuing those statements by continuing its nuclear program. A mass explosion occurred at Iran’s secret Parchin nuclear facility last Sunday - a site Iran has admitted has been used to test exploding bridge wires used as a nuclear bomb detonator. Iran has also supplied rockets to its terror proxies Hamas and Hezbollah to use against Israel.

On another front, Abdollahian confirmed that Iran and the US have been in contact over the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists in Iraq and Syria, reports Associated Press.

The comments are the first time a senior Iranian official has confirmed Iranian and American discussion regarding how to fight the ISIS threat.

US Secretary of State John Kerry last month backtracked on his position about Iran's participation in joining the coalition fighting ISIS, after first not inviting Iran to a coalition meeting and then saying in an interview that he would be open to military cooperation.

Israel has warned against a rapprochement between the US and Iran over ISIS, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in his recent US trip warning Iran is "making bombs. That's what they're trying to do. That's what they're whole program is about, making bombs."

Foreign Power Behind Explosion At Iran Nuclear Facility
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: Today's Headlines

The explosion that apparently devastated a top secret nuclear facility in Iran earlier this week was reportedly caused by a foreign power.

Citing European diplomats, the Al-Rai newspaper in Kuwait identified Israel as being behind the blast at the Parchin military site 30 kilometers southwest of Tehran. According to the newspaper, Iran subsequently ordered Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon to plant bombs along the Israeli border as a response to the action. Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a border explosion this week.

Western intelligence agencies believe the Parchin site was used for nuclear testing and as a facility to fit nuclear warheads to Iran’s long-range missiles. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors had long been denied access to the site.

The explosion that destroyed the Parchin site was massive. Various reports reveal that windows shattered up to 15 kilometers away. Satellite photographs backed up claims that the explosion was the result of an attack, and showed almost total devastation to the facility.

Israel’s government declined to issue an official statement on the incident, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks had renewed his firm warnings that Israel would not accept a nuclear-armed Iran.

Arab Citizen of Israel Killed Fighting for ISIS in Iraq
Oct 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;War;The Nation Of Israel

ISIS terrorist in Iraq (file)

Reuters

Ahmad Shurbaji (23) of Umm al-Fahm may have become the first Arab citizen of Israel to be arrested for joining the brutal Islamic State (ISIS) terror group in Syria last month, but Ahmad Havshi had the "honor" of being one of the first Israeli Arabs killed fighting with them.

Havshi, also 23-years-old and hailing from Iksal in northern Israel near Nazareth, was killed on Saturday fighting in the Ramadi area to the west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, reports the paper Al-Hayyat, as cited by Walla!.

According to additional reports in the Arabic-language site Panet, Havshi joined the terror group at the start of the year together with four other residents of Israel's north.

Reportedly, the terrorist was in Syria for several months before continuing on to Iraq, where he eventually fell while waging jihad. Some of Havshi's family has accepted the terrorist's death, while others deny it.

Havshi's brother said "the reports on my brother's death in Iraq are lies and not true. Until now we still don't know what's happened to him, and we promise not to hold a mourning tent and receive comforters until we are sure about these reports."

The terrorist is in fact not the first Arab citizen of Israel to be killed while fighting for Islamic State - several months ago a resident of Wadi Ara in the north died fighting for the group in Syria.

As noted, Shurbaji became the first Arab citizen of Israel to be arrested for joining ISIS; he traveled to Syria and fought for the group, in what he described in an Israeli court as a "mistake."

ISIS has been rapidly gaining support among Israeli Arabs, as just last Tuesday a bag full of the group's black flags was found in Nazareth Illit. Just two days prior, an Israeli Arab teacher was sentenced to one week of house arrest and a 5,000 shekel (approximately $1,350) fine for possessing numerous ISIS materials.

Terrorists with Islamic State also released video showing how they took part in the recent terror war against Israel in Gaza, and at least one former ISIS jihadist was killed in the Gaza fighting.

The jihadist group's activities around Israel was most dramatically displayed last Wednesday, when ISIS in Gaza claimed an attack the night before on the French Cultural Center in the Hamas-run enclave. The incident would mark ISIS's first attack in Gaza.