Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Ya'alon: Israel Must Prepare for An Escalation
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

The defense establishment is preparing for a scenario in which rockets will be fired from Gaza into Israel in identification with the terror attacks in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.

Security officers in the Gaza Belt communities have been briefed, as have Iron Dome battery operators, and Iron Dome batteries have been deployed in what was defined as “sensitive locations.”

A senior security source said that the intelligence assessments regarding the possibility of rocket fire could turn out to have been wrong, but that Israel must be prepared for any scenario, including the firing of individual rockets at Israeli targets, without any prior warning.

Yaalon visited the Etzion Bloc early Tuesday afternoon and said that “We must prepare for the possibility of escalation, and that is why we are reinforcing the forces in order to bring about a larger presence. The Palestinian Authority is operating on the ground in an attempt to calm the spirits, but various statements, including those made by the Authority chairman, bring about the grave actions.”

Yaalon said the situation is not a new intifada and advised patience. He admitted that it is difficult to locate terrorists who act on their own with no organization behind them, and prevent their attacks.

He stated, however, that the IDF will not allow further escalation and that it had reinforced its presence in Judea and Samaria. “We are carrying out arrests on a larger scale than before and we will employ an iron fist against terrorists, including the demolition of the homes of terrorists, to stop this wave. I call upon anyone with the interest and ability to calm the people on the ground, to do so.”

The Diplomacy-Security Cabinet will convene Tuesday afternoon to discuss the situation following Monday's murders.

Volcano Eruption Forces Icelanders to Hide As Europe Forgets
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsBloomberg
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

For the kids at the Graenuvellir kindergarten in Husavik, north Iceland, going out to play was not an option.

They were kept inside on Nov. 4 to protect them from sulfur-dioxide gases spewing from the Holuhraun lava field near the Bardarbunga volcano. The eruption has been going for almost three months and shows no sign of stopping. Red-hot lava has spread 70 square kilometers (27 square miles), covering an area larger than Manhattan.

“On regular days the kids go out to play to take in the fresh air, but that’s not really possible or safe under the current conditions,” Agusta Palsdottir, a manager at the kindergarten, which has 125 children between the ages of one and six, said in a Nov. 4 interview.

Icelanders can only wait for nature to run its course as they monitor how gas clouds drift across the island, itself a product of volcanic activity. As descendants of Viking settlers 1,200 years ago, Icelanders have learned to coexist with their volcanoes and to harness their power. Yet some events have proven deadlier than others. In the late 1700s, an eruption triggered a famine that killed 25 percent of Iceland’s population.

Tracking Gas

“There’s exactly nothing you can do, aside from going inside,” said Kristjan Thor Magnusson, mayor of Nordurthing, the municipality that includes Husavik, a 2,200-person town famous for its whale watching. “People that are more sensitive than others need to avoid physical exertion outside and try to stay inside and warm up their houses to prevent the gas from getting inside.”

The discomfort of the Graenuvellir kids is also being felt in other towns across Iceland long after the rest of the world stopped fretting over potential disruptions to trans-Atlantic air travel. The island’s Met Office tracks which way the sulfur-dioxide blows daily from the fissure that opened up in the lava field that dates back to an eruption from 1797.

“Which town is affected depends only on weather and winds,” Bergthora S. Thorbjarnardottir, a geophysicist at the Met Office, said in an interview.

Bardarbunga, one of Iceland’s largest volcanoes, began rumbling on Aug. 16. An eruption then started from a fissure 300 meters (984 feet) long and has since been moving northeast, away from the ice. An eruption under the ice of the glacier covering the volcano could cause an explosion that would spew ash into the air and disrupt air travel.

Quakes Continue

Since Nov. 7, about 200 earthquakes have rocked the area surrounding the eruption site, with the biggest one of about magnitude 5.2 measured yesterday evening. Iceland’s Civil Protection Agency today warned that gas pollution was expected mainly in the western part of the country.

At the beginning of the eruption, airlines were put on alert for a potential repeat of 2010, when a volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull ice cap spewed a column of ash 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) into the air. That event shut airspace across Europe for six days, forcing carriers to cancel more than 100,000 flights. Ash is a danger because the glass-like particles can damage jet engines.

Most Vulnerable

While the current eruption isn’t the largest on record, it’s being compared to the 1783 Lakagigar blowout, which lasted for seven to eight months and eventually covered 600 square kilometers in lava, Thorbjarnardottir said.

“There’s still a chance that the eruption in Holuhraun will pose a risk to international air travel,” she said. “Although there’s quite a bit of activity in the crater of Bardarbunga volcano, the activity does seem to be moving northeast, away from the ice cap.”

The government has issued warnings on the health risks. Exposure to sulfur-dioxide can cause irritation in the eyes, throat and lungs. High levels can lead to breathing difficulties. Children are the most vulnerable, according to the Health Directorate.

“Personally, I can feel the contamination a little,” said Palsdottir at the kindergarten. “Breathing is a little uncomfortable and it’s uncomfortable staying outside when the contamination comes in over our town.”

So most Icelanders are just hoping the wind blows the right way and also for rain to damp the gas clouds. They may be in luck, according to the Met Office.

“Wind and rain is the best thing to happen for Icelanders while the eruption continues,” said Thorbjarnardottir. “Iceland usually has plenty of that.”

UK High Court Allows Mother to Euthanize Severely Disabled Daughter
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy News Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues;Commentary

The decision by a United Kingdom High Court judge to allow a British mother to legally euthanize her 12-year-old daughter, who was suffering from a host of non-life threatening disabling disorders, is drawing strong criticism from many disability advocates who say the decision sets a dangerous precedent that will allow guardians of other disabled people to do the same.

In August, Charlotte Fitzmaurice Wise legally authorized the euthanasia of her daughter, Nancy, after she successfully petitioned the U.K. High Court to allow her to end her daughter's pain and misery.

Nancy, who was born blind and diagnosed with hydrocephalus, meningitis and septicaemia, suffered constant pain and was never able to talk, walk, eat or drink on her own. Her condition required 24-hour hospital care, where she could only be fed, hydrated and medicated through tubes.

The burden of Nancy's illness caused Charlotte to quit her nursing job so she could be devoted full time to supporting her daughter. But when Nancy's agony became too much, and pain killing measures like morphine stopped numbing the pain, Charlotte issued a plea to the high court. Justice Eleanor King empathized with the mother and granted her request to end her daughter's life because she ruled that Nancy had no quality of life.

Justice King's decision marks the first time that the British court system has allowed for a child, who was not on life support or diagnosed with a fatal illness, to be euthanized through the medical system. Fourteen days after the court gave its approval, Nancy died after Charlotte ordered doctors at London's Great Ormand Street Hospital to pull Nancy's tube and withhold her nutritional fluids.

Disability activist Joni Eareckson Tada, who is a quadriplegic, author and founder of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, said that the court's decision to allow Fitzmaurice Wise to euthanize her daughter based on Nancy's poor quality of life will "open the door" for other guardians to euthanize their loved ones based on something as subjective as "quality of life."

"The judge's statement sets a precedent that quality of life now becomes a measuring rod as to whether or not a child with a disability should live or die. That's horrific. That's terrifying," Eareckson Tada said in an interview with The Christian Post. 

"In the future, I wonder how many other subjective issues may sway another judge's opinion in the life of somebody like Nancy, or perhaps even less disabled physically and mentally than Nancy. This swings open a door to similar actions against other people with disabilities simply based on the fact of distress, the inconvenience, the cost, the discomfort, all of which are subjective issues."

Nancy said there are many people that have the same functional disabilities that Nancy did and they are capable of living happy lives.

"I have many, many friends, whose functioning ability, is much like Nancy's: they can not talk, eat, walk, they are on ventilators. They are happy people," Eareckson Tada said. "Now we are going to look at somebody whose functioning ability is [limited] and say that their life is not worth living?"

Although Nancy died in August, the news of the court's permittance of the euthanasia has just recently surfaced when Fitzmaurice Wise did an interview with the Sunday Mirror detailing her decision to go through with the euthanasia. Although she is happy that her daughter is out of misery, Fitzmaurice Wise said that she doesn't think she will ever be able to forgive herself for euthanizing her daughter.

"I miss my beautiful girl every day and although I know it was the right thing to do, I will never forgive myself," Fitzgerald Maurice said.

Eareckson Tada said that the fact that Fitzgerald Maurice said that she might not ever forgive herself is an indication that the mother did not have much support around her to lead from making that decision.

"What is heartbreaking about it is that the mother, in her statement, said that she will never be able to forgive herself. That's a terrible burden for a woman to carry," Eareckson Tada said. "It seems to me that the only people that were speaking into the mother's life were right-to-die advocates, and I am convinced that she had the proper resources, the proper support, the proper peer counseling, the proper networking with other parents, it would have been a different story."

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network also issued a statement criticizing the judge's decision to allow for Nancy's euthanasia. The statement further criticized media outlets who have sensationalized the mother's choice.

"The media coverage surrounding this case has been extraordinarily irresponsible, implying that the child's disability should justify a decision that her life was unworthy of living," the statement said. "ASAN is concerned that the voices of people with disabilities with similar support needs were not heard in this discussion. Many people with disabilities who utilize feeding tubes or experience other conditions similar to those Nancy Fitzmaurice face live in the community and do not feel that their lives are not worth living."

Political blogger Cassy Fiano of Live Action News wrote that the precedent set by the court could lead to "thousands upon thousands" of disabled kids being wrongly euthanized by their parents, who will claim their child's quality of life is poor.

"We cannot allow it to become acceptable to kill a person because they are disabled, or because someone feels they can decide whether their quality of life is good enough to merit their continued living," Fiano wrote.

U.S. School Bans Students from Praying Together
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy News Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues;Commentary

For the last three years, high-school senior Chase Windebank has been meeting with other students during a designated free period to discuss their Christian faith, pray and even sing together.

But on Sept. 29, the assistant principal of Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, told the students it has to stop because it violates the “separation of church and state.”

Religious discussion gatherings, the school insists, can only take place before or after school hours.

Now, with the help of attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, Windebank is suing the school to lift the ban and restore what he says are protected First Amendment rights.

“Far from being unconstitutional, religious speech is expressly protected by the First Amendment,” says ADF Legal Counsel Matt Sharp, “and public schools have no business stopping students from praying together during their free time.”

“Public schools should encourage the free exchange of ideas,” adds ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “Instead, this school implemented an ill-conceived ban that singles out religious speech for censorship during free time.”

The controversy swirls around use of the “Seminar” period, a 40-minute window when students with adequate grades are permitted a degree of free time during the school day.

According to court documents, students excused from Seminar to enjoy the free time are permitted to engage in “a virtually unlimited variety of activities,” including free movement in the school’s public areas, discussions with other students, texting, getting a snack, visiting with teachers or even scheduling official meetings of school clubs.

The one thing Windebank and his fellow Christians have been told they can’t do, however, is talk about God.

According to letter issued by school-district attorney Patricia Richardson, Windebank’s prayer gathering is a “non-curriculum related group” that can only meet during “non-instructional time,” defined as before or after the school day. No non-instructional groups, Richardson insists, are allowed to meet during Seminar.

The ADF, however, disagrees, asserting the school affords to students excused from Seminar “the same type of freedom that is often found during recess or lunch, when students have long been recognized to have the right to engage in non-disruptive expressive activities.”

And according to the lawsuit, Windebank and his fellow Christians have never been accused of being “disruptive” in any way.

“During the open time given to students during Seminar, students are free to meet in informal groups to discuss any topic: their plans for the weekend, a new movie or television show, or even the usual school gossip that circulates among teenagers,” the lawsuit charges. “The District does not limit the students’ speech and expression during this open time, unless they engage in religious expression” [emphasis added].

The lawsuit seeks the ban be lifted, a declaration of the ban as unconstitutional, attorneys’ fees and “nominal damages in the amount of one dollar for the violation of [Windebank's] constitutional rights.”

U.S. - Iran Alliance Against ISIS - At the Cost of Nuclear Weapons?
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;War

Zarif, Kerry and Ashton meet in Oman

Reuters

Between secret letters and revelations made by American officials, there is a good amount of evidence suggesting US President Barack Obama's administration is moving closer to Iran as part of an attempt for coordination against Islamic State (aka ISIS).

To make sense of the complicated situation, Arutz Sheva spoke with Dr. Emily Landau, head of the Arms Control and Regional Security Program at the Institute for National Security Studies.

According to Landau, the US seems poised to ally with Iran against ISIS - at the cost of allowing the Islamic regime to have nuclear capabilities.

"This is how it looked even before the reports about the letter from Obama to (Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah) Khamenei. There were more than a few signs of American willingness to reach an agreement quickly so as to advance cooperation against ISIS and maybe other organizations in Iraq," said the analyst.

Noting on the November 24 deadline on nuclear talks, Landau added "the problem is this talk is coming at a critical stage in the nuclear talks, when Iran is understanding that Obama's administration is ready to cooperate against ISIS. That weakens American bargaining power."

Obama's goals aren't understandable

Dr. Landau reminds how even at the start of Obama's presidency he displayed a policy of rapprochement towards enemies of America, and states that in recent years he sees bilateral ties with Iran as a goal; reports have indicated covert talks are being held about renewing diplomatic ties.

Obama "is set on the goal of changing ties with Iran as an achievement. It's hard to understand what that's based on," remarked Landau, noting on how Iran has continually and vocally expressed animosity towards the US, as well as calling for the destruction of Israel.

"All that we hear is hate, contempt and curses towards America and towards Israel. Maybe there are shared interests like the war on ISIS, but that's not a reason for joining together. We are talking about an aggressive state that is dangerous to its surroundings," added Landau.

Responding to US Secretary of State John Kerry's comments that the Iranian nuclear issue is unconnected to any other issue, Landau remarks that it is hard to accept the statement given that total lack of an American denial of the reports of Obama's secret letter to Khamenei, in which he urged Iran to reach a nuclear deal and join the anti-ISIS coalition.

"Even before the letter it was possible to see the US going in that direction. The question is what to believe, the evidence or the statements of Kerry and others, the picture being consolidated by those close to the administration or the vigorous denials. It's hard to settle the contradictions," said Landau.

What should Israel do?

Speaking about what Israel's role in these issues should be, Landau stresses Israel must make clear to the world that a nuclear armed Iran is a threat to the entire world, and that the topic is not just pertinent to the immediate threat on Israel.

"The one who loses here is the world. It's incorrect to frame this conversation as if it's only an Israel interest that there be a good nuclear agreement," stated the analyst.

It has been said that Iran achieving nuclear capabilities may spark a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, and may allow the country to supply its various terror proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas with "pocket nukes" and "suitcase bombs" with nuclear material.

Regarding Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Landau explained he "has a problem because on the one hand he's trying mostly to convince people, mostly because he sees things advancing to a different place, but all the experts at the nuclear agencies are in the same place and understand that a nuclear deal that isn't good is a source for many problems."

"Netanyahu's problems are understandable but there is a less positive result when Israel is presented separately from the rest of the countries," concluded the analyst.

Secularism Grows As More U.S. Christians Turn Churchless
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy News Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Church;Commentary

If you’re dismayed that one in five Americans (20 percent) are “nones” — people who claim no particular religious identity — brace yourself.

How does 38 percent sound?

That’s what religion researcher David Kinnaman calculates when he adds “the unchurched, the never-churched and the skeptics” to the nones.

He calls his new category “churchless,” the same title Kinnaman has given his new book. By his count, roughly four in 10 people living in the continental United States are actually “post-Christian” and “essentially secular in belief and practice.”

If asked, the “churchless” would likely check the “Christian” box on a survey, even though they may not have darkened the door of a church in years.

Kinnaman, president of the California-based Barna Group, slides them into this new category based on 15 measures of identity, belief and practice in more than 23,000 interviews in 20 surveys.

The research looked at church worship attendance and participation, views about the Bible, God and Jesus, and more to see whether folks were actually tied to Christian life in a meaningful way or tied more by habit or personal history.

Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, once called nominals — people attached by name only — “survey Christians.” They don’t want to cut ties with their parents or go all the way to atheism, Stetzer said, “so they just say ‘Christian’ since it is the default category from their heritage.”

Kinnaman now has the numbers to back that up.

“We are far from becoming an atheist nation,” he said. “There are tens of millions of active believers in America today. But the wall between the churched and the churchless is growing higher and more impenetrable as more people have no muscle memory of what it means to be a regular attender at a house of worship.”

How these people think, pray and use their time is shifting away from a faith-based perspective. As a result, a churchless or secular worldview “is becoming its own social force.”

When political scientists burrow into election results, they may find that church attendance is less and less useful for predicting or evaluating political social and cultural attitudes. If you are not around people of strong belief, there’s not a lot of spillover impact.

Stephen Mockabee, an associate professor of political science at University of Cincinnati, has compared church attendance to medication: “It’s not only the drug but also the dose that matters.”

The churchless come in several tribes, according to Kinnaman.

About a third (32 percent) still identify as Christian. They say they believe in God but they’re wobbly on connections. Kinnaman calls them “Christianized but not very active.”

That might include Katie West of Mount Sterling, Ky., or Mike Wilson of Webster City, Iowa.

West keeps the Christian label because, she said, “I follow or at least try to follow the teachings of Christ.” She avoids religious services “unless roped into a wedding or funeral,” but considers herself “a spiritual person without looking at a Bible.”

Wilson is the paid webmaster for a Lutheran church but he can’t recall the last time he attended a worship service or read the Bible. He checks the Christian box if asked in a survey, even though he resonates more with Buddhist and other Eastern philosophies.

“Religion is the starting point to enlightenment, but at some point you have to take that leap of faith and make your personal relationship with God exactly that — personal,” Wilson said. “So if you can find a religion that encompasses that better than Christianity, I will call myself that.”

Other “tribes” among the churchless include:

• 25 percent are self-identified atheist or agnostics. Kinnaman calls them “skeptics.” And their ranks have changed in the last two decades. The percentage of women is up to 43 percent from 16 percent since 1993. Highly educated and more mainstream than before, “this group is here to stay,” he said.
• 27 percent belong to other faith groups such as Jewish or Muslim or call themselves spiritual but not religious.
• 16 percent are Christians — people with a committed relationship with Christ, Kinnaman said — who don’t go to church anymore.

Kinnaman predicts no change in direction. He concluded: “The younger the generation, the more post-Christian it is”:

• Millennials (born between 1984 and 2002) — 48 percent 
• Gen X-ers (born between 1965 and 1983) — 40 percent 
• Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) — 35 percent 
• Elders (born in 1945 or earlier) — 28 percent

Karen King, 52, a dispatch scheduler for a local transit agency in Mount Vernon, Wash., knows her state is among the least churched in the nation. Yet among the secular crowds, there are plenty of churchgoers.

“I know because I schedule people to get to churches through Dial-A-Ride. There must be 40 or 50 churches between Mount Vernon and nearby Burlington.”

And King goes to none of them.

The granddaughter of a Presbyterian pastor, King says she hasn’t been to church for a worship service in more than 30 years. Her daughter, a millennial and a pagan, doesn’t go either.

Although King still thinks of herself as a Christian, she has stepped back from denominational brands. Instead, she says, she just tries to show love.

“I do random acts of kindness. I talk to God when I think I need to. I think I have a good connection to Mother God and Father God.”

Predictors of 1929 Crash See 65% Chance of 2015 Recession
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Age
Categories: Contemporary Issues;Contemporary Issues

Most global economic news points towards another global recession becoming more likely, says David Levy. Photo: AP

In 1929, a businessman and economist by the name of Jerome Levy didn't like what he saw in his analysis of corporate profits. He sold his stocks before the October crash.

Almost eight decades later, the consultancy company that bears his name declared "the next recession will be caused by the deflating housing bubble." By February 2007, it predicted problems in the subprime-mortgage market would spread "to virtually all financial markets." In October 2007, it saw imminent recession - the slump began two months later.

The Jerome Levy Forecasting Center, based in Mount Kisco, New York, and run by Jerome's grandson David, is again more worried than its peers. Its half-dozen analysts attach a 65 percent probability of a worldwide recession forcing a contraction in the US by the end of next year.

That call runs counter to the forecasts of Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs Group The two banks posit an expansion that has plenty of room to run.

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"Clearly the direction of most of the recent global economic news suggests movement toward a 2015 downturn," chairman David Levy told clients in an October 23 edition of a monthly forecasting report, which at over 60 years purports to be the oldest of its kind.

Why the gloom? Levy argues the US and many advanced economies still have balance-sheet excesses exposing them to renewed financial crisis. There is limited room for policy makers to reverse any slump, and low inflation risks tipping into deflation in many parts of the world.

US exposure

While the US is doing relatively well, Levy is worried that at about 13 per cent of gross domestic product, US exports represent their largest share ever.

American companies also are getting a historically large proportion of earnings from abroad and households are vulnerable to any bear market because their ratio of stocks to disposable income is higher than at any point aside from the start of this century, he said.

Granted, there have been some misfires. In September 2010, Levy told Bloomberg Television that he saw a 60 per cent chance of another US recession. Instead the world's largest economy has gained in strength.

The upshot of the latest forecast is that even if a slump is avoided, the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates near zero until the next decade, according to Levy.

"Without first strengthening substantially, we think it highly unlikely that global financial stability will hold together long enough for the Fed to signal and execute a rate increase," he said.

Police Chief: Extremist Incitement from All Directions
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Police Chief Yochanan Danino, spoke of the recent violent events at the International Police Chief Convention in Tel-Aviv and said, “We are seeing incitement on the part of extremist sources from all directions, whose common goal is to create an air ripe with hatred and terror.”

Danino added that “To say that Temple Mount is in danger is a lie. Israel’s Police Department is responsible for the public’s security, for Jerusalem, for Temple Mount, and for the status quo. We have been doing it since 1967 and nothing has changed since then.”

PA Threatens to Sue Individual Israelis At Int'l Court
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Riyad Mansour

Reuters

The Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership is threatening to take individual Israelis to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.

Speaking on Tuesday to the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, the PA’s envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, declared that the PA would take this action if it fails in passing its UN resolution calling for a deadline for Israel to “end the occupation”.

Mansour told the newspaper that the PA intends to submit the resolution, which will call on Israel to withdraw from Judea and Samaria by 2016, before the end of November.

He added that the PA is determined to submit the resolution to the UN Security Council, even if the United States will veto it. He also noted that the Palestinians are holding talks with representatives of the European countries in an attempt to obtain the highest possible number of votes.

According to Mansour, the Europeans believe that they can convince the U.S. to support the draft resolution, or at least prevent the veto.

In the case of a U.S. veto, he said, the PA will join other international institutions, including the International Criminal Court.

Mansour added that the Palestinian Authority would then produce legal documents that strengthen the status of the Palestinian state, and will file charges against Israelis who committed "crimes" against the Palestinian people.

The PA’s move at the UN Security Council is a unilateral one and is a violation of the Oslo Accords, but the PA has threatened to go through with it nonetheless.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas recently threatened to cut ties with Israel if his latest unilateral move at the UN fails.

"If all efforts fail, we will end relations with Israel and I will tell Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, ‘Come and take over’. However, I will not dismantle the Palestinian Authority and I will submit a request to join all the organizations belonging to the UN," he declared.

Fatah leader Nabil Shaath recently threatened Israel with a “political war” if there is a negative response to Abbas’s steps at the United Nations.

Despite its constant threats to sue Israel at the ICC, the PA knows its number is up in the ICC.

The PA's envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) admitted in a recent interview that the PA has no hope of pressing charges against Israel in international courts - because Palestinian terrorist groups are far worse violators of international law themselves.

Observers Condemn Muslim Silence Over Murder of Christian Couple in Pakistan
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy News Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Persecution;Commentary

Rufin Anthony, the bishop of Islamabad, has denounced the culpable silence of Muslim leaders who have failed to forcefully condemn what is being called “the worst religiously motivated hate crime in Pakistan's history”—the recent murder of a Christian couple in Pakistan. 

Summary executions of religious minorities accused of blasphemy in Pakistan has met with complacency and even approval, says Anthony. “In the past,” he said, when vigilantes have taken the law into their own hands, “religious leaders have carefully refrained from expressing words of condemnation. In fact, they have practically encouraged personal vendettas.”

Anthony said that the blame for current problems falls to those who have countenanced it earlier. “If appropriate measures had been taken in the past,” he said, “this barbarism could have been averted.”

On November 4, Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife Shama Bibia, the parents of four children, were stoned and then burned alive at a brick kiln in Pakistan. The two victims were killed by an angry mob of hundreds of people stirred up by a local religious leader for allegedly burning pages of the Qur’an.

Many have begun asking how a blasphemy law that justifies killing in the name of religion can exist in today’s world.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, the President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, said he was “shocked and speechless” by the recent execution. The worst thing about it, he said, “is that it was carried out in the name of religion. Religion cannot justify a crime like this.”

“There is this law against blasphemy,” he went on “which represents a problem: shouldn’t the international community intervene? I ask you: can we remain passive before crimes that are legitimized by religion?”

Tauran said that the first victims of this outrage are the Muslims themselves, “because these crimes give Islam a terrible, very negative image. They should be the first to denounce them forcefully,” he said.

Despite the horror of these crimes, Muslim officials continue to look for scapegoats and place blame elsewhere.

The president of the Ulema (Council of Muslim scholars) of Pakistan, Muhammad Tahir Ashrafi, blamed local police for the crime. In a statement, Ashrafi condemned the violence but said it “would not have happened if the local police had not shown negligence.”

Since its inception, the blasphemy law has been applied brutally against religious minorities. In 2012, a teenaged Christian girl with Down Syndrome, Rimsha Masih, was arrested under the blasphemy laws, and released on bail. She and her family had to be relocated because of threats against them.

In 2011, two politicians – Salmaan Taseer, a Muslim, and Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic – were assassinated for opposing the blasphemy laws. 

Yet Ashrafi has refused to question the blasphemy law that has encouraged these brutalities, preferring instead to blame the local police. 

If the couple was really guilty, Ashrafi’s statement asks, “why did the police not arrest them after complaints from local residents?” And if they were not guilty, “why were they not given immediate protection, in view of the enraged reaction of the people?”

So far the police have stopped some forty people for questioning but there have been no official charges.

A recent Pew poll showed that 75 percent of Pakistanis believe: “Blasphemy laws are necessary to protect Islam in our country.” Pakistan’s blasphemy laws entail that insulting the prophet is punishable by death.

Netanyahu: Iran is An Enemy and Should be Treated As One
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Iran is not a friend of the United States and the sanctions against it should be maintained, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.

Speaking by video to the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, Netanyahu opened by responding to Vice President Joe Biden’s remarks at the same conference that he and Netanyahu are “buddies”.

“Tell Vice President Biden that I know we’re still buddies. We’ll always be buddies,” said Netanyahu.

“It’s important to have friends like the United States and Canada because, it’s important for any country to have such alliances, but especially for a country like Israel that faces many challenges unlike any other nation on Earth.” 

“But none of these challenges is more important than the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” he added.

“Our goal must not be merely to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons today. We must also prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons tomorrow.”

“Iran is openly committed to Israel’s destruction. And even as Iran negotiates a nuclear deal with the leading powers in the international community, its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, brazenly calls for Israel's annihilation. These are not my words, these are his words: Israel’s annihilation.

“He just did it again three days ago on his Twitter account. That’s apparently the Iranian regime’s idea of modernity – tweeting about the annihilation of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

The Prime Minister warned that “Iran’s wild rhetoric is also backed by murderous action”, citing the Islamic Republic’s sponsorship of terrorist groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

“This is how Iran acts without nuclear weapons; now imagine how Iran will act if a deal is made that leaves it as a threshold nuclear power,” warned Netanyahu.

“It’s obvious that Iran wants to remove the sanctions that have had such a devastating impact on its economy. But it should be equally obvious that Iran is not prepared to dismantle its nuclear weapons program in return.”

“Unfortunately, instead of holding firm and demanding that Iran dismantle its program, the international community is reportedly, and I hope these reports do not prove to be true, but the international community is reportedly willing to leave Iran’s nuclear program largely intact. They hope to rely on intelligence and inspectors to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons,” said Netanyahu.

He warned, “I believe this would be a bad deal and a huge mistake.”

“As for inspectors, they weren't able to stop North Korea from getting the bomb. And if the ten year run-around that Iran has given the International Atomic Energy Agency is any indication, inspectors won’t stop Iran from getting the bomb either.”

“The IAEA itself has reported just last week that Iran continues to conceal the most suspicious aspects of its nuclear program from the international inspectors that are already in Iran.”

“Some people have suggested that Iran can help America solve the problems of the Middle East,” said Netanyahu, “But Iran is not part of the solution. It’s a huge part of the problem.”

He stressed, “The Islamic State of Iran is not a partner of America. It’s an enemy of America. And it should be treated as an enemy – by keeping tough sanctions on the regime; by making clear that the international community is determined to do whatever it takes to prevent Iran from breaking out or sneaking out to get the bomb.”

Netanyahu Outlines Crackdown on Terror Throughout Israel
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Binyamin Netanyahu

Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made a statement on the current security situation in Israel on Tuesday, 24 hours after Palestinian terrorists killed 20 year-old IDF soldier Almog Shiloni and 26 year-old Dalia Lemkos hy"d in two separate stabbing attacks. 

"We find ourselves facing a wave of incitement and terror which we have faced since the State's establishment," he began. "We

Netanyahu stated that he would be taking steps to "increase security forces throughout Israel" to "ensure Israeli citizens' security," through coordinated efforts with the Israel Security Agency (ISA), IDF, and the Israel Police. 

The steps will include "increasing forces in the field throughout Israel," "demolishing terrorists' homes, harsh punishments for rock-throwers, Molotov cocktail and fireworks attacks, fines against the parents of rock-throwers, outlawing the parties behind the terrorism and riots in Jerusalem, and other steps." 

"Terrorism against us has no borders," he continued. "They are trying to uproot us from everywhere in the country. According to the terrorists, we don't have to be anywhere - not in Jerusalem, not in Tel Aviv, not in Gush Etzion, not anywhere." 

"They will not succeed," he continued. 

"There are also those in the field who are attempting to bring the war against ISIS - or a holy war - here," he added. "This will also not succeed."

Netanyahu then turned to the issue of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, whom many MKs and public officials have cited as a wellspring for the recent incitement to violence over the past several weeks.

"We will continue to act in every way against all incitement, against all actions of terror," he said. "But unfortunately, Abu Mazen [Abbas - ed.] is not a partner in this." 

"On the contrary, Abu Mazen proved today the extent to which he is irresponsible," he continued. "Instead of easing tensions, he stirs them. Instead of telling the truth, he spreads lies." 

"Instead of directing the political path to peace, he directs it to terror," he added, directing a few scathing remarks at the international community for "condemning every porch built in the capital and drinking up Abu Mazen's lies." 

Netanyahu also urged Israeli Arabs not to follow the pressure to join in on Palestinian rioting and incitement, noting that they are "equal citizens with equal rights under the law," and that, therefore, "they must obey the law equally." 

He then concluded by expressing his condolences to the families of Monday's terror victims. 

Netanyahu's statement surfaces against the backdrop of escalating tensions in Jerusalem - which has suffered three major terror attacks in two and a half weeks - and amid concerns that Hamas has been planning a "large-scale attack" on Israeli citizens.

Man Embeds Computer Chips in Hands to Store Bitcoin
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy News Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues;Commentary

A Dutch entrepreneur has had two wireless computer chips implanted under the skin in his hands to allow him to store digital currencies like Bitcoin inside his body. 

Martijn Wismeijer is the founder of Mr Bitcoin, a company which installs and operates crypto-currency cash machines in and around his native Amsterdam and across Europe. 

This month he chose to undergo a painful procedure to embed NFC (near-field communication) chips under his skin. These chips can be read by a range of devices including smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple iPhone 6, and can be adapted for a range of uses. 

Wismeijer has already experimented with storing crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin on the chip, but he adds that it is vital to encrypt them to prevent theft – especially if it’s common knowledge that you have a chip and tell people where it can be found. 

He had used it to store the private keys for his Bitcoin wallets. In the end he decided that it's not yet secure enough for him to use permanently, but said that the experiment was a success. 

He has also used the chips to program an alarm clock to only switch off when he places one or both of them against a sensor – forcing him to wake up on time in the mornings. He also hopes to fit an NFC-enabled door lock at home so that he can ditch his house keys and instead just touch his palm to the door frame in order to gain access. 

The glass chips he had implanted were xNTi devices which come pre-installed in syringes to plunge them into the fatty flesh under the skin. The 2mm by 12mm chips only store 888 bytes, but can transfer that over short distances when in the presence of an NFC reader. 

New models with more memory are currently being designed, but these will be larger and more painful to install as they will have to be unfolded under the skin as opposed to just being injected. 

“Most doctors will not want to install the implant so a body manipulation artist (preferably not just tattoo artist or piercer) will be your next best bet, but make sure they work according to strict hygiene codes and know what they are doing,” said Wismeijer. 

The pain from the injection lasts around a day and then you can start playing with it. 

“Don't be like me: I wanted to try it out even before the blood dried up but it is like a new mobile phone that needs to be fully charged before you switch it on the first time. Really you should leave it alone until it is no longer swollen and healed or you might risk infection and then your body might reject the implant,” said Wismeijer. 

“I found that most older people tend to respond with a 'why?' when I tell them about my implants.” 

“The reason I did take the implants is that I have real-world uses for it today, my phones and tablets are all compatible. I personally feel that by supporting these bio-hacking developments we can learn what works and what doesn't and that some day, in the not so distant future we will be able to implant more functionality like sub dermal glucose sensors or heart rate monitors and other vital health monitoring devices. Imagine a normally invisible tattoo on your arm glowing red when you get a heart attack, swipe your phone and your phone will notify doctor. 

“By supporting these bio-hacking initiatives I believe we are paving the way for social acceptance while at the same time we support the bio-hacking technology that drives it.”

Major Banks Knowingly Funded Hezbollah Terror Operations: Suit
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsNew York Post
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Hezbollah fighters holding party flags in Beirut, Lebanon, in November 2012 Photo: AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Some of the world’s most powerful banks knowingly funded Hezbollah terror operations by concealing billions of dollars in transactions with their Iranian sponsors, a ​new ​Brooklyn federal lawsuit ​charges.

Dozens of victims of Hezbollah​ ​violence ​filed suit Monday against Barclays, HSBC, Credit Suisse, Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland​ for purposefully “stripping” information from the deals​ allegedly​ to obscure the involvement of Iranian banks.

The suit comes on the heels of a landmark jury verdict in Brooklyn federal court that found Jordanian banking power Arab Bank guilty of ​conducting business with Hamas that helped fund terror attacks.

The new case ​was filed by the same attorney who scored that victory, C. Tab Turner​,​ of Arkansas.

The defendant banks “knowingly and unlawfully agreed to engage in ‘stripping’ hundreds of millions — and in some cases billions — of US dollars on behalf of Iran knowing that Iran was a designated state sponsor of terrorism,” according to the suit.

Eventually landing in Hezbollah’s hands, Iranian money aided in “planning and perpetrating the murder and maiming of hundreds of Americans in Iraq during the same time the conspiracy was proceeding,” according to the suit.

Each of the banks named in the suit has already paid massive fines for conducting illicit business with Iran and other sanctioned countries and criminal groups.

HSBC paid $1.9 billion, Barclays $298 million, Royal Bank of Scotland $100 million, Credit Suisse $536 million and Standard Chartered $340 million.

Now the relatives of those killed or injured in Hezbollah attacks want compensation for their trauma, according to court papers.

The suit refers to more than 60 lethal operations carried out between 2006 and 2011 by Hezbollah and other groups and allegedly financed by Iran.

Relatives of those killed and injured in an infamous assault on US military personnel in Karbala, Iraq, in 2007 are part of the lengthy list of plaintiffs.

That attack left five soldiers dead and t​​hree wounded.

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

In the War Against ISIS, Iran Is Not – and Will Not Be – a Friend to the US
Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of US president Barack Obama’s latest letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Iran’s Supreme Leader is the suggestion that a nuclear deal between Washington and Tehran could open the way to greater cooperation in the fight against ISIL.  

Palestinian leader accuses Israel of religious war
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Tuesday of leading the region toward a "religious war," saying frequent visits by Jewish worshippers to a site sacred to both Islam and Judaism are fueling clashes that have raised fears of a widespread outbreak of fighting.  

Iran’s Uranium Stockpile Grows Before Deadline for Nuclear Deal
VIENNA – Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium gas has grown by 8 percent to nearly 8.4 tonnes in about two months, U.N. atomic inspectors say, an amount world powers probably will want to see cut under any nuclear deal with Tehran.  

China Unveils Sophisticated Stealth Fighter Aircraft
ZHUHAI/BEIJING – China unveiled a sophisticated new stealth fighter jet at an air show on Tuesday, a show of muscle during a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama for an Asia-Pacific summit.  

Khamenei's Guide to Destroying Israel Threatens Iran Nuke Talks
A chillingly detailed guide to "the proper way of eliminating Israel" – tweeted out by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – is threatening to throw nuclear talks with Tehran into chaos.  

ACA Architect: 'The Stupidity Of The American Voter' Led Us To Hide Obamacare's True Costs From The Public
MIT economist Jonathan Gruber. A few months back, he was caught on tape admitting that Obamacare doesn’t provide subsidies for federally-run insurance exchanges; it’s now the topic of a new case before the Supreme Court. In other words, the ends—imposing Obamacare upon the public—justified the means.  

Court told: Humans could marry animals
'This is not just a slippery slope ... it is a bottomless pit'. Just days after the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the right of states to define marriage as one man and one woman, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court is being urged to affirm the decision, because if it doesn’t, states might not even be able to regulate the “species” of marriage partners.  

Senior security source: Gaza factions could resume rocket fire on Israel
An escalation in current clashes with the Palestinians could see the resumption of low-level rocket fire on Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, a senior defense source warned Tuesday  

Jihadists send ‘vial of Ebola’ to newspaper
Sky News Melbourne bureau chief Ahron Young said the vial was part of a package from a “jihadist group” sent to an office this morning, later confirmed to be the New Zealand Herald. It arrived with a letter claiming that the liquid was a sample of Ebola. It was understood that the mailroom was evacuated and the staff were hosed down.  

Russia, Iran sign nuclear construction deal
Russia will build two new nuclear power plant units in Iran under an agreement signed in Moscow on Tuesday.  

Obama, Putin circle each other warily in China
Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin were all niceties — a pat on the back here, a pleasantry there. But away from the cameras, the two leaders circled each other warily at a global summit in China, coming face to face while relations between their countries continue to deteriorate.  

EU court rules benefit tourists can be excluded from welfare schemes
The European Court of Justice declares EU member states must have 'the possibility of refusing' social benefits to 'economically inactive' EU citizens  

HISTORIC COMET LANDING TOMORROW
The European Space Agency is about to make history: On Nov. 12th, it is going to land on a comet. The action begins Wednesday at 08:35 UT when ESA's Rosetta spacecraft drops a probe named "Philae" onto the core of Comet 67P.  

OLD SUNSPOT SET TO RETURN
The quieting of sunspot AR2205 has prompted NOAA forecasters to lower the odds of an X-class flare today to only 10%. However, they are raising the odds again tomorrow when old sunspot AR2192 is expected to return from its two-week trip around the farside of the sun.  

Bagana volcano (Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea) activity update
Eruptive activity at the volcano continues. Several ash plumes were observed on satellite imagery during the past days, indicating continuing explosions.  

Ebola Finds New Hotspots Outside Liberian Capital
A schoolteacher brought his sick daughter from Liberia's capital to this small town of 300 people. Soon he and his entire family were dead and buried in the forest nearby, along with an increasing number of residents.  

The Treasuries of God and the Treasuries of Man
I’ve noticed a sense of optimism coming from a lot of my politically connected evangelical friends who seem to think we have gotten a reprieve. I encourage the sense of optimism, but also must caution two things. First, conservatives have descended into progressive level anger in the past six years. Among my evangelical friends embedded in politics, many sense a reprieve. Don’t.  

5.1-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Western Greece
A strong 5.1-magnitude tremor has hit just west of the Greek island of Cephalonia in the Ionian Sea.  

Earthquake rattles west side of Big Island
West Hawaii Today reports the earthquake struck at 5:39 a.m. in ocean waters about 8.5 miles northwest of Kailua-Kona.  

5.8-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Chile
The quake hit 60 miles (100 km) north-northeast of Calama at a depth of 64.6 miles  

Earthquake swarm may increase risk of the big one
RENO, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- An earthquake swarm about 40 miles southeast of Lakeview, Oregon is increasing in activity and intensity. While the seismic activity is happening in a secluded area centered off Nevada's northwest border, scientists are watching it closely. "It has been going for about five months now and it kind of goes in fits and spurts," said Dr. Graham Kent.  

US Postal Service employee information hacked
The US Postal Service has said it was a victim of a cyber attack that may have compromised the personal information of its employees and some customers. The agency employs more than 600,000 workers but has not specified how many people were affected. Customers who used local post offices or the USPS website were not affected, but those who used its call centre may have had their information stolen.  

IDF mobilizing reinforcement battalions to West Bank
A number of IDF battalions have been sent to the West Bank to reinforce security measures there. One of the battalions sent to the area is from the Golani infantry brigade, which was training in the North prior to being mobilized to the West Bank. Security sources stressed that the reinforcement is not a sign of an imminent escalation in the security situation in Judea and Samaria.  

Boko Haram suspected in suicide bomb at Nigeria school, 48 dead
A suicide bomber-- dressed in a school uniform and apparently carrying explosives in a student rusksack-- killed at least 48 people at a boys high school in northeastern Nigeria Monday.  

Voters Reject the Green Political Agenda
What the midterm voters wanted was an economy that returned to its average 3.3% annual growth since the end of World War II. For six years of the Obama presidency, growth has all but disappeared. In 2013, as measured by the World Bank, it was barely 1.9% That translated into a lack of jobs, stagnant middle class income, and what Obama correctly called the Great Recession, but could not end.  

Caught on Camera: Obamacare Architect Admits Deceiving Americans to Pass Law
In a newly surfaced video, one of Obamacare’s architects admits a “lack of transparency” helped the Obama administration and congressional Democrats pass the Affordable Care Act. The conservative group American Commitment posted Jonathan Gruber’s remarks, reportedly from an Oct. 17, 2013, event, on YouTube.  

Israel-Bashing from Amnesty International
In a predictable development, Amnesty International (AI) has accused Israel of committing war crimes during its 50-day engagement with Hamas this past summer. The report, “Families Under the Rubble: Israeli Attacks on Unihabited Homes,” claims the Israeli military demonstrated a “callous indifference” with regard to civilians. It further insists “the onus is on Israel to provide information concerning the attacks and their intended targets.”  

Obama Refuses to Give Up his Dictatorship
Obama does not plan to compromise on anything, Instead, Obama expects the Republicans who won in a real nationwide landslide to do what he tells them to do. First and foremost, let me disabuse both Marxist Democrats and RINOs of the notion that the Republicans were elected so that they could compromise and get along with the Dems to enact legislation. That is NOT what occurred 4 November 2014.  

Aide to Islamic State's Baghdadi killed near Falluja: Iraqi TV
BAGHDAD - An aide to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been killed in an air strike near the city of Falluja, Iraqi state television reported on Monday.  

Obama urges China to be partner in ensuring world order
BEIJING - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Monday a successful China was in the interests of the United States and the world but Beijing had to be a partner in underwriting international order, and not undermine it.  

Iran and West end round of nuclear talks, outcome unclear
MUSCAT - Iran, the United States and the European Union ended two days of high-level talks on Tehran's nuclear program on Monday with no immediate sign they had bridged gaps ahead of a Nov. 24 deadline for an agreement  

Israeli soldier and woman stabbed to death by Palestinians
JERUSALEM - An Israeli soldier and a woman were stabbed to death by Palestinians in Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank on Monday, extending a surge in violence fuelled by strife over access to Jerusalem's holiest site.  

U.S. justice temporarily blocks gay marriage in Kansas
WASHINGTON - A U.S. Supreme justice on Monday temporarily blocked gay marriage in Kansas a day before it was due to go into effect.  

EARTHQUAKE: So Cal shakes; epicenter off shore
A pair of quakes reaching magnitude 4.1 struck near the island of San Clemente and was felt as far as Orange County, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.  

Small earthquakes felt in NC
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Federal officials say two minor earthquakes this weekend have shaken areas in the North Carolina mountains and east Tennessee.  

Khamenei's Guide to Destroying Israel Threatens Iran Nuke Talks
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsNewsMax
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

A chillingly detailed guide to "the proper way of eliminating Israel" – tweeted out by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – is threatening to throw nuclear talks with Tehran into chaos.

Khamenei posted the following on his Twitter account Sunday, the Washington Free Beacon reports.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the disturbing plan proves Iran remains "unrepentant" and "unreformed" and that the West should be forewarned as it tries to come to a deal with Iran on its nuclear program by a Nov. 24 deadline, the Free Beacon reports.

"Don't rush into a deal that would let Iran rush to the bomb," he warned, Ynet News reports.

The Times of Israel reports that Netanyahu has ordered letters to be sent to foreign ministries in the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany to warn them against a deal.

"The leader of this country that is depicted by some as moderate, the Islamic State of Iran, has said in the last 48 hours: 1) that he calls for the annihilation of Israel — his words, not mine; 2) he gives nine ways and reasons of how and why Israel should be annihilated — his words, not mine," Netanyahu said, the Times of Israel reported.

"He's publicly calling for the annihilation of Israel as he is negotiating a nuclear deal with the P5+1 countries. This terrorist regime in Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear threshold power."

In the disturbing Twitter guide, Khamenei writes, "The only means of bringing Israeli crimes to an end is the elimination of this regime. And of course the elimination of Israel does not mean the massacre of the Jewish people in the region. The Islamic Republic has proposed a practical and logical mechanism for this to international communities."

He also accuses "the fake Zionist regime" of committing acts of "infanticide, homicide, violence, and iron fist while boasts about it blatantly." Israel's enemies must commit to "armed resistance" until Israel is eliminated, the ayatollah says.

"Up until the day when this homicidal and infanticidal regime is eliminated through a referendum, powerful confrontation and resolute and armed resistance is the cure of this ruinous regime," Khamenei writes. "The only means of confronting a regime which commits crimes beyond one's thought and imagination is a resolute and armed confrontation."

Khamenei also reiterates his call for the West Bank to be armed like Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu fumed, "There is no moderation in Iran. It is unrepentant, unreformed," the Free Beacon reports.

On Monday, Vice President Joe Biden assured Jewish leaders the United States would not sign a bad deal, the Times of Israel reports.

"Let me say to you clearly in the Bidenesque way: We will not let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon — period," he told the annual conference of the Jewish Federations of North America, the Times of Israel reports.

"I would not put my 42-year reputation on the line were I not certain when I say we mean it."

Jordan Minister: 70% of Official Media Coverage is Anti - Israel
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Antisemitism

Jordan's King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas

Flash 90

Mohammad Al Momani, Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications, says that official media in his country is dedicated to "extensively" covering Israeli "violations", and that this coverage generally takes up to 70% of the reports, says official Jordanian news agency Petra.

Momani met on Saturday with top officials of the political parties in the kingdom, and said the official Jordanian media is "doing its best for the Palestinian cause."

He said that Israeli "violations" – Petra did not specify of what – in Jerusalem, Gaza and "Palestine," take up to "70 percent of space in most cases in the news bulletins and programs, in coverage by the Jordan News Agency (Petra) and on Jordanian television."

He noted that the Jordan ambassador to Israel is still in Amman for "consultation." Jordan withdrew its ambassador from Israel last week, following violent Arab riots on the Temple Mount.

Momani said that the party officials he met praised the kingdom's recall of the ambassador from Israel. They demanded action to ensure that the Arab and Islamic nations understand their responsibilities regarding what is happening in Jerusalem "because [Jordan] cannot shoulder the responsibility on its own."

Momani said that Jordan is witnessing a media revolution, and that there are currently about 700 radio, television station and news websites. He pointedly noted that some of them are "professional, accurate and honest," while others "do exactly the opposite of that." He said that information must be acquired "from the right place."

Is the Muslim Messiah the Biblical Antichrist?
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsProphecy News Watch
Categories: Today's Headlines;Prophecy;Commentary

Stepping onto the world scene, in the not too distant future, will be a man of great influence, power, presence, and diplomacy, promising peace amid the chaos and conflict that dominate life on planet earth. Likely, the reader has heard of this coming world ruler, for in fact, the two largest monotheistic religions predict, in their separate holy books; the Bible and the Quran, the arrival of this future ruler.

The evidence is compelling that these two men; one revered by the Quran, the other abhorred in the Bible, are actually one in the same. If this is true, then could it also be that the appearance of the coming world ruler will be in a place not previously thought and under circumstances that may surprise most of us?

According to Bible teacher, author, and documentary film maker, Joel Richardson, the similarities between the Islamic messianic figure, Mahdi (meaning Guided One), and the Biblical Antichrist are unmistakable, and deserve consideration by those watching for the appearance of this future world leader. While this premise is controversial among scholars, it has been affirmed by noted Bible teachers like; Walid Shoebat, Avi Lipkin, and Dr. John McArthur, who teaches that the Anti-Christ of the Bible is the Messiah of Islam.

The Mahdi and the Antichrist are both the associated with an End Times scenario. Both are said to possess great political and military prowess, and both will institute a one world religion and government. Both the Biblical Antichrist and the Mahdi will ride upon a white horse as a conquering king, possessing supernatural power and receiving worshipful adoration by the masses, followed by the establishment of a seven year peace treaty with the Jews, promising peace and prosperity but delivering the greatest slaughter of Jews in history. These are but a few of the similarities between the two. Joel Richardson, in his books” The Islamic Antichrist” and “The Mideast Beast,” details the extensive parallels between the two and identifying features of the Mahdi.

Because most scholars have studied the Bible from a Western perspective, Richardson suggests that studying the Bible as an Eastern book reveals a more accurate representation of the fulfillment of End Time’s prophecy, and even the location from which the arrival of this Mahdi or Islamic Messiah will occur.

That the Islamic world is anticipating this Mahdi , is demonstrated by a recent documentary “End Times Eyewitness”, produced by WND films and directed by Joel Richardson, wherein he interviews Adnan Oktar, a popular television personality and prolific Turkish Muslim author, concerning the expectations of Muslims during the End Times. In this interview, Adnan Oktar affirms that Muslims are not only anticipating the arrival of the Mahdi, they are also awaiting the arrival of Isa, or the Islamic version of Jesus. According to Islamic doctrine, this Isa will tell the world that he was neither, crucified or resurrected, and that he is not the Son of God but has become a Muslim prophet.

Isa’s role in the End Times scenario will be to evangelize for Allah and convert the world to Islam. Assisting him in this conversion work will be the “djinn” (English translated “genie”) or supernatural beings with whom the Mahdi will be able to communicate and lead to accomplish his purpose of worldwide conversion to Islam. Oktar believes that Mahdi and Isa may already be walking the earth today, awaiting the time of their unveiling.

And where do Oktar, a Sunni Muslim, and according to Oktar, Shiite Muslim leaders in Iran, predict the Mahdi will appear? Istanbul, Turkey. Based upon Islamic prediction, the Mahdi is to appear between 1400 and 1500 on the Hijri calendar, the current year is 1435 on that calendar, coupling this with predictive verses in the Christian gospels, has led Oktar to believe Isa is now walking among us.

Adnan Oktar, has the ear of President Erdogan of Turkey, according to Richardson, and operates as a Rasputin type advisor to the President. Turkey under Erdogan’s leadership, has seen a lessening of its ties to the west and to NATO, and seems poised to intensify its power and influence in the predominantly Islamic Middle East. Reportedly, Turkey is helping to finance ISIS through oil purchases, and has refused use of its airbases during bombing raids on the terrorist group, and according to Richardson, ISIS actually serves as Turkey’s proxy in its greater war against Iran and Syria’s Bashar Al Assad. 

Predicting an intensification of the conflict involving ISIS, Richardson sees Iran’s eventual entrance into the war, to protect holy sites in Iraq that may be threatened by ISIS. Though not sure about the timing, he does see an increased conflict between Turkey and Iran on the horizon, as Turkey seeks to establish an Islamic Caliphate, and possibly a restoration of the Ottoman-Turkish Empire, under the presidency of Erdogan.

Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist, who converted to Christianity, is an Islamic expert, who has since warned the western world of the intent of Islam to establish a caliphate, also points to Erdogan’s aspirations to establish a “New Turkey” which will move away from the EU and focus its intentions on China, Russia, and the former Soviet republics. Like Richardson, Shoebat believes that this shift in Turkey’s aspirations also indicates a shift in where Bible prophecy students should focus their attention, remembering that the Roman Empire, from which the Biblical Antichrist will emerge, actually had two legs, the Western, and the Eastern, based in Constantinople or present day Istanbul.  The later of which lasted 1,000 years longer than the Western Empire.

Iran Unveils Its Latest 'Long - Range Radar System'
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Iranian Armed Forces march in Tehran

Reuters

In its latest showcase of military powers, Iran on Tuesday unveiled a new home-made long-range radar system, reported the semi-official Fars news agency.

According to the report, Iran claims the new system, named Sepehr (Sky), has the capability of detecting satellite and space objects' trajectories.

"The Sepehr radar system covers a range of over 2,500 kilometers and can detect stealth targets and micro UAVs at low, medium and high altitudes while it can also very easily identify and detect ballistic, semi-ballistic and cruise missiles," an Iranian official, Brigadier General Shahrokh Shahram, was quoted as having said during the unveiling ceremony.

The commander underlined that Sepehr could successfully pass all tests.

Earlier Tuesday, according to Fars, the radar went under a final test of operation and assessment, and General Shahram said the results were successful and "the information gathered by the radar during its last assessment test today was for the first time fed into the country's integrated radar and air defense network".

The General said Sepehr provides the air defense units to identify hostile targets far from the country's borders, leaving them with more time for decision-making and reaction.

Iran often boasts of military advances but it is not clear how accurate these announcements really are and whether they are actually an attempt by the regime to convince Iranians of the country’s military strength.

A year ago, the country unveiled a newly-developed advanced radar system which it claims has high target detection capabilities.

Previously, Iran presented a new fighter jet, claiming it is able to evade radar systems.

Code-named the Qaher (Conqueror) F-313 and shaped similar to stealth bombers, the grey warplane was designed and built domestically, then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasted.

Israeli experts subsequently cast doubt about the authenticity of the fighter jet, noting that Iran has no capability to build aircraft.

Holuhraun Eruption Reaches Global Scale
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsVisir
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

It's now clear that the Holuhraun eruption is the greatest eruption in Iceland in more than 230 years. This eruption some unique qualities when compared to other Icelandic eruptions through the ages - but also on a global scale.

Earlier this week scientists announced with certainty that the new still-growing lava field north of the Vatnajökull glacier, whom many want to be called Nornahraun (Witches's lavafield) is larger than any other lava field since the Laki eruption in 1783-1784 - an eruption that had greater and more dire consequences than most other eruptions in recorded history.

The lava field now covers 65 square kilometers and is still growing rapidly.

FIVE ERUPTIONS IN THE AREA
Volcanologist Ármann Höskuldsson says that the eruption has kept a steady flow since Oct. 6th and that it is impossible to predict when it will stop. As has been stated before it is considered a given that another eruption will soon begin in the area, considering the constant activity in the area. It is now accepted that five eruptions have taken place in the area; two sub-glacial ones, two smaller eruptions north of Dyngjujökull and then the one that's currently in action.

"Although the lava flow has reduced somewhat, it's still over 100 square meters per second, which equals the Skjálfandi river during summer time. The flow was immense in the beginning and was triple its current volume," states Ármann and adds that the lava flow covered 20 square meters of land per second.

Ármann agrees that the eruption is of a historic scale, and adds that it made the history books in the first couple of weeks. "People tend to measure volcanic eruptions by the cubic meter volume that emerges from the volcano, but that's not a good scale of measurement. It's more about the speed of things. You can talk about big volume volcanoes that took decades or even centuries to accumulate. In this case we're getting an incredible amount in an almost absurdly short amount of time.

GAS REMAINS A RISK

The gas pollution from the caldera is currently the biggest concern, but in the beginning the force of the eruption and the thermal uptake was so great that the gas was launched high into the sky where no one noticed it. Later, as the force of the eruption diminished, the gas has lain over the land and been a nuisance.

There's no end in sight to this problem, in fact experts like Þorsteinn Jóhannsson at the Icelandic Environmental Agency are predicting the exact opposite - that the winter weather will escalate the problem, especially during the calm frost. "This problem will only get worse with time and it is unlikely that the eruption will grow in force and start kicking the gas to a higher altitude."

ICELAND AND THE WORLD

Even when the Holuhraun eruption is compared to eruptions all over the world the facts remain the same. Ármann states "We'd have to go way back, there's a huge eruption in the Canary Islands during the middle of the 18th century that's probably larger than this one. So even on a global scale the Holuhraun eruption is making history. Simply put it's the biggest lava eruption Mankind has seen since the 18th century."

FIREHEART
When asked further about the eruption, Ármann notes that the eruption has already lasted longer than both the Fimmvörðuháls and Eyjafjallajökull eruptions combined. Ármann also adds that the magma that's coming up is unusually hot; it's around 1200 C° which is around 200 C° greater than magma coming from other known eruptions.

BÁRÐARBUNGA
But that's not all. Ármann mentions that Icelandic geologists have poured over every text and historic reference they know of, looking for examples of a series of events anything like that which the nation has been seeing in Bárðarbunga for the past couple of months.
"Bárðarbunga is a huge concern and we've never seen anything like this. The large amount of strong earthquakes, sometimes many a day, for days and weeks on end.

We've looked up every observed volcano, and this is unprecedented. That makes the big picture much harder to see, because we don't know what it all means," says Ármann who adds that the data that has been collected from the Holuhraun eruption will take several years to work through. No one can claim when that data gathering will end though, as the Holuhraun eruption is surely only the beginning of a far longer series of events in and around the Vatnajökull glacier.

Fukushima Radiation Found in Pacific Off Californias Coast
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsBloomberg
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Photographer: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo

Oceanographers have detected isotopes linked to Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant off California’s coast, though at levels far below those that could pose a measurable health risk.

Volunteer ocean monitors collected the samples that tested positive for trace amounts of the isotope cesium-134 about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Eureka, California, the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution said yesterday on its website.

Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant, which released “unprecedented levels” of radioactivity during the March 2011 accident, was the only conceivable source of the detected isotopes, Woods Hole oceanographer Ken Buesseler said in the release.

Explosions during the accident, during which three reactors suffered meltdowns, sent a burst of radioactivity into the atmosphere, while water used to cool overheating fuel rods flowed into the ocean in the weeks after the disaster. Lower levels of radiation have continued to trickle into the ocean via contaminated groundwater.

The radioactivity detected off the California coast was at levels deemed by international health agencies to be “far below where one might expect any measurable risk to human health or marine life,” according to Woods Hole. It’s also more than 1,000 times lower than acceptable limits in drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the organization said.

Tepco, as the Fukushima plant’s operator is known, said in an e-mailed statement today that the radiation’s spread had been expected and that the company has significantly improved water management at the site since the accident.

Canadian FM Condemns Palestinian Attacks, Incitement
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsArutz Sheva
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird

Reuters

Canada's foreign minister condemned Monday's deadly attacks by Palestinian terrorists in which two Israelis were murdered and several others wounded.

"Canada condemns today’s brazen attacks that have claimed the lives of an Israeli woman and a member of the Israel Defense Forces," said Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird in a statement Monday.

"These terrorist attacks come after last week’s deplorable violence where vehicles were intentionally driven into innocent bystanders," he continued, referring to a spate of Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians.

"Perpetrators of these acts of violence are responsible for further aggravating an already volatile situation."

Unlike the US State Department in its statement of condemnation, Baird did not shy away from criticizing those responsible for fanning the flames of incitement - though he did not single them out by name. For weeks, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been joined by the Palestinian Authority and its leader Mahmoud Abbas in encouraging violence against Jews in and around Jerusalem.

"Any statements of incitement are irresponsible," Baird said. "Those leaders who regularly issue them cannot plead ignorance when terrorist attacks like today’s occur."

"On behalf of all Canadians, we stand with the people of Israel and offer our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims," he added.

Israel's UN Ambassador Ron Prosor on Monday evening slammed the international silence over Palestinian incitement, even as anti-Israel resolutions continue to emanated from the UN and European leaders in particular.

"I will be perfectly clear: Ignoring incitement and terrorism is similar tosupporting terrorism,” Prosor told reporters in New York, hours after the two latest stabbing terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv and Gush Etzion.

"Every single day, Israelis are coming under attack. Every day the crowds of violent Palestinian rioters grow larger. And yet, this institution has not uttered a word to denounce attacks against Israelis."

A Tale of Two Condemnations
Nov 11th, 2014
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

Following Monday’s deadly terror stabbings, Western leaders engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process were quick to issue statements of condemnation, though their substance was disparate, and very telling as to whom Jerusalem could truly count on to understand its security needs.

First up was new European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who expressed “concern” over the attacks, which she insisted was “further evidence” that the Palestinians now erupting in violence must be given their own state, lest the violence grow worse.

Starkly contrasting the European envoy, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird explicitly condemned not only Monday’s stabbings, but a string of deadly terror attacks over the past couple of weeks. He also laid the blame for the escalating violence not on the absence of a Palestinian state, but on Arab leaders who continue to incite against the Jews.

“Those leaders who regularly issue [statements of incitement] cannot plead ignorance when terrorist attacks like today’s occur,” said Baird. “On behalf of all Canadians, we stand with the people of Israel and offer our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims.”

The response of the Obama Administration fell somewhere in between these two examples.

“We strongly condemn the stabbing today in the West Bank, and we deeply regret the loss of life,” said State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki some hours before the soldier wounded in the Tel Aviv stabbing succumbed to his wounds.

“It is absolutely critical that parties take every possible measure to protect civilians and de-escalate tensions,” she added.