The WeekEnder
for Rapture Ready News
January 4-9 2010
09 Jan 10
China warns US about arms sales to Taiwan
China has objected to the US plans to sell missile equipment to Taiwan, urging Washington to abandon the move as it would undermine trust between the US and Chinese militaries. "The US arms sales to Taiwan infringe upon China's security interest[s] as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and interfere with China's internal affairs," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in a statement on Saturday.
Israel basks in heatwave as Europe freezes
Israelis headed for the beach at the weekend to enjoy a winter heatwave, with temperatures rising into the high 20s Celsius (high 70s Fahrenheit) as much of northern Europe shivered in a cold snap. Tel Aviv's sun-splashed Mediterranean beachfront was thronged with bikini-clad women and bare-torsoed roller-bladers making the most of "July in January" conditions, as pensioners licked ice-cream in the shade.
Mitchell: Mideast stagnation endangers US aid
On the eve of his visit to the Middle East, US special envoy George Mitchell threatened that his country would freeze its aid to Israel if the Jewish state failed to advance peace talks with the Palestinians and a two-state solution. Mitchell clarified in an interview to the PBS network that the United States would use incentives or sanctions against both sides.
Jobs gloom hits west’s recovery hopes
Grim jobs market reports on both sides of the Atlantic on Friday highlighted the ongoing human cost of the credit crisis and kept alive concerns over the sustainability of the recovery. In the US, news that the economy shed another 85,000 jobs in December dashed hopes that a quickening labour market turnround could add momentum to the rebound and make it more robust.
Palestinians downplay Hillary Clinton push for peace
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has played down hopes of a resumption of peace talks with Israel. He said negotiations could not continue while Israeli settlement building continued in occupied territories. He was speaking after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged both sides to resume peace talks as soon as possible and without preconditions.
Heavy snow brings travel chaos in Germany
More than 150 flights from Germany's largest airport, Frankfurt, have been cancelled as snowfall continues. Many passengers were left stranded in the airport as snow ploughs attempted to clear runways. In Nuremberg, one plane slid off the runway. A blizzard is forecast to hit the country soon and people have been advised to stock up on enough essential supplies to last up to four days.
Venezuela will slash value of currency, the bolivar
Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has announced that the national currency, the bolivar, will be devalued for the first time since 2005, by at least 17%. The bolivar, whose rate is set by government decree, will be devalued from its current rate of 2.15 to the US dollar to 2.60 for "priority" imports. However, the bolivar will be worth 4.30 to the dollar, a 50% devaluation, for items considered non-essential.
US warns of attacks on Uganda-Sudan planes
The US embassy in the Sudanese capital Khartoum has warned of a possible attack on Air Uganda planes. The embassy said it had information that US travellers faced a potential threat between Juba in Sudan and the Ugandan capital, Kampala. But the Sudanese foreign ministry said the threat was "not serious".
Ahmadinejad: Iran will not fall on its knees before the world
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed continued defiance to the threat of further sanctions on his country on Saturday, saying the Islamic Republic will not be deterred from pursuing its nuclear program. "They issued several resolutions and sanctioned Iran," Ahmadinejad said in a speech translated by the AFP news agency. "They think Iranians will fall on their knees over these things but they are mistaken."
08 Jan 10
Journalist: Jesus Christ - 'two most explosive words in English language'
Fox News analyst Brit Hume says he doesn't regret urging Tiger Woods to become a Christian so the golfer can find forgiveness for marital infidelity.
Despite original reaction, Islamic cartoons republished
Christian Newswire director Gary McCullough says in light of the recent threats on the life of Kurt Westergaard, one of the original cartoonists, both sets of cartoons are being re-published and offered to subscribers. "We're not intimidated," says the Christian journalist. "By displaying the cartoons we're trying to say that we're not going to be intimidated against distributing them."
Pelosi 'crazy,' 'very confused' on church teachings
The article also quotes the House Speaker saying that limiting abortion restricts the free will of women. Sedlak rebuts that statement by noting that exercising free will in that manner can put a person in hell for eternity. "Just because you have free will does not mean that you always make the right decision," he contends. "I think she is very, very confused over what free will is and what free will would allow her to do and still be in good standing with the Catholic Church."
Brutal Europe winter sparks travel chaos
Europe was blasted by more snow and ice on Friday amid a brutal winter that has caused travel chaos across the continent.
Blatantly Anti-Semitic Exchange on C-Span
A caller on a C-Span interview program Monday complained about "all these Jews" having "way too much power" in America and pushing the U.S. into wars with the Muslim world. He found his comments echoed and expanded upon by the studio guest.
King David Era Pottery Shard Supports Biblical Narrative
The significance of this breakthrough relates to the fact that at least some of the Biblical scriptures are now proven to have been composed hundreds of years before the dates presented today in research and that the Kingdom of Israel already existed at that time.
'PM on Schalit: No more flexibility'
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has indicated to Hamas that he will show no more flexibility in negotiations to free Gilad Schalit, sources close to the premier were quoted by local media as saying Thursday. Netanyahu reportedly stressed that his point man in talks to free the captured soldier, Hagai Hadas, would be given no more wiggle room beyond the mandate he has received.
Midwest bracing for heavy snow, wind chills of -50
Snow was piled so high in Iowa that drivers couldn't see across intersections and a North Dakota snowblower repair shop was overwhelmed with business as residents braced Thursday for heavy snow and wind chills as low as 50 below zero. Frigid weather also was gripping the South, where a rare cold snap was expected to bring snow and ice Thursday to states from South Carolina to Louisiana. Forecasters said wind chills could drop to near zero at night in some areas.
Malaysian churches fire-bombed as 'Allah' row escalates
Three churches have been attacked in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, ahead of protests by Muslim groups. The administrative offices of one church were destroyed by a firebomb attack and one of the other two churches attacked was slightly damaged. Some Muslim groups are angry at a court decision allowing non-Muslims to use the word Allah to refer to God.
Obama: We're at war with al-Qaida
US President Barack Obama said Thursday security lapses that led to a near-disaster in the Christmas Day attack on a US-bound airliner were not the fault of a single individual or agency and suggested no one would be fired. He vowed the problems would be corrected. ...Clearly aware of the potential political fallout, Obama struck a tough tone toward the anti-terror fight, taking the rare step - for him - of calling it a "war."
J'lem rejects 2-year peace deadline
Israel doesn't want to see deadlines imposed on the negotiating process with the Palestinians, even as the US is endorsing the idea of a two-year time frame. "In the past, attempts to impose time frameworks have not proved either realizable or helpful," Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren told The Jerusalem Post.
US preparing for possible Iran conflict
The US does not want to see confrontation with Iran but is still preparing its military for that possibility, America's top uniformed officer said Thursday. "We've looked to do all we can to ensure that conflict doesn't break out there, while at the same time preparing forces, as we do for many contingencies that we understand might occur," Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during an appearance at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
07 Jan 10
Man threatening Jews taken off flight
An airline passenger in Miami proclaimed "I want to kill all the Jews" before police forced him off a Detroit-bound plane, authorities said Thursday.Mansor Mohammad Asad, 43, of Ohio, was arrested Wednesday night, according to a police department statement. Asad was charged with threats against a public servant, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer without violence. FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela said there were no indications the disturbance was related to terrorism.
Cold grips much of US, Fla. races to save crops
A stubborn cold wave locked freezing temperatures in place across the central and eastern U.S. Wednesday as far south as Florida, where farmers worked to salvage millions of dollars' worth of strawberries and other crops. Arctic air was expected to hover through the weekend. In a rare turn for the South, forecasters warned that snow and ice were possible Thursday from South Carolina to Louisiana and wind chills in the region could get down to near zero at night.
Ahmadinejad: Iran and Syria will create a New World Order
Iran and Syria plan to create a new world order, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday. "Iran and Syria have a joint mission to create a new world order on the basis of justice, humanity and belief in God," Ahmadinejad told visiting Syrian Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Abrash. Syria is Iran's main ally in the Middle East and both countries consider Israel to be their political arch-foe.
Assad: US must promote peace, but Israel not partner
Syrian President Bashar Assad called upon the US to take an active roll in the Middle East peace process during a Damascus meeting with a member of the US Congress. The official Syrian news agency reported that Assad entreated Washington "to ensure regional peace is achieved," but said that the Israelis currently are not a true partner for peace.
U.S. urges world to help revive Mideast talks
Washington wants the international community to issue a joint call next week for renewed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Jerusalem officials said on Wednesday. The American administration wants the statement to be issued at the end of a meeting held in Brussels of the Quartet - the United Nations, United States, Russia and the European Union. American envoy George Mitchell intends to brief the Quartet at the meeting on his talks with Israel and the Palestinian Authority in a bid to resume the negotiations between the sides. Quartet envoy Tony Blair is scheduled to attend the meeting. The other delegates are still to be determined.
Middle Class Tax Hikes on the Way?
The Senate bill raises the biggest chunk of its new revenue through a 40 percent tax on so-called Cadillac health insurance plans -- plans that cost more than $23,000 per family. And that tax, critics say, will trigger a series of changes that will result in billions of dollars in new taxes on the middle class over the next decade.
Forecast for Hamas: Assault with a chance of war
Hamas in the Gaza Strip will likely find itself increasingly under assault in the coming months both politically and military, including the possibility of another large-scale Israeli offensive in Gaza, according to informed Middle East security officials.
No. 1 persecutor tests weapons on Christians
North Korea, which reportedly has used believers as guinea pigs to test chemical and biological weapons, is the world's worst persecutor of Christians, while Iran, which may be using Christians as scapegoats for internal opposition to its president, is No. 2 on the Open Doors 2010 World Watch List.
War on terror primarily a 'war against young Muslim men'
The study -- which was funded by the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the U.S. Justice Department -- found that among the publicly known cases, the typical suspect is male, under age 30, and either U.S.-born, a naturalized citizen, or legal resident of the country.
07 Jan 10
Human sacrifices 'on the rise in Uganda' as witch doctors admit to rituals
One man said he had clients who had captured children and taken their blood and body parts to his shrine, while another confessed to killing at least 70 people including his own son.
Egypt's plan: Jerusalem Palestinian capital before talks
An Egyptian initiative aimed at resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on a permanent agreement includes an Israeli recognition of the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as the Palestinian state's capital even before the negotiations are launched, Egyptian newspaper al-Gomhuria reported Wednesday. The plan also includes a possible exchange of territories and a Palestinian agreement to construction of 8,000 new housing units in Jewish settlements.
U.S.: Emanuel 'didn't threaten to walk away' from Mideast peace process
The White House had rejected claims that Barack Obama's most senior aide blasted Israel and the Palestinians for foot-dragging and warned that the U.S. could walk away from the Middle East peace process. The comments come after reports that Rahm Emanuel recently told an Israeli diplomat that the U.S. is fed up with both sides, and said that Washington would reduce its involvement in peace efforts if no significant progress was made.
Ben-Gurion Airport revolutionizes security with Unipass biometric system
As international aviation officials look to Israel for techniques to safeguard air travel after the failed Christmas Day bombing, Ben-Gurion airport on Tuesday launched a biometric security system for outbound passengers, heralding a new era of hi-tech passenger screening.
Pro-Life Advocates Plan to Protest Opening of Largest Abortion Clinic in U.S.
A coalition of pro-life advocates and religious leaders plan to gather in Houston on Jan. 18 to oppose what is expected to be the largest abortion clinic in the country. Planned Parenthood is renovating a former bank, turning it into a 78,000 square foot facility that will include a surgical wing equipped to provide late-term abortions.
The Death Star
A STAR primed to explode in a blast that could wipe out the Earth was revealed by astronomers yesterday. It will self-destruct in an explosion called a supernova with the force of 20 billion billion billion megatons of TNT. New studies show the star, called T Pyxidis, is much closer than previously thought at 3,260 light-years away - a short hop in galactic terms.
Stimulus to bring body scanners to airports
The U.S. government is using $25 million in stimulus money to buy and install full body scanners in airports this year, in an effort to ramp up security and create jobs. The Transportation Security Administration is using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to purchase 150 of the full body scanners, according to TSA spokeswoman Sarah Horowitz.
AP sources: Obama OKs taxing high-end health plans
President Barack Obama signaled to House Democratic leaders Wednesday that they'll have to drop their opposition to taxing high-end health insurance plans to pay for health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. In a meeting at the White House, Obama expressed his preference for the insurance tax contained in the Senate's health overhaul bill, but largely opposed by House Democrats and organized labor, Democratic aides said. The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private.
Egypt Copts killed in Christmas church attack
At least six Coptic Christians and a security official have been killed in a drive-by shooting outside a church in southern Egypt, officials say. The shooting came as worshippers left the church in Naj Hammadi after a midnight mass on Coptic Christmas Eve. A car pulled up and gunfire was sprayed into the crowd.
European parliament selling unused body scanners
The European Parliament is putting its six unused full body scanners up for sale, just as several EU states are buying such devices for their airports in the aftermath of a failed bomb attack on a US flight departing from Amsterdam. Last year, the machines became a bit of an embarrassment for the EU legislature when MEPs found out that their own institution had purchased them in 2005.
Analysis: Iran presses Hamas not to deal on Schalit
Iran is pressuring Hamas to reject Israel's offer in the negotiations for the release of Gilad Schalit. Hamas would likely not be able to make a deal with Israel without first receiving permission from Iran. Iran is asking Hamas what the rush is, believing that the longer Hamas makes Israel wait, the more they will get out of the deal.
North Korea and Iran top list of worst persecutors of Christians
North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia are the worst persecutors of Christians around the world, according to a ranking released Wednesday by a Christian mission agency. In an annual assessment of the 50 worst state persecutors of Christians by California-based Open Doors USA, North Korea topped the list for the seventh year in a row. Iran moved up to the second position on Open Doors' World Watch List, bumping Saudi Arabia down from last year, to the third slot.
Ten mortar shells fired from Gaza
At least ten mortar shells launched from the Gaza Strip on Thursday hit open areas in Israel's South. Early Thursday, two shells hit open areas near Kerem Shalom in the western Negev. Later in the morning, two additional rockets were fired at the area, and three other shells landed in open fields in the Eshkol region.
US readies new push on Middle East peace process
The Obama administration is gearing up for a fresh attempt to relaunch stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after the effort hit a dead end last year. In a flurry of meetings in Washington and in European capitals this week and next, senior administration officials will explore new approaches to bringing the two sides together.
06 Jan 10
Pro-Life Advocates Plan to Protest Opening of Largest Abortion Clinic in U.S.
A coalition of pro-life advocates and religious leaders plan to gather in Houston on Jan. 18 to oppose what is expected to be the largest abortion clinic in the country. Planned Parenthood is renovating a former bank, turning it into a 78,000 square foot facility that will include a surgical wing equipped to provide late-term abortions. “It’s an abortion super center,” Lou Engle, founder of the pro-life group The Call to Conscience, which is organizing the rally, told CNSNews.com.
Winter of 2009-2010 Could be Worst in 25 Years
Nearly the entire eastern half of the United States is enduring bitterly cold temperatures not experienced since 1985. New waves of cold air will spread southward from Canada in the coming weeks and could result in this winter rivaling that of 1982 and perhaps 1977-78. Some of the greatest temperature departures from average may be yet to come from the balance of January into February and March.
Egypt's plan: Jerusalem Palestinian capital before talks
An Egyptian initiative aimed at resuming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks on a permanent agreement includes an Israeli recognition of the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as the Palestinian state's capital even before the negotiations are launched, Egyptian newspaper al-Gomhuria reported Wednesday. The plan also includes a possible exchange of territories and a Palestinian agreement to construction of 8,000 new housing units in Jewish settlements.
IDF to blanket Israel with gas masks
The Home Front Command is planning to begin distribution of individual protection kits, i.e. gas masks, to every citizen starting in late February, according to a cabinet decision taken last week. Originally, just over 60 percent of the population were to receive kits, but a decision to extend that protection to the whole country means the production of the necessary equipment has been stepped-up, and another billion shekels is needed to fund to the endeavor. The plan is to distribute protective kits to each of the nearly eight million citizens (in line with a population estimate for 2013), over a period of three years.
Israel to simulate biological warfare attack
An exercise simulating a response to a biological warfare attack will be carried out in the Dan region next week. The exercise, which will be the largest of its kind in Israel's history, will be carried out in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, and Holon and aims to evaluate the ability of the Home Front, the medical services, rescue teams and the municipal authorities to respond in the conditions created by a biological catastrophe caused either by terrorists or by accident. The exercise, code named Orange Flame, will be held on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
Ehud Barak receives death threat
An explicit death threat received in shadow of the settlement freeze. Defense Minister Ehud Barak's office received a letter threatening the life of the minister and his family, in which the author promises to murder the leader should he destroy the settlements in the West Bank. The letter was passed on to the Shin Bet for investigation. Barak's office refused Tuesday to address the security issues. However, security sources confirmed that a number of anonymous letters, some of which included threats, have been received by the minister's office.
Egypt - Press statement on the meeting of the Foreign Ministers on January 5th, in Cairo (Union for the Mediterranean)
Foreign Ministers of Egypt, France, Spain, Tunisia, and Jordan met on January 5th, 2010, in Cairo, to discuss developments related to the Union for the Mediterranean initiative, as well as means to boost it. - The Foreign Ministers agreed on the importance for the initiative's institutional framework to start carrying out its duties as soon as possible, and welcomed the Jordanian candidate "Ahmad Masa'deh" to assume the position of the Secretary-General for "Union for the Mediterranean" secretariat.
Investment Forecast for 2010: The Dollar’s Demise Sets the Table
In the wake of all this are President Obama and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke who are not squeezing a single thing! Instead they are creating a tsunami of money. It amounts to throwing gasoline on a fire.
The Party of Betrayal?
Before discussing why Senator Joseph McCarthy wrote and distributed a book entitled "The Party of Betrayal," which accused Democratic Party leaders of corruption and of protecting Communists during the Red Scare, it would first be enlightening to mention the years prior to Senator McCarthy's charges.
Obama chief accused of 'aiding' anti-Semites
President Obama's newly appointed anti-Semitism czar, Hannah Rosenthal, is guilty of "aiding and abetting anti-Semites around the world," charged the anti-Semitism expert who held Rosenthal's government position until last year.
Control-conscious Dems seek unorthodox route
The pro-life spokesman is asking people to especially urge House members not to support a healthcare reform bill that does not include the Stupak language that bars federal funding of abortions.
New quakes rock Solomon Islands after tsunami
The largest earthquake late Tuesday had a magnitude of 6.8, followed by seven aftershocks measuring at least 5.0 in the isolated region about 300 kilometres (185 miles) west of the capital Honiara. The latest tremors followed a series of quakes on Monday, with the largest of 7.2 causing a tsunami estimated at eight feet (nearly 2.5 metres).
Snow brings chaos to Britain as Europe shivers
Britain's most brutal winter in decades caused chaos for travellers Wednesday as snow and ice hit airports and roads, while bitterly cold temperatures cloaked much of Europe.
Terra Incognita: The first economic peace in the Holy Land
The idea that free-market principles and a strong economy mitigate both nationalism and political extremism - especially the resort to violence - has long been a staple of those who argue for democratization and free trade.
Dead fish provoke alert around Gulf of Mexico
Mexican officials issued a vigilance alert Tuesday after thousands of dead fish washed up on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Veracruz state governor Fidel Herrera issued the alert after fishermen reported dead fish along several kilometers (miles) of beaches off eastern Mexico.
Idaho GOP gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell says saving the U.S. Constitution requires God's help.
Idaho GOP gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell says saving the U.S. Constitution requires God's help. Rammell's thoughts are captured in a nine-minute excerpt from a recent news conference now available on YouTube. "America would not exist if it wasn't for the divine hand of providence in not only intervening to win the Revolutionary War but in writing the inspired words of the Constitution," Rammell says in the video. "To think that we can save the Constitution without God's help when the government of the United States is corrupt is absurdity."
06 Jan 10
China again rejects UN sanctions against Iran
China's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Yesui, has said the time is not right to consider more sanctions against Iran. The UN Security Council, including China, has previously called for Iran to stop enriching uranium and has issued three sets of sanctions. Iran's leaders insist their atomic programme is only meant for energy-generating purposes.
Giant offshore grid to link up north-western Europe
Nine north-western European countries are planning a giant underwater energy grid in the North Sea linked to wind farms, tidal power stations and hydroelectric plants. Thousands of kilometers of high-tech energy cables are set to be laid on the seabed of the North Sea in the coming ten years, in what will become Europe's groundbreaking energy park, Germany's Sueddeutsche newspaper reports.
Iran welcomes Cliton non-deadline on nuclear talks
Iran said Tuesday it welcomes Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's comments that there is no hard-and-fast deadline for starting nuclear dialogue. On Monday, Clinton said the Obama administration remained open to negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, though it will move toward tougher sanctions if Iran does not respond positively. She stressed there was no hard-and-fast deadline for Iran.
'Syria will back Hizbullah against IDF'
If Israel were to attack Hizbullah in Lebanon, Syria would respond and not sit idly by, the Katari Al Watan newspaper quoted Syrian sources as saying in a report published Wednesday. The sources reportedly added that Damascus considered any threat to Lebanon's security and stability as a threat to Syria's security.
US President Barack Obama announced changes to his countries airport security measures, and admitted the American intelligence community failed on Chr
US President Barack Obama announced changes to his countries airport security measures, and admitted the American intelligence community failed on Christmas Day in what almost became a massive terror attack. "The bottom line is this: The US government had sufficient information to have uncovered this plot and potentially disrupt the Christmas Day attack, but our intelligence community failed to connect those dots," Obama said...
05 Jan 10
Foreign ministers meet to revive Mediterranean Union
The foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Jordan, Spain and Tunisia met in Cairo on Tuesday in an effort to revive the nascent Mediterranean Union, a year after its launch. The ministers gathered for a meeting and working dinner. No press conference was scheduled after the meeting. Speaking in Madrid before the meeting, Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said that the grouping was "very close to naming its secretary general," who will be a representative of an Arab country.
6 Earthquakes Rock Solomon Islands
A series of six earthquakes rocked the Solomon Islands on Tuesday, a day after landslides and a tsunami left 1,000 people homeless, the U.S. Geological Surve
