"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Iran’s ultimatum for new nuclear talks: No ‘Zionist’ Israelis allowed
In what’s sure to fuel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s angst over the American-forged nuclear development deal with Tehran, the foreign minister of Iran said Friday that all further discussions will have to leave out Israel. ...Iran “would not attend a meeting in which the Quds [or Jerusalem] occupy regime participates. We consider the Zionist regime as the biggest danger to the region and the world.”

Pakistan promises to help Afghan officials meet key Taliban figure
Pakistan’s prime minister said he was committed to helping find peace in Afghanistan and that a deal had been reached to allow Afghan negotiators to meet a high-profile Taliban commander. Speaking during his first visit to Kabul since taking power in May, Nawaz Sharif said next year marked a “milestone” as foreign forces left the country and urged an end to what he called the “destructive cycle of conflict.”

Israeli officials denounce Obama for giving Iran right to enrich, destroying sanctions
Unnamed Israeli officials denounced US President Barack Obama on Friday night for presiding over failed negotiations with Iran under which they said the sanctions pressure on Tehran is collapsing and the Islamic Republic has been granted the right to enrich uranium. The entire wall of sanctions, painstakingly constructed over years, is already crumbling and “will collapse within months,” the officials were quoted as saying.

Stoning will not be brought back, says Afghan president
Afghanistan's government has backed away from a proposal to reintroduce public stoning as a punishment for adultery after the leak of a draft law stirred up a storm of international condemnation. The president, Hamid Karzai, said in an interview that the grim penalty, which became a symbol of Taliban brutality when the group were in power, would not be coming back.

Syrian chemical arms 'to be destroyed on US Navy ship'
The body charged with overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons has confirmed some will be "neutralised" aboard a US Navy ship. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said the US was contributing technology and financing. The chemicals will be diluted to safer levels using a process called "hydrolysis".

US carriers urged to comply with China air zone rules
The US says it expects its civilian aircraft to observe China's rules in an air defence zone in the East China Sea. A US statement said this did not mean the US accepted China's requirements in the zone covering territory claimed by China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. China wants all aircraft there to file flight plans and identify themselves.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Canada charges man over 'bid to spy for China'
Canadian police have arrested and charged a man on suspicion of intending to pass classified information to China. The Canadian national, named as Qing Quentin Huang, is accused of seeking to sell information about Canada's warship procurement strategy.

Iran 'will never abandon Arak heavy water reactor'
Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said Tehran will never abandon the Arak heavy water reactor, considering it a "red line" in talks with world powers, media reported Sunday.

Karzai accuses U.S. of cutting Afghan military supplies
Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused his U.S. ally on Sunday of withholding military supplies to press him to sign a bilateral security deal that will shape the U.S. military presence after most foreign troops leave in 2014.


China launches lunar probe carrying 'Jade Rabbit' moon buggy
China launched its first ever extraterrestrial landing craft into orbit en route for the moon in the small hours of Monday, in a major milestone for its space program.

North Texas earthquakes trigger dam inspections
Officials are conducting daily inspections on water reservoir dams in North Texas for fear that a string of earthquakes may have caused cracks or loosened foundations.

Magnitude 6.3 earthquake hits eastern Indonesia
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake has struck at sea off the coast of Indonesia’s Barat Daya islands, the US Geological Survey reported. The quake struck in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Iran, US to open joint chamber of commerce
Iran and the United States are to establish a joint chamber of commerce within a month, with direct flights also planned, an Iranian official said Wednesday in a newspaper report. "Iran-US chamber of commerce will be launched in less than one month," Abolfazl Hejazi, a member of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, told the English-language Iran Daily. In the wake of a historic accord on Sunday between Tehran and major powers on Iran's controversial nuclear programme, Hejazi also said his country was ready to start direct flights to the United States.

Protests rage over Bedouin resettlement plans in Israel
Large protests over a plan to resettle nomadic Bedouin Arabs in Israel's southern Negev desert caused injuries Saturday and led to some arrests... Protests focused on a bill that would move thousands of Bedouins into government-recognised villages...Israel says the moves are necessary to provide basic services that many Bedouins lack and would benefit their community while preserving their traditions.

Croatia holds referendum on same-sex marriage ban
Polls have opened in Croatia for a controversial referendum on proposals to ban same-sex marriages. Voters are deciding whether to approve changes to Croatia's constitution to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. On Saturday hundreds of gay rights supporters marched through the capital, Zagreb, in protest at the vote.

Al-Qaida-linked group says Islamist network has taken root in West Bank
An al-Qaida-linked group said three militants killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces last week were its members, and that their presence there showed that the Islamist network had taken root in the Palestinian territory. Al-Qaida has struggled to build up significant support in the West Bank, analysts say, and the Palestinian Authority that administers the area last week denied an Israeli report the men were linked to the organization.

TBN Founder Paul Crouch Dies at Age 79 After Chronic Heart Problems
Paul Franklin Crouch, co-founder of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), is dead at age 79, reported his grandson Brandon Crouch on Saturday.

Las Vegas: More Than 80 Sick in Mysterious Illness Outbreak
Las Vegas health officials were astonished over the weekend to learn of a mysterious illness outbreak that has affected more than 80 people. Many of the victims were child football players, as well as parents and coaches who were in the area for a youth football tournament. The illness began to be noticed by attendees of the event on Friday morning.

Dial 00000000 for Armageddon. US’s top secret launch nuclear launch code was frighteningly simple
For nearly 20 years, the secret code to authorize launching U.S. nuclear missiles, and starting World War III, was terrifyingly simple and even noted down on a checklist. From 1962, when John F Kennedy instituted PAL encoding on nuclear weapons, until 1977, the combination to fire the devastating missiles at the height of the Cold War was just 00000000.

Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia; No Casualties
A strong, shallow earthquake rocked parts of eastern Indonesia early Sunday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.3-magnitude quake was centered 343 kilometers (212) miles northwest of Saumlaki, a coastal town in Maluku province, at a depth of 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) beneath the sea.

Israel invited to join UN’s Western nations group in Geneva
The United Nations is expected to formally invite Israel to join its group of Western nations in Geneva on Monday, a move that is critical for Israel’s continued involvement in the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Report: Netanyahu orders Mossad to find proof Iran violating nuclear accord
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ordered both the Mossad and Military Intelligence to search for evidence that Iran is continuing nuclear activities forbidden under the Geneva accord signed with world powers last week, The Sunday Times quoted Israeli defense sources as saying.

EU blames Russia for failure of deal with Ukraine
EU leaders revived Cold War rhetoric, accusing Russia of bullying Ukraine into ditching a landmark deal so the former Soviet republic would stay locked in Moscow's orbit.

Hezbollah arms suspect gets life in Nigeria, 2 others freed
A Nigerian court handed a life sentence for illegal arms trafficking and possession on Friday to a Lebanese man suspected of having links with Hezbollah, but it freed another two Lebanese suspects in the case. Judge Adeniyi Ademola struck out all terrorism charges against the men on lack of evidence, noting that being a member of Hezbollah was not enough to be so accused.

Pakistan promises to help Afghans meet former Taliban chief
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised Afghanistan on Saturday that he would help arrange further meetings between Afghan officials and a former Taliban commander as part of renewed efforts to revive a defunct peace process.

In God we trust, maybe, but not each other
You can take our word for it. Americans don't trust each other anymore. We're not talking about the loss of faith in big institutions such as the government, the church or Wall Street, which fluctuates with events. For four decades, a gut-level ingredient of democracy - trust in the other fellow - has been quietly draining away.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



Study: Prayer Improves Self-Control
Previous studies have found that when people try hard to control their thoughts and emotions, the buildup of emotion can result in aggressive outbursts or in binge eating or drinking, the Daily Mail reported. But the new study by German psychologists at Saarland University and the University of Mannheim found that prayer reduces those chances.

KOBI: Earthquake Strikes Off Oregon Coast
It wasn’t very noticeable but a Magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck off about 133 miles southwest of Gold Beach Saturday evening. The quake struck at a depth of 6.8 miles, so no tsunami warning was issued.

India's Mars mission enters second stage; outpaces space rival China
India's first mission to Mars left Earth's orbit early on Sunday, clearing a critical hurdle in its journey to the red planet and overtaking the efforts in space of rival Asian giant China.

Iran to reassert authority at OPEC after nuclear deal
Emboldened by its nuclear deal with the West, Iranian oil negotiators led again by industry veteran Zanganeh, will seek to reassert Tehran's authority in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries at a Wednesday meeting. Western sanctions imposed in 2012 on Iran for its nuclear program have cost it dearly, losing it billions of dollars in oil revenues and market share in OPEC - largely to its main regional political rival Saudi Arabia, and neighbor Iraq.

'Saudis, Israelis developing new ‘super Stuxnet’ against Iran nuclear program'
The source noted that one of the major methods discussed was “the production of a malware worse than…Stuxnet.”

CHANCE OF STORMS:
NOAA forecasters estimate a 25% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Dec. 2nd when a CME might deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.

Radioactive Japanese wave nears U.S.
In the wake of the deadly tsunami that hit Japan in 2011 and severely damaged a nuclear reactor, Japanese officials say the levels of radiation are safe for everyone outside the reactor area itself. But as radioactive water from the plant nears the West Coast of North America — the water is expected to hit in 2014 — can we be sure it’s safe?

EPA Engaging in Backdoor Gun Control
as a former combat commander, I have been trained to look for trends. And I believe we’ve found a very disturbing one. It seems that backdoor gun control is in full effect in the United States. Why? Thanks to Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we can no longer smelt lead from ore in the United States.

Pope Francis: Use intelligence to understand signs of the times
“What is the meaning of what is happening now? These are the signs of the times!” “On the other hand,” he continued, “the spirit of the world gives us other propositions, because the spirit of the world does not want a community: it wants a mob, thoughtless, without freedom.”

Free enterprise must fight for its life in the new Cold War
The new cold war is underway and pits free enterprise against state capitalism. Countries like Canada, the U.S. or Germany have fostered their multinationals and they have acted as de facto instruments to grow their economies through trade success. But countries like Russia, South Korea, China, Singapore and others operate like gigantic holding companies armed with “soft economic weapons” that include oligarchs, national champions, state-owned enterprises, protectionism, diplomatic initiatives and sovereign wealth funds.

UK Confiscates Baby from Mother's Womb After Forced Mental Hospital Stay
According to a report by the Telegraph, the woman, who remains unnamed to the public as her case unfolds, traveled while pregnant to Essex in 2012 for an airline's training course. Once there, an escalated episode of travel anxiety turned into an unending bureaucratic nightmare and violation of her reproductive rights.

Intelligence Committee Heads: Terror Threat Rising
The terrorism threat against the United States is increasing and Americans aren't as safe as they were a year or two ago, the leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said there are more terrorist groups than ever, with more sophisticated and hard-to-detect bombs.

‘All Hell Is Going to Break Loose’: George Will’s Dire Obamacare Concern for 2014
“100 million people get their insurance from Medicare and Medicaid, 171 million get it from their employers,” Will said. “Watch the employers. Because if they start dumping people into Medicare and into Medicaid, and the doctors then say, ‘The burdens are too high, and the reimbursement is too low, we’re not seeing Medicaid patients,’ then all hell is going to break loose.”

California Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes South of San Jose
A California earthquake today 2013 has just struck south of San Jose. The California earthquake today December 2, 2013 hit moments ago near Gilroy. Damage assessment is pending.

As Earthquakes Keep Rocking North Texas, Azle Residents Are Rattled
Residents in Azle are getting nervous and seismologists are trying to get to the bottom of what’s going on. Some point to natural gas drilling that’s happening in the Barnett Shale, a massive geological formation that covers about 20 North Texas counties. But a geophysicist with the National Earthquake Information Center says more testing is needed to make such a connection.

US official: Netanyahu’s response to Iran deal ‘weak and desperate’
According to a Channel 10 news report, the senior American official added that although the White House believes Netanyahu will attempt to thwart US government policy by appealing to members of Congress, the Obama administration does not see the Israeli prime minister as a threat in this regard.

Netanyahu meets with pope in Vatican
The encounter was the prime minister’s first with the current pope, who has already met at the Vatican with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in October and with Israeli President Shimon Peres in April. Netanyahu met with the previous pope, Benedict XVI, in 2009, and with pope John Paul II in 1997.

Europe announces disaster communication plans for nuclear emergency
A project backed by 43 organisations is preparing Europe to react and communicate effectively in case of a nuclear emergency, drawing on the lessons of the ********* accident.

U.S. Army Purchases New Micro-UAS
The request was made to the Rapid Equipping Force at Fort Belvoir, Va., in March and Soldiers will receive them by December. According to Unmanned Systems the 36 Maverics, which are not in the Army’s current UAS inventory, cost $4.5 million and are made by Prioria Robotics Inc., a technology firm in Gainesville, Fla.

Brand-new fears for U.S. dollar disaster
Republican lawmakers are balking at President Obama’s choice of Federal Reserve chairman, Janet Yellen, worried she will favor enhanced government intervention in the economy, including flooding the market with more dollars. A review of her previous work finds she divined a theory that was a precursor to the current progressive campaign for the government to ensure “fair” pay to employees.

Earthquake hits near Indonesia islands
An earthquake of at least 6.3 magnitude has struck off eastern Indonesia's Tanimbar islands, but there was no tsunami alert, seismologists said.

Afghan police killed by truck bomb
At least four Afghan policemen were killed when a suicide bomber drove a truck packed with explosives into a police base, officials say. The incident took place in Wardak province, south-west of the capital, Kabul. Seventeen others were wounded, some of them critically officials say.

Analysis: Saudis have few options as they push tougher foreign policy
Saudi Arabia seems to have few viable options for pursuing a more independent and forthright foreign policy, despite its deep unease about the West's tentative rapprochement with Iran.

Canada charges man over 'bid to spy for China'
Canadian police have arrested and charged a man on suspicion of intending to pass classified information to China. The Canadian national, named as Qing Quentin Huang, is accused of seeking to sell information about Canada's warship procurement strategy.

Iran 'will never abandon Arak heavy water reactor'
Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said Tehran will never abandon the Arak heavy water reactor, considering it a "red line" in talks with world powers, media reported Sunday.

Karzai accuses U.S. of cutting Afghan military supplies
Afghan President Hamid Karzai accused his U.S. ally on Sunday of withholding military supplies to press him to sign a bilateral security deal that will shape the U.S. military presence after most foreign troops leave in 2014.


http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

North Texas has 3.4 magnitude earthquake
A part of North Texas where at least 19 earthquakes happened in November has recorded another minor quake. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.4 magnitude earthquake happened at 9:44 a.m. CST Tuesday in Parker County. The quake was centered a mile east-southeast of Reno, in an area about 20 miles northwest of Fort Worth.

Syrian Rebels Capture Christian Town, Kidnap Nuns
Syrian rebels, including jihadist groups, captured the historic Christian town of Maalula north of Damascus on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.

Over 700,000 people on US watch list: Once you get on, there’s no way off
The names of nearly three-quarters of a million individuals have been secretly added to watch lists administered by the United States government, but federal officials are adamant about keeping information about these rosters under wraps.

No More Honor-Killings of Women
There are some very active women’s organizations and international units attempting to curb abuse of and violence against women. They work to bring awareness to the cultural, and sometimes religious, norms, laws, and practices that have created and preserve these conditions. But those efforts are too small-scale. This violence still occurs in many countries in the world, and it is most prevalent, especially in its most acute forms, in countries with a predominantly Muslim population. What is needed is a large-scale attack by national governments and international organizations.

Rush: Pope Francis' Words Are 'Pure Marxism'
Rush Limbaugh says he admired Pope Francis just fine — until he made "unbelievable" comments castigating elements of modern capitalism. Now he calls the pontiff's 50,000-word statement calling for church reforms "pure Marxism," and said he thinks it's "sad how wrong" Pope Francis is, reports CNN. Limbaugh took to the airwaves last week, the day after Francis released the "Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel"), to take aim at the Pope's economic views and to chastise him as being "dramatically, embarrassingly, puzzlingly wrong."

Abbas Phones Deri: We Want Peace
Mahmoud Abbas on Monday telephoned Shas chairman MK Aryeh Deri and expressed his condolences over the passing of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. During Monday’s conversation, Abbas also reportedly told Deri that he would like to advance the peace process with Israel.

American Jihadist in Syria: Entire World Will Be Muslim
"We are coming to kill all the infidels in the West and beyond to spread Allah's law (Sharia) and the book of Allah (Koran) and to raise them to the highest level," he continues.

Vatican, Oxford put ancient manuscripts online
The two libraries in 2012 announced a four-year project to digitize some of the most important works of their collections of Hebrew manuscripts, Greek manuscripts and early printed books. Among the first up on the site Tuesday, http:/bav.bodleian.ox.ac.uk, are the two-volume Gutenberg bibles from each of the libraries and a beautiful 15th-century German bible, hand-colored and illustrated by woodcuts.

Is the Tithe for the believer today?
Should a believer give 10% of his or her income to the church, or to charity in general? I think it is a wonderful starting point. Or perhaps we should be more motivated to be like Zacchaeus, who gave half of his possessions. Whatever we give, our giving should not be under compulsion, "for God loves a cheerful giver." Our giving should be in response to the gratitude of our heart for the blessings we receive from God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Hong Kong's first case of H7N9 bird flu virus confirmed
The deadly H7N9 bird flu virus has arrived in Hong Kong, it was confirmed last night. The city activated its flu contingency plan after an Indonesian domestic worker who recently travelled to Shenzhen was found to have contracted the deadly new strain, the first case in the city. The 36-year-old patient is in a critical condition in Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, with severe pneumonia and breathing with the help of an artificial lung.

UPS Spouses Lose Insurance Coverage Thanks To Obamacare
One of the busiest seasons of the year has begun for employees of United Parcel Service (UPS). And as the company’s employees scramble to deliver gifts to doorsteps throughout the Nation , 15,000 of them will do so with the new knowledge that Obamacare has taken away health insurance for their spouses. An internal UPS memo recently obtained by Kaiser Health International informs 15,000 non-union employees that their working spouses will no longer be covered by UPS insurance plans due to changes under Obamacare if their spouse is eligible for insurance offered by an employer.

3.9 magnitude quake strikes near Gilroy
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 3.9 quake was reported at 2:09 a.m. Monday four miles south of Gilroy in Santa Clara County. A police dispatcher there says there were no reports of damage or injuries.

Israeli criticism of Iran deal ‘frustrating’ White House
The White House has been left “very frustrated” by the recent public criticism by Israeli officials of last week’s interim nuclear deal between Iran and Western powers, according to a Tuesday report that cited US officials close to the Obama administration.

Iran: Intel ties with Turkey have improved
Iran's ambassador to Ankara claims countries hold close intelligence ties. It is estimated Erdogan will visit Tehran next year, Rohani will come to Ankara in January. Turkey moves away from Israel and gets closer to Iran.

No security ever built into Obamacare site: Hacker
It could take a year to secure the risk of "high exposures" of personal information on the federal Obamacare online exchange, a cybersecurity expert told CNBC on Monday. "When you develop a website, you develop it with security in mind. And it doesn't appear to have happened this time," said David Kennedy, a so-called "white hat" hacker who tests online security by breaching websites.

Supreme Court to admit Obama broke law?
“Obama’s recess appointments are unprecedented power grabs, which if left to stand will turn the constitutional separation of powers on its head,” said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, which has filed a friend-of-the-court brief in the case. “Unfortunately, these recess appointments are one of many examples of this president acting outside of his constitutional authority.

Muslim Brotherhood rejects Egypt's draft constitution
The Muslim Brotherhood has rejected Egypt's new draft constitution. The group said "abusive coupists" were trying to "distort Egypt's legitimate constitution", adopted under ousted President Mohammed Morsi last year. The draft, approved by a constituent assembly late on Sunday, preserves some of the military's wide-ranging powers and would allow a presidential election to be held before parliamentary polls.

Syria crisis: Deadly bomb blast in central Damascus
A bomb blast in the centre of the Syrian capital, Damascus, has killed at least two people, according to reports. Syrian state news agency Sana said a suicide bomber had blown himself up in al-Jisr al-Abyad district. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said two people had been killed in the attack. State media put the death toll higher.

Volcano Sends Pillar Of Fire 1,000m Into Sky
With a pillar of fire stretching up into the clouds, this spectacular image captures the moment a volcano erupted in remote Russia. The stream of lava rose up to a kilometer above the summit of Klyuchevskoy, one of the active volcanoes on the Kamchatka peninsula in the east of the country.

UN starts drone surveillance in DR Congo
The UN mission in Democratic Republic of Congo has started to deploy unarmed surveillance drones to monitor rebel activity along the forested borders with Rwanda and Uganda. This is the first time any UN mission has deployed drones. The first two were launched from the eastern city of Goma, which was last year briefly occupied by M23 rebels.

Huge power cut blacks out much of Venezuela
A massive power cut plunged the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and other cities into darkness on Monday evening. The Caracas metro ground to a halt and people had to be evacuated from shops and offices. President Nicolas Maduro tweeted that the cut had been triggered in the same place as an outage in September, and suggested "sabotage" was responsible.

Kerry: With global anti-Semitism on the rise, Israel's voice must be heard everywhere
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday welcomed Israel’s inclusion into the United Nation’s Western Eastern and Others Group in Geneva, a move that grants it national rights at the UN’s Human Rights Council. "At a time when the scourge of global anti-Semitism is on the rise, it is more important than ever for Israel to have a strong voice that can be heard everywhere," Kerry said.

US scientists: Small earthquake jostled SE Conn.
The U.S. Geological Survey says it recorded a 2.1 magnitude earthquake last Friday, explaining loud booms reported by several residents. The earthquake was recorded at 9:05 a.m. Friday and centered about 2 miles east of Conning Towers-Nautilus Park in Groton.

Jewish activists want to pray on Jerusalem's Temple Mount, raising alarm in Muslim world
A small but growing movement by Jewish activists demanding the right to pray at the site of their destroyed temple, in the heart of this disputed capital’s Old City, is creating a potentially explosive clash with the Muslim world, which considers the spot holy and bans Jews from public worship there.

Syria's Bashar Assad implicated in war crimes, U.N. rights chief says
Syrian President Bashar Assad is implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country's ongoing civil war, the United Nations' human rights chief said Monday. A U.N. panel of experts, which has been investigating abuses in Syria, has gathered a "massive" amount of evidence indicating such crimes were committed, said Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights.

Biden on delicate diplomacy mission after tension with China
How to reassure Japan and South Korea that the United States will stand behind them, without inflaming the Chinese? That is the mission that stands before Vice President Joe Biden as he arrives in the region with a potential crisis developing over China’s designation of a large swath of the East China Sea as an air defense identification zone.

North Korean power behind the throne believed dismissed: Seoul lawmaker
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle, considered the power behind the throne, is believed to have been dismissed from his posts, a South Korean lawmaker said on Tuesday, suggesting a huge upheaval in one of the world's most secretive states.

Piers Morgan: 'The Perfect Barack Obama, Who's a Perfect Physical Specimen'
CNN host wondered out loud on his show this evening whether the physically unfit Chris Christie could follow the "perfect physical specimen" Barack Obama into the White House.

After 12 Yrs of U.S. Occupation, Afghanistan Sets Record for Growing Opium
After 12 years of occupation by U.S. military forces, Afghanistan set a record for growing opium poppies in 2013, according to newly released data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Detroit granted bankruptcy protection after judge rules in city's favour
A federal judge announced on Tuesday that Detroit is eligible for bankruptcy protection – the first time in US history that a major city has been declared bust. Judge Steven Rhodes of the United States bankruptcy court rejected an attempt by the city's pension funds and unions to have the bankruptcy action thrown out.

Just 1% of Snowden files published says Guardian editor who could now face criminal terror charges
Employees of The Guardian newspaper could face criminal charges over their role in publishing secrets leaked by Edward Snowden, Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer has signalled. Cressida Dick, an assistant commissioner at Scotland Yard, confirmed for the first time that detectives were examining whether staff at the newspaper had committed an offence.

EU mulls steps if Mideast peace fails
If peace talks fail, the EU will take action against West Bank settlement products and halt financial assistance to the Palestinians, the Jerusalem Post and Ynetnews.com quoted a senior European official as telling Israeli reporters in Brussels Tuesday.

The State Dept. Dropped Six Figures on Booze Right Before the Gov’t Shutdown
The U.S. State Department reportedly spent roughly $180,000 on alcohol in the days leading up to the 16-day partial government shutdown. And that figure is just for September, the final month of the federal government’s fiscal year. The U.S. government spent approximately $400,000 on alcohol in FY2013, the report adds. This is roughly three times what was spent on alcohol in 2008, the Washington Times reported.

Earth’s Gravity Altered By 2011 Japanese Earthquake December 3, 2013
Scientists from the German Geodetic Research Institute (DGFI) and from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands analyzed the high-resolution vertical gravity gradients measured over Japan by GOCE. The team found the quake had clearly ruptured the gravity field in the area. The results, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, are consistent with coarser observations using NASA’s Grace satellite, which measures changes over time.

Yeshua Campaign Causes Buzz in Southern Israel
While the gospel campaign by Jews for Jesus created a lot of buzz among local residents, not everyone was as sympathetic toward the Messianics as the general. “May his name be cut off forever,” screamed Ofer Karadi, a member of the ultra-orthodox Shas party, when a Messianic Jew dared to mention the name of Yeshua (Jesus) on the Radio Darom morning program.

New Russian Submarines Are So Silent That The U.S. Navy Calls Them “Black Holes”
Did you know that Russia is building submarines that are so quiet that the U.S. military cannot detect them? These “black hole” submarines can freely approach the coastlines of the United States without fear of being detected whenever they want. In fact, a “nuclear-powered attack submarine armed with long-range cruise missiles” sailed around in the Gulf of Mexico for several weeks without being detected back in 2012.

Phivolcs: Magnitude-5.7 quake hits Davao area, aftershocks expected
A magnitude-5.7 quake jolted the Davao Oriental area early Wednesday, with state seismologists warning of possible aftershocks. But Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology head Renato Solidum Jr. said there is no chance of a tsunami as the quake is not powerful enough to generate one.

Philippines Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes Near Lupon
Officials tell news that a 5.5 magnitude Philippines earthquake today hit just after 7:58 am local time on December 4. The quake had a moderate depth however. USGS indicates to news that the quake started thirty-eight miles below ground level. As a result the quake could be felt across the region.

Loud Booms Caused By Microearthquakes, Seismologist Says
The U.S. Geological Survey says it recorded a 2.1 magnitude earthquake in Connecticut last Friday. According to Groton's Office of Emergency Management, that explains the mysterious loud booms that perplexed several residents over the weekend.

Joe Biden tells Chinese to challenge their leaders
Joe Biden arrived in Beijing on Wednesday in typically pugnacious form, telling the Chinese to "breath free" and challenge authority. Greeting a queue of Chinese waiting in line to apply for visas to visit America, the 71-year-old Vice-President told them that "challenging the status quo" is part of the "DNA of every American".

Temple Mount shut after fireworks shot at cops
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem was closed to visitors on Wednesday after Arab youths shot fireworks at policemen out of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

New FBI Director: Terror Threat Against the U.S. Is Very Real
“Counterterrorism remains our top priority. The FBI works with our law enforcement and intelligence community (IC) partners to integrate intelligence and operations and to detect and disrupt terrorists and their organizations.”

New deaths from MERS virus reported in the Gulf
The health authority in Abu Dhabi reported the death of the Jordanian woman from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, on Tuesday. Her husband and son have also contracted the virus. It says they are in stable condition.

Jewish activists want to pray on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, raising alarm in Muslim world
A small but growing movement by Jewish activists demanding the right to pray at the site of their destroyed temple, in the heart of this disputed capital’s Old City, is creating a potentially explosive clash with the Muslim world, which considers the spot holy and bans Jews from public worship there. ...Their proposals, long dismissed as extremist, are now being debated in the Israeli parliament...

Bloodbath as terrorists murder 70 Christians
At least 70 Christians in Nigeria have been killed in coordinated attacks by Fulani tribesmen and the Islamic jihadist organization Boko Haram. Fulani tribesmen reportedly killed 37 Christians in at least four coordinated attacks on the same day. Boko Haram is reported to have killed as many as 34 Christians during the same three-day period.

White House Exploring Ways to Let Iran Enrich Uranium
The White House is currently examining ways to enable Iran to have its own “domestic” uranium enrichment program... As the details of a six month interim nuclear deal between Iran and Western nations are hashed out, the White House is exploring the practicality of permitting Iran to continue certain enrichment activities, an issue that Iranian officials have described as a “redline.”

STILL QUIET
The sun's southern hemisphere is peppered with sunspots, but none of them is actively flaring. Solar activity remains low. NOAA forecasters estimate a 25% chance of M-class solar flares and a scant 1% chance of X-flares on Dec. 4th.

Russia’s efforts in Syria help prevent World War III - Finnish expert
“Russia’s position is higher than the UN, which did little for Syria. The situation is now normalizing in the country,” Beckman said.

The Coming Global Wealth Tax
Between ObamaCare, Iran and last quarter's uptick in U.S. economic growth, taxpayers these days may be distracted from several dangers to come. But households from the United States to Europe and Japan may soon face fiscal shocks worse than any market crash. The White House and New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio aren't the only ones calling for higher taxes...International Monetary Fund to billionaire investor Bill Gross increasingly make the case too.

Some of Syria's chemical weapons will be destroyed on US vessel - OPCW
"The United States has offered to contribute a destruction technology, full operational support and financing to neutralize Syria's priority chemicals, which are to be removed from the country by 31 December," the statement says. Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_12_02/Some-of-Syrias-chemical-weapons-will-be-destroyed-on-US-vessel-OPCW-8085/

Medical radioactive material truck 'stolen in Mexico'
A truck carrying medical radioactive material has been stolen in Mexico, the UN's nuclear watchdog says. Mexico told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that the truck was carrying a "dangerous radioactive source" used for cancer treatments when it was stolen on Monday. The radiotherapy source was being taken from a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana to a waste storage centre.

Biden in China amid Asia tensions over air zone
Joe Biden should not repeat "erroneous remarks" on China's new air zone, Chinese state media warned, as the US vice-president arrived in Beijing. Mr Biden is in Beijing for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. His visit to Asia has been dominated by a row over China's newly-declared air zone, which covers islands controlled by Japan.

Hezbollah says commander killed in Beirut, blames Israel
Lebanon's militant Shi'ite group Hezbollah said on Wednesday one of its commanders was killed outside his Beirut home overnight in an attack it blamed on Israel. The group said in a statement that Hassan al-Laqqis, "who served the resistance his entire life," was killed at around midnight in the southern Hadath district of the Lebanese capital.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Feds not required to report security breaches of ObamaCare exchange website
Americans who buy health insurance through the federal Obamacare exchange website could have their personal information stolen by hackers and never even know it.

Palestinians: We Want a Geneva Accord against Israel
The Geneva accord and Washington's failed policies in Egypt and other Muslim countries have taught the Palestinians that it would be better to wait until the U.S. completely loses its influence so that other players such as Russia, China and the EU will step in and impose a solution on Israel. The way the Palestinian Authority sees it, "If it worked with Iran, why shouldn't it work also with Israel?" The Geneva agreement between Iran and the six big powers appears to have had a negative impact on the current US-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

'Spooky action' builds a wormhole between 'entangled' quantum particles
Physicists at the University of Washington and Stony Brook University in New York believe the phenomenon might be intrinsically linked with wormholes, hypothetical features of space-time that in popular science fiction can provide a much-faster-than-light shortcut from one part of the universe to another.

Famed Investor’s Dire Warning: ‘This Is Going to End Badly… Be Prepared, Be Worried, and Be Careful’
Rogers, in his inimitable way, sums up the state [of] euphoria that many markets find themselves in thus, “we are all floating around on a sea of artificial liquidity right now. This is not going to last.” “The next correction when it comes, because the debt is so very high — you know, 2008 was worse than 2002 because the debt was so much higher. You wait until 2015 or 2016 when the next crisis hits… debt has gone through the roof, the next one’s gonna be really bad”.

2013 marks record year for the number of volcanoes erupting across the planet
The average number of volcanic eruptions per year should be about 50 to 60; as of December 5, 2013, we already at 83. Volcanic eruptions are one way the planet dissipates a dangerous build-up of heat, magma, and pressurized gases.

China’s century: ‘More and more economies will want to trade in yuan’
China’s economy will soon be the world’s dominating economy and it’s natural that other economies would want to trade in yuan, not in US dollars, Daniel Wagner, CEO at Country Risk Solutions, told RT.

In Jerusalem, Kerry offers reassurances on Iran deal
Top US diplomat says it won’t be hard to verify Tehran’s compliance; echoes Netanyahu in saying Israel must be able ‘defend itself, by itself’

Britain holds first face-to-face talks with Islamists fighting Assad
Britain and its western allies have held their first face-to-face talks with Islamist factions fighting President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, including militant groups demanding a hardline Sharia state, as the secular forces they previously backed lose ground. The meeting was held in the Turkish capital, Ankara, officials said...

Ice Storm to Threaten Widespread Power Outages Centered on Arkansas
A swath of ice and a wintry mix later this week threatens to slow travel and cut power from parts of Texas to Kentucky. As dangerous cold sweeps southward and eastward over the Plains and Midwest in the wake of a North Central states snowstorm, it will set up a weather pattern favoring a narrow zone of freezing rain, sleet and some snow late this week.

Lethal storm brings flood fears and travel disruption
A lorry driver has died after his vehicle was blown on top of two cars in West Lothian by high winds which have swept across Scotland. Transport Scotland has told people to avoid travelling on the roads and Network Rail has shut down all train services. The rest of the UK is braced as the storm, with 100mph winds, moves south.

The Golden Ratio – a sacred number that links the past to the present
Some of the greatest mathematical minds of all ages, from Pythagoras and Euclid in ancient Greece, through the medieval Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa and the Renaissance astronomer Johannes Kepler, to present-day scientific figures such as Oxford physicist Roger Penrose, have spent endless hours over this simple ratio and its properties. But the fascination with the Golden Ratio is not confined just to mathematicians. Biologists, artists, musicians, historians, architects, psychologists, and even mystics have pondered and debated the basis of its ubiquity and appeal. - See more at: http://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/golden-ratio-sacred-number-links-past-present-001091#sthash.DncnnYSj.dpuf

Obama calls for action on 'profoundly unequal' economy
President Barack Obama has called for action to remedy what he described as profound income inequality and a lack of social mobility in the US. He called for a rise in the minimum wage and for stronger collective bargaining laws, among other measures. He also said his embattled healthcare overhaul would ease one part of American families' financial struggle.

Turkey starts visa-free talks with EU
Turkey is starting visa liberalisation talks with the EU, a first step in a process that could last years. "This is a historic day for the Turkish people and the EU," Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in a joint press conference with two EU commissioners in Brussels.

Oldest Human DNA Reveals Mysterious Branch of Humanity
The DNA, which dates back some 400,000 years, may belong to an unknown human ancestor, say scientists. These new findings could shed light on a mysterious extinct branch of humanity known as Denisovans, who were close relatives of Neanderthals, scientists added.

American Studies Association leaders endorse boycott of Israeli universities
The American Studies Association leadership endorsed a boycott of Israeli universities, but also sought the approval of the body’s 5,000 members. The decision posted Wednesday follows a contentious debate at the group’s annual meeting last month and 10 days of deliberations that were supposed to last a morning. The boycott resolution was approved unanimously by the 20-member national council.

Researchers create malware that communicates via silent sound, no network needed
As outlined in the Journal of Communications (PDF) and first spotted by ArsTechnica, the proof-of-concept malware prototype from Michael Hanspach and Michael Goetz can transmit information between computers using high-frequency sound waves inaudible to the human ear. The duo successfully sent passwords and more between non-networked Lenovo T400 laptops via the notebooks’ built-in microphones and speakers.

Mankind to machine: 14 computing devices you'll be wearing in the future
he past decade or so, humans have become increasingly transfixed by the notion of wearing our technology in some way, shape, or form. From earpieces to headphones, glasses and implants, ZDNet runs through some of the wearable technologies that we will all be wearing in tomorrow's world.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for information & Discussion Purposes"

Pope Francis at Mass: Praying is a bit like “annoying” God
Pope Francis spoke on the theme of prayer on Thursday, saying when we pray it’s a bit like annoying God so that he listens to us. His remarks came during his homily at the morning mass in the Santa Marta guesthouse.

White House Throws Staffers Under The Bus To Shield President From Kenyan Uncle Omar Bombshell
On Thursday, The Boston Globe reported that Obama said he did live with his Kenyan uncle, Onyango “Omar” Obama, for three weeks just before young Barack began his career as a Harvard Law student. The White House had told the press in 2011 that the President had never met the man. That was an inadvertent lack of diligence on the part of Obama’s staff, said Press Secretary Jay Carney Thursday. “Back when this arose, [White House staff] looked at the record, including the President’s [autobiographical] book, and there was no evidence that they had met,” Carney said.

Winter Storm Cleon: Snow, Ice from Plains to Northeast
the third named winter storm of the 2013-14 season, has already dumped a swath of locally heavy snow from the Rockies to the Upper Midwest, and a stripe of snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Southern Plains to the Ohio Valley. Now, Cleon is delivering its final wintry punch – a significant swath of snow and ice from the Southern Plains to the Ohio Valley and interior Northeast as we close out the workweek.

‘FSA’ says won’t attend Geneva talks
In an interview with Press TV, Louay al-Mokdad, a spokesman for the so-called Free Syrian Army, said the group will not attend the Geneva talks unless the international community “gives guarantees” that President Bashar al-Assad will step down.

Report: Scientists predict a century of global cooling
Better start investing in some warm clothes because German scientists are predicting that the Earth will cool over the next century. German scientists found that two naturally occurring cycles will combine to lower global temperatures during the 21st century, eventually dropping to levels corresponding with the “little ice age” of 1870.

NSA considered ‘unilateral spying’ on Australia, Canada, NZ citizens
The NSA was prepared to secretly collect data on citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand – without the knowledge or consent of their governments, and despite the ‘Five Eyes’ joint spying program with those countries, a Snowden leak reveals.

Sudan Reports Widespread Yellow Fever Outbreak, 14 Dead
A total of 44 suspected cases and 14 deaths have been reported from October 3 to November 24, 2013 in the localities of Lagawa, Kailak, Muglad and Abyei in West Kordofan and Elreef Alshargi, Abu Gibaiha, Ghadir, Habila, Kadugli, Altadamon, Talodi and Aliri in South Kordofan.

Kerry: We are closer to peace than we have been in years
Kerry made his remarks at Ben-Gurion international Airport outside of Tel Aviv before taking off from Israel, after three meetings with Netanyahu and one with Abbas over the last two days.

UPDATE 4-Hurricane-force winds wreak havoc in Britain, head to Europe
Hurricane-force Storm Xaver blasted towards mainland Europe on Thursday after cutting transport and power in northern Britain and killing three people in what meteorologists warned could be the worst storm to hit the continent in years. British authorities said the Thames Barrier, designed to protect London from flooding during exceptional tides, would shut on Thursday night and warned of "the most serious coastal tidal surge for over 60 years in England". Prime Minister David Cameron called two emergency meetings to discuss strategy.

One of the Worst Ice Storms in Years to Unfold From Texas to Kentucky
An ice storm will affect millions of people into Friday and threaten to cut power for hundreds of thousands from northern Texas to western Kentucky. Travel by vehicle or foot will be dangerous during and after the storm, due to icy roads and falling trees and power lines.

Colima volcano (Western Mexico) activity update: explosions and lava flows
Activity remains elevated. Strombolian-type explosions and lava flows / glowing lava avalanches on the upper slope continue.

Al-Qaeda claims attack on Yemen defence ministry
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has said it was behind an attack on Yemen's defence ministry on Thursday that left 52 people dead. The group's media arm, al-Malahim, said the ministry complex in Sanaa had been targeted because US unmanned drones were being operated from there. The attack saw a suicide bomber ram an explosives-filled car into the main gate before gunmen launched an assault.

Tidal surge hits east UK coastal towns after storm
The tidal surge which hit the east coast of Britain has been described as the "most serious" for 60 years. Thousands were forced to abandon their homes as tides in parts of the North Sea reached higher levels than the devastating floods of 1953. Flood waters have receded in many areas but authorities are warning that high tides later on Friday could cause further damage.

France goes to war in Africa to 'save lives'
French President Francois Hollande has announced another military intervention in Africa, but plans to deploy an EU battle group are unlikely to go ahead. "This operation will be swift, it does not have the vocation to last long," he said on Thursday (5 December) on plans to send soldiers to the Central African Republic (CAR).

Hezbollah threatens to retaliate against Israel for assassination
A Lebanese newspaper reported on Thursday that Hezbollah blames Israel for the assassination of Hassan al-Laqqis and will respond. Ibrahim al-Amin, editor-in-chief of the Lebanese newspaper al-Akhbar, which tends to support the “axis of resistance” of Hezbollah, Iran and Syria, stated in an article titled “Hezbollah will respond” that all signs point to Israel for the assassination.

Egypt reportedly to declare Muslim Brotherhood ‘terrorist organization’
Egyptian media reported Thursday that the government is preparing to deem the Muslim Brotherhood “a terrorist organization,” as pro-Morsi organizations sent out a call for protests to be held over the weekend. The Egyptian El-Watan newspaper ...reported that interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi discussed in a closed meeting with a number of ministers a detailed directive that declares the Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

A tale of two Kerrys
The John Kerry that Israelis saw deliver a statement to the press following his meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday was not the John Kerry that they saw a short month ago... That Kerry...was the Kerry threatening Israel with a third intifada if the talks with the Palestinians collapsed.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



Oklahoma City hit by 4.5 earthquake
The Oklahoma Geological Survey is reporting a series of four earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 1.8 to 3.0 since the 4.5 quake hit just after noon on Saturday.

Iran presses ahead with uranium enrichment technology
Iran is moving ahead with testing more efficient uranium enrichment technology, a spokesman for its atomic energy agency said on Saturday, in news that may concern world powers who last month agreed a deal to curb Tehran's atomic activities.

New York City confiscating rifles and shotguns
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is sending out letters telling gun owners to turn over their rifles and shotguns — or else face the consequences. New York City’s ban on rifles and shotguns that hold more than five rounds is now being enforced, according to a letter the NYPD is sending out to targeted city gun owners

4.8 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Central Oklahoma
It was felt as far south as Wichita Falls, Texas, and as far north as Wichita, Kansas, Caruso said.

IRS Floats Rule Changes to Tip 2014 Elections
The Internal Revenue Service quietly proposed new regulations aimed at 501(c)(4) organizations during the Thanksgiving recess that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, called "a crass political effort by the Administration to get what political advantage they can, when they can."

WTO agrees global trade deal worth $1tn
Ministers from 159 countries have reached a deal intended to boost global trade at a meeting in Bali, Indonesia. The World Trade Organization's first comprehensive agreement involves an effort to simplify the procedures for doing business across borders. There will also be improved duty-free access for goods sold by the world's poorest countries.

Syria conflict: Foreign jihadists 'use Turkey safe houses'
Foreign jihadist fighters are using safe houses in southern Turkey to cross into Syria to fight against government forces, the BBC has learnt. A man running one such house near the border town of Reyhanli said more than 150 people - including up to 20 Britons - had used it in the past three months.

US war veteran Merrill Newman released by North Korea
North Korea has deported a US veteran of the Korean War who had been detained in the country since October. State news agency KCNA says Merrill Newman was expelled on "humanitarian grounds" after confessing to "crimes" in the 1950-53 war and "apologising". Mr Newman, 85, had been held on charges of "hostile acts" against the North, while visiting as a tourist.

Egypt's police, ousted Morsi supporters clash
Egyptian security forces fired tear gas Friday during clashes with rock-throwing supporters of the ousted Islamist president demonstrating in several districts across the country, officials said.

Syrian nuns taken by rebels appear in video
A group of Syrian Greek Orthodox nuns reportedly seized by rebels from a convent near Damascus denied in a video broadcast Friday that they had been kidnapped and said they were being held in a safe place.

Israel refuses to compromise on Jordan Valley security
Israel's deputy defence minister ruled out Thursday any compromise on security in the Jordan Valley as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held security talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry. "The Americans are proposing joint control over the crossing points (into Jordan)," Danny Danon told Israel's army radio.

Syrian government accused of new poison gas attack
Syria has been accused of using poison gas to attack a rebel-held town, despite agreeing to dismantle its chemical weapons and production facilities earlier this year, reports Reuters. Activists opposing the Assad regime tell Reuters that they found victims in the town Nabak who had swollen limbs and were foaming at the mouth.

Killing Of Hezbollah Commander Leaves Group Without Military Mastermind
The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan al-Laqis by a small Sunni group this week has eliminated an effective and high-ranking operative who helped supply some of the most advanced military needs for the Shiite militia.


http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Peres: I Have No Problem Meeting with Rouhani
"The problem is what will happen in the coming six months; it's a trial period," Peres commented. "President Obama said that for him also this is a trial and gave an estimate of 50/50 as to whether it will succeed. We have to concentrate all our efforts to make sure Iran doesn't become a nuclear danger to the rest of the world."

Wyoming Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes Idaho
Officials tell news that a 4.2 magnitude Wyoming earthquake today began just after 11:08 am local time. The quake was shallow. USGS indicates to news that the quake started three miles below ground level. As a results the quake could be felt across the region. The quake is the latest to strike the state in recent weeks.

Hong Kong quarantines 19 people over second bird flu case
Hong Kong on Saturday quarantined an additional 19 people after the city confirmed its second human case of the deadly H7N9 bird flu, less than five days after it confirmed its first, officials said. The 19 people were close contacts of the second carrier of H7N9 in the city -- an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who had been living in the neighbouring mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Iran presses ahead with uranium enrichment technology
Iran is moving ahead with testing more efficient uranium enrichment technology, a spokesman for its atomic energy agency said on Saturday, in news that may concern world powers who last month agreed a deal to curb Tehran's atomic activities. Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying that initial testing on a new generation of more sophisticated centrifuges had been completed...

Peres says he's willing to meet Rouhani: 'Iran is not our enemy'
President Shimon Peres on Sunday said that he would have no problem meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "Why not?" he said in an interview with CNN's Richard Quest at the Globes Israel Business Conference in Tel Aviv. Israel and Iran are not enemies, he said. The important factor was not the man in question, but his policies, and the goal was to turn enemies into friends.

Homeland Security Searches Vehicles at Ferry Crossing Checkpoint
The footage was shot at the ferry crossing between Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, emphasizing how the federal agency is now setting up checkpoints between internal waterways that have no relation to immigration.

Billy Graham's health has 'declined quite a bit,' son says
In speaking to WSOC-TV at a Christmas charity event at the Billy Graham library in Charlotte, Franklin Graham said the health of his 95-year-old father, who was hospitalized for two days last month with a respiratory issue, "has declined quite a bit in the last few days." "He just hasn't been able to get his strength back," Franklin Graham said. "His vitals are good, but he's just extremely weak."

Rainstorms Sunday, Flood Warning in Negev
Rain continued to fall in northern and central Israel on Sunday morning after a rainy Sabbath. On-and-off local showers are expected to continue throughout the day, accompanied by occasional thunderstorms. Local rainstorms in southern Israel could create a flood risk in the Dead Sea area, the Judean desert, and the northern Negev.

Palestinians fire three rockets at Israel
Three Kassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israeli territory on Saturday afternoon, all landing in open Gazan territory, Army Radio reported.

Obama: Israeli-Palestinian deal possible, will be implemented in stages
U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday that a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians is possible, and would have to be implemented in stages. Both sides will have to "stretch out of their comfort zones," Obama said at the annual Saban Forum in Washington, D.C., adding that "we know what the outlines of a potential agreement will look like."

Ukraine braces for more anti-government protests
Protesters plan to return to Kiev streets Sunday to pile more pressure on Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich after he turned away from integration with Europe. Kiev suspended talks with the European Union last month, angering many Ukrainians who say an EU agreement would have opened borders to trade, and set the stage for modernization and inclusion.

South Korea announces expanded air defence zone
South Korea has announced it is expanding its air defence zone, which will now partially overlap with a similar zone announced by China. The two zones will now both include a rock claimed by both countries and controlled by South Korea. The defence ministry said it would co-ordinate with "related countries".

Kim's uncle removed from NKorean state documentary
Images of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's uncle have been removed from an official state TV documentary, a disappearing act that appears to lend credence to Seoul's claim that Pyongyang's second most powerful official may have been purged by his nephew.

Iran nuclear crisis: UN inspectors visit Arak reactor
Inspectors from the UN's nuclear agency are visiting Iran's Arak planned heavy water reactor for the first time in more than two years. The visit comes two weeks after a six-month interim agreement was reached between Iran and world powers over the country's nuclear programme.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Israelis brace for frigid temperatures, escalating storms
With an onslaught of torrential rains forecasted to continue, the country’s residents will begin to brace themselves for the season’s coldest temperatures yet, and possibly even snow later in the week. Precipitation, as well as unseasonably cool weather, will continue for the next several days, with temperatures dropping, and increasingly strong winds rendering flimsy umbrellas useless.

Knockout Game Backfires When Woman Defends Herself Against Attacker
In an apparent case of the “Knockout Game” gone wrong, new video shows a man attempting to hit a girl and knock her down as part of the game, but his plan backfires when the woman hits him back.

Now the Twelfth Imam Can Come
“A reality in which a bad deal was signed with Iran. A very bad deal. If a nuclear suitcase blows up five years from now in New York or Madrid, it will be because of the deal that was signed this morning.” If that happens, it will also be because of the Shi’ite belief in the return of the Twelfth Imam.

More Earthquakes Keep Jolting North Texas -- Quakes Recorded Sunday, Monday Morning
Another day, another earthquake in North Texas. The ice storm stopped pretty much everything in North Texas, but it hasn’t stopped seismic activity. Early Sunday morning, a 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck in Parker County, about 2 miles northwest of Azle. And then early this morning, another earthquake struck – a 3.7-magnitude quake about 11 miles northeast of Mineral Wells. More than 20 earthquakes have hit the region since early November.

Gene therapy scores big wins against blood cancers
In one study, all five adults and 19 of 22 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, had a complete remission, meaning no cancer could be found after treatment, although a few have relapsed since then. These were gravely ill patients out of options. Some had tried multiple bone marrow transplants and up to 10 types of chemotherapy or other treatments.

Time warp: Researchers show possibility of cloning quantum information from the past
It all started when David Deutsch, a pioneer of quantum computing and a physicist at Oxford, came up with a simplified model of time travel to deal with the paradoxes that would occur if one could travel back in time.

'Historic' Agreement to Link Red & Dead Seas
Under the agreement, which is to be signed at the World Bank in Washington, AFP reports that water will be drawn from the Gulf of Aqaba off of Eilat in Israel's south, with some desalinated and distributed to all three members of the agreement, and the rest transferred in 4 pipes to the Dead Sea.

Researchers find giant convection cells on the Sun
A trio of researchers with affiliations with NASA and several U.S. institutions has found the elusive giant convection cells suspected for nearly a half century to exist on and within the sun. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes how they used data from a NASA observatory that captured solar information every 45 seconds over a several month period which allowed the researchers to track the slow movement of the giant cells.

Hersh: Obama administration lied about gas attack in Syria
“When the attack occurred al-Nusra should have been a suspect, but the administration cherry-picked intelligence to justify a strike against Assad.”

Lowest ever temperature on the surface of the Earth - minus 91.2 degrees Celsius recoded by scientists in the Antarctic
This was reported on Sunday by the British newspaper on "Sunday Times". Previous planetary record - minus 89.2 degrees Celsius - was recorded in 1983 at the Russian Antarctic station "Vostok". (-91.2C = -132.2F)

METEOR OUTBURST
"The shower could increase in intensity on Dec. 9th, so we hope observers will be alert for meteors." Andromedid meteoroids come from Comet Biela, which broke apart in the 19th century. The shower's radiant in Cassiopeia is high in the sky after sunset for observers in the Northern Hemisphere

Turkey Faces Volcanic Explosion Hazard
Turkey faces the hazard of volcanic explosion of 14 active volcanoes.

Mount Marapi erupts, 'caution' alert level unchanged
“The volcano's eruption spewed a column of thick, gray ash 350 meters high,” PVMBG official Warseno said on Sunday as quoted by Antara news agency. Mt. Marapi’s alert level has been maintained at waspada or caution (level 2). The PVMBG has said it is not safe to be within 3 kilometers of the activity.

Strong earthquake strikes Kuril Islands
A strong earthquake, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, struck the Kuril Islands in Japan at 1.24 am today, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

Why Is DHS Taking Control of Local Police?
A key plank of the Obama administration platform seems to be the conversion of the local police into a fifth branch of the U.S. armed forces. The means of accomplishing this goal is the doling out of millions of dollars from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to police departments and sheriffs’ offices around the country.

Protecting customer data from government snooping
Many of our customers have serious concerns about government surveillance of the Internet. We share their concerns. That’s why we are taking steps to ensure governments use legal process rather than technological brute force to access customer data.

Could Satanists get a monument at Oklahoma State Capitol?
The Satanic Temple of New York has alerted the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission that it wants to build a $20,000 monument on the statehouse grounds. The temple plans to submit plans this month for a monument that would be in "good taste" – which an official describes as a marker with a pentagram or an interactive display for children, according to the Associated Press.

World trade deal expected to boost EU nations
Hailed as "historic" by British Prime Minister David Cameron, the surprise world trade deal agreed over the weekend in Bali aims to lower the cost of exports by simplifying customs procedures and reducing import duties. It also seeks to give developing countries greater market access to western economies and allows them some breathing space on food subsidies.

PLO: Palestinians won't accept current proposals from Israel
The Palestinians can’t accept any proposals or plans like the ones that are being suggested today; that solidify occupation and legalize the division of the Palestinian territories, the PLO Executive Committee announced Sunday. ...The PLO warned that there could be no deal with Israel that excludes the Jordan Valley, and Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.

Israel, Jordan, PA to sign trilateral Red Sea-Dead Sea pipeline plan
Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority were expected on Monday to sign an agreement on a Red Sea-Dead Sea pipeline project. Energy and Water Minister Silvan Shalom was due to attend what he called the "historic" signing ceremony at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC.

Number of Palestinians fighting in Syria on the rise
The number of Palestinians leaving to fight forces loyal to the Assad regime in Syria is on the rise, a new Israeli report published on Sunday has found.

Cockroach that can endure cold moves into NYC
The High Line, a park that turned a dilapidated stretch of elevated railway on Manhattan's West Side into one of New York's newest tourist attractions, may have brought a different kind of visitor: a cockroach that can withstand harsh winter cold and never seen before in the U.S.

Protesters cleared over storming of Kuwaiti parliament
Seventy opposition activists, including nine former MPs, have been acquitted on charges relating to the storming of the Kuwaiti parliament in 2011. Hundreds entered the building after a protest demanding that then-PM Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah step down.

Four US presidents to attend Nelson Mandela memorial. Security challenge?
This week, President Obama – together with former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter – will travel to Johannesburg along with some 50 other heads of state to attend the memorial service for Mandela.

Why is US buying Russian helicopters for Afghan military?
To outfit Afghanistan's security forces with new helicopters, the Pentagon bypassed U.S. companies and turned instead to Moscow for dozens of Russian Mi-17 rotorcraft at a cost of more than $1 billion. Senior Pentagon officials assured skeptical members of Congress that the Defense Department had made the right call. They repeatedly cited a top-secret 2010 study they said named the Mi-17 as the superior choice.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

VOTERS DISAPPROVE OF OBAMACARE
Half(50%)of voters disapprove of the President’s healthcare law,or Obamacare. Just 40% approve of the law. Intensity is strongly against Obamacare, as 43% strongly disapprove, while only 25% strongly approve.

The Most Homeless Children In New York City Since The Great Depression
At a time when Wall Street is absolutely swimming in wealth, New York City is experiencing an epidemic of homelessness. According to the New York Times, the last time there was this many homeless children in New York City was during the days of the Great Depression.

Nuclear war would 'end civilization' with famine, study says
A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would set off a global famine that could kill two billion people and effectively end human civilization, a study said Tuesday. Even if limited in scope, a conflict with nuclear weapons would wreak havoc in the atmosphere and devastate crop yields, with the effects multiplied as global food markets went into turmoil, the report said.

NSA morale reportedly hits rock bottom after Snowden revelations
Employees at the National Security Agency aren’t happy that we now know to look out for their trash-talking elves that they’ve created in World of Warcraft. The Washington Post reports that officials at the NSA are feeling depressed and demoralized by the constant stream of revelations being leaked by former contractor Edward Snowden and are also feeling hung out to dry by a White House that has spent most of its time trying to contain political damage caused by the Snowden leaks.

Write wrongs! Over 500 world-famous authors sign anti-surveillance petition
More than 500 renowned authors – including five Nobel laureates - from across the globe have signed a petition demanding an end to ‘mass surveillance’. It follows the revelations over the last few months of the US and other countries spying.

Killer winter storms for next THIRTY years
Many people could die as extreme weather becomes common. There will be more freak winds like the October storm, which killed four people. Heatwaves will be lethal and the sea level will rise, leaving coastal towns at risk of being swamped by storm surges.

Snow falling. In Australia. In summer. That is all
A day after we posted images of fresh summer snow falling across the Australian Alps, we've updated our original story with new images that show the ground getting whiter... and whiter... and whiter.

Cold rewrites Oregon history books
The record cold temperatures throughout Oregon continue to rewrite the history books, or at least add new chapters to them. The city of Portland has not had a day with temperatures in the single digits since 1989 -- a quarter-century ago. KOIN 6 News meteorologist Sally Showman said Portland stands a good chance of dropping into the single digits early Sunday morning.

Xbox Live among game services targeted by US and UK spy agencies
Online gaming is big business, attracting tens of millions of users worldwide who inhabit their digital worlds as make-believe characters, living and competing with the avatars of other players. What the intelligence agencies feared, however, was that among these clans of elves and goblins, terrorists were lurking.

US, Jordan Agree: Israel Should Control Jordan Valley
The Obama Administration and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan have both reportedly sided with Israel in its demand to retain control over the Jordan Valley in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Do Christians and Muslims Serve the Same God?
Does God care what we call Him? Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? These are questions many Christians are asking these days, and for good reason.

Iranian foreign minster warns Geneva nuclear deal is 'dead' if US passes new sanctions
Iran's foreign minister has warned that the historic nuclear deal agreed in Geneva will be "dead" if the US Congress moves ahead with threats to pass new sanctions. Javad Zarif told Time that any new sanctions would show a "lack of seriousness" by the US, breaching the terms of last month's interim deal and scuppering hopes for a comprehensive agreement on Iran's nuclear deal.

Record Number Of Volcano Eruptions In 2013 – Is Catastrophic Global Cooling Dead Ahead?
Have you noticed that this December is unusually cold so far? Could the fact that we have had a record number of volcanoes erupt in 2013 be responsible? Certainly an unusually calm solar cycle is playing a significant role in producing all of this cold weather, but as you will see below the truth is that throughout human history volcanic eruptions have produced some of the coldest winters ever recorded.

China-Japan Conflict Could Lead to World War III, Warns Former UN Ambassador
Former Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Sha Zukang has warned that the dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku Islands could lead to World War III. ...“If China started a war with Japan, it would be much larger than both the Sino-Japanese War and World War II, said Sha. The United States and Japan should cooperate with China to maintain regional peace,” states the report.

Darpa’s Giant Folding Spy Satellite Will Dwarf All Other Space Telescopes
Spying could become much easier if a new lightweight, folding satellite concept gets off the ground. Darpa, the military’s futuristic research agency, says it has plans to “break the glass ceiling” of space telescopes by shooting a new design into orbit that’s made of plastic and unfolds into a mammoth satellite that would dwarf the world’s most famous telescopes.

Rosetta: Anxious wait for comet chaser wake up
Scientists say they are in for an anxious wait as they prepare to wake a comet-chasing probe from deep-space hibernation. In January, they will attempt to bring the Rosetta spacecraft back online so it can journey towards Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Once it has reached the huge mass of ice and rock, the team will try to deploy a lander on the comet's surface.

US Senate votes to ban plastic guns for 10 more years
The US Senate has approved a 10-year extension of a ban on plastic guns invisible to metal detectors but has rejected tougher restrictions called for by gun-control advocates. The bill was approved by a Senate voice vote one week after it passed the House of Representatives. Democrats had aimed to require a gun's firing mechanism to contain at least one undetachable metal piece.

Mid-East governments sign Red Sea-to-Dead Sea water deal
Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have signed a water sharing pact aimed at one day replenishing the rapidly drying Dead Sea. The agreement will build a pipeline to carry brine from a desalination plant at the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, while providing drinking water to the region. The Dead Sea is dropping by as much as 1m (3.3ft) a year as the River Jordan is depleted for use in irrigation.

Christians Are Being Burned Alive Beheaded Crucified Tortured To Death And Imprisoned In Metal Shipping Containers
The “coming persecution of Christians” has already begun. It is already here. So why is the mainstream media in the United States almost totally silent about this phenomenon? When some politician somewhere around the globe inadvertently offends homosexuals or Muslims, it instantly makes headline news

US vet held in N. Korea says statement was coerced
The 85-year-old U.S. Korean War veteran who was detained for weeks by North Korea said Monday that the videotaped confession in which he apologized for killing North Koreans during the war was given involuntarily and under duress.

UN: Israel to allow some materials into Gaza again
The United Nations said Monday that Israel has agreed to again allow imports of construction materials into Gaza after a two-month clampdown following the discovery of a tunnel dug by militants from the coastal strip into Israel.

Purge sends chilling message to NKorea's elite
While the rest of North Korea's top brass leaped to their feet before Kim Jong Un, clapping wildly in a requisite show of respect at high-level meetings, his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, often seemed nonchalant, at times even bored. Once considered the force behind the young leader, he displayed a bold insouciance that seemed calculated to show he was beyond reach.

There's Almost No Difference Between PG-13 And R-Rated Movies
Researchers have criticized the rating system of the Motion Picture Association of America after finding that violent film characters tend to glorify "risky behaviors" like sex and drug use, regardless of the rating a film has been granted.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



The Middle East Now Has Three Alliances: None Are With the U.S.
1. The Shiite bloc consisting of Iran, Hezbollah, Iraq and the Syrian regime. 2. The pro-Muslim Brotherhood Sunni bloc, consisting of Turkey, Qatar, Tunisia, Hamas and some Syrian rebels. 3. The anti-Iran/anti-Brotherhood Sunni bloc consisting of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other Syrian rebels and other Arab countries. The first two blocs are on opposite sides in the Syrian civil war, but are hoping to negotiate a ceasefire that allows them to mend ties. The third bloc feels so threatened by the other two that Saudi Arabia is widely rumored to be offering Israel access to its airspace to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Obama creates international incident with 'selfie' at Mandela service
Call it the selfie seen 'round the world. "What on earth is going on? Why do world leaders now behave like this?" The Daily Telegraph's Iain Martin wrote.

Editor fired for anti-Obama headline says bosses responded to pressure
A Tennessee newspaper editor who was fired for a headline critical of President Obama says his bosses bowed to pressure from the president's supporters, claiming he wouldn't have been canned if he had said the same of former President George W. Bush.

Runaway process drives intermediate-depth earthquakes, Stanford scientists find
There are two main hypotheses for what may be driving intermediate depth earthquakes. According to one idea, water is squeezed out of rock pores at extreme depths and the liquid acts like a lubricant to facilitate fault sliding. This fits with the finding that intermediate quakes generally occur at sites where one tectonic plate is sliding, or subducting, beneath another.

In ‘framework,’ some see US shift to interim Israeli-Palestinian deal
Amid simmering tensions over Iran policy, the Obama and Netanyahu governments appear to have quietly forged common ground in recent weeks on Israeli-Palestinian talks, with the United States accepting that a possible “framework” agreement might not address every outstanding issue in the negotiations. Such an agreement, the United States and Israel seem to agree, would maintain a role for Israel in providing for its security, presumably by maintaining some form of military presence in the West Bank.

Violent mass looting engulfs Argentina amid police strike, 10 dead
At least ten people were killed and hundreds others injured as chaos gripped Argentina amid a police strike demanding pay rises. Mobs have taken over the streets, looting shops and robbing homes, local media reported.

WTO Celebrates First Global Agreement in 12 Years
Roberto Azevêdo announced on Saturday the successful culmination of days of difficult negotiations to arrive at the first unanimous agreement in the history of the WTO.

Russia says Iran should attend Syria peace talks
Lavrov said all parties involved in the Syrian struggle should be present at the talks. Some media outlets have reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is present in Syria, as is the Lebanese Shiite political movement Hezbollah.

CORONAL HOLE
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is monitoring a large coronal hole in the sun's northern hemisphere. Coronal holes are places in the sun's atmosphere where the magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind to escape. A broad stream of solar wind flowing from this particular coronal hole should reach Earth on Dec. 15-17.

BYU geologists discover 'super volcano' in Utah
While there are a variety of volcanoes that blast away in different ways, super volcanic eruptions are the biggest that collapse into large calderas. Yellowstone Park is the remains of one of those calderas and it's still very much alive and active. But, geologists think they may have found an equally as big if not bigger super volcano,

North Texas has 3.7 magnitude earthquake
North Texas has had another earthquake in the same general area where more than a dozen minor quakes were recorded in November.

Russia Activates Aerospace Defense Radar Aimed at Europe
Russia has begun testing a new radar designed to detect highly maneuverable aerial targets – including cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles – at a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles), allowing it to cover most of Europe.

New H7N9 bird flu resists drugs without losing ability to spread
Scientists have found that a mutation in a new strain of bird flu infecting people in China can render it resistant to a key first-line treatment drug without limiting its ability to spread in mammals. ...unlike seasonal flu strains, which often become less transmissible when they develop resistance to drugs like Roche's Tamiflu, the new H7N9 bird flu does not lose any of its spreading potential with drug resistance.

Kiev riot police retreat after storming protest bastions
Police have abandoned an attempt to dislodge anti-government protesters from their strongholds in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. Clashes erupted at the occupied city hall hours after riot police tried to clear nearby Independence Square - prompting the US to express "disgust". The interior minister has now given assurances no force will be used.

Putin orders Russian military to boost Arctic presence
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his military leadership they should build up their forces in the Arctic as a priority. Commending the recent restoration of an airfield in the region, he said Russia needed to use every means to protect its national interests in the region. He was speaking after Canada announced plans to claim the continental shelf under the North Pole.

US Congress cross-party budget deal reached
A cross-party Congressional budget committee convened after an October government shutdown has reached an agreement to fund federal services. The proposed deal finances the government for two years and reduces the federal deficit by $23bn (£14bn). It also avoids another government shutdown on 15 January when government funding is scheduled to run out.

Anti-Islam Trumps Islam in the West
As non-Muslims come to understand the Islamist challenge, anti-Islamic sentiments in the West are increasing, probably at a faster rate than Islamic practices. As anti-Islam trumps Islam, (I have concluded) opinions “will grow yet more hostile to Islamism over time. In this way, Islamist aggression assures that anti-Islamism in the West is winning its race with Islamism.”

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



The Middle East Now Has Three Alliances: None Are With the U.S.
1. The Shiite bloc consisting of Iran, Hezbollah, Iraq and the Syrian regime. 2. The pro-Muslim Brotherhood Sunni bloc, consisting of Turkey, Qatar, Tunisia, Hamas and some Syrian rebels. 3. The anti-Iran/anti-Brotherhood Sunni bloc consisting of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, other Syrian rebels and other Arab countries. The first two blocs are on opposite sides in the Syrian civil war, but are hoping to negotiate a ceasefire that allows them to mend ties. The third bloc feels so threatened by the other two that Saudi Arabia is widely rumored to be offering Israel access to its airspace to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Obama creates international incident with 'selfie' at Mandela service
Call it the selfie seen 'round the world. "What on earth is going on? Why do world leaders now behave like this?" The Daily Telegraph's Iain Martin wrote.

Editor fired for anti-Obama headline says bosses responded to pressure
A Tennessee newspaper editor who was fired for a headline critical of President Obama says his bosses bowed to pressure from the president's supporters, claiming he wouldn't have been canned if he had said the same of former President George W. Bush.

Runaway process drives intermediate-depth earthquakes, Stanford scientists find
There are two main hypotheses for what may be driving intermediate depth earthquakes. According to one idea, water is squeezed out of rock pores at extreme depths and the liquid acts like a lubricant to facilitate fault sliding. This fits with the finding that intermediate quakes generally occur at sites where one tectonic plate is sliding, or subducting, beneath another.

In ‘framework,’ some see US shift to interim Israeli-Palestinian deal
Amid simmering tensions over Iran policy, the Obama and Netanyahu governments appear to have quietly forged common ground in recent weeks on Israeli-Palestinian talks, with the United States accepting that a possible “framework” agreement might not address every outstanding issue in the negotiations. Such an agreement, the United States and Israel seem to agree, would maintain a role for Israel in providing for its security, presumably by maintaining some form of military presence in the West Bank.

Violent mass looting engulfs Argentina amid police strike, 10 dead
At least ten people were killed and hundreds others injured as chaos gripped Argentina amid a police strike demanding pay rises. Mobs have taken over the streets, looting shops and robbing homes, local media reported.

WTO Celebrates First Global Agreement in 12 Years
Roberto Azevêdo announced on Saturday the successful culmination of days of difficult negotiations to arrive at the first unanimous agreement in the history of the WTO.

Russia says Iran should attend Syria peace talks
Lavrov said all parties involved in the Syrian struggle should be present at the talks. Some media outlets have reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard is present in Syria, as is the Lebanese Shiite political movement Hezbollah.

CORONAL HOLE
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is monitoring a large coronal hole in the sun's northern hemisphere. Coronal holes are places in the sun's atmosphere where the magnetic field opens up and allows solar wind to escape. A broad stream of solar wind flowing from this particular coronal hole should reach Earth on Dec. 15-17.

BYU geologists discover 'super volcano' in Utah
While there are a variety of volcanoes that blast away in different ways, super volcanic eruptions are the biggest that collapse into large calderas. Yellowstone Park is the remains of one of those calderas and it's still very much alive and active. But, geologists think they may have found an equally as big if not bigger super volcano,

North Texas has 3.7 magnitude earthquake
North Texas has had another earthquake in the same general area where more than a dozen minor quakes were recorded in November.

Russia Activates Aerospace Defense Radar Aimed at Europe
Russia has begun testing a new radar designed to detect highly maneuverable aerial targets – including cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles – at a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles), allowing it to cover most of Europe.

New H7N9 bird flu resists drugs without losing ability to spread
Scientists have found that a mutation in a new strain of bird flu infecting people in China can render it resistant to a key first-line treatment drug without limiting its ability to spread in mammals. ...unlike seasonal flu strains, which often become less transmissible when they develop resistance to drugs like Roche's Tamiflu, the new H7N9 bird flu does not lose any of its spreading potential with drug resistance.

Kiev riot police retreat after storming protest bastions
Police have abandoned an attempt to dislodge anti-government protesters from their strongholds in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. Clashes erupted at the occupied city hall hours after riot police tried to clear nearby Independence Square - prompting the US to express "disgust". The interior minister has now given assurances no force will be used.

Putin orders Russian military to boost Arctic presence
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told his military leadership they should build up their forces in the Arctic as a priority. Commending the recent restoration of an airfield in the region, he said Russia needed to use every means to protect its national interests in the region. He was speaking after Canada announced plans to claim the continental shelf under the North Pole.

US Congress cross-party budget deal reached
A cross-party Congressional budget committee convened after an October government shutdown has reached an agreement to fund federal services. The proposed deal finances the government for two years and reduces the federal deficit by $23bn (£14bn). It also avoids another government shutdown on 15 January when government funding is scheduled to run out.

Anti-Islam Trumps Islam in the West
As non-Muslims come to understand the Islamist challenge, anti-Islamic sentiments in the West are increasing, probably at a faster rate than Islamic practices. As anti-Islam trumps Islam, (I have concluded) opinions “will grow yet more hostile to Islamism over time. In this way, Islamist aggression assures that anti-Islamism in the West is winning its race with Islamism.”

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Small quake shakes southern Black Hills
KOTA radio reports that sensors detected the quake in Custer State Park near the Black Hills Playhouse and Center Lake at about 2:45 a.m. Thursday. The location is about 8 miles south of Mount Rushmore, or 20 miles south-southwest of Rapid City. It registered 3.5 on the Richter scale at a depth of 4 kilometers.

One In Four Earthquakes Worldwide Come From Deep Within Earth
Originating farther inside the planet than shallow earthquakes, these temblors are known as intermediate-depth earthquakes. Shallow earthquakes, which take place in the uppermost layer of the Earth’s surface called the crust, account for the types of earthquakes that affect California and most other places in the world.

Gulf nations to create joint military command
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab neighbors wrapped up a summit meeting in Kuwait on Wednesday by agreeing to establish a joint military command, paving the way for tighter security coordination even as their regional rival Iran pursues outreach efforts in the wake of its interim nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia in particular sees a stronger Iran as a threat to its own influence, and it and other Gulf states are major backers of the rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is backed by Iran.

Oprah Winfrey’s unmerited honor
When Barack Obama awarded media mogul Oprah Winfrey the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Nov. 20, many conservatives objected, citing her recent suggestions to a BBC interviewer that opposition to the president’s policies is racially motivated and that many in America treat the president with “disrespect … because he is an African-American.” Winfrey is entitled to her opinion, and even if she is wrong about important matters, that alone would not preclude her from receiving the Medal of Freedom.

New Obama adviser wants to cede U.S. oceans to U.N.
Obama’s new staff adviser, senior progressive strategist John Podesta, is a key player in an initiative seeking more government regulation of the oceans and the ceding of U.S. oceans to United Nations-based international law. That background could inform Podesta’s agenda in the White House, where he is to serve for one year as a “counselor” to the president. The New York Times reported he will focus on executive orders and so-called climate change issues along with Obamacare.

Pope Francis and His Argument for a ‘Third Way’ of Economics
The recent economic statements by Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium“ (EG) read as a call for a “Third Way” economic system ruled by experts and people of good will.

'Global war beyond Persian Gulf' likely if US hawks kill Iran deal
“It would be a war that might start in the Persian Gulf, but very rapidly become a much bigger war and potentially even a global war in which nuclear weapons are used,” he added. Steinberg made the comments one day after US Secretary of State John Kerry told members of Congress that an interim nuclear deal signed with Iran last month in Geneva “unequivocally” served US interests.

Ad shows Syrian girls being sold in KSA
A controversial advertisement promoting Syrian girls for sale has been published in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, reports say.

Putin: Russia not aspiring to be superpower, or teach others how to live
Russia does not seek the role of a regional or global hegemony, but will defend its core values and interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. All attempts to impose on other nations have failed, he added. The Russian leader gave an assurance that Russia wants to respect the sovereignty and stability of other countries, as he was addressing the Federal Assembly, the collective of the two houses of the Russian parliament.

Kerry due back in Israel in new push for ‘framework’ peace accord
Secretary of State John Kerry, continuing a furious pace of shuttle diplomacy aimed at securing an elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by the spring, was due in Israel on Thursday in an effort to get the two sides to forge a “framework agreement,” which would outline particulars of a permanent status accord.

Light mag. 4.0 earthquake - Germany on Thursday, 12 December 2013
Date & time: Thu, 12 Dec 00:59:19 UTC Magnitude: 4.0 Depth: 10.0 km Epicenter latitude / longitude: 47.15°N / 9.54°E

Madagascar village 'hit by bubonic plague'
Tests were carried out after at least 20 people in the village, near the north-western town of Mandritsara, were reported to have died last week. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned in October that Madagascar was at risk of a plague epidemic. The disease is transmitted to humans via fleas, usually from rats.

In Australia, volcano’s past sounds alarm about next eruption
Australia’s most recently active volcano registered as a size four eruption on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)—a similar size to the Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland eruption in 2010, which caused global chaos. Australia could face the same scale of tragedy if a volcano west of Melbourne was to erupt.

Minor earthquake – France on December 12, 2013
Magnitude : 3.2 Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-12-12 03:22:12 GMT/UTC Time : 2013-12-12 02:22:12 Depth (Hypocenter) : 13 km

Modern Ruins of Abandoned Detroit (PHOTOS)
Symbolizing the dramatic decline of Motor City, many buildings and structures in the former manufacturing mecca of Detroit, Mich. lay in crumbling and weather-beaten ruins.

Giant Blob of Hot Rock Hidden Under Antarctic Ice
A big, hot blob hiding beneath the bottom of the world could be evidence of a long-sought mantle plume under West Antarctica, researchers said Monday (Dec. 9) here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The possible hotspot — a plume of superheated rock rising from Earth's mantle — sits under Marie Byrd Land, a broad dome at West Antarctica's edge where many active volcanoes above and below the ice spit lava and ash.

Obama creates international incident with 'selfie' at Mandela service
Call it the selfie seen 'round the world. Among the enduring images from Nelson Mandela's massive memorial service in Johannesburg Tuesday will be one of a jovial President Obama taking a cell phone pic with his seat-mates, Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Britain's David Cameron.

US and UK suspend non-lethal aid for Syria rebels
The US and UK have suspended all "non-lethal" support for rebels in northern Syria, but not humanitarian aid. A US spokesman said it was concerned about reports that Islamist rebels had seized bases belonging to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).

CU-Boulder scientist: 2012 solar storm points up need for society to prepare
A massive ejection of material from the sun initially traveling at over 7 million miles per hour that narrowly missed Earth last year is an event solar scientists hope will open the eyes of policymakers regarding the impacts and mitigation of severe space weather, says a University of Colorado Boulder professor. The coronal mass ejection, or CME, event was likely more powerful than the famous Carrington storm of 1859, when the sun blasted Earth’s atmosphere hard enough twice to light up the sky from the North Pole to Central America and allowed New Englanders to read their newspapers at night by aurora light

Australia high court overturns ACT gay marriage law
Australia's High Court has overturned legislation allowing gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The ACT parliament passed a bill in October making the territory the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex weddings. But the national government challenged the decision, saying it was inconsistent with federal laws.

Kerry meeting with Netanyahu, Peres postponed due to snow
US Secretary of State John Kerry's scheduled meeting with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday has been postponed due to the snowstorm which hit the capital, American sources told The Jerusalem Post. Kerry, who is due to arrive on Thursday, is still expected to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Stockman: Budget deal a 'joke and betrayal'
House Republicans "capitulated" in agreeing to the two-year budget deal reached last night and left the country to deal with an unsustainable fiscal situation until the peak of the presidential primaries in 2015, when nothing will get done, former federal budget director David Stockman told CNBC on Wednesday.

Putin admits Russia's economic woes home-grown
President Vladimir Putin conceded for the first time on Thursday that Russia's economic problems were home-grown and vowed not to abandon the spending promises he made on returning to the Kremlin last year.

Texas Pastor Receives Praise for Helping Over 200 Stranded Motorists During Ice Storm
A Texas pastor mobilized his congregation to come to the rescue of the dozens of truck drivers and motorists stranded by an ice storm last Friday. The Rev. Gary Sweatman of the five-year-old Freedom Life Church in Sanger, was at home when he saw the news of the ice storm.

Kiev: Jews fear opposition’s anger might turn against them
Speaking with the Post, Eduard Dolinsky, director of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, says that while he does not know of any attacks against Jews, there is a general feeling of anxiety on the part of the community.

As sanctions ease, Iran sees oil exports jump
Iranian oil exports rose 10 percent in November after sanctions against the Islamic Republic were eased as part of an interim deal with world powers, the International Energy Agency reported Wednesday.

N. Korea sells gold in sign of imminent economic collapse: source
North Korea has begun to sell large amounts of gold to China in a bid to tide over its economic crisis, multiple sources familiar with North Korea affairs said Wednesday. The disposal could be an indication of an imminent economic collapse as it goes against founding leader Kim Il-sung's order to never sell the country's gold, according to the sources.

North Korea's 'reign of terror' worries South's leader
North Korea is engaged in a purge amounting to a "reign of terror" that has claimed the scalp of the country's second most powerful man and risks further damaging relations with the South, President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Small quake shakes southern Black Hills
KOTA radio reports that sensors detected the quake in Custer State Park near the Black Hills Playhouse and Center Lake at about 2:45 a.m. Thursday. The location is about 8 miles south of Mount Rushmore, or 20 miles south-southwest of Rapid City. It registered 3.5 on the Richter scale at a depth of 4 kilometers.

One In Four Earthquakes Worldwide Come From Deep Within Earth
Originating farther inside the planet than shallow earthquakes, these temblors are known as intermediate-depth earthquakes. Shallow earthquakes, which take place in the uppermost layer of the Earth’s surface called the crust, account for the types of earthquakes that affect California and most other places in the world.

Gulf nations to create joint military command
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab neighbors wrapped up a summit meeting in Kuwait on Wednesday by agreeing to establish a joint military command, paving the way for tighter security coordination even as their regional rival Iran pursues outreach efforts in the wake of its interim nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia in particular sees a stronger Iran as a threat to its own influence, and it and other Gulf states are major backers of the rebels fighting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose government is backed by Iran.

Oprah Winfrey’s unmerited honor
When Barack Obama awarded media mogul Oprah Winfrey the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Nov. 20, many conservatives objected, citing her recent suggestions to a BBC interviewer that opposition to the president’s policies is racially motivated and that many in America treat the president with “disrespect … because he is an African-American.” Winfrey is entitled to her opinion, and even if she is wrong about important matters, that alone would not preclude her from receiving the Medal of Freedom.

New Obama adviser wants to cede U.S. oceans to U.N.
Obama’s new staff adviser, senior progressive strategist John Podesta, is a key player in an initiative seeking more government regulation of the oceans and the ceding of U.S. oceans to United Nations-based international law. That background could inform Podesta’s agenda in the White House, where he is to serve for one year as a “counselor” to the president. The New York Times reported he will focus on executive orders and so-called climate change issues along with Obamacare.

Pope Francis and His Argument for a ‘Third Way’ of Economics
The recent economic statements by Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium“ (EG) read as a call for a “Third Way” economic system ruled by experts and people of good will.

'Global war beyond Persian Gulf' likely if US hawks kill Iran deal
“It would be a war that might start in the Persian Gulf, but very rapidly become a much bigger war and potentially even a global war in which nuclear weapons are used,” he added. Steinberg made the comments one day after US Secretary of State John Kerry told members of Congress that an interim nuclear deal signed with Iran last month in Geneva “unequivocally” served US interests.

Ad shows Syrian girls being sold in KSA
A controversial advertisement promoting Syrian girls for sale has been published in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, reports say.

Putin: Russia not aspiring to be superpower, or teach others how to live
Russia does not seek the role of a regional or global hegemony, but will defend its core values and interests, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. All attempts to impose on other nations have failed, he added. The Russian leader gave an assurance that Russia wants to respect the sovereignty and stability of other countries, as he was addressing the Federal Assembly, the collective of the two houses of the Russian parliament.

Kerry due back in Israel in new push for ‘framework’ peace accord
Secretary of State John Kerry, continuing a furious pace of shuttle diplomacy aimed at securing an elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by the spring, was due in Israel on Thursday in an effort to get the two sides to forge a “framework agreement,” which would outline particulars of a permanent status accord.

Light mag. 4.0 earthquake - Germany on Thursday, 12 December 2013
Date & time: Thu, 12 Dec 00:59:19 UTC Magnitude: 4.0 Depth: 10.0 km Epicenter latitude / longitude: 47.15°N / 9.54°E

Madagascar village 'hit by bubonic plague'
Tests were carried out after at least 20 people in the village, near the north-western town of Mandritsara, were reported to have died last week. The International Committee of the Red Cross warned in October that Madagascar was at risk of a plague epidemic. The disease is transmitted to humans via fleas, usually from rats.

In Australia, volcano’s past sounds alarm about next eruption
Australia’s most recently active volcano registered as a size four eruption on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)—a similar size to the Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland eruption in 2010, which caused global chaos. Australia could face the same scale of tragedy if a volcano west of Melbourne was to erupt.

Minor earthquake – France on December 12, 2013
Magnitude : 3.2 Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-12-12 03:22:12 GMT/UTC Time : 2013-12-12 02:22:12 Depth (Hypocenter) : 13 km

Modern Ruins of Abandoned Detroit (PHOTOS)
Symbolizing the dramatic decline of Motor City, many buildings and structures in the former manufacturing mecca of Detroit, Mich. lay in crumbling and weather-beaten ruins.

Giant Blob of Hot Rock Hidden Under Antarctic Ice
A big, hot blob hiding beneath the bottom of the world could be evidence of a long-sought mantle plume under West Antarctica, researchers said Monday (Dec. 9) here at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The possible hotspot — a plume of superheated rock rising from Earth's mantle — sits under Marie Byrd Land, a broad dome at West Antarctica's edge where many active volcanoes above and below the ice spit lava and ash.

Obama creates international incident with 'selfie' at Mandela service
Call it the selfie seen 'round the world. Among the enduring images from Nelson Mandela's massive memorial service in Johannesburg Tuesday will be one of a jovial President Obama taking a cell phone pic with his seat-mates, Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Britain's David Cameron.

US and UK suspend non-lethal aid for Syria rebels
The US and UK have suspended all "non-lethal" support for rebels in northern Syria, but not humanitarian aid. A US spokesman said it was concerned about reports that Islamist rebels had seized bases belonging to the Western-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).

CU-Boulder scientist: 2012 solar storm points up need for society to prepare
A massive ejection of material from the sun initially traveling at over 7 million miles per hour that narrowly missed Earth last year is an event solar scientists hope will open the eyes of policymakers regarding the impacts and mitigation of severe space weather, says a University of Colorado Boulder professor. The coronal mass ejection, or CME, event was likely more powerful than the famous Carrington storm of 1859, when the sun blasted Earth’s atmosphere hard enough twice to light up the sky from the North Pole to Central America and allowed New Englanders to read their newspapers at night by aurora light

Australia high court overturns ACT gay marriage law
Australia's High Court has overturned legislation allowing gay marriage in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The ACT parliament passed a bill in October making the territory the first part of Australia to legalise same-sex weddings. But the national government challenged the decision, saying it was inconsistent with federal laws.

Kerry meeting with Netanyahu, Peres postponed due to snow
US Secretary of State John Kerry's scheduled meeting with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday has been postponed due to the snowstorm which hit the capital, American sources told The Jerusalem Post. Kerry, who is due to arrive on Thursday, is still expected to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Stockman: Budget deal a 'joke and betrayal'
House Republicans "capitulated" in agreeing to the two-year budget deal reached last night and left the country to deal with an unsustainable fiscal situation until the peak of the presidential primaries in 2015, when nothing will get done, former federal budget director David Stockman told CNBC on Wednesday.

Putin admits Russia's economic woes home-grown
President Vladimir Putin conceded for the first time on Thursday that Russia's economic problems were home-grown and vowed not to abandon the spending promises he made on returning to the Kremlin last year.

Texas Pastor Receives Praise for Helping Over 200 Stranded Motorists During Ice Storm
A Texas pastor mobilized his congregation to come to the rescue of the dozens of truck drivers and motorists stranded by an ice storm last Friday. The Rev. Gary Sweatman of the five-year-old Freedom Life Church in Sanger, was at home when he saw the news of the ice storm.

Kiev: Jews fear opposition’s anger might turn against them
Speaking with the Post, Eduard Dolinsky, director of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, says that while he does not know of any attacks against Jews, there is a general feeling of anxiety on the part of the community.

As sanctions ease, Iran sees oil exports jump
Iranian oil exports rose 10 percent in November after sanctions against the Islamic Republic were eased as part of an interim deal with world powers, the International Energy Agency reported Wednesday.

N. Korea sells gold in sign of imminent economic collapse: source
North Korea has begun to sell large amounts of gold to China in a bid to tide over its economic crisis, multiple sources familiar with North Korea affairs said Wednesday. The disposal could be an indication of an imminent economic collapse as it goes against founding leader Kim Il-sung's order to never sell the country's gold, according to the sources.

North Korea's 'reign of terror' worries South's leader
North Korea is engaged in a purge amounting to a "reign of terror" that has claimed the scalp of the country's second most powerful man and risks further damaging relations with the South, President Park Geun-hye said on Tuesday.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Kerry meets Netanyahu in snow-covered Jerusalem; follows talks with Abbas
Concerned that a final status agreement may not be possible by the May target date the two sides accepted when they resumed talks in August, US officials said Kerry was hoping for a framework accord that would contain the principles of a comprehensive pact, but not specific details. If an outline were achieved, the negotiations could be extended beyond the nine-month timeline originally set by Kerry.

Jerusalem braces for storm ‘three times worse’ than what has been seen so far
Earlier, the Israel Electric Corporation declared a nationwide state of emergency as tens of thousands of homes in Jerusalem and the surrounding region remained without power amid the severe winter storm besieging the area.

White House denies 'Orwellian' news manipulation
The White House rejected claims Thursday that it had clamped down on press access more than previous administrations after it was accused of mounting an "Orwellian" image control campaign.

Popular Fact Checking Website’s ‘Lie of the Year’ Goes To…
The popular fact checking website PolitiFact announced its “Lie of the Year” on CNN Thursday. The distinction went to President Barack Obama’s oft-repeated claim during the health care policy debate that “if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.”

4.0 earthquake shakes Kern County
The 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck at 11:49 p.m. Thursday and was centered in a rural area 15 miles north-northwest of Lost Hills, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.3,

Strong earthquake at intermediate depth 64 km from San Salvador, El Salvador
The El Salvador seismological agency reports a Magnitude of 5.8 at a depth of (only) 36 km, numbers which are far much dangerous than the numbers reported by USGS (M5.4 at 64 km). Shallower means more dangerous!

‘Imagine America Without Los Angeles’: Expert Warns Southern California Isn’t Ready For Major Quake
As KCAL9′s Dave Bryan reports, Jones, a Science Advisor for Risk Reduction at the U.S. Geological Survey, says when the “Big One” hits Southern California, the damage could be much greater, and could last much longer, than most of us ever imagined. “Loss of shelter, loss of schools, loss of jobs and emotional hardship. We are risking the ends of our cities,” she said during the presentation.

A Moral Revolution at Warp Speed-Now, It's Wedding Cakes
Six months. That's how long it took to get from the U.S. Supreme Court's decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act to the decision of a Colorado judge ordering a Christian baker to make a cake for a same-sex ceremony. Just six months. Back in June, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Windsor case, ruling that the Defense of Marriage Act, passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, was unconstitutional.

The Unanswered Mystery of 7,000-year-old Ubaid Lizardmen
It is accepted by mainstream archaeology that civilization started in Iraq, in ancient Mesopotamia with the great civilisation of Sumeria. However, there is an archaeological discovery at the Al Ubaid archaeological site, where many pre-Sumerian 7,000-year-old artefacts were found, depicting humanoid figures with lizard characteristics. The Ubaidian culture is a prehistoric culture in Mesopotamia that dates between 4000 and 5500 BC. As with the Sumerians, the origins of the Ubaidian people is unknown.

Retailers Go High-Tech To Track Shoppers
Big Brother could be at your favorite store. As CBS 2′s Don Champion reported, a growing number of stores are using discrete and sophisticated technology — including mannequins with facial-recognition cameras hidden in their eyes — to track shopper demographics in an effort to boost sales. Retailers say the...technology allows them to cater their business to customers better, but it’s also raising privacy concerns.

Homelessness, demand for food increase in US city survey
A survey of 25 American cities, including many of the nation's largest, showed yearly increases in food aid and homelessness. The cities, located throughout 18 states, saw requests for emergency food aid rise by an average of seven percent compared with the previous period a year earlier, according to the US Conference of Mayors study, published Wednesday.

Global Map To Predict Giant Earthquakes
A team of international researchers, led by Monash University's Associate Professor Wouter Schellart, have developed a new global map of subduction zones, illustrating which ones are predicted to be capable of generating giant earthquakes and which ones are not.

Call Made to Congress for China War Plan
As part of the Pentagon’s overall defense strategy to pivot to the Pacific, the U.S. should buy more Virginia-class attack submarines, prioritizing long-range anti-ship missiles, carrier-based drones, and missile defense technology, the analysts told the House Armed Services’ Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee. Seth Cropsey, a senior fellow at The Hudson Institute, told the subcommittee that the U.S needs a detailed war plan for China in the event that conflict arises.

Belgian Senate votes to extend euthanasia to children
The Belgian Senate has voted in favour of extending its euthanasia law to terminally-ill children. The Senate voted 50-17 in favour of the legislation, which is opposed by religious leaders in Belgium. The bill seeks to allow children to ask for euthanasia if their illness is terminal, they are in great pain and there is no available treatment.

Japan sets up amphibious military unit to counter China threat over islands
The defence guideline and military build-up plan, to be approved by the government next week, follow China's declaration in November of a new air defence identification zone in an area that includes the disputed isles, triggering protests from Tokyo, as well as Washington and Seoul.

China focus as Japan hosts Asean leaders
Leaders of South East Asian nations are in Japan for a summit likely to focus on China amid regional tensions. The three-day summit comes weeks after China's declaration of a new air defence zone which overlaps areas claimed by Japan and South Korea. Japan will be looking to rally support from Asean nations, some of whom also have territorial disputes with China.

US House passes two-year cross-party budget deal
The US House of Representatives has approved a two-year federal budget bill in a strong showing of cross-party support, further avoiding the spectre of another government shutdown. The measure, written by the Republican and Democratic heads of the House and Senate budget committees respectively, was approved by a 332-94 vote.

Israel voted full member of CERN, first non-European country to be admitted
The 20-state council of CERN, the Center of European Nuclear Research that operates the Large Hadron Collider under the Swiss- French border, voted unanimously on Thursday night to accept Israel as a full member. CERN is the largest center in the world for the study of atomic particles and is run with an annual budget of 1.246.5 billion Swiss francs (more than NIS 4.9b.).

Roads to Jerusalem closed as huge storm batters Israel
Jerusalem Mayor Barkat says city facing "a rare storm, the likes of which we've never seen"; turns to IDF for help; Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv at risk of flooding; part of Highway 6 closed. Police worked to help dozens of drivers stranded on Jerusalem's streets and on the entry roads into the capital as intermittent snow continued to fall on Friday morning.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Iraq is still bleeding 10 years after Saddam Hussein's capture
Ten years after the capture of Saddam Hussein, Iraq is at risk of becoming a failed state again as al-Qaeda reclaims vast swathes of the country. Friday’s anniversary of the Iraqi dictator’s arrest sees the country still struggling with his legacy, with al-Qaeda launching a fresh campaign of terrorist atrocities from new territory carved out in western and northern Iraq.

More Than 110 Million Brace for Weekend Snowstorm
Heavy snow and travel disruptions will spread from St. Louis and Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston on Saturday. The snowstorm will span more than 1,000 miles...from parts of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey to much of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Japan and Asean nations seek 'freedom of overflight'
Japan and SE Asian leaders have pledged to work together to ensure "freedom of overflight" in the region, in a move seen as a mild rebuke to China. The announcement came at a summit in Tokyo, weeks after China's declaration of a new air defence zone overlapping areas claimed by Japan and South Korea. Japan has been rallying support from 10 Asean nations, some of whom also have territorial disputes with China.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood turns to sisters in fight against state
With many of its male members jailed, Egypt's besieged Muslim Brotherhood is calling up an unlikely reserve force against the army-backed government in the conservative Arab country. At more and more protests, female members of the Islamist movement can be seen taking on security forces mounting one of their fiercest crackdowns against the group.

Storm weakens across Israel, thousands still without power as recovery efforts begin
The Defense Ministry deployed a large quantity of heavy vehicles, equipment, and food rations to assist emergency services operating in the snow in Jerusalem and the North. Over 30 vehicles, bulldozers, plows, tractors, generators, and salt scattering trucks have been sent to roads around the capital and Safed. Containers of fuel and diesel fuel have been sent to police to assist people stranded without electricity.

Iran claims to have captured MI6 spy
Iran says it has captured a spy working for British intelligence agency MI6 in the south-eastern city of Kerman. The head of Kerman's revolutionary court said the alleged spy had admitted being in contact with four British intelligence officers 11 times, both inside and outside the country.

US, Chinese Warships "Nearly Collide" In South China Sea
With the recent deployment of China's air defense zone, and the subsequent announcement of a comparable zone by South Korea which overlaps not only with China's own, but with that of Japan, it almost seems like a scenario designed to provoke an escalating conflict on the tiniest of provocations is actively being produced. A scenario such as the one US defense officials revealed today, when a guided missile cruiser operating in international waters in the South China Sea was forced to take evasive action last week to avoid a collision with a Chinese navy ship maneuvering nearby.

Dead Colorado school shooter wanted 'revenge' on faculty member, sheriff says
A student who opened fire Friday inside a suburban Denver high school appears to have been seeking revenge against a faculty member because of a "confrontation or disagreement," the Arapahoe County sheriff said.

Abbas rejects US security plan for future Palestinian state
The Palestinians rejected US proposals for Israel to keep a military presence in a future Palestinian state, as US Secretary of State John Kerry Friday wrapped up his latest peace push.

Senate expected to pass budget bill -- narrowly
It was smooth sailing in the House, but things are looking much tighter in the Senate for a bipartisan budget proposal that aims to avert another government shutdown and relax sweeping forced spending cuts.

Exclusive: After 'cataclysmic' Snowden affair, NSA faces winds of change
The U.S. National Security Agency has made dozens of changes in its operations and computer networks to prevent the emergence of another Edward Snowden, including potential disciplinary action, a top NSA official said on Friday, as a White House review panel recommended restraints on NSA spying.

China's first lunar probe to land on the moon this weekend
China's first lunar rover is expected to land on the moon on Saturday, less than two weeks after it blasted off from Earth, according to Chinese media reports.

Modern ‘Nazi salute’ said sweeping Europe
A neo-Nazi gesture, regarded by anti-Semitism researchers as a modern day Nazi salute, is rapidly spreading among anti-Semites in Europe and is being used by individuals to fly under the radar of strict anti-hate speech laws in parts of the continent.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Iraq's battle to save its Christian souls: 'Christians are finished here'
As the last remaining Christian priest in the Baghdad suburb of Doura, Archdeacon Temathius Esha no longer just puts his trust in God's all-seeing eye. Built into the wall of his vestry...is a 16-screen CCTV monitor, keeping watch on every corner of his church in case of possible attack. Along with the armed guard outside and concrete anti-blast walls, it makes St Shmoni's feel more like a fortress than a house of worship.

Syria crisis: French 'pessimism' over Geneva II talks
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said he has little hope for planned peace talks over the Syrian conflict. Mr Fabius said France was working on making the talks scheduled for next month in Switzerland a success, but that there was "a great deal of doubt". The moderate anti-government groups which France has been working with were "in serious difficulty", he said.

North Korea 'summons business people from China'
North Korean business people are being recalled from China following the execution of top official, Chang Song-thaek, says a South Korean report. Leader Kim Jong-un may be purging associates of Mr Chang, who was in charge of economic ties with China. Mr Kim has been pictured by state media for the first time since the execution of Mr Chang, his uncle.

Minister Says Iran Will Continue Nuclear Talks
Iran's foreign minister said Sunday his country will continue nuclear negotiations with world powers, even after pulling out of expert-level talks to protest the U.S. targeting companies it says evaded current sanctions.

Gaza fighters head to Syria as refugees flow in
Recent videos posted on the internet show Palestinian militants doing target practice with rifles and training to storm buildings while Islamic music plays. They come from the Gaza Strip, where Islamist groups are committed to armed struggle with Israel. But the fighters in this footage are different. They joined rebel forces in Syria's civil war.

Kim Jong-un’s Aunt Appears to Survive Husband’s Purge
Kim Kyong-hee, an aunt of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, appeared to have survived the purge and execution of her husband, Jang Song-thaek, as her name re-emerged in a leadership list in the North’s state-run media over the weekend.

Future currency or asset bubble? Bitcoin critics get louder
Once the preserve of cyber geeks or of dodgy traders, the virtual currency bitcoin can now not only be used to buy goods online but also pay for a degree at the University of Nicosia. Yet the newfound popularity of the currency, which was worth almost nothing until April 2011 and which now trades at around $1,000, may well prove its undoing.

Gaza flooding drives 40,000 from their homes
Flooding from heavy rains forced some 40,000 Gaza Strip residents from their homes, including thousands who were taken to safety in boats and military trucks, officials said Saturday.

An American Bride in Kabul
Will educated and progressive Americans ever start to recognize that the Islamic concept of a global caliphate is fueling thousands of Islamist terrorists, all of whom have explosives and some of whom have nuclear weapons? This stark reminder that many people fail to understand that evil and injustice truly exist comes from Phyllis Chesler, the well known personality, emerita professor psychology, psychotherapist, and feminist leader in her new book, An American Bride in Kabul.

Afghan president says does not 'trust' US
Visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in New Delhi on Saturday he no longer "trusts" the United States, accusing the Americans of saying one thing and doing another in his troubled homeland.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Ash cloud from Mount Etna's latest eruption forces closures Catania airport in Sicily
Etna is Europe's most active volcano. Its latest series of eruptions has lasted for weeks now, occasionally causing a change in flight routes. The eruption hasn't forced evacuation of the villages on the mountain's slopes. Its last major eruption occurred in 1992.

Small earthquake reported near The Geysers in Sonoma County
The temblor was reported at 9:55 p.m. about 2 miles east-southeast of The Geysers, which is a geothermal area north of Healdsburg.

'Global warming' iced by 'coldest days ever'
It’s been a bad week for global warming. Cairo saw its first snow in 100 years. Oregon, like several other states, reached its coldest temperature in 40 years. Chicago saw its coldest days ever, and – as if to add finality to the trend – Antarctica reached the coldest temperature ever recorded anywhere on earth. But no matter how cold it gets, global-warming adherents insist it’s all part and parcel of what they believe to be abnormal and soon-to-be-catastrophic warming of the planet’s surface due to man’s reckless introduction of “greenhouse gases” into the atmosphere.

‘Whole families murdered’: Syrian rebels execute over 80 civilians outside Damascus
Over 80 civilians in a town northwest of the Syrian capital of Damascus have been executed by Islamist rebels, sources within the Syrian military told RT. Many others were kidnapped to be used as human shields.

Netanyahu to Reform Jews: Western Wall belongs to all
“I’m committed to making sure all Jews feel at home at our holiest site,” he said. “Israel is and must continue to be the homeland of the entire Jewish people. That is the place where all Jews, including Reform Jews, experience nothing less than audacious hospitality.”

Abbas: Don’t boycott Israel
Infuriating activists, PA president tells reporters in South Africa he backs boycott of settlements but not of Israel, with whom ‘we have relations’

CHINA LANDS ON THE MOON
Move over USA and Russia. China has joined the club of nations that has landed on the Moon. On Saturday, Dec. 14th, at 9:41 p.m. Beijing local time, China's Chang’e-3 lunar lander touched down in Sinus Iridum, the Bay of Rainbows. Hours later, a lunar rover named the Jade Rabbit ("Yutu" in Mandarin Chinese) emerged for a historic mission of exploration.

CHANCE OF FLARES
A pair of Earth-facing sunspots, AR1917 and AR1918, have 'beta-gamma' magnetic fields that harbor energy for moderately strong solar flares. Any eruptions from the duo in the days ahead would likely be geoeffective. NOAA forecasters estimate a 25% chance of M-class flares during the next 24 hours.

Sun's Current Solar Activity Cycle Is Weakest in a Century
The sun's current space-weather cycle is the most anemic in 100 years, scientists say. Our star is now at "solar maximum," the peak phase of its 11-year activity cycle. But this solar max is weak, and the overall current cycle, known as Solar Cycle 24, conjures up comparisons to the famously feeble Solar Cycle 14 in the early 1900s, researchers said. "None of us alive have ever seen such a weak cycle

Experts warn of 'ominous trends' in Western secularism
Experts on religious liberty cautioned participants at a weekend conference in Rome that discrimination and persecution against Christians is growing in many regions of the world. “Western secularism has been growing in the last few decades,” Marshall told CNA in a Dec. 13 interview. “I want to emphasize that the patterns we're talking about are not like those in the remaining Communist world or the Middle East. It's not persecution in that sense, but it's getting very worrying.” “There are very ominous trends and I think we need to be aware of them, in terms of job discrimination, of the ability to speak out your mind, the ability to live out your faith. Things are really worsening in the West,”

Small quake shakes Vancouver Island
The U.S. Geological Service says a 4.7-magnitude quake struck at 9:11 am on Sunday, in the ocean about 124 kilometres northwest of Tofino. There were no reports of any injuries, or even any immediate suggestion that anyone noticed.

Hillary Clinton Named As Co-Conspirator In Failed Counter Coup to Reinstate Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
“We are under the condition of war and Jihad, and we have a good command of the necessities of war, the ancient and the modern. I will keep the tactics of war secret because in Islam, war is trickery.” Those are the words of Mohammed Morsi’s wife, Naglaa Mahmood Morsi. She also claims she collaborated with Hillary Clinton on the counter coup. She also claims these communications are on-going. She says she has recorded every conversation with Mrs. Clinton. Naglaa Morsi further contended that her friendship with Hillary Clinton goes back many years and that is still on-going. Al Wafd and Vetogate and other Arab media sources are reporting similar information.

Ukrainians pour into streets in massive rally
About 200,000 poured into the streets of the capital here Sunday as protests entered their fourth week amid increased pressure by the U.S. and its allies after the Ukrainian government backed away from a deal with the European Union.

Israel: Sniper killed soldier near Lebanon border
An Israeli soldier was killed by a Lebanese army sniper late Sunday as he drove along the border, the Israeli military said, drawing Israeli threats of retaliation. The shooting near Rosh Hanikra raised the possibility of renewed fighting in the volatile area, which has remained mostly quiet since a month-long war in the summer of 2006. Hezbollah, the guerrilla group that waged the war seven years ago, did not appear to be involved in Sunday's incident.

Chilean left celebrates large election win
Chile’s once and future leader Michelle Bachelet has easily won the presidential run-off, returning centre-left parties to power by promising profound social changes in response to years of street protests.

Syrian refugees in Lebanon face bitter winter
Shivering in the snow, Syrian Aisha Mohammad looked at the last-minute charity that saved her children from freezing during the smack of a particularly tough Lebanese winter: a wood-burning stove complete with twigs and garbage to ignite in hopes of warming her drafty tent in an icy eastern plain.

Legendary Neo Conservative Warns Israel Must Strike Iran Now
Norman Podhoretz, legendary neo conservative pundit and writer for Commentary magazine, has gone on record this past week with The Wall Street Journal that Israel should not hesitate in striking Iran in order to prevent it from gaining access to a nuclear weapon.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

US PLAN GIVES JERUSALEM HOLY SITES TO VATICAN
John Kerry quietly presented a U.S. plan for eastern Jerusalem that calls for an international administrative mandate to control holy sites in the area, according to informed Palestinian and Israeli diplomatic sources.The exact composition of the international mandate is up for discussion, the sources said, but Kerry’s plan recommended a coalition that includes the Vatican, together with a group of Muslim countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. “We are working on an approach that both guarantees Israel’s security and fully respects Palestinian sovereignty,” Kerry added.

EU warns Israel not to let peace talks fail
European diplomats warned Israel against new West Bank settlement construction, promising "unprecedented" incentives if peace talks succeed, officials said. The foreign ministers of the 28 European Union member states passed a resolution Monday promising Israel and the Palestinians an "unprecedented package" of economic, political and security aid if a peace treaty is achieved, Haaretz reported Tuesday.

After epic storm, Jerusalem partly returns to life
Jerusalem partially returned to life Tuesday morning, after a heavy winter snow storm left the capital isolated and largely shut down over the weekend. Schools, city hall and public transportation were all set to return to operation in one form or another.

Activists say KSA anti-terror law targets political dissent
Human rights activists in Saudi Arabia have raised concerns over a new anti-terrorism draft law passed by the kingdom, saying it will further crack down on political dissent. Activists say that the law, approved by the Saudi cabinet on Monday, would allow the kingdom to intensify its crackdown on political dissent and will also target civil society activists. The cabinet said in a statement that the law “will strike a balance between the risk of terrorist acts and human rights protection. “

Russia Confirms Tactical Missile Deployment on NATO Borders
Russia confirmed Monday that it has deployed tactical ballistic missiles near its borders with NATO but said the move did not violate international agreements. Bild newspaper in Germany reported over the weekend that Russia had “quietly” moved 10 Iskander-M (SS-26 Stone) missile systems into its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad and along its border with the Baltic States and NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

CHANCE OF FLARES
A pair of Earth-facing sunspots, AR1917 and AR1918, have 'beta-gamma' magnetic fields that harbor energy for moderately strong solar flares. Any eruptions from the duo in the days ahead would likely be geoeffective. NOAA forecasters estimate a 25% chance of M-class flares during the next 24 hours.

Noble Gas Molecule Discovered in Space
The noble gases, which include helium, argon, radon and krypton, usually do not react easily with other chemical elements, and are often found on their own. In the right circumstances, however, they can form molecules with other elements. Such chemical compounds have only ever been studied in laboratories on Earth, leading astronomers to assume the right conditions simply do not occur in space.

Earthquake rattles south-central Kansas on Monday
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initially reported the earthquake that hit about 9 a.m. to be a magnitude 4.2, but later revised it to 3.8. The epicenter of the earthquake was about 11 miles northwest of Caldwell, a town of about 1,000 residents in Sumner County near the Kansas-Oklahoma state line. The earthquake had a depth of 3.1 miles, USGS said.

Sizeable quake rattles Southland
A magnitude-6.2 earthquake has shaken the lower half of the South Island. The quake struck off the Fiordland coast at 1.07am on Tuesday.

Children among the victims of a savage attack in Democratic Republic of Congo
The bodies of at least 21 people have been found after a grisly attack in eastern DR Congo in which several women and children were raped, mutilated and beheaded, the UN peacekeeping mission said Monday. The UN mission MONUSCO said the victims, including a baby, were hacked to death in an attack of "extreme brutality" in a wave of violence in North Kivu last week.

Study: Yellowstone magma much bigger than thought
The hot molten rock beneath Yellowstone National Park is 2 ½ times larger than previously estimated, meaning the park's supervolcano has the potential to erupt with a force about 2,000 times the size of Mount St. Helens, according to a new study. By measuring seismic waves from earthquakes, scientists were able to map the magma chamber underneath the Yellowstone caldera as 55 miles long, lead author Jamie Farrell of the University of Utah said Monday. The chamber is 18 miles wide and runs at depths from 3 to 9 miles below the earth, he added.

North Korea 'preparing to carry out new nuclear test'
North Koreans pledged their allegiance to Kim Jong-un on Tuesday, the second anniversary of the death of his father, as South Korea warned Pyongyang could be preparing to carry out a fourth nuclear test and launch a long-range rocket. ...A new nuclear test and the successful launch of a rocket would also serve to enhance the image and prestige of the young dictator...

Sheriffs Refuse to Enforce Laws on Gun Control
...Sheriff John Cooke of Weld County explains...why he is not enforcing the state’s new gun laws, he holds up two 30-round magazines. One, he says, he had before July 1, when the law banning the possession...went into effect. The other, he “maybe” obtained afterward. He shuffles the magazines, which look identical, and then challenges the audience to tell the difference. “How is a deputy or an officer supposed to know which is which?” he asks.

NSA mass phone surveillance programme 'unconstitutional'
A US judge has ruled the National Security Agency's mass collection of telephone data unconstitutional. Federal District Judge Richard Leon said the electronic spy agency's practice was an "arbitrary invasion". The agency's collection of "metadata" including telephone numbers and times and dates of calls was exposed by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

EU-Turkey relations heading for new pause
The EU and Turkey on Monday (16 December) feted a new pact on migrants, but relations are about to go back into low gear. EU home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu signed the "re-admission" treaty at a ceremony in Ankara.

China's top diplomat due in Israel for rare high-level visit
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to arrive in Israel Tuesday evening for the highest level Chinese visit in years, and the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister since 2009. Unlike Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to China in May, which focused on economic issues, Wang is expected to focus his talks on Iran and the Israel-Palestinian negotiations.

Analysis: Israel opts for restraint in face of Lebanese provocation
All indications are that the gunman who shot and killed an IDF soldier on the Lebanon border Sunday night, without any provocation or cause, was a Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) member who acted alone. ...The restraint is a reflection of the fact that it is not in either side’s interest to escalate.

Japan hawks unveil sweeping defense upgrade
Japan unveiled a sweeping national security strategy Tuesday that will boost defense spending and see troops and equipment shifted to the nation's southwest islands — part of a move to develop the capability to wrest remote islands away from would-be attackers.

North Korea marks anniversary without Kim Jong Un's aunt
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's aunt was absent from a state memorial ceremony on Tuesday raising questions about her influence days after her husband, also a top state official, was executed.

Health law seen as eroding coverage
Americans who already have health insurance are blaming President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul for their rising premiums and deductibles, and overall 3 in 4 say the rollout of coverage for the uninsured has gone poorly.

Syrian Christians turning to Russia for protection
About 50,000 Syrian Christians want to apply for Russian citizenship. In a letter to the Russian Foreign Ministry, they said that they were not planning to flee Syria, but if threatened with physical elimination, they would pin their hopes on Russia as the guarantor of their survival. Analysts think that despite the difficulties their request may involve, it won’t go unheeded.

Obama won’t negotiate over debt ceiling, White House says
President Barack Obama won’t negotiate over raising the U.S. debt ceiling, the White House said Monday, after House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan signaled over the weekend that Republicans will make demands for extending it.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


IDF Soldiers Warned Against Contact with Messianic Jews
The citizens of Israel woke up this week to a special early morning announcement by the Israeli Army on news broadcasts all across the country: The Ministry of Defense has ordered that all soldiers staying in Jerusalem over the Sabbath are not allowed to have any contact with members of the sect of Jews who preach faith in Yeshua (Jesus). Is faith in Yeshua such a threat to our national security that one of the most effective military organizations in the world feels the need to “protect” its soldiers from this “sect of Jews”?

The Iranian Situation
The American Israel Friendship League (AIFL) is concerned that the recently announced agreements between the United States and the P5+1 nations and Iran may increase the risk that Iran will not renounce its objective to acquire nuclear weapons capability. Although President Obama has publicly promised that the U.S.

Barbara Walters to Piers Morgan: ‘We Thought That [Obama] Was Going to Be…the Next Messiah’
“We thought that he was going to be – I shouldn’t say this at Christmastime, but – the next messiah,” she told Morgan.

Pope Francis named 'Person of the Year' by oldest American gay rights magazine as pontiff celebrates 77th birthday
The oldest gay rights magazine in the United States named Pope Francis its "Person of the Year" as the pontiff marked his 77th birthday on Tuesday by inviting homeless people to join him for breakfast in the Vatican. The Advocate magazine said it gave Francis the honor because, although he is still against homosexual marriage, his pontificate so far had shown "a stark change in (anti-gay) rhetoric from his two predecessors".

Russia Announces Upgrades To Nuclear Arsenal With New ‘Satan’ ICBM
Russia will begin deploying a new type of long-range missile in 2018 to replace a cold war standby known in the west as ‘Satan’, a military commander said on Tuesday in a signal to the United States that Moscow is improving its nuclear arsenal.

Hamas Claims Jews Plotting “Earthquake Attack” Against Mosque
Ismail Radwan, Minister of Religious Affairs in Gaza’s Hamas government, claims that Israel is trying to cause an artificial earthquake to totally collapse the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to Radwan, Israel is attempting to do so to establish the Third Temple.

Russia’s Middle East Chess Game
The Middle East represents an important global theater for Russia. And for both America and Russia, the Middle East represents an area where they can cooperate.

NSA's goal is elimination of individual privacy worldwide - Greenwald to EU
The NSA’s ultimate goal along with its UK partner, the GCHQ, is to eliminate individual privacy worldwide, journalist Glenn Greenwald has told an EU inquiry. He criticized EU governments’ muted response to the revelations of the NSA’s mass espionage. Describing a reaction of “apathy and indifference” at reports normal citizens were being spied on, Greenwald said EU politicians only took action when they discovered they themselves were being targeted.

Iran Reveals New Details of Shoulder-Fired Missiles
Iran this month unveiled details on two shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles that are a major concern among U.S. and allied counterterrorism officials due to Tehran’s support for global terrorist groups. Iran on Dec. 8 published a report outlining the specifications for what it calls the Misagh-1 and Misagh-2 shoulder-fired missile system.

A NEW CRATER ON THE MOON
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter just found one, however, that is only 9 months old. On March 17, 2013, a bright flash of light emerged from Mare Imbrium, the Sea of Rains. Researchers concluded that a small asteroid about 0.2 meters wide hit the lunar surface and exploded like 1.3 tons of TNT.

Pennsylvanians Coerced Into Giving Cheek Swab at “Voluntary” Checkpoint
A supposedly “voluntary” survey checkpoint run by a private firm in Reading, Pennsylvania on behalf of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy caused outrage when residents said they were forced off the road into a car park and coerced into giving cheek swabs as a result of an intimidating police presence.

Scientists: Mosquito virus spreads to Americas
A nasty virus first detected in Africa that is spread to people by the bite of infected mosquitoes...on the tiny French Caribbean dependency of St. Martin, health officials said Tuesday. Epidemiologists have so far confirmed about a dozen cases of locally acquired chikungunya virus...it can cause a debilitating sickness with fever, rash, fatigue and vomiting and intense muscle and joint pain that can last for weeks in serious cases.

Debate over Jewish prayer at Temple Mount heats up
For decades, the religious Jews who bucked a rabbinic ban and visited a Muslim holy site in Jerusalem where the ancient Jewish temple once stood were seen by many as a fanatic fringe. But their cause is gaining support among both mainstream religious Jews and Israel’s government. Jewish visits to the politically-sensitive compound are on the rise, and key Israeli lawmakers are lobbying to end a ban on Jewish prayer there

German Chancellor Compares NSA to Communist Stasi During Heated Exchange With Obama
German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly compared the NSA’s spying tactics to those of the Stasi, a ruthless communist secret police force, during an angry conversation with President Barack Obama. Furious over reports that the U.S. had listened to her personal mobile phone, Merkel reportedly confronted Obama. “This is like the Stasi,” she said, according to the Guardian.

Mystery illness claims 4 lives in Montgomery County
Officials with the Montgomery County Health Department are on a mission to find out more about a mystery flu-like illness. So far, half of the people who have come down with it have died. According to the health department, all of the patients have had flu-like and/or pneumonia like symptoms. However, all of them have tested negative for the flu.

Senate GOP fails in final bid to restore military pension cuts to budget bill
A final effort by Senate Republicans to halt cuts to pensions of military retirees failed late Tuesday, after Democrats blocked an amendment to the controversial budget bill. ...A provision in the already House-passed bill would cut retirement benefits for military retirees by $6 billion over 10 years.

Assad drops heavy bomb on Aleppo elementary school
At least 18 children, two of their teachers and over 100 civilians are dead after Syrian Air Force helicopters peppered Aleppo with barrel bombs over the last three days. The assault and the death toll, claimed by the Syrian National Coalition of opposition forces, have been supported by visual evidence that spread through social media outlets after the dust settled from the series of strikes.

Ukraine opts for Russian bailout instead of EU treaty
Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych has opted for a no-strings-attached Russian bailout instead of the EU alternative. He made the agreement at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday (17 December). Under the accord, Putin promised to use money from Russia's National Welfare Fund to buy $15 billion of distressed Ukrainian bonds.

‘US security plan included IDF troops on West Bank highway’
The Palestinian negotiating team rejected an American peace plan that would involve Israeli military presence along the Jordan Valley highway, located five kilometers (three miles) from the Jordanian border, after the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

Iranian Analyst: Without Deal, We Would've Attacked Israel
An Iranian political analyst claimed last week that if a deal between Iran and the West over Iran’s nuclear program had not been reached in Geneva, Iran would have annihilated Israel. The comments by Mohammad Sadeq Al-Hosseini, a former political advisor to Iranian President Khatami, aired on Syrian News TV on December 11. They were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

Saudi ready to act alone on Iran, Syria: ambassador
The West's policies on Iran and Syria are a "dangerous gamble" and Saudi Arabia is prepared to act on its own to safeguard security in the region, a top Saudi diplomat said.

'Superbugs' found breeding in sewage plants
Tests at two wastewater treatment plants in northern China revealed antibiotic-resistant bacteria were not only escaping purification but also breeding and spreading their dangerous cargo. Joint research by scientists from Rice, Nankai and Tianjin universities found "superbugs" carrying New Delhi Metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1), a multidrug-resistant gene first identified in India in 2010, in wastewater disinfected by chlorination.

Increasing seismic activity, red alert issued for Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano
The Indonesian Volcanological Survey (VSI) informed in its latest press release that a significant increase in seismic activity was detected during the past days. While the volcano has been relatively calm at the surface, producing only a dilute gas plume with some ash reaching about 1 km above the crater, the increase in earthquakes suggests that new magma is currently rising and could produce new (potentially large) explosions.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Los Angeles Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes Southern California
A Los Angeles earthquake today 2013 has just struck Southern California. The Los Angeles earthquake today December 19, 2013 began just after 7:53 am PST and was near Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Venice, El Segundo, and the Pacific Palisades. Damage assessment is pending.

South Sudan: Powerful military general declares war against the Government
Two military sites of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in Jonglei state came under heavy attack early Wednesday morning from forces of General Peter Gatdet Yak. The assault cames just days after president Kiir accuses his political adversaries of an “attempted coup”—a claim widely interpreted as an indefensible. Some government officials call it “an inside job” designed to use as a reason against anyone who tries to challenge Kiir’s leadership.

In the West Bank, an intifada lurks beneath
Twenty-eight Palestinians have been killed by IDF fire in the West Bank since the beginning of the year, 13 of them since September, after the talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority began.

Watch the Interactive Map of Real-Time Wind Currents That’s ‘Utterly Hypnotic’
Cameron Beccario, a software engineer, created an interactive map that shows near real-time currents of Earth’s wind using data from the U.S. National Weather Service. The Earth Wind Map, launched earlier this month, has been hailed as “utterly hypnotic.”

Scientists Produce ‘Bio-Crude Oil’ in Less Than 60 Minutes
Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory engineers used an algae mixture to produce the “bio-crude oil.” “In the PNNL process, a slurry of wet algae is pumped into the front end of a chemical reactor,” the news release about the research stated. “Once the system is up and running, out comes crude oil in less than an hour, along with water and a byproduct stream of material containing phosphorus that can be recycled to grow more algae.”

Putin: I envy Obama, because he can spy and get away with it
I envy Obama because he can spy on his allies without any consequences, said Putin when asked about how his relations had changed with the US following Snowden’s espionage revelations. During an annual question-and-answer session with journalists, Putin praised Edward Snowden’s actions, saying that he was working for a “noble cause.” At the same time he accepted the importance of espionage programs in the fight against global terrorism, but said the NSA needed guidelines to limit its powers.

The Palestinian Red Line
The media reported that Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), rejected the peace proposals submitted by US Secretary of State John Kerry. The Palestinians leaked that Abbas sent a letter to Kerry reiterating his complete opposition to the demand to recognizeIsrael as a Jewish state. This was declared a “red line” that the Palestinians will not cross.

Facebook Admits They Can See What Users Type — Even if the Status or Comment Is Not Posted
Facebook can see what users type in unpublished status updates or comments, the company admitted. ...The revelations come after two Facebook researches said they had conducted a study on self-censorship using such information from 5 million random Facebook users. According to The Times, any time a user typed a post over five characters, it was tracked.

‘Search Warrants May Now Be Based on Predictions of the Commission of Future Crimes’
Texas police can now obtain search warrants based on “predictions of the commission of future crimes,” a judge noted in his dissent to an opinion last week. Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Lawrence Meyers made the claim after the judicial body ruled that evidence authorities had first found during a search they had executed without a warrant was admissible in the court of law, according to the Dallas Observer.

Museum Removes ‘God’s Creatures’ Quote From Exhibit
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County removed a quote that references “God’s creatures” from one of its exhibits following negative attention from a prominent evolutionary biologist and atheist. ...“Given the quotation marks, I bet the donor insisted on the wording,” Coyne wrote. “It would be much truer, and not a possible violation of the First Amendment, to say ‘to celebrate all of evolution’s creatures.’”

It’s About the Settlements, Stupid
Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, the misnamed occupied territories, are not the obstacle to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. They are the acid test of peace. To argue that peace is conceivable unless the bulk of the settlements remain in place constitutes stupidity or hypocrisy. Leave aside the issue of whether Jews have the right to live in the historic homeland of the Jewish people.

The Dire Warning From British Royalty: Christianity Is Starting ‘to Disappear’ from the Middle East
Prince Charles warned that Christianity is starting to disappear from the region in which it was born, the Middle East, due to a campaign of persecution by Muslims. “It seems to me that we cannot ignore the fact that Christians in the Middle East are increasingly being deliberately targeted by fundamentalist Islamist militants,” he said.

'With or without West': Saudi Arabia ready for unilateral action on Syria
Saudi Arabia intends to pursue an independent policy in the Arab world after the US resorted to a diplomatic solution to the Syria and Iran crises. The Saudi envoy to UK says the kingdom is ready to ensure “regional peace” without Western support.

Health official urges caution as more H7N9 cases reported in China
People traveling to China should take health precautions as 10 more H7N9 avian flu cases have been reported there since October, Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center said Tuesday. There have been 142 confirmed cases of the H7N9 virus in China since the outbreak began at the end of March, he said. Of those patients, 47 have died.

Mystery illness claims 4 lives in Montgomery County
Texas -- Officials with the Montgomery County Health Department are on a mission to find out more about a mystery flu-like illness. So far, half of the people who have come down with it have died. According to the health department, all of the patients have had flu-like and/or pneumonia like symptoms. However, all of them have tested negative for the flu.

Obama adviser Podesta under fire for comparing GOP to 'Jonestown'
Long-time Clinton hand John Podesta is in trouble with Republicans just days after joining the Obama White House, after he described the House GOP as a "cult worthy of Jonestown."

70% Do Not Trust the Media to Inform about Obamacare
The survey finds that 7 out of 10 adults do not trust the media to accurately inform them about the new healthcare law and five out of ten say so strongly.

Robots are the not-too-distant future of war
The need for humans to participate in armed conflicts could soon be over. The next generation of military hardware might be able to think and act for itself. Military hardware will soon consist of "autonomous robots that know neither pity nor fear" — quite a step up from the current generation of UAVs and drones operated by humans from the safety of military bases hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.

New Bird Flu Strain Detected in China
A woman in eastern China was confirmed to have been carrying a new strain of the bird flu, after she died of respiratory failure earlier this month, Chinese health officials announced Wednesday. The 73-year-old woman, who was living in the Jiangxi Province and died on Dec. 6, was confirmed to have been carrying the H10N8 strain of the bird flu, which had previously not been known to infect humans.

Yanukovych tells West to keep out of Ukraine crisis
Ukraine's Russian-backed President, Viktor Yanukovych, has said he strongly opposes Western politicians intervening in the crisis in Ukraine. Asked about their recent visits to the protest camp in Kiev, he said: "I am categorically against anybody coming and teaching us how to live." The opposition is furious after he accepted a Russian bailout, seen as a reward for rejecting EU integration.

'Heavy fighting' in Pakistan's North Waziristan
Heavy fighting involving artillery fire and helicopter gunships is taking place in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan, military sources say. The army say that it killed at least 23 militants overnight on Wednesday, but there is no independent confirmation of these figures. On Wednesday it said at least five soldiers were killed by militants.

US TV star Phil Robertson suspended for anti-gay remarks
US reality star Phil Robertson has been suspended from his TV show following derogatory remarks about homosexuality. Pressed to give his own definition of sin, he first suggested homosexuality... "Don't be deceived," he continued. "Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers - they won't inherit the kingdom of God."

US Federal Reserve pulls back on stimulus effort
The central bank said it planned to scale back its $85bn (£51.8bn) a month bond buying programme by $10bn a month. Stimulus of this kind is designed to lower interest rates and boost economic activity. The Fed's governing committee cited stronger job growth as a reason for the decision to begin winding down its programme of bond buying.

EU ministers clinch deal on failed banks
EU finance ministers have agreed new rules on how to wind up failed banks - the key pillar of a "banking union" designed to stop a repeat of the crisis. The deal, finalised in Brussels late on Wednesday (18 December) after more than 12 hours of talks, makes good on earlier promises to reach a common position by the end of the year.

Peres to Chinese FM: Peace is Israel's greatest desire, Iran is the greatest problem
Israel faces not only grave threats but also great opportunities, President Shimon Peres said Thursday to visiting Chinese Foreign Minster Wang Yi, adding that peace is Israel’s greatest desire, and “Iran is the greatest problem”. The chance for peace must not be ignored despite the threat of a nuclear Iran, Peres stated.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

California Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes Near Coalinga
A California earthquake today 2013 struck moments ago near Coalinga. The California earthquake today December 20, 2013 began just after noon time and was northwest of Bakersfield. Damage assessment is pending.

UH study points to possibility of extreme tsunami
According to Archaeobotanist David Burney, there's a spot in the Aleutian Islands that is capable of producing an extreme tsunami. He said the study theorizes the tsunami would send a four-story wave through Waikīkī as well as wash out the Kahe Power Plant in Leeward Oʻahu.

Japan Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes Abiko
A strong Japan earthquake today 2013 has struck Abiko. The Japan earthquake today December 21, 2013, locally, began in the predawn morning hours locally. Damage assessment is pending.

Jordan to Israel: Stop Watching Temple Mount
one of then-Defense Minister Moshe Dayan's first post-war acts was to hand control of the sacred plateau back to the Hashemites. Many Israelis now see that decision as a historical mistake, given that today Jews and Christians are unable to pray on the Temple Mount without sparking an outburst of Muslim violence.

Record High in U.S. Say Big Government Greatest Threat
Seventy-two percent of Americans say big government is a greater threat to the U.S. in the future than is big business or big labor, a record high in the nearly 50-year history of this question.

Killing the Middle Class
while Wall Street has flourished, Main Street remains mired in the “new normal.” It is the new normal where a staggering 75 percent of the jobs created this year have not only been part-time, but low-paying. It is the new normal where the “decline” in unemployment to 7 percent is belied by the reality that a record high 91,541,000 of Americans are no longer in the labor force as of October, and the workforce participation rate is 63 percent, the lowest its been since 1978.

Senior Palestinian Official’s Shock Comment on WWII and the Nazis
In an interview last week, senior Palestine Liberation Organization official Farouq Qaddoumi said, “I don’t think it would be wrong to say that we were enthusiastic supporters of Germany.” Hajj Amin Al-Husseini, the Mufti of Jerusalem during the British Mandate that controlled Palestine before 1948, was a strong supporter of Adolf Hitler. PLO official Qaddoumi was apparently referring to Husseini’s radio broadcasts in support of Nazi Germany. Husseini recruited Muslims for the Waffen-SS and met with Hitler

5.6-magnitude quake hits south Pakistan
A 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit south Pakistan early on Friday, seismologists said. The quake struck at 00.28 am local time (1928 GMT) at the relatively shallow depth of five kilometres (three miles), 32 kilometres west of Warah in Sindh province, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

M-CLASS SOLAR FLARE
For more than two weeks, solar activity has been low. Hours ago, a new sunspot broke the quiet with an M3.5-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded the extreme ultraviolet flash at 23:16 UT on Dec. 19th.

White House vows to veto new Iran sanctions bill
Obama administration slams Senate legislation as bad for negotiations, increasing chances of military conflict with Iran.

Iran stages war games as nuclear talks resume
The Iranian Air Force was set to launch large-scale drills Friday, as part of “annual exercises aimed at testing indigenous air defense systems, improving the units’ combat readiness and displaying the country’s military might and achievement,” according to a report in Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.

North Texas man dies of swine flu; could be 'mystery illness' from Houston
Dustin suffered kidney failure, which has been associated with severe cases of H1N1 Type A, or swine flu. He had no known underlying medical conditions.

America's secret diplomacy with Iran was in Saudi Arabia's best 'interest', says US official
America took a “fundamental decision” to exclude Saudi Arabia from its diplomacy towards Iran - and the “outcome” served the kingdom’s best “interests”, a senior State Department official has said. Secret talks between the US and Iran preceded last month’s agreement in Geneva which imposed formal limits on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Syria: Warplanes continue Aleppo airstrikes for fifth day, target southern villages
Syrian warplanes continued to crush Aleppo for a fifth consecutive day Thursday, according to Agence France-Presse. Sources on the ground have said that Thursday’s attacks have expanded to include villages southeast of Syria’s second largest city.

Some Parents Upset After L.I. School Removes Religious References From ‘Silent Night’
Officials at Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School removed several religious references, including “holy infant” and “Christ the savior,” from the popular Christmas carol before a concert featuring fifth-graders last week, WCBS 880′s Mike Xirinachs reported. The intent was to avoid offending non-Christians, but the change left others upset.

'Superbug' bacteria widespread in U.S. chicken: consumer group
About half of the raw chicken breasts in a nationwide sampling carried antibiotic-resistant "superbug" bacteria, a U.S. consumer group said on Thursday, calling for stricter limits on use of the medicines on livestock. It could be more difficult to treat people if they became ill after eating chicken with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, said Consumer Reports...

White House broadens Obamacare exemptions
Millions of Americans who had their health plans cancelled will be exempt from the Obamacare individual mandate, the administration said Thursday...people who had their plans cancelled could get a scaled-back catastrophic plan... “Holding a fire sale of cheap insurance is not a responsible fix for a broken program. This is a slap in the face to...Americans who have already purchased expensive insurance through the Obamacare exchanges.”

Kerry forces Israel’s moment of decision
There was a ghoulish creepiness to US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Israel last week. Here we were, beset by the greatest winter storm in a hundred years. All roads to Jerusalem were sealed off. Tens of thousands of Jerusalemites and residents of surrounding areas were locked down in their houses, without power, heat, telephone service or water.

Hagel: China warship action 'irresponsible'
China was "irresponsible" and "unhelpful" during the near-collision of a US warship and a Chinese naval vessel, the US Defence Secretary said. Chuck Hagel said the Chinese boat cut in front of USS Cowpens on 5 December, and described the act as "incendiary". China, who described the incident as an "encounter", said the incident was handled with "strict protocol".

S Sudan on precipice of civil war, Obama warns
US President Barack Obama has warned that South Sudan is on the "precipice" of a civil war, after clashes in the capital Juba spread around the country. He said 45 military personnel had been deployed to South Sudan on Wednesday to protect American citizens and property. At least 500 people are believed to have died since last weekend, when President Salva Kiir accused his ex-deputy Riek Machar of a failed coup.

China rejects US corn on fears over genetic modification
China has rejected 545,000 tons of imported US corn found to contain an unapproved genetically modified strain. An unapproved strain called MIR162 was found in 12 batches of corn, China's product safety agency said. China backs genetically modified crops to increase food production, but has faced opposition from critics who question their safety.

France, Germany and UK show discord on EU defence
EU countries have agreed to "deepen defence co-operation," but France, Germany and the UK disagreed how to do it at a summit in Brussels on Thursday (19 December). France went into the meeting calling for a new EU fund to help pay for member states' unilateral operations - such as the French intervention in Mali or the Central African Republic (CAR) - if they serve European security.

'Iran has nuclear fuel reserve to last four years'
Iran has a reserve of nuclear fuel that would last four years, the head of the country's Atom Energy Organization said, as technical talks continued in Vienna Friday on the implementation of a deal meant to freeze the Islamic Republic's nuclear program for six months. Ali Akbar Salehi stressed on Thursday that Tehran will not be losing anything in the November 24 interim deal...

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

2013 Will Finish One Of The Ten Coldest Years In US History
Before NASA and NOAA start tampering with the data, 2013 is one of the ten coldest years in the US since 1895, and has had the largest year over year decline on record.

Palestinian Infiltration ‘Merritts’ a Second Look
Several weeks ago, an invitation-only event was held in Washington D.C., bringing together pro Palestinian advocates. Sponsored by the Telos Group, the gathering purported to offer a balanced view of the Arab-Israeli conflict, but having heard firsthand Telos-affiliated speakers (Lynne Hybels) and reading their propaganda, I knew it would be anything but balanced.

Nasrallah: Israel will be 'punished' for al-Laqqis' death
The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Friday that the Israelis would be "punished" for killing a leader of the Shiite party, an assassination in which Israel has denied any involvement. "The killing of Hassan al-Laqqis is not a simple matter between us and the Israelis," said Hassan Nasrallah in a speech aired during a tribute ceremony to the assassinated Hezbollah operative.

US evacuation flight fired on by South Sudan rebels
Rebel fire hit two US military aircraft responding to the outbreak in violence in South Sudan on Saturday, wounding three US service members and heavily damaging at least one of the aircraft, officials said. South Sudan blamed the attack on renegade troops in control of the breakaway region.

China denounces Japanese military strategy
China has denounced Japan's new national security strategy, accusing it of military expansion. Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement that the move would increase regional tensions, state news agency Xinhua reported.

American Generals: Israel Should Keep 'West Bank'
A historical document dragged back out into the light by Israel National News reveals that, unlike today, in the wake of the 1967 Six Day War, the American government was of the opinion that Israel should retain control of the “West Bank.”

‘Duck Dynasty’ Fallout: GLAAD Reeling From Biggest Backlash in Years, Says Rep
In the fallout over Wednesday’s suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson by A&E for anti-gay and racist remarks, GLAAD is experiencing record levels of backlash. “In the five-and-a-half years I’ve worked at GLAAD, I’ve never received so many violently angry phone calls and social media posts attacking GLAAD for us speaking out against these comments,” the media watchdog organization’s vice president of communications Rich Ferraro told TheWrap.

Syria views Saudi as number one enemy
Syria now views Saudi Arabia as its number one enemy and accuses it of trying to destroy the country by arming jihadists and other rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Gay couples wed in Utah after judge overturns ban
A federal judge struck down Utah's same-sex marriage ban Friday in a decision that marks a drastic shift toward gay marriage in a conservative state where the Mormon church has long been against it.

Spanish gov't approves strict new abortion law
The Spanish government approved a new abortion law on Friday which will make it much more difficult for women to be able get an abortion in the country. Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz Gallardon confirmed in the traditional post cabinet press conference that the new law, which is almost certain to be passed in the Congress given that the ruling right Popular Party has a comfortable majority, ends women's rights to ask for an abortion in the first 14 weeks of their pregnancy.

Exclusive: Secret contract tied NSA and security industry pioneer
As a key part of a campaign to embed encryption software that it could crack into widely used computer products, the U.S. National Security Agency arranged a secret $10 million contract with RSA, one of the most influential firms in the computer security industry, Reuters has learned.

Bible Belt Has Most Sinners, Research Suggests: How Sinful is Your State?
Kansas State University mapped the 'Seven Deadly Sins' across America in 2009. “Pride, the ‘greatest’ and ‘root’ of all sins, was determined to be the aggregation of each sin,” the website explains.

2013 Will Finish One Of The Ten Coldest Years In US History
Before NASA and NOAA start tampering with the data, 2013 is one of the ten coldest years in the US since 1895, and has had the largest year over year decline on record.

Palestinian Infiltration ‘Merritts’ a Second Look
Several weeks ago, an invitation-only event was held in Washington D.C., bringing together pro Palestinian advocates. Sponsored by the Telos Group, the gathering purported to offer a balanced view of the Arab-Israeli conflict, but having heard firsthand Telos-affiliated speakers (Lynne Hybels) and reading their propaganda, I knew it would be anything but balanced.

Nasrallah: Israel will be 'punished' for al-Laqqis' death
The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Friday that the Israelis would be "punished" for killing a leader of the Shiite party, an assassination in which Israel has denied any involvement. "The killing of Hassan al-Laqqis is not a simple matter between us and the Israelis," said Hassan Nasrallah in a speech aired during a tribute ceremony to the assassinated Hezbollah operative.

US evacuation flight fired on by South Sudan rebels
Rebel fire hit two US military aircraft responding to the outbreak in violence in South Sudan on Saturday, wounding three US service members and heavily damaging at least one of the aircraft, officials said. South Sudan blamed the attack on renegade troops in control of the breakaway region.

China denounces Japanese military strategy
China has denounced Japan's new national security strategy, accusing it of military expansion. Defence Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said in a statement that the move would increase regional tensions, state news agency Xinhua reported.

American Generals: Israel Should Keep 'West Bank'
A historical document dragged back out into the light by Israel National News reveals that, unlike today, in the wake of the 1967 Six Day War, the American government was of the opinion that Israel should retain control of the “West Bank.”

‘Duck Dynasty’ Fallout: GLAAD Reeling From Biggest Backlash in Years, Says Rep
In the fallout over Wednesday’s suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson by A&E for anti-gay and racist remarks, GLAAD is experiencing record levels of backlash. “In the five-and-a-half years I’ve worked at GLAAD, I’ve never received so many violently angry phone calls and social media posts attacking GLAAD for us speaking out against these comments,” the media watchdog organization’s vice president of communications Rich Ferraro told TheWrap.

Syria views Saudi as number one enemy
Syria now views Saudi Arabia as its number one enemy and accuses it of trying to destroy the country by arming jihadists and other rebels fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Gay couples wed in Utah after judge overturns ban
A federal judge struck down Utah's same-sex marriage ban Friday in a decision that marks a drastic shift toward gay marriage in a conservative state where the Mormon church has long been against it.

Spanish gov't approves strict new abortion law
The Spanish government approved a new abortion law on Friday which will make it much more difficult for women to be able get an abortion in the country. Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz Gallardon confirmed in the traditional post cabinet press conference that the new law, which is almost certain to be passed in the Congress given that the ruling right Popular Party has a comfortable majority, ends women's rights to ask for an abortion in the first 14 weeks of their pregnancy.

Exclusive: Secret contract tied NSA and security industry pioneer
As a key part of a campaign to embed encryption software that it could crack into widely used computer products, the U.S. National Security Agency arranged a secret $10 million contract with RSA, one of the most influential firms in the computer security industry, Reuters has learned.

Bible Belt Has Most Sinners, Research Suggests: How Sinful is Your State?
Kansas State University mapped the 'Seven Deadly Sins' across America in 2009. “Pride, the ‘greatest’ and ‘root’ of all sins, was determined to be the aggregation of each sin,” the website explains.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

23 Dec 13

Russia Delivers Chemical Disarmament Gear to Syria
Russia has handed over vehicles and supplies to assist Syria with destruction of its chemical weapons stockpile, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday. “Russia airlifted 75 vehicles, including 50 Kamaz trucks and 25 Ural armored vehicles to the airport in Latakia on December 18-20,” Shoigu said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.

More US troops to back UN in Juba
US President Barack Obama vowed yesterday to take more action in South Sudan if needed amid growing fighting, after deploying extra US troops, as the UN promised to send more peacekeepers. The announcements came as world leaders embarked on a diplomatic push to pull the world's youngest nation back from the brink of all-out civil war.

Hamas increases rockets range, seeks deeper targets
Hamas's military wing in the Gaza Strip is making a concerted effort to increase the range of its rockets by tens of kilometers. The extra range will let the terror organization pull off deeper attacks into Israel, even farther than the Gush Dan region achieved during Operation Pillar of Defense .

Evangelical Christian speaker of Papua New Guinea's parliament destroys 'evil' pagan carvings
The speaker of parliament in the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea has caused outrage after destroying intricate wooden panels and artefacts around the parliament, which he says represent "evil" non-Christian gods of witchcraft and idolatry. In an evangelical Christian "purge"...Theo Zurenuoc has chopped up numerous carved heads and panels and is now planning the removal of a thirty-foot high, four-ton totem pole from the parliament's Grand Hall.

Israel police search for bus bombing suspects
Israeli police are searching for suspects after a bomb exploded on board a bus in central Israel on Sunday, just minutes after it had been evacuated. A bomb squad officer was slightly hurt by the blast in Bat Yam, which blew out the windows of the vehicle. The bus driver had ordered passengers off after one saw wires inside a large bag that had been left on a seat.

Istanbul clashes as Turkey PM Erdogan condemns 'plot'
Turkish police have used tear gas against thousands of anti-government protesters in Istanbul as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to break the hands of "plotters". Clashes erupted between protesters and police in Kadikoy Square... In a northern town Mr Erdogan denounced people he said were setting anti-Turkish "traps" to undermine his rule.

South Sudan army set to move on rebel-held town of Bor
South Sudanese troops are preparing to enter the rebel-held town of Bor, President Salva Kiir has said. Mr Kiir told parliament the army was "ready to move", adding that the counter-attack had been delayed to allow US citizens to be airlifted out. Bor, in the restive state of Jonglei, fell to rebels on Wednesday.

Toronto hit as winter storm grips eastern Canada and US
A severe ice storm has brought snow and freezing rain to Canada's biggest city, Toronto, and to much of the east of the country. At least 11 deaths have been blamed on the storm system in Canada and the north-east US, which was also affected. The storm left hundreds of thousands of people in the region without electricity.

Kassam rocket fired into southern Israel from Gaza
Security forces on Monday morning located the remains of a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel overnight. The rocket was found in the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council after Code Red sirens were sounded in the area shortly after midnight on Sunday.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

24 Dec 13

Pakistani Terror Group Threatens Deadly Attacks on New York, Washington, D.C.
Pakistan’s most dangerous terrorist organization, the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), has promised it will attack New York and Washington, D.C., in an act of revenge with suicide fighters, according to a newly released video obtained by TheBlaze. The group also claims responsibility for the most deadly attack in CIA history and the failed bombing of New York’s Times Square.

Christians feel pressure to keep silent about their faith, Lord Carey warns
Christians in Britain feel under pressure to keep silent about their faith in public, a former Archbishop of Canterbury has warned... Lord Carey, who was Archbishop of Canterbury until 2002, said he is “worried about the future of faith in the West” as he highlighted an “increasing timidity” among churchgoers, with some fearing to admit faith in their own workplaces.

Computerizing people may be next step in tech
It’s likely the world in the not-so-distant future will be increasingly populated by computerized people like Amal Graafstra. The 37-year-old doesn’t need a key or password to get into his car, home or computer. He’s programmed them to unlock at the mere wave of his hands, which are implanted with radio frequency identification tags...he’s sold similar ones to more than 500 customers through his company Dangerous Things.

Israeli Officials Demand End To US Spying, Email Tracking
Senior Israeli officials on Sunday demanded an end to U.S. spying on Israel, following revelations that the National Security Agency intercepted emails from the offices of the country’s top former leaders. It was the first time that Israeli officials have expressed anger since details of U.S. spying on Israel began to trickle out in documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Jailed Egypt Muslim Brotherhood members on hunger strike
More than 450 jailed members of the Muslim Brotherhood have gone on hunger strike in Egypt in protest at their "inhumane treatment", the group says. The prisoners, who include senior aides to deposed President Mohammed Morsi, say they have been denied family visits and access to medical care. More than 2,000 members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested since the overthrow of Mr Morsi.

Egypt violence: Deadly car bomb hits security site
A car bomb attack at a security building in northern Egypt has killed at least 12 people and injured more than 100, officials and state media say. The blast led to the partial collapse of the building in the city of Mansoura, north of the capital, Cairo. Interim Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi called it "an act of terrorism".

South Sudan sees 'mass ethnic killings'
New evidence is emerging of alleged ethnic killings committed during more than a week of fighting in South Sudan. The violence follows a power struggle between President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and his Nuer ex-deputy Riek Machar. A reporter in the capital, Juba, quoted witnesses as saying more than 200 people, mostly from the Nuer ethnic group, were shot by security forces.

US and Canada storms spell cold, dark Christmas for many
Hundreds of thousands of households in Canada and the northern US are facing a Christmas without electricity after a severe ice storm. Nearly 400,000 customers in eastern Canada and 390,000 in the US are still without power, with Michigan worst hit. In Toronto, a utility has said power may not be restored for most residents until Thursday, and that some may be without electricity until the weekend.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

UN official says 'absolutely no doubt' thousands dead in South Sudan
n New York, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to beef up its peacekeeping force in South Sudan. It condemned targeted violence against civilians and ethnic communities and called for "an immediate cessation of hostilities and the immediate opening of a dialogue."

Earthquake rocks on Christamas Day
Campo, CA - An earthquake measuring a preliminary 4.2 magnitude was reported near Campo Wednesday according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Some residents in Potrero called San Diego 6 News reporting that they felt the quake when it struck at 4:18 p.m. There was a report from Alpine on the USGS website.

NEWS: Oklahoma Earthquakes
For the second day in a row, an earthquake shook people in central Oklahoma. A 2.7 magnitude quake rattled the area at 4:30 a.m. on Christmas Day. It was centered about five miles north of Spencer, and 11 miles northeast of Oklahoma City.

French use Nazi-like salute with impunity
President Hollande indicates his government will do more to curb online displays of the anti-Semitic ‘quenelle’

Egypt arrests Mursi's ex-prime minister on his way to Sudan
Egyptian security forces on Tuesday arrested the former prime minister of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi who was sentenced to one year in jail for failing to implement a court ruling to renationalise a textile firm.

Kim urges N. Korea military to bolster combat readiness
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has urged the country's military to bolster its combat readiness, saying a war could break out "without any prior notice", state media reported Wednesday. The call comes at a time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula following the execution of Kim's uncle and former mentor in an unusually public purge

Bill promising equal tax benefits for same-sex couples irks coalition
A controversial bill promising same-sex couples equal tax benefits that has been straining the coalition managed to pass a preliminary reading in the Knesset Tuesday. The bill, proposed by a Yesh Atid MK, outraged the Habayit Hayehudi factions, and prompted dissent among coalition ranks with political negotiations going on in the Knesset plenum until seconds before the vote.

UN sends more peacekeepers to South Sudan after thousands killed
The UN Security Council approved plans on Tuesday to almost double the number of peacekeepers in South Sudan in an effort to protect civilians as reports of...worsening of ethnic bloodletting in the world's newest state. The move came as the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in the country said the death toll from the past 10 days of violence was likely now in the thousands, rather than the hundreds the world body had previously estimated.

US Embassy in Kabul attacked on Christmas Day
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul was hit by indirect fire before dawn on Christmas Day but no Americans were hurt, as attacks elsewhere in Afghanistan killed at least six people Wednesday, officials said. Two rounds struck the sprawling embassy compound but it was not immediately clear which part of the complex, and a U.S. Embassy official said the incident was under investigation.

Christians targeted by Baghdad bombs
A car bomb near a church in Baghdad has killed at least 15 people and wounded 28 others, as Iraqi Christians celebrated Christmas, officials say. The device went off outside a Catholic church when worshippers were leaving a Christmas Day service. Another bomb at a nearby market in a mainly Christian area killed six more people and left 14 people hurt.

Thousands hit by floods and power cuts at Christmas
Flooding is causing difficulties for thousands of people in southern England after stormy weather lashed the UK. Three severe flood warnings are in place in Surrey and Dorset, with many people rescued from homes overnight. And some 50,000 homes across the UK are without electricity, the Energy Networks Association has said.

Pope Francis urges aid access to Syria in Christmas speech
Pope Francis has used his first Christmas Day address to urge access for humanitarian aid in Syria. He told thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square in the Vatican to pray for a peaceful end to violence in Syria and other conflict zones. The Argentine pope also said tragic incidents involving migrants trying to reach Europe should not be repeated.

Brazil president pledges aid after deadly floods
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has pledged millions of dollars in federal aid to two south-eastern states where floods have killed at least 30 people. After flying over the area, she said helicopters and army trucks would deliver food and medicine to the states of Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. A number of homes, roads and bridges were destroyed and many cities were left without power and drinking water.

Abbas, Ashton ring in Christmas at midnight mass in Bethlehem
Hundreds of worshipers attended a midnight Christmas Eve mass in the West Bank town of Bethlehem in the late hours of Tuesday. Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Fouad Twal, led the mass in the Church of the Nativity, believed by millions of Christians to be located at the exact spot of the birth of Jesus.

Police chief: Rise in terror anticipated after peace talks resumed
Police commissioner Yochanan Danino said on Wednesday that the security forces have noticed a disturbing uptick in “grassroots terrorism,” something which was predicted once peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority resumed. As a result of the increased tension on the security front, defense officials have beefed up army and police forces in so-called “sensitive areas,” according to Israel Radio.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



New ObamaCare fees coming in 2014
Here comes the ObamaCare tax bill. The cost of President Obama’s massive health-care law will hit Americans in 2014 as new taxes pile up on their insurance premiums and on their income-tax bills. Most insurers aren’t advertising the ObamaCare taxes that are added on to premiums, opting instead to discretely pass them on to customers while quietly lobbying lawmakers for a break.

Security concerns raised amid surge in US arms deals abroad
U.S. arms deals with foreign governments have surged under the Obama administration, as part of an apparent push by the White House and State Department to have allies "share the burden" of providing security. The increase, though, has raised concern that the weapons and military equipment could fall into the wrong hands or be used by unstable governments against their own people.

Be prepared: Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse
A top financial advisor, worried that Obamacare, the NSA spying scandal and spiraling national debt is increasing the chances for a fiscal and social disaster, is recommending that Americans prepare a “bug-out bag” that includes food, a gun and ammo to help them stay alive. David John Marotta, a Wall Street expert and financial advisor...said...“Firearms are the last item on the list, but they are on the list....

US sends missiles and drones to Iraq to fight al-Qaeda
The US has delivered dozens of missiles to Iraq to help combat al-Qaeda, US and Iraqi officials have said. They said that about 75 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles had been sent last week. A shipment of unmanned ScanEagles surveillance drones is also expected next year.

Japan Okinawa leader approves US airbase relocation
Japan has approved the relocation of a US military airbase on its southern island of Okinawa, officials said. The governor, Hirokazu Nakaima, agreed to landfill work to develop a new base in a less densely populated part of the island, officials said. The agreement is a breakthrough following years of deadlock over where a new US base should be placed.

Carnivorous fish attack bathers in Argentina
A school of carnivorous fish related to the piranha has attacked bathers in an Argentine river, injuring about 70. Thousands of bathers were cooling off in the Parana River in Rosario, 300km (186 miles) north of Buenos Aires, on Christmas Day when the attack happened. Officials blamed the attack on the palometa fish, describing the event as "exceptional".

Obama signs two-year cross-party budget bill
US President Barack Obama has signed a two-year bipartisan federal budget bill, averting the risk of a government shutdown in January. The hard-fought legislation was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier this month. The bill had been drafted by a cross-party budget committee set up after October's 16-day government shutdown.

Likud pushing bill to annex Jordan Valley
Likud ministers and lawmakers are trying to limit Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s freedom in peace talks, with MK Miri Regev submitting a bill on Thursday to annex the Jordan Valley. If Regev’s bill becomes law, Netanyahu would be unable to accept the American offer to put the Jordan Valley and border crossings into Jordan under Palestinian control, with IDF soldiers posted at the border and the US providing additional security.

IAF strikes Gaza following second rocket fired at Israel in 24 hours
The Israel Air Force struck two targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire on southern Israel on Thursday. The targets struck were a weapons manufacturing site in central Gaza and a weapons storage site in the North of the Strip. Two Palestinians were wounded by the air strikes, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Snowden: 'My Mission Is Accomplished, I Already Won'
Edward Snowden, former CIA employee and National Security Agency (NSA) contractor turned whistleblower, recently spoke with the Washington Post in Russia, where he has been given asylum. According to Snowden, his "mission is accomplished." Snowden's leaking of US spying secrets revealed a global surveillance system of unprecedented proportions, and sparked controversy between the US and foreign leaders that had their privacy breached. He has been termed the greatest threat to the US in its history.

New Japanese island Niijima merged with Nishino-shima
Only a narrow channel of water appeared to separate Japanese islands Nishino-shima and newly created Niijima on satellite images from December 24. The water around the islands was discolored by volcanic minerals and gases, as well as by seafloor sediment stirred up by the ongoing eruption. A faint plume, likely steam and other volcanic gases associated with the eruption, extended away from the new island to the southeast.

SLIGHT CHANCE OF FLARES
Sunspot AR1934 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. Because the region is directly facing Earth, any flares today would surely be geoeffective.

Santa Ana Winds Visit Southern California For Christmas
Building offshore gradients will bring gusty winds below passes and canyons on Christmas Eve. So expect gusts out there then … The peak of this event will be on Wednesday, Christmas Day. Then, building gradients over Utah will bring east-northeast winds into the area. Gusts will average 30-35 mph in the advisory zones, with favored passes and canyons over 40 mph.

World marks 9 years since major tsunami
On this day in 2004, a huge earthquake off the coast of Indonesia - the second most powerful ever recorded - created a giant tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Arab monarchies eye stronger ties with China
The six energy-rich Arab monarchies of the Gulf are seeking to strengthen ties with China, Gulf Cooperation Council chief Abdullatif al-Zayani said Wednesday after talks with the Chinese foreign minister. Zayani held talks in Saudi Arabia with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and expressed "GCC interest in bolstering friendship and cooperation ties with China," a GCC statement said.

Defiant Turkish PM Erdogan in major reshuffle
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a major cabinet reshuffle after three ministerial resignations over a corruption inquiry. Mr Erdogan named 10 new ministers - almost half of his total roster - after talks with President Abdullah Gul. One of those who quit, Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar, had urged Mr Erdogan to step down himself.

New flood fear as more rain and high winds forecast
The Environment Agency is warning of further significant flooding in parts of southern England with heavy rain and high winds forecast across the UK. Many rivers remain swollen after storms which led to power cuts and travel delays. Two severe flood warnings are in place on the Stour in Dorset. About 1,000 homes in south-east and south-west England have been flooded.

Egypt names Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group
Egypt's military-backed interim government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization Wednesday, intensifying its campaign of arrests and prosecutions targeting its members and tightening the noose on the group's network of charities and businesses.

Iranians draft bill to up enrichment to 60 percent
Iranian parliamentarians have proposed a bill to increase uranium enrichment to 60 percent in the event of new Western sanctions, the Iranian Press TV reported Wednesday. In addition to raising the enrichment level significantly, the draft, signed by 100 legislators, would resume activity at the Arak heavy water reactor.

U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan attacked; no casualties reported
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul came under attack on Christmas morning, and the Taliban later claimed responsibility, saying it had fired four rockets at the American compound. U.S. officials said that two rounds of either mortar or rocket fire struck the embassy and that no Americans were hurt, the Associated Press reported.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe visits controversial Yasukuni war shrine
A 30-minute visit to a controversial shrine by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ignited a predictable firestorm of criticism and condemnation Thursday from Japan's neighbors. The Yasukuni Shrine is regarded by China, North Korea and South Korea as a symbol of Japan's imperial military past. All three countries suffered under Japan's military aggression in World War II. Millions of Chinese civilians and soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of Koreans, died.

Palestinians fume at Netanyahu plan to announce new settlement units
Palestinian Authority officials expressed outrage at a report Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to announce new settlement construction next week, coinciding with Israel’s release of Palestinian prisoners in the third of four phased releases agreed upon as a precondition to peace talks.

Christmas in Islamic world is a life or death experience
Christians in the Islamic world today are suffering attacks motivated by the very same diabolical animus as a thousand years ago under Hakim [the Egyptian caliph who ordered the destruction of reportedly 30,000 churches in the 10th –11th century].

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

New Bomber Can Nuke US Military Bases, Brags Chinese State Media
Chinese state media is once again bragging about Beijing’s military prowess, touting the fact that China’s new H-6K strategic bomber can attack U.S. military bases in South Korea as well as the Japanese mainland using long range nuclear cruise missiles.

Greenwald Snarks at MSNBC: I Defend Snowden Like You Defend Obama ’24 Hours a Day’
Journalist Glenn Greenwald appeared on MSNBC Thursday, one day after Edward Snowden delivered a Christmas address to television viewers in the UK and around the world from Russia. Things got heated when MSNBC anchor Kristen Welker cited critics who’ve accused Greenwald of “crossing a line” in his defense of Snowden. “What do you say to your critics who say you’ve become more of a spokesman for Edward Snowden?” she asked.

Muslim Advocacy Organization Promotes Neo Nazi
Members of the Muslim Student Association and the community will have the chance to sample Middle Eastern cuisine and learn how to better bridge the gap between Islam and Christianity during upcoming events at Western Michigan University.

New ObamaCare fees coming in 2014
Here comes the ObamaCare tax bill. The cost of President Obama’s massive health-care law will hit Americans in 2014 as new taxes pile up on their insurance premiums and on their income-tax bills. Most insurers aren’t advertising the ObamaCare taxes that are added on to premiums, opting instead to discretely pass them on to customers while quietly lobbying lawmakers for a break.

Security concerns raised amid surge in US arms deals abroad
U.S. arms deals with foreign governments have surged under the Obama administration, as part of an apparent push by the White House and State Department to have allies "share the burden" of providing security. The increase, though, has raised concern that the weapons and military equipment could fall into the wrong hands or be used by unstable governments against their own people.

Be prepared: Wall Street advisor recommends guns, ammo for protection in collapse
A top financial advisor, worried that Obamacare, the NSA spying scandal and spiraling national debt is increasing the chances for a fiscal and social disaster, is recommending that Americans prepare a “bug-out bag” that includes food, a gun and ammo to help them stay alive. David John Marotta, a Wall Street expert and financial advisor...said...“Firearms are the last item on the list, but they are on the list....

US sends missiles and drones to Iraq to fight al-Qaeda
The US has delivered dozens of missiles to Iraq to help combat al-Qaeda, US and Iraqi officials have said. They said that about 75 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles had been sent last week. A shipment of unmanned ScanEagles surveillance drones is also expected next year.

Japan Okinawa leader approves US airbase relocation
Japan has approved the relocation of a US military airbase on its southern island of Okinawa, officials said. The governor, Hirokazu Nakaima, agreed to landfill work to develop a new base in a less densely populated part of the island, officials said. The agreement is a breakthrough following years of deadlock over where a new US base should be placed.

Carnivorous fish attack bathers in Argentina
A school of carnivorous fish related to the piranha has attacked bathers in an Argentine river, injuring about 70. Thousands of bathers were cooling off in the Parana River in Rosario, 300km (186 miles) north of Buenos Aires, on Christmas Day when the attack happened. Officials blamed the attack on the palometa fish, describing the event as "exceptional".

Obama signs two-year cross-party budget bill
US President Barack Obama has signed a two-year bipartisan federal budget bill, averting the risk of a government shutdown in January. The hard-fought legislation was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier this month. The bill had been drafted by a cross-party budget committee set up after October's 16-day government shutdown.

Likud pushing bill to annex Jordan Valley
Likud ministers and lawmakers are trying to limit Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s freedom in peace talks, with MK Miri Regev submitting a bill on Thursday to annex the Jordan Valley. If Regev’s bill becomes law, Netanyahu would be unable to accept the American offer to put the Jordan Valley and border crossings into Jordan under Palestinian control, with IDF soldiers posted at the border and the US providing additional security.

IAF strikes Gaza following second rocket fired at Israel in 24 hours
The Israel Air Force struck two targets in Gaza in response to rocket fire on southern Israel on Thursday. The targets struck were a weapons manufacturing site in central Gaza and a weapons storage site in the North of the Strip. Two Palestinians were wounded by the air strikes, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

‘Today is a good day for the freedoms of speech and religious liberty’
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal lauded A&E for its decision to reverse the suspension of Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the family who stars in the reality show “Duck Dynasty,” calling it a victory for “the freedoms of speech and religious liberty.”

Homeland Security Preparing for the Next Wall Street Collapse?
The shadow financial casino has only grown larger since 2008; and in the next Lehman-style collapse, government bailouts may not be available. According to President Obama in his remarks on the Dodd-Frank Act on July 15, 2010, “Because of this reform, . . . there will be no more taxpayer funded bailouts – period.”

Palestinian official: Kerry to return to Mideast next week
US Secretary of State John Kerry was reportedly due to return to the Middle East next weekend to discuss the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace process with officials from both camps. "Mr Kerry has told the Palestinian Authority he will return to the region on January 4 to discuss the peace process and negotiations with Israel," an unnamed Palestinian official told AFP.

FBI Allowed Informants To Commit More Crimes In 2012 Than Year Before
The breakdown of how many crimes were authorized by each individual FBI field office were redacted from the 2012 report, which is known as the Otherwise Illegal Activity Report. The FBI's fellow federal law enforcement agencies -- the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives -- do not track how often their sources commit crimes.

Egypt Names Obama Backed Muslim Brotherhood A Terrorist Group
Egypt's military-backed interim government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization Wednesday, intensifying its campaign of arrests and prosecutions targeting its members and tightening the noose on the group's network of charities and businesses.

Could Pope Francis Be a Modern-Day Jesus?
The pope’s speech was delivered from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis spoke a message of love, hope and peace to a cheering crowd of at least 70,000 Romans, pilgrims and tourists. In this speech, which was the pope’s first Christmas message since being elected pontiff, he said he was joining all who are hoping for a better world and cares for others.

Georgia School Choir in Search of New Home After Hospital Bans 'Jesus Christmas Songs' to Protect 'Religious Freedom'
Alleluia Community School, which sang carols with references to Jesus' birth in 2011 and 2012, was caught off guard last week after its principal discovered that Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center would no longer approve its traditional set list.

Iraq troops arrest MP Ahmed al-Awlani in deadly raid
Iraqi forces have arrested an MP, killing his brother and five of his guards during a raid on his home in the western city of Ramadi. Ahmed al-Awlani, a member of the Sunni community, had backed protests against the mainly Shia government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and was reportedly wanted on terrorism charges.

Egypt protesters set fire to Cairo campus
Supporters of Egypt's Islamist Muslim Brotherhood have set fire to university buildings in Cairo, state TV says. One protester was shot dead as students fought police at Al Azhar University, health ministry officials said. Fires were set in the business faculty, where exams had to be postponed, and the agriculture faculty.

Five Palestinians, two IDF soldiers injured in West Bank clashes
Five Palestinians were reportedly injured in clashes Friday with IDF forces near Ramallah in the West Bank, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported, while two IDF soldiers were lightly injured in Bilin, an army spokeswoman said.

China formalizes easing of one-child policy
China on Saturday formally allowed couples to have a second child if one parent is an only child, the first major easing of the 3-decade-old restrictive birth policy. First announced by the ruling Communist Party's leadership in November, the decision was officially sanctioned by the standing committee of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Unemployment benefits for 1.3 million expire Saturday
Michelle Marshall is one of the 1.3 million long-term unemployed Americans who will lose jobless benefits Saturday. Marshall, 56, has been out of work for a year, since she lost an administrative assistant job that paid her $44,000 per year.

Can Obamacare take lessons from Israel?
Speaking in Jerusalem on December 8, 2013, Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), congratulated Israel on its economic growth and stated, “given the state of affairs in the world, Israel is looking steady, strong, and I think moving in the right direction.”

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


El Salvador begins evacuations near volcano
"We have implemented emergency measures to evacuate villages located within 3 kilometers of the volcano," Melendez said. Shelters have been set up for the evacuees, but Melendez said some inhabitants had been loath to leave their homes. "One has to leave for one's own safety," he said. Assistant Health Minister Eduardo Espinoza said two people had been treated at hospitals for respiratory problems apparently linked to the eruption, "but we do not have any serious cases to report."

Construction of Jewish Temple Begun
Video. Very informative.

Swiss Parliament Member Has Had Enough Of Islam
“They should never integrate into our system of values. That would be treason to them and even be punishable by death.” Something that the West still does not understand is the mentality and outlook of Islam over the world. “The Islamic doctrine is intended to creep into our everyday life bit by bit,” Freysinger warned, “and make Fortress Europe crumble from within.”

Has The Jewish Ark Of The Covenant Been Discovered?
Video.

Report suggests US gains in Afghanistan of last three years will be rolled back by 2017
A new U.S. intelligence estimate predicts that gains the United States and allies have made in the Afghanistan war in the past three years will be significantly rolled back by 2017... The National Intelligence Estimate also predicts that Afghanistan will quickly fall into chaos if Washington and Kabul fail to sign a security pact to keep an international military contingent there beyond 2014, the newspaper said.

Websites Now Selling Credit, Debit Card Information Stolen In Target Breach
Hackers stealing millions of debit and credit card accounts from customers at Target has dominated the headlines. But what happens to all that stolen data? Well, it’s up for sale. And in some cases, banks are the ones paying off the crooks to get the information back. Security expert Neal O’Farrell says there are many sites now selling the credit and debit card numbers that were stolen from Target customers.

Brainlike Computers, Learning From Experience
Computers have entered the age when they are able to learn from their own mistakes, a development that is about to turn the digital world on its head. ...The new computing approach...is based on the biological nervous system, specifically on how neurons react to stimuli and connect with other neurons to interpret information. It allows computers to absorb new information while carrying out a task, and adjust what they do based on the changing signals.

Reading Your Palm for Security’s Sake
...When information is handled and stored on the chip, the only problem...may be occasions when the device doesn’t recognize people and won’t let them in, he said. But...“The centralized database is the scary part,” Mr. Schneier said. “That’s where the risk is. If it’s hacked into, suddenly everyone’s biometrics are stolen.”

DNC sends email defending Obama from impeachment possibility
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) sent out a paranoid email Saturday evening urging supporters to vote for Democrats so that Republicans can’t impeach President Obama. The email, subject line “Impeachment,” was sent to Obama for America supporters, imploring them to contribute to the DNC’s 2014 efforts.

'Suicide bomber' hits Russia's Volgograd train station
An attack on a train station in Russia's southern city of Volgograd has killed 15 people, officials say. A female suicide bomber was thought to be responsible for the blast, Russia's top investigative agency said. A suspected female suicide bomber killed at least six people when she attacked a bus in the city in October.

Debt crisis will hurt millions, says think-tank
Millions of UK households will face "perilous" levels of debt when interest rates begin to rise, according to a think-tank focused on living standards. The number of people using more than half their disposable income to repay debt could rise from 600,000 to a 1.1 million by 2018 if interest rates rise to 3%, said the Resolution Foundation. If rates hit 5%, two million households would face huge repayments, it said.

Israel hits back after rockets fired from Lebanon
The Israeli military fired a barrage of shells into southern Lebanon in retaliation after five Katyusha-style rockets were launched against the Jewish state on Sunday, officials and reports said.

Kerry reportedly says he will consider freeing Jonathan Pollard as part of prisoner swap
Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East in the first week of the new year amid a flurry of reports in the Israeli press that he has said he would consider freeing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

Boy Scouts open ranks to gay youth on Jan. 1
The Boy Scouts of America will accept openly gay youths starting on New Year's Day, a historic change that has prompted the BSA to ponder a host of potential complications — ranging from policies on tentmates and showers to whether Scouts can march in gay pride parades.

'White army' of 25,000 young men on the march in South Sudan
Twenty-five thousand young men from South Sudan's "white army" tribal militia are marching towards a contested state capital of Bor, dimming hopes for a ceasefire.

Two Katyusha rockets land in northern Galilee
Two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon landed west of the northern Galilee town of Kiryat Shmona at approximately 7 a.m. local time. No one was wounded and there was no damage reported from the attack.

Israel says it will release 26 Palestinian prisoners over next two days
Israel announced Saturday that it will release 26 Palestinian prisoners over the next two days in a step aimed at "resuming the diplomatic process," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

In message to Pope, Syrian President says he's ready for peace talks
In a message to Pope Francis, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his government is ready to participate in next month's peace talks but noted outside countries must stop supporting what he called terrorist groups in the country's civil war, Syria's state-run news agency said Saturday.

Huge Fireball Over Iowa Likely Meteor
A very huge fireball in the Iowa skies awed and amazed several witnesses in Des Moines and across the U.S. Midwest. There were hundreds of reports received by the American Meteor Society (AMS), of a bright ball of fire streaking across the night sky. Experts agree that is very likely a meteor entering and burning up in our atmosphere.

Deadly Shootout and Arrest in Iraq Set Off Sunni Protests
A raid by Iraqi security forces on the home of a prominent Sunni member of Parliament on Saturday morning in Anbar Province set off a two-hour gun battle that left the lawmaker’s brother and five guards dead, along with a soldier, Iraqi security and medical officials said.

http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Media Glosses Over Irony of Global Warming Scientists Trapped in Antarctic Ice
Somewhere far, far to the south where it is summer, a group of global warming scientists are trapped in the Antarctic ice. If you missed the irony of that situation, it is because much of the mainstream media has glossed over that rather inconvenient bit of hilarity. As an example here is an Associated Press story that avoids mentioning the real mission of the scientists aboard the icebound Russian ship

Sun has ‘flipped upside down’ as new magnetic cycle begins
The sun has "flipped upside down", with its north and south poles reversed to reach the midpoint of Solar Cycle 24, Nasa has said. Now, the magnetic fields will once again started moving in opposite directions to begin the completion of the 22 year long process which will culminate in the poles switching once again.

Iran Again Plays the U.S. for a Fool
The U.S. is following the same path it did under the Clinton administration when it negotiated with North Korea on nuclear weapons.

Turkey Is in Trouble
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the charismatic leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Prime Minister of Turkey, is embroiled in a significant graft scandal that might precipitate the end of his rule. Erdoğan has won three consecutive national elections since 2002, serving as Turkey’s Prime Minister since 2003. He was catapulted to power largely because of widespread disgust with the corruption of the old Kemalist elites. It is therefore ironic that graft may bring Erdoğan down.

Earthquake destroys highway near U.S.-Mexico border
An unusually large number of high-profile earthquakes sprung up across the globe over the weekend, causing extensive damage to a roadway in Mexico and leaving residents shaken in southern Europe, Egypt and the U.S. Saturday, an earthquake near the Mexico - U.S. border collapsed chunks of this 300-yard stretch of highway.

Saudis lament, 'we have been stabbed in the back by Obama'
Arabs don’t trust Obama either. Obama has lost credibility with many people who trusted him at the start of the year. Thanks to the Healthcare.gov debacle, polls find support for the president among women and independents has dropped to the lowest ebb of his presidency. Surprisingly, the same thing is happening on the other side of the world among Arabs in the Middle East and for the same reason. Too often, Obama’s speeches and actions don’t match.

Team Obama has brought Americans to an all-time low -- let's come together now in faith and action
When 72 percent of Americans surveyed by Gallup see big government as the greatest threat to their freedom and safety, we’ve got a huge problem. Gallup says: “This suggests that government policies specific to the period, such as the Affordable Care Act -- perhaps coupled with recent revelations of government spying tactics by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden -- may be factors.”

'Completely false': Sources on ground in Benghazi challenge NYT report
a New York Times report published over the weekend has angered sources who were on the ground that night. Those sources, who continue to face threats of losing their jobs, sharply challenged the Times’ findings that there was no involvement from Al Qaeda or any other international terror group and that an anti-Islam film played a role in inciting the initial wave of attacks. “It was a coordinated attack. It is completely false to say anything else. … It is completely a lie,” one witness to the attack told Fox News.

Hundreds flee as South Sudan troops brace for White Army assault
More than 1,000 people have been killed since clashes erupted in the capital, Juba, on December 15 and spread to oil-producing regions, unsettling oil markets and raising fears of a civil war between the main Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups. The White Army — made up of Nuer youths who dust their bodies in white ash — has in the past sided with Riek Machar, the Nuer former vice president of South Sudan who the government accuses of starting the fighting.

Earthquake near Naples shakes much of southern Italy
Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the quake at 6:08 p.m. (1708 GMT) had a magnitude of 4.9 and struck some 10.5 kilometres underground. Its epicenter was roughly 55 kilometres northeast of Naples.

SUBSIDING PROTONS, MORE TO COME?
Energetic protons are swarming past Earth in the aftermath of a magnetic explosion on the sun's western limb on Dec. 28th: movie. At its peak, the radiation storm registered "S1" on NOAA storm scales, which is to say it was a minor event with minimal effects on Earth-orbiting satellites and aviation. The storm is subsiding now. Stronger radiation storms are possible in the days ahead

Former MK Eldad: Time to Treat the Temple Mount Like a Holy Site
Former MK Professor Aryeh Eldad, head of the Professors for a Strong Israel organization, sharply criticized on Sunday the way the State of Israel has been conducting itself since 1967 with respect to the Temple Mount. Eldad’s remarks come in the wake of the publication of the contents of a secret report by the State Comptroller regarding the enforcement, or lack thereof, of the law at the Temple Mount

Volgograd blasts: New deadly explosion hits Russian city
At least 14 people have been killed in a suicide bombing on a trolleybus in the Russian city of Volgograd, investigators say. The blast comes a day after 17 people died in another suicide attack at the central station in the city. Security has been tightened at railway stations and airports across Russia.

Egypt: Al-Jazeera journalists arrested in Cairo
Egyptian police have arrested a team of journalists working for the broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the capital, Cairo. The interior ministry said the journalists had held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood, which was declared a terrorist group last week.

Report: Iran keeping new centrifuges offline
Iran's nuclear chief says the Islamic Republic has not begun using a new generation of centrifuges for enriching uranium after striking a deal to ease sanctions with world powers, state television reported Sunday.

Israel names Palestinian prisoners to be released
Israel on Sunday announced the names of 26 long-serving Palestinian prisoners it will release this week under a U.S.-brokered formula to resume Mideast peace talks.

Feeling US snub, Saudis strengthen ties elsewhere
Increasingly vocal in its frustration over U.S. policies in the Mideast, Saudi Arabia is strengthening ties elsewhere, seeking out an alignment that will bolster its position after it was pushed to the sidelines this year.


http://www.raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php