"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Montana Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes East of Idaho
A Montana earthquake today 2014 struck east of Idaho. The Montana earthquake today May 3, 2014 began in the morning hours. No injuries are expected. The quake is one of the largest to strike the state in recent weeks

Small earthquakes rattle northern Alaska
The earthquakes, several dozen miles northeast of the 500-strong community of Noatak, were recorded early on Saturday morning. They ranged in magnitude from 4.0 to 5.5 Officials with the Alaska Earthquake Information Center said the earthquakes are unusual, because the region isn't a seismically active part of Alaska.

Al Qaeda's leader says Iraqi branch in Syria must return to fight at home
Iraqi al Qaeda's entry into Syria's civil war caused "a political disaster" for Islamist militants there, the movement's global leader Ayman al-Zawahri said in a video message, urging the faction to redouble its efforts in Iraq instead. Zawahri has repeatedly tried to end infighting between the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and another al Qaeda-aligned group, the Nusra Front.

Lapid: Peace with Hamas-Fatah unity a possibility
Finance Minister Yair Lapid said that future peace talks with a Palestinian unity government including Hamas could be possible, reported the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Though Lapid did clarify that he is currently against any talks that include Hamas elements, his comments went against sentiments from most Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...

Ukraine crisis: 'thousands' pleading for our help says Russia, as more clashes take place
Russia has received “thousands” of pleas for help from people inside Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Saturday, after the worst bloodshed inside its neighbour since the revolution in February. With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed near Ukraine’s eastern frontier, violence of the kind that claimed about 40 lives in the port city of Odessa might provide Moscow with a reason to invade.

Syria truce 'to let rebels withdraw from besieged Homs'
Opposition fighters are to be allowed to withdraw from besieged parts of the Syrian city of Homs under a deal with the government, reports say. Rebels will be allowed to pull back to opposition-held areas north of Homs, activists say. The Syrian government has not commented on the reports. Fighters have held areas around the Old City despite a two-year siege. Earlier this year civilians were let out.

US President Obama calls for death penalty review
US President Barack Obama plans to ask Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate problems surrounding the application of the death penalty. The US leader's announcement comes just days after a botched execution in Oklahoma drew widespread attention. Mr Obama called inmate Clayton Lockett's prolonged death earlier this week from an improperly delivered lethal injection "deeply troubling".

Afghanistan landslide: Rescuers search for missing
Rescuers in Afghanistan are sifting through mud for a second day after a landslide that is feared to have buried at least 2,000 people. The UN said more than 350 bodies had been recovered in the remote north-east Afghan province of Badakhshan. Hundreds of homes were buried on Friday when a section of a mountain collapsed following torrential rain.

MAP: How Ukraine and Russia are moving toward war
With Ukrainian troops launching a major assault on a rebel stronghold Friday, just a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Kiev to withdraw its troops from the east and south of the country, it looks like the Ukraine crisis is entering a new stage. As The Post's Michael Birnbaum reported from Moscow, "it seemed possible that even a small spark could ignite a tinderbox regional conflict."

Is Christian growth keeping pace with Islam?
Christian growth has stagnated globally while Islam's numbers have almost doubled, according to one researcher. In a report by Dick Slikker, of the Christian mission consultancy group Project Care, information from the World Christian Database reveals that Christians made up 34.5 per cent of the world's population in 1900, while in 2010 they were 32.9 per cent.

Growing number of Americans fighting in Syria's civil war
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that it considers Americans fighting in the Syrian civil war a "growing problem for US intelligence and law enforcement," the Washington Post reported Friday. The report stated the FBI's central concern was that Americans who affiliate themselves with al-Qaida linked rebel forces in Syria could return to the US and perpetuate acts of terror.

North Korea releases list of U.S. ‘human rights abuses’: ‘The U.S. is a living hell’
In February, the United Nations released a remarkably comprehensive report on North Korea's human rights abuses. The report interviewed 320 people, including a number of survivors from the notorious secret political system, and concluded that the country was committing human rights violations “without any parallel in the contemporary world.” So how did North Korea respond? With indignant anger. For weeks now, North Korean state media have been offering various retorts to the United Nations. In April, a North Korean spokesman argued that the United States and its allies were running a "human rights racket." Then, a few weeks later, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published a commentary questioning how a gay man could lead an investigation into human rights.

MERS virus arrives in U.S. from Middle East
Two years after it first cropped up in the Middle East, a potentially fatal respiratory illness arrived in the United States aboard a jetliner that landed at O'Hare International Airport 10 days ago. The news that Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS — a virus that by one estimate has killed roughly a quarter of the relatively small number of patients confirmed to be infected by it — is on U.S. soil quickly triggered investigations by federal and state health authorities.

Ukraine unrest: Kiev resumes military operation in east
Ukraine's government has resumed military action to tackle pro-Russian separatists in the east, after a day of deadly violence. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov confirmed the "active phase of the operation continued at dawn", with attacks around the town of Kramatorsk. The worst violence on Friday was in the south-western city of Odessa.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Nigerian troops 'preparing to launch rescue mission for schoolgirls'
Nigerian troops are reported to be massing in a forest in the north of the country in preparation for an assault to free hundreds of schoolgirls kidnapped by a militant Islamist group. The Nigerian authorities on Friday raised their estimate of the number of girls still being held to 223, with another 53 said to have managed to flee from the Sambisa forest where the militants have taken them.

Are the End Times Upon Us? Author Says ‘Unrestrained Immorality’ Mirrors ‘Pandemic Godlessness’ Seen in the Bible
Is mankind evolving into a more peaceful and prosperous people – or are we on a path toward ever-increasing moral depravity, social chaos and destruction? ...Christian author Jeff Kinley...sees human beings continuously and perilously cutting God out of society. “I look around my world and I think, ‘Wow, we’ve written God out of our own story here,’”...

Three dead, several injured as Mombasa hit by twin attacks
At least three people were killed and several others wounded Saturday in twin attacks in Kenya's restive coastal city of Mombasa, officials said. One blast occurred in the busy Mwembe Tayari area of the city centre, and the other close to a well-known beach hotel, the Reef Hotel, in the Nyali area of the city.

Kerry to Russia: End backing of Ukraine insurgents
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday pressed Russia to stop backing separatists in eastern Ukraine and help oust them from government buildings seized in about a dozen cities and towns.

Twin landslides site that killed at least 2,000 Afghans declared a mass grave
A double landslide that first buried an Afghanistan village and then hundreds of rescuers is a mass grave holding thousands of people after authorities found that digging for bodies in 50 meters of mud and rock was impossible, officials said Saturday.

Lapid: Negotiations with Hamas Could Be Possible in the Future
Israeli Finance Minister and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid made media headlines Saturday night, after he insisted in an interview with an American newspaper that Israel could - conceivably - hold negotiations with a Hamas-led government.

19 Ukrainian Jews flee to Israel amid growing unrest
A group of 19 Ukrainian Jews will fly to Israel on Sunday to escape an escalating crisis that has seen a rising tide of anti-Semitic attacks.

IDF deploys Patriot missile battery next to Eilat
The IDF deployed a Patriot missile battery in Eilat on Saturday and stationed it alongside the Iron Dome anti-missile battery in the southern city, ahead of the Memorial Day and Independence Day holidays

North Korea Nears Test Of Missile Designed To Send Nukes Around The World
North Korea has been testing engines for an inter-continental ballistic missile, a US think-tank said Friday, as Pyongyang announced a top military reshuffle that coincided with signs of a looming nuclear test.

Ukraine crisis: East cities braced for more unrest
East Ukraine is braced for more unrest, as troops from Kiev prepare to continue "anti-terror" operations and pro-Russian gunmen reinforce barricades. Ukrainian soldiers advanced on several cities on Saturday to regain control of buildings seized by the gunmen. But in at least one city, Luhansk, the rebels made further gains, storming a security services base.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Here’s Proof That Wealthy Elites Control Washington
A new study from Princeton and Northwestern Universities concluded that the US government represents not the interests of the majority of citizens but those of the rich and powerful. The resulting data empirically verifies that US policies are determined by the economic elite.

Major Christian Conference 'Pushing Mysticism'
A major Christian church-leadership organization, which brought thousands of pastors and church workers together in Carrollton, Texas, this week, succeeded in raising eyebrows from some of the attendees – over so-called “contemplative spirituality.” The event, called “Catalyst Dallas,” was sponsored by Atlanta-based Catalyst, and featured speakers Craig Groeschel of LifeChurch.tv, filmmaker Ryan Leak, corporate management expert Patrick Lencioni and author Jen Hatmaker, among many others.

Jews Preparing To Evacuate Ukraine
Most of the Jews living in Ukraine are now filling out paperwork to prepare for emigration to Israel if necessary, Ukraine’s chief rabbi, Yaacov Dov Bleich, said Sunday in a radio interview. While he stopped short of calling for mass evacuation, Bleich said he is encouraged by those Ukrainian Jews who are making Aliyah, or emigrating to the Jewish state, to “take care of themselves.”

Push For Amazon and PayPal To Blacklist Christian/Conservative Websites
the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled groups with values it doesn’t tolerate as “hate groups,” but now the organization is taking its attacks a step further, demanding Amazon and PayPal blacklist bloggers and websites that don’t fall in line with its leftist agenda.

Earthquake of 6.3 magnitude strikes in northern Thailand: USGS
An earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck northern Thailand on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

Elusive superheavy ‘Element 117’ exists, independent test proves
The periodic table could be getting a little bit bigger very soon. Scientists in Germany say they have managed to create several atoms of element 117, which is currently dubbed Ununseptium until it is given an official name.

PLA prepares border plan for North Korean collapse
China has formed numerous special teams as part of an emergency plan to deal with the aftermath of a potential collapse of North Korea’s political regime, reports the Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Celebrities shun Brunei-owned hotels over sharia law
Brunei’s all-powerful Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah announced last Wednesday that he would push ahead with the sharia law that will eventually include tough penalties such as death by stoning.

MERS makes first U.S. appearance, in Indiana
The first U.S. case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus has been reported in Indiana, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

State Department ‘partner’ of fair featuring anti-Semitic books
The US State Department is listed as a “cultural partner” of the 24th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which reportedly features a number of anti-Semitic publications. Books in English and Arabic listed on display at the Fair include Holocaust denial, Henry Ford’s “The International Jew” and Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.”

Persistent Saudi-U.S. differences hurt Syria strategy
Differences between the United States and Saudi Arabia over Middle East policy persist, despite attempts to shore up their old alliance, and may prove calamitous for Syrian rebels. Although there is evidence that some American weapons are starting to find their way to more moderate groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, disagreements over what to supply, and to whom, have hindered the fight.

GEOMAGNETIC UNREST
Sky watchers around the Arctic Circle were surprised this morning, May 4th, when the twilight sky lit up with bands of green. "It was far from dark when the auroras appeared,"

METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET
Earth is entering a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the annual eta Aquarid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on the night of May 5-6.

Twin undersea quakes jolt south of Fiji
A 6.6-magnitude and another 6.1- magnitude undersea earthquakes jolted south of Fiji late Sunday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said.

Biological Technologies Office
The mission of the Biological Technologies Office (BTO) is to foster, demonstrate, and transition breakthrough fundamental research, discoveries, and applications that integrate biology, engineering, and computer science for national security.

Is Netanyahu Complicit with Skull & Bones’ Plan to transfer David’s Tomb to the Vatican?
Despite earlier denials (from February), persistent rumors have surfaced again that the Israeli PM Netanyahu is willing to go along with the Skull & Bones plan we reported back in December to illegally transfer parts of the Israeli capital city Jerusalem to the Vatican (which has invested large sums of money in purchasing real estate assets in the city in the recent years) thereby promoting the Vatican faction of the globalist agenda to “internationalize” the city – hence their support for the “2 state [final] solution”. It has nothing to do with the artificially spawned “Palestinian self determination” mythology. That was always just an excuse.

Scientists race to develop farm animals to survive climate change
When a team of researchers...traveled to Africa...for exemplary chickens, they...were seeking out birds that could survive a hotter planet. The researchers were in the vanguard of food scientists, backed by millions of dollars from the federal government, racing to develop new breeds of farm animals that can stand up to the hazards of global warming.

Tokyo earthquake shakes area overnight; Trains delayed
A strong earthquake jolted Tokyo early Monday, rattling windows and nerves, though there were no initial reports major damage and few injuries. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake at 5:18 a.m. local time (2018 GMT Sunday) had a magnitude of 6.0 and was centered 160 kilometers (99 miles) under the seabed near Izu Oshima island south of Tokyo.

Moderate earthquake strikes southeast of Anchorage
A moderate earthquake rumbled south of Anchorage and hundreds of people reported feeling it. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 4.7 temblor struck around 9 p.m. Sunday and was centered about 40 miles southeast of Anchorage.

Panel Approves Troop Reductions, Not Benefit Cuts
A House subcommittee on military personnel is backing the Pentagon's request for troop cuts next year but is not on board with making retirees pay more for healthcare. ...For that same reason the subcommittee's budget also does not include a Pentagon requested cut in basic allowance for housing, or BAH, which Wilson said would translate into a 5 percent increase in housing costs for service members.

'Vampire therapy' could reverse ageing, scientists find
It may seem the stuff of gothic horror novels, but transfusions of young blood could reverse the ageing process and even cure Alzheimer’s Disease, scientists believe. ...Now scientists have found that young blood actually ‘recharges’ the brain, forms new blood vessels and improves memory and learning.

Yemen 'kills 37 al-Qaeda militants' in south offensive
Yemeni security forces have killed 37 suspected al-Qaeda militants in an offensive in the country's south, the defence ministry says. Troops attacked suspected militant hideouts in the town of Maifaa, in Shabwa province, the army said. Several soldiers have also been reported killed.

US and Philippines begin annual military exercises
About 5,500 troops from the United States and the Philippines have begun a military exercise, amid tensions between Manila and China. The drills, called Balikatan (Shoulder to Shoulder), take place every year. These exercises come a week after a military pact to increase the US troop presence in the country was signed.

Ukraine crisis: Fears grow over Sloviansk offensive
Fears of an impending offensive by Ukrainian forces are growing in the pro-Russian stronghold of Sloviansk, sources inside the city say. Ukraine's army cut off the main road into the city on Sunday, squeezing its hold on rebel fighters. A reporter inside Sloviansk told the BBC that residents expect the city to be stormed.

1st Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop To Divorce Husband
The first openly gay Episcopal bishop, who became a symbol for gay rights far beyond the church while deeply dividing the world's Anglicans, plans to divorce his husband. Bishop Gene Robinson announced the end of his marriage to Mark Andrew in an email sent to the Diocese of New Hampshire.

As it woos the GOP, Las Vegas' anything-goes image isn't an asset
Although Las Vegas has been the country's No. 1 convention destination for 20 years, there is one gathering the city has never hosted: a national political convention. Nor, for that matter, has Nevada ever placed a candidate on the ticket of either major political party. Now Las Vegas has emerged as one of six finalists to hold the 2016 Republican National Convention and, moreover, appears to be one of two front-runners, alongside buttoned-down Dallas. The result is a mix of pride, competitive esprit and defensiveness here in Nevada and, for the GOP, a quandary as it weighs the city's assets against any potential unseemliness that could tarnish the party's White House nominee.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



UN: Spread Of Polio Is A World Health Emergency
For the first time ever, the World Health Organization on Monday declared the spread of polio an international public health emergency that could grow in the next few months and unravel the nearly three-decade effort to eradicate the crippling disease. The agency described current polio outbreaks across at least 10 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as an "extraordinary event" that required a coordinated international response.

Media Matters' David Brock Urges CBS News To Reopen '60 Minutes' Benghazi Investigation
Media Matters chairman David Brock is urging top CBS News executives to reopen the network's internal investigation over its discredited "60 Minutes" report on the Benghazi attack. Lara Logan, the network's chief foreign correspondent, and Max McClellan, her producer, went on leave following the network's internal review and have not returned.

‘Second shake’ rattles Noatak, northwest Brooks Range
“There were quite a number of earthquakes all through Saturday that were part of this aftershock sequence of this second earthquake,” West said.

10 EU nations set to tax financial transactions
A group of ten European Union countries has agreed to introduce a financial transaction tax from 2016 onward, in an effort to curb speculation and claw back revenues after governments had to bail out banks. The nations — including economic heavyweights Germany, France, Italy and Spain — will initially tax only the trading of shares and some derivatives, according to a joint statement published Tuesday on the sidelines of a meeting of the 28-nation bloc's finance ministers.

Israel Wants To Give Mount Zion And The Tomb Of David To The Vatican?
One member of the Knesset has publicly stated that Chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef has informed him that Netanyahu has formally asked for halakhic permission to give the Tomb of David to the Roman Catholic Church. And there have been persistent rumors of secret negotiations between the Israeli government and the Vatican regarding Mount Zion and the Tomb of David.

‘We Are England, 1939′: Russia’s Potential ‘Next Target’ That Some Say Could Lead to ‘Real War’
Russia’s “next target,” because it has a large Russian-speaking population and many non-citizen Latvians who are ethnically Russian. He said Russia knows it can exploit the situation the same way it did with Ukraine. “And then it becomes a question of, do we uphold our NATO obligations?” Sexton continued. “That happens, Glenn, I think there’s a big war. Not just a ‘sort of’ war — there’s a real war.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court Decision … Means the Nation Has Entered a Post-Constitutional Era”
The court of appeal ignored the fact that the co-sponsors of the indefinite detention law said it does applyto American citizens, and that top legal scholars agree. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of the case, thus blessing and letting the indefinite detention law stand unchanged.

Supreme Court says prayer OK before town council meetings
Freedom of religion is among the rights that Americans cherish most. The First Amendment guarantees it. But is there a place for prayer at public meetings? On Monday, the Supreme Court - in a 5-4 decision, backed by the conservative majority - said yes.

U.S.: Russian planes spotted near California, Guam
General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle said the activity had included Russian flights to the coast of California, and around the U.S. Pacific island of Guam.

Egypt Candidate Abdel Fattah al-Sisi: Muslim Brotherhood Is Finished
Sisi, who ousted the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi from the presidency last July after mass protests against Mursi's rule, accused the Brotherhood of links to violent militant groups, adding that two plots to assassinate him had been uncovered.

Americans now 'racist' for waving American flag
“What’s wrong with these white people holding up American flags in Morgan hill??? Racist a–holes,” wrote Gia Lee in a feed monitored by Twitchy. The report also noted the school superintendent was confirming that students wearing American flag-themed shirts on Monday “won’t be kicked out.” “Read that sentence again and then cringe at the fact that had to be said in the United States,”

US: Russian planes more active in Asia-Pacific
The commander of U.S. air forces in the Pacific is reporting a significant increase in activities by Russian planes and ships in the region. Gen. Herbert Carlisle linked that to the situation in the Ukraine. He said Russia was demonstrating its capabilities and gathering intelligence on U.S. military exercises.

Podesta: Congress Can’t Stop Obama On Global Warming
White House adviser John Podesta told reporters Monday afternoon that Congress could not derail the Obama administration’s efforts to unilaterally enact policies to fight global warming. Podesta said that the president was committed to using executive orders to pass regulations under the Clean Air Act to limit carbon dioxide emissions that they say cause global warming.

World facing polio health emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the spread of polio is an international public health emergency. Outbreaks in Asia, Africa and Middle East are an "extraordinary event" needing a co-ordinated "international response", the agency says. It recommends citizens of affected countries travelling abroad carry a vaccination certificate.

Scientists Discovered the Egyptian Secret to Moving Huge Pyramid Stones
The question of just how an ancient civilization—without the help of modern technology—moved the 2.5 ton stones that made up their famed pyramids has long plagued Egyptologists and mechanical engineers alike. But now, a team from the University of Amsterdam believes they've figured it out, even though the solution was staring them in the face all along.

Earthquake reported in Bulgaria’s Pernik
An earthquake measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale has been registered on the territory of Pernik at 4:54 a.m. this morning, the Institute of Geophysics with the Bulgarian Academy of Science announced

Aftershocks rock Chiang Rai
More than 100 aftershocks have been detected in the wake of the earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale that struck Chiang Rai’s Phan district on Monday night.

Video: Mapping 2014's earthquakes
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) has created an animation showing every earthquake measured across the globe so far this year. April in particular was a busy month for seismologists – there weren't any more quakes than usual, but the April 1 magnitude 8.2 tremor in Chile set off a chain of strong aftershocks.

Iran admiral: US ships are a target in case of war
Iran will target American aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf should a war between the two countries ever break out, the naval chief of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard warned Tuesday as the country completes work on a large-scale mock-up of a U.S. carrier. The remarks by Adm. Ali Fadavi, who heads the hard-line Guard's naval forces, were a marked contrast to moderate President Hassan Rouhani's recent outreach policies toward the West — a reminder of the competing viewpoints that exist at the highest levels within the Islamic Republic.

Syrian opposition will have foreign mission in US
The US has said it will allow Syria's main opposition alliance to open a diplomatic mission in Washington. The state department announced an additional $27m (£16m) in non-lethal assistance, and the stepping up of deliveries to the Free Syrian Army.

Egypt's Sisi vows Muslim Brotherhood 'will not exist'
Egyptian presidential favourite and former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has vowed that the banned Muslim Brotherhood group "will not exist," should he win. In his first interview with Egyptian TV, he added that two assassination plots against him had been uncovered.

Why Japan's Smaller Military Could Hold Its Own Against China
China's soaring military spending — up 12.3% this year — and aggressive gestures in the region could be setting the scene for major conflict. With various countries feuding over Pacific territory, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe compared the ratcheting tensions to Europe before World War I .

Ruble Plunge Hitting Russians Speeds Slide to Recession
As Russia’s central bank struggles to shield the ruble from the standoff over Ukraine, Vasily Isaev says it may already be too little, too late to save his Italian vacation plans.

Israeli says he has found King David's citadel
An Israeli archaeologist says he has found the legendary citadel captured by King David in his conquest of Jerusalem, rekindling a longstanding debate about using the Bible as a field guide to identifying ancient ruins.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

USGS Issues Rare Earthquake Advisory for Central Oklahoma
For the first time ever, on Monday the United States Geological Survey issued an earthquake advisory for a state east of the Rocky Mountains, Oklahoma. The USGS said on Monday that the risk of an earthquake of magnitude greater than 5.0 has noticeably increased in central Oklahoma. Robert Williams, a geophysicist with the USGS, said that the agency can't predict when or where the state's next earthquake might take place. This is an advisory based on the increase in earthquake rate over the last five years, and especially the last six months," Williams told ABC News.

6 Times Democrats Demonstrated Their Hatred of the Bible
Kerry makes no distinction between the Koran, the Old Testament, or the New Testament; he makes no distinction between the myriad streams of religious thought throughout history. They are all the same. Anyone who believes in ancient codes of morality is out of step with history. In this, Kerry is no different from the rest of his party. Today’s Democratic Party has become the enemy of Biblical religion. In April 2008, then-Senator Obama was caught on tape at a fundraiser in San Francisco. Obama stated: Only idiots, racists, xenophobes, and gun-clingers believe in the Bible.

Hillary: U.S. must 'rein in' gun ownership Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/05/hillary-u-s-must-rein-in-gun-ownership/#rvdpbYHge8eKjQfS.99
Hillary Clinton told an audience of mental health professionals on Tuesday that the United States needs to rein in its gun culture...

$6 Billion Goes Missing at State Department Read more at http://www.trunews.com/6-billion-goes-missing-state-department/#FPp2sg4MH6PYr84T.99
The State Department has no idea what happened to $6 billion used to pay its contractors. In a special “management alert” made public Thursday, the State Department’s Inspector General Steve Linick warned “significant financial risk and a lack of internal control at the department has led to billions of unaccounted dollars over the last six years. The alert was just the latest example of the federal government’s continued struggle with oversight over its outside contractors.

U.S. warns of plot to attack churches in Ugandan capital
The United States has received intelligence of a "specific terrorist threat" against churches and other places of worship in the Ugandan capital, its embassy there said. A security message on the embassy's website did not say who was planning the attack, but Somali Islamist militants have previously threatened, and struck, Uganda and other east African countries that have sent troops into Somalia.

US denies report that peace team has been dismantled
Deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf also dismissed reports that US Secretary of State John Kerry had decided to dismantle the team of American negotiators who have been based on the ground in Jerusalem for months trying to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Top Netanyahu aide: Here’s proof Abbas deliberately destroyed peace talks
A letter reportedly sent by Israel’s national security chief to the White House, the EU and numerous ambassadors blames the Palestinians for the collapse of peace talks, and claims to include hard proof that PA officials were devising measures to thwart the process even before Israel refused to release a fourth round of Palestinian prisoners at the end of March.

Monica Lewinsky speaks out, says she was made ‘scapegoat’
Monica Lewinsky, now 40 and 17 years removed from her affair with then-President Bill Clinton, is speaking out -- offering what could be uncomfortable details as Hillary Clinton is thought to be preparing a White House run.

Gunmen abduct eight more girls in northeast Nigeria: police
Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped eight girls from a village near one of the Islamists' strongholds in northeastern Nigeria overnight, police and residents said on Tuesday. The abduction of the girls, aged 12 to 15, followed the kidnapping of more than 200 other schoolgirls by the militant group last month, whom it has threatened to sell into slavery.

3.3-magnitude quake reported near The Geysers
A 3.3-magnitude earthquake occurred near The Geysers geothermal steamfield on Tuesday afternoon. The quake was reported at 2:39 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey. The epicenter was located three miles northwest of The Geysers, 13 miles southwest of Clearlake and 14 miles north northeast of Healdsburg, the survey reported.

Shallow 6.1-magnitude quake strikes Papua New Guinea
A shallow 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Papua New Guinea’s Bougainville Island on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was immediately issued.

More than 270 aftershocks continue after earthquake in Thailand
The North of Thailand have continued to shake the aftershocks, where on Monday evening a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 took place. Seismologists have recorded 274 aftershocks in the province of Chiang Rai where the epicenter of disaster was located, Asian Disaster Preparedness Center reported. Magnitude most of them did not exceed 3.0. Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_05_07/More-than-270-aftershocks-continue-after-earthquake-in-Thailand-2535/

Every Country Will Have Armed Drones Within Ten Years
Virtually every country on Earth will be able to build or acquire drones capable of firing missiles within the next ten years. Armed aerial drones will be used for targeted killings, terrorism and the government suppression of civil unrest. What’s worse, say experts, it’s too late for the United States to do anything about it.

Both sides bury dead as Ukraine slides towards war
Both sides have been burying their dead as Ukraine slides further towards war, with supporters of Russia and of a united Ukraine accusing each other of tearing the country apart. Tuesday was generally quieter than past days in most of eastern and southern Ukraine, but violence flared at dusk in the eastern port of Mariupol, where...one person was killed and three wounded in an attack on a checkpoint.

Iran: Naval drills 'build and blow up' replica US ships
Iran has been building replicas of US warships for years - to practise blowing them up... "We have been making and sinking replicas of US destroyers, frigates and warships for many years," says...commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps..."We practise the same drills on replica aircraft carriers because sinking and destroying US warships has, is and will be on our agenda."

Lebanon 'expels' Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria
Lebanon has been forcibly returning dozens of Palestinian refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria, activists say. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Unrwa) expressed concern at the deportation of 41 over the weekend. A spokesman said it had been given assurances by Lebanese officials that the restrictions were only temporary.

Syria conflict: Rebels evacuating Old City of Homs
The evacuation of rebels from their last stronghold in the Syrian city of Homs is under way, activists say. The first buses left the Old City on Wednesday morning under a deal brokered by the United Nations. At least two buses have arrived in rebel-held territory to the north, carrying a number of armed fighters.

Philippines seizes Chinese boat in South China Sea
Philippine police have seized a Chinese fishing boat and detained its 11 crew in disputed South China Sea waters. The boat was found near the disputed Spratly islands carrying 500 endangered sea turtles, reports say. China's foreign ministry called the action provocative and demanded the immediate release of the fishermen who have been taken to a Philippines port.

EU and US draw new red line on Ukraine
The EU and US have threatened further sanctions against Russia if it tries to disrupt the 25 May presidential elections in Ukraine. EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and US secretary of state John Kerry issued the warning at a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday (6 May).

Liberman calls accusations of Israeli spying on US 'false and malicious'
Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman rejected the claims made by Newsweek that the United States fears allowing Israel into its visa waiver program because Israeli spies could more easily enter the country... Senior Israeli diplomatic officials said that the accusations made by Newsweek were anti-Semitic and represented Israel as the enemy, Israel Radio reported.


http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

3.0 Magnitude Earthquake Recorded Near Pawnee
PAWNEE, Oklahoma - A 3.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded Thursday morning near Pawnee, Oklahoma.

6.8 quake shakes Mexico
A strong earthquake hit Mexico City Thursday morning. The force of the quake sent office workers streaming into the streets.

Papua New Guinea Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes In Late Evening
A strong Papua New Guinea earthquake today 2014 has struck in the late evening. Officials tell news that a Papua New Guinea earthquake today May 8, 2014 began in the evening hours. No reports of injuries have yet to be indicated by local news.

Fiji, Japan – and Bad News for Oklahoma: Earthquakes 2-8 May 2014
The United States Geological Survey’s real time earthquake map for the week 2-8 May 2014 shows once again how the complex tectonic margins of the western Pacific Ocean are the focus of much of the planet’s seismic activity.

Rothschild increases investment in Gazprom amid Ukraine Tensions
Gazprom has become the world’s biggest public company in terms of EBITDA, leaving Apple and ExxonMobil behind. In a separate development, the Rothschild Investment Corporation has been reported to be actively buying Gazprom shares.

World is unprepared for major El Niño later this year
THE weather is preparing to go wild, and will wreak havoc and death around the globe later this year. An El Niño, a splurge of warm water in the Pacific Ocean, is coming. It will unleash floods in the Americas, while South-East Asia and Australia face drought. Yet little is being done to address these consequences.

Muslim Brotherhood ties to White House resurface
On the distribution list of the “smoking gun” email released in the Benghazi probe last week was a figure with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Medhi Alhassani, who shares a similar background with Huma Abedin, the longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, reported former PLO-member and Arabic-speaking researcher Walid Shoebat.

Putin oversees Russian nuclear forces exercise
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday oversaw a military exercise involving Russia's nuclear forces amid escalating tensions over Ukraine. While Putin said the exercise had been planned back in November, it comes as relations between Russia and the West have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War over Ukraine.

SUNSPOT NUMBER
The sunspot number is increasing this week as a crowd of dark cores emerges over the sun's eastern limb.

Hillary Clinton: 'Fully Licensed, Fully Validated' Gun Owners Can't Be Trusted
Hillary Clinton gave a speech at a National Council for Behavioral Health conference in which she suggested that "fully licensed" and "fully validated" gun owners cannot be trusted to make sound decisions regarding gun usage.

Harvard Will Host 'Reenactment' of Satanic Mass
A Satanic Black Mass reenactment is scheduled to take place at the Queen’s Head Pub in Memorial Hall at Harvard University on May 12, with the Mass performed by The Satanic Temple, which is being hosted for the event by the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club. A non-consecrated communion host will be used in the reenactment, according to Lucien Greaves, spokesman for The Satanic Temple.

FEC chair warns that conservative media like Drudge Report and Sean Hannity face regulation --- like PACs
Government officials, reacting to the growing voice of conservative news outlets, especially on the internet, are angling to curtail the media's exemption from federal election laws governing political organizations, a potentially chilling intervention that the chairman of the Federal Election Commission is vowing to fight.

Venezuela to Ration Electricity After Colombia Cuts Gas
Venezuela’s government announced the start of electricity rationing in western Zulia state as well as water rationing in Caracas to reduce demand on the power grid, a day after Ford Motor Co. (F) halted production in Latin America’s largest oil exporter. The second-largest U.S. automaker joins competitor Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) and Dutch truck-maker CNH Industrial NV (CNHI) in suspending assembly...

Seismic monitoring sensors sent to western Alaska
Scientists comprising a "rapid response" team have been sent to two communities in western Alaska to get earthquake monitoring equipment in the ground. KNOM reports (http://is.gd/zSGlsI) this is in response to two recent earthquakes on the western side of the Brooks Range, an area that doesn't usually experience seismic activity.

US concern over South China Sea 'dangerous conduct'
The US has spoken out over "dangerous conduct and intimidation" in the South China Sea, after ships from Vietnam and China collided in disputed waters. The collisions came as the Vietnamese ships tried to prevent China setting up an oil rig near the Paracel islands. The incident is the most serious between the countries at sea in years, with dozens of boats now in the area.

Small quake rumbles in Los Angeles area
A small earthquake was widely felt around the Los Angeles area but officials say there have been no immediate reports of serious damage.

South Korea Says Crashed Drones Came from the North
South Korea says it has confirmed that three crudely built drones found crashed on its territory in recent months originated in North Korea. Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said U.S. and South Korean officials made the determination using the drones' GPS data.

Barclays to cut 14,000 jobs as investment bank shrinks
Barclays is to cut 14,000 jobs this year - half of them in the UK - as part of a new strategy, the bank has said. The number is higher than the 10,000 to 12,000 jobs that the bank said earlier this year that it wanted to cut. The investment bank, which has been hit by a slowdown in the demand for government and company debt, will lose about 7,000 jobs by 2016.

U.S. Says No Sign Putin Has Withdrawn Troops From Border
The U.S. and the U.K. said there’s no evidence of a Russian troop withdrawal from the Ukrainian frontier after President Vladimir Putin shifted his tone on the conflict and called on separatists to postpone an autonomy vote.

Islamist attack kills 125 in northeast Nigeria
The latest big Islamist attack in Nigeria has killed least 125 people, police said on Wednesday after gunmen rampaged through a town in the northeast, near the Cameroon border.

House votes to hold ex-IRS official in contempt
House Republicans voted Wednesday to hold a former Internal Revenue Service official in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify at a pair of committee hearings about her role in the agency's tea party controversy.

Gaza's Hamas Executes 2 Alleged Spies for Israel
Gaza's Hamas government says it has executed two men convicted of spying for Israel. Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bozum says the men, both in their 30s, had given information to Israel for nine years about Gaza fighters. Bozum says the two were executed Wednesday afternoon, one by firing squad and the other by hanging. Their names were not released.

Police: Pot might be factor in Montana killing
Authorities are looking into whether marijuana or alcohol played a role in the case of a Montana homeowner accused of setting a trap and killing a German exchange student in his garage.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

South Sudan rivals sign cease-fire deal after months of mass killings
South Sudan's President has reached a cease-fire deal with a rebel leader following five months of violence in the world's youngest nation. The deal signed Friday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa comes a week after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with President Salva Kiir.

Insurance Execs: Millions Of Health Plans To Be Canceled
Millions of American families still must face the catastrophic loss of their health insurance policies because of Obamacare, members of Congress learned at a hearing with insurance company executives this week. They will join the millions of families who lost their policies over the last six months, also because of Obamacare, the company executives confirmed.

Iranian General Accidentally Reveals Troops In Syria
An Iranian general made a major mistake by conceding Shiite Iran has military forces in Syria fighting to preserve the embattled government of Shiite Alawite President Bashar al-Assad.

School Scorched For Having Kids Bow To 'Sun God'
A California school district is going too far when it has public school students “bowing to the sun god” and participating in “liturgical/ritual religious practices” aimed at having them “become one with god,” according to a brief filed with an appeals court.

Priest sees deluge of support against Harvard 'black mass'
A Harvard chaplain says a student group's plans to re-enact a satanic black mass on campus has elicited a strong response, and he is encouraging the Catholic community to engage in prayer and witness. Fr. Michael Drea, senior chaplain at the Harvard Catholic Student Association, told CNA on May 8 that he has seen “a huge groundswell from Catholics on campus, as well as alumni” protesting the black mass re-enactment, which the priest characterized as “absolutely ludicrous” and extremely offensive.

Chile Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Near Santa Cruz
The Chile earthquake today 2014 struck moments ago in the same area as several Chile quakes this year.

Magnitude 5 earthquake kills 1 in Pakistan
A moderate earthquake rattled several towns in southern Pakistan before dawn Friday, killing one person and injuring 70, a government official said.

Philippines Earthquake Today 2014 Hits off the Coast
A strong Philippines earthquake 2014 today has just struck off the coast. A Philippines earthquake today May 9, 2014 began moments ago. Damage assessment is pending.

China blames U.S. for stoking tensions in South China Sea
China's foreign ministry blamed the United States on Friday for stoking tensions in the disputed South China Sea by encouraging countries to engage in dangerous behavior... China this week accused Vietnam of intentionally colliding with its ships in the South China Sea after Vietnam asserted that Chinese vessels used water cannon and rammed eight of its vessels at the weekend near an oil rig.

Susan Rice reassures Israel on Iran nuclear ambitions
"The US delegation reaffirmed our commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon," said a White House statement released after talks in Jerusalem between Rice, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials from both sides. "The delegations held thorough consultations on all aspects of the challenge posed by Iran, and pledged to continue the unprecedented coordination between the United States and Israel,"...

Magnitude 5 earthquake kills 1 in Pakistan
A moderate earthquake rattled several towns in southern Pakistan before dawn Friday, killing one person and injuring 70, a government official said. The magnitude 5 quake struck the district of Nawabshah, about 400 kilometers (240 miles) northeast of Karachi...It hit around 4 a.m. local time (2300 GMT) while many still slept, causing panic...

Dangerous Syrian chemicals in inaccessible area
The head of the mission charged with destroying Syria's chemical weapons said Thursday the last 16 containers of dangerous chemical agents that need to be transported out of the country are in a contested area not far from Damascus that is currently inaccessible.

Study: 300 Earthquakes In Parker County Since December
There have been more than 300 earthquakes reported in Parker County since December, according to just-published research conducted by an earthquake study team. In preliminary findings released Wednesday, the team reported that the quakes show a complex fault system in the area near Reno and Azle, which started experiencing quakes for the first time in November.

Atheists to launch the first TV channel dedicated to godlessness
A New Jersey-based atheist group is starting the first on-demand TV channel dedicated to godlessness. AtheistTV will be launching this summer with big plans to reach out to atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and folks who are looking for a way out of faith. Members of American Atheists, the organization behind the endeavor, think it’s about time.

Decline of religious belief means we need more exorcists, say Catholics
The decline of religious belief in the West and the growth of secularism has “opened the window” to black magic, Satanism and belief in the occult, the organisers of a conference on exorcism have said. The six-day meeting in Rome aims to train about 200 Roman Catholic priests from more than 30 countries in how to cast out evil from people who believe themselves to be in thrall to the Devil.

Oklahoma Initiative Would Make Pot a Legal, Exportable Cash Crop
Marijuana reform advocates hope Oklahoma will live up to its nickname – the Sooner State – by becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to both legalize cannabis for personal use and allow it to be exported as a cash crop. ...pro-pot campaigners [hope], there will be two initiatives on the November ballot: One that would allow medical marijuana and another more far-reaching initiative that would comprehensively dismantle status quo pot policies.

Fed Chair Unsure If Capitalism or Oligarchy Describes the U.S.
"Are we still a capitalist democracy or have we gone over into an oligarchic form of society in which incredible economic and political power now rests with the billionaire class?" Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont socialist, asked that question of Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen at a hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Yellen said she'd "prefer not to give labels," but she admitted to being very concerned about income inequality.

Semi-synthetic bug extends ‘life's alphabet’
Scientists have produced a semi-synthetic version of a bacterium that has an extended genetic code. All Earth's lifeforms use four chemical units, or bases, arranged in pairs within DNA, to drive their biology. The modified E. coli bug produced at The Scripps Research Institute in California incorporates two more bases that were wholly designed in the lab.

Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin flies to annexed Crimea
President Vladimir Putin has flown to Crimea, which Russia annexed in March, amid celebrations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. In a speech in Moscow earlier, Mr Putin paid tribute to World War Two heroes and vowed to defend the "motherland". German Chancellor Angela Merkel had said it would be a pity if Mr Putin used the anniversary to visit Crimea.

US House approves new Benghazi inquiry
The US House of Representatives has voted to create a panel to investigate the White House response to the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Republicans have said the Democratic Obama administration misled the public on the nature of the attack. Four Americans including US Ambassador Chris Stevens were killed.

EU targets more Russian names, firms ahead of 'long' weekend
EU countries are preparing to blacklist more Russian officials and two firms depending on what happens in Crimea and Donetsk over the weekend. The names were discussed by member states ambassadors in Brussels on Thursday (8 May), but the final decision will be made by EU foreign ministers on Monday.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Pope demands 'legitimate redistribution' of wealth
Pope Francis called Friday for governments to redistribute wealth to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the "economy of exclusion" that is taking hold today. Francis made the appeal during a speech to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies who met in Rome this week.

CDC: Syphilis Reaches Highest Level Since 1995, Steady Rise In Gay And Bisexual Men
Health officials say syphilis has reached its highest level since 1995 with the increase all in men. Syphilis remains far less common in the U.S. than many other sexually spread diseases. But there has been a steady rise in gay and bisexual men catching the disease. They account for most of the recent infectious cases.

Militiamen move on from Bundy fight to next battle with BLM
Militiamen and woman camping on Cliven Bundy’s cattle ranch are packing up and heading to Utah where another protest against the Bureau of Land Management will happen Saturday. Ryan Payne, a Montana resident who had been staying at the ranch for a month, said he drove eight hours to arrive in the eastern Utah town this morning.

Pope urges 'legitimate redistribution' of wealth
Pope Francis called Friday for governments to redistribute wealth and benefits to the poor in a new spirit of generosity to help curb the "economy of exclusion" that is taking hold today. Francis made the appeal during a speech to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of major U.N. agencies who met in Rome this week.

Ukraine crisis: France, Germany threaten Russia over poll
France and Germany have threatened Russia with further sanctions if Ukraine's presidential election on 25 May fails to go ahead. President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement they feared further destabilisation of Ukraine. They also said referendums planned by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine for Sunday would be illegal.

Syria conflict: Government troops move into Homs Old City
Syrian forces have moved into previously rebel-held areas of Homs after the evacuation of opposition fighters following a two-year siege. Troops have begun sweeping the Old City for explosives, state media quoted Homs Governor Talal al-Barazi as saying. UN sources have told the BBC the evacuation is complete after the departure of a final convoy of rebels.

Federal Agents Seek to Loosen Rules on Hacking Computers
A U.S. proposal to expand the U.S. Justice Department’s ability to hack into computers during criminal investigations is furthering tension in the debate over how to balance privacy rights with the need to keep the country safe.

Putin's Export Machine Rolls Right Over Sanctions, Outcry
Vladimir Putin’s incursion into Ukraine and the international condemnation that followed haven’t put a dent in Russia’s exports of gas and raw materials. The world’s largest energy producer shipped 2 percent more gas to Europe in the first three months of 2014 than it did in the same period last year, government data show.

Ark. judge strikes down gay marriage ban
An Arkansas judge on Friday struck down the state's ban on gay marriage, opening the door for gay couples to wed. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Chris Piazza said the 2004 amendment's definition of marriage as allowable only between a man and a woman is unconstitutional and violates the rights of same-sex couples.

Christians in Israel and Palestine fear rise in violence ahead of pope's visit
Christians in Israel and Palestine fear an escalation of violence against them after a spate of vandalism in Jerusalem churches by hardline Jewish nationalists ahead of Pope Francis's visit this month.

Rice: Every $1 spent on Israel’s security is an investment
President Barack Obama’s security adviser said US investment in Israel’s defense shows it is committed to its security. Susan Rice said Friday that the Obama administration and Israel recently signed an agreement for further US investment in its Iron Dome system.

South Sudan rivals sign cease-fire deal after months of mass killings
South Sudan's President has reached a cease-fire deal with a rebel leader following five months of violence in the world's youngest nation. The deal signed Friday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa comes a week after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with President Salva Kiir.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Putin’s Rise Highlights U.S. Descent from Global Stage
On ABC’s This Week Sunday morning, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel conceded that the U.S. may not be perceived, internationally, as being quite as powerful as it has been in the past.

Israel closes Golan zone adjacent to Syria
Israel's army on Sunday declared part of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights a closed military zone, fearing battles on the Syrian side would spill over the ceasefire line. An army spokeswoman told AFP the area around the Quneitra crossing was closed "for security reasons." Speaking to AFP, security sources said they feared fighting between rebels and Syrian army forces would affect the area.

Nigeria abducted girls 'sighted', says state governor
The governor of Nigeria's Borno state says he has information on the whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram. Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification. Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.

Iran leader slams West's 'stupid' missile stance before talks
Iran's Supreme Leader described as "stupid and idiotic" Western expectations for his country to curb its missile development, striking a defiant tone ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks.

Mexico Earthquake Today 2014: Terremoto en Mexico Strikes Coast Near Acapulco
USGS indicates to news that a 6.0 Mexico temblor today started just after 2:36 am local time. The terremoto en Mexico hoy was far more shallow than recent quakes. This one started only fourteen miles below sea level.

5.8 earthquake felt in Alaska
The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake struck at 7:16 a.m. PDT on Saturday and was centred about 19 miles northwest of Anchor Point in the Cook Inlet region.

Brazil confirms second case of atypical mad cow disease
Brazil has confirmed a second case of atypical mad cow disease, a year after several countries banned Brazilian beef imports when a similar case of the disease was confirmed. The agriculture ministry said late Friday that a lab in Weybridge...confirmed it was a spontaneous case of atypical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, with no link to contaminated feed.

Romania queries Moscow after deputy PM sends bomber jet tweets
Romania asked Moscow for an explanation ...after Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin, reacting to being barred from its airspace, tweeted he would return in a TU-160 strategic bomber. Rogozin, one of the senior Russian officials sanctioned by the European Union and United States...was turned away when his plane tried to fly to Moscow from Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region.

South Sudan ceasefire violated, rebels and government say
The army and rebels in South Sudan have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire, only hours after it was meant to come into effect. The army said rebels attacked government positions in the early hours of Sunday in the town of Bentiu in oil-rich Unity State. The rebels said their positions were targeted by ground attack and artillery in Unity and Upper Nile states.

Israel warns its citizens in India of possible al-Qaida terror attacks
Israel alerted its citizens abroad in India of a possible terror threat from al-Qaida and its affiliated groups, giving rise to fears that terrorist groups were making inroads in the country, according to India Today. Israel warned Indian intelligence forces that al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and Ansar al-Sharia may target Israeli citizens.

IDF declares Syrian border area a closed military zone as fighting nears Israeli Golan
The IDF's Northern Command declared a closed military zone in the Quneitra Crossing area bordering Syria and the mountain range to the south of it in the Golan Heights for security reasons, the IDF Spokesman's Office said Sunday. The decision came amid fears that the fighting from the Syrian civil war is coming closer to Israel's border fence with Syria.

Saudi Arabia's top cleric says Nigeria's Boko Haram smears Islam
Saudi Arabia's grand mufti, the top religious authority in the birthplace of Islam, has condemned Nigeria's Boko Haram as a group "set up to smear the image of Islam" and condemned its kidnapping of over 200 schoolgirls.

Lawyer for Pakistan doctor jailed over bin Laden hunt quits amid threats
The lawyer defending a Pakistani doctor jailed after helping the CIA find Osama bin Laden is quitting the case because of death threats and alleged U.S. interference in the trial, the lawyer said Saturday.

Iran looms large over Netanyahu trip to Japan
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive in Tokyo later Sunday for talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe where he is expected to take up the issues of Iranian nuclear talks and economic cooperation.

Obama congratulates Michael Sam, first openly gay player drafted by NFL
President Barack Obama congratulated Michael Sam on Saturday for being the first openly gay football player taken in the National Football League draft, the White House said in a statement.

Iran's president says his country only offers transparency in nuclear talks with world powers
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is saying his country has nothing to offer except transparency in nuclear talks with world powers. Iranian state television aired a speech by Rouhani live Sunday. The president says the Islamic Republic does not seek nuclear weapons. Rouhani says: "We do not have anything on the table to submit to others except transparency."

Ukraine crisis: Eastern rebels hold self-rule referendums
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's two eastern regions are holding "self-rule" referendums - a move condemned by the Ukrainian government and the West. Self-proclaimed leaders in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are going ahead with the vote despite Russian President Vladimir Putin's call to postpone it.

Egypt charges 200 Islamist militants with bombings, other violence
Egypt's public prosecutor charged 200 suspected Islamist militants on Saturday with "founding, leading and joining a terrorist organisation" and launching bomb and rocket attacks across the country.

North Korea Says It Will Defend Its Dignity With Another Nuclear Test
Following a tense week, North Korea upped the ante in its feud with South Korea and the United States by threatening to conduct a nuclear test. North Korea clarifies "its resolute stand that it would take counter-measures including nuclear test to protect the sovereignty and dignity," the newspaper said in a commentary carried by the official KCNA news agency.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


The ‘brave German woman’ and Europe’s Islam question
On November 10, 2013, a Muslim imam was invited to give the Islamic call to prayer inside the Memorial Church of the Reformation in the city of Speyer, Germany—a church dedicated to honoring Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Mund can be heard responding in German, “No it’s not! Allahu Akbar is what Muslims scream while murdering people! Don’t be fooled! Don’t be fooled! This is a lie!”

Dept. of Education erects obstacles to keep states in Common Core
But another federal government department is fast adopting the language of strict and onerous regulation. Annoyed that Indiana wants to extricate themselves from the Common Core education standards, the U.S. Department of Education is erecting procedural obstacles to make this as difficult possible.

Unusual Arctic earthquakes intrigue scientists
In recent weeks, two powerful earthquakes have rocked the Northwest Arctic, leading some to ask why, and if these two are a sign of things to come.

Michael Savage: Pope Should Redistribute Vatican's Income First
Michael Savage says if Pope Francis wants income redistribution he should start with his own Church. On his Friday show, Savage said he would bid $1 million for Michelangelo's famous painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.

CA Town: Charge 5 Year Olds With Bullying
An anti-bullying ordinance in a city near Los Angeles seeks to criminalize bullying and charge anyone caught from kindergarten to the age of 25 with a misdemeanor, as well as hold the parents or guardians responsible for the act.

Greenhouse gas found rising from New Zealand seafloor
New Zealand and German scientists have found a major network of frozen methane and methane gas, causing underwater landslides and releasing greenhouse gases, in the ocean off New Zealands east coast.

Three new MERS deaths in Saudi Arabia
Three more people have died from the MERS coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, the health ministry said Sunday, taking the number of fatalities from the disease in the kingdom to 142.

US starts countrywide nuclear drill after similar war games in Russia
The US Strategic Command, the agency responsible for country’s nuclear arsenal, will hold large-scale war games this week that will include 10 B-52 Stratofortresses and up to six B-2 Spirit bombers, along with other military and government agencies.

3.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Pawnee
Another small earthquake struck near the town of Pawnee, Sunday evening. The earthquake weighed in at a 3.0 on the Richter scale, and was recorded around 7:15 p.m. The epicenter of the quake was located four miles south of Pawnee, or about 67 miles northeast of the Oklahoma City metro, at a depth of three miles.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel: Military’s Transgender Policy ‘Continually Should Be Reviewed’
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told ABC News’ Martha Raddatz that he believes the ban that prohibits transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military should be reviewed. “I do think it continually should be reviewed,” Hagel said. “I’m open to that.”

Jihadists capturing southern Syria, local fighter warns
Lack of funds and quality weaponry may enable the Islamist Al-Nusra Front – a group classified as a terror organization by the US and other Western countries — wrest control of Syria’s southern province of Daraa away from the opposition’s Free Syrian Army, an FSA spokesman told The Times of Israel on Sunday.

China signs mega east Africa rail deal
China on Sunday signed a deal to build a $3.8 billion rail link between Kenya's Indian Ocean port of Mombasa and Nairobi, the first stage of a line that will eventually link Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Under the terms of the agreement, Exim Bank of China will provide 90 percent of the cost to replace the crumbling British colonial-era line with a 609.3 kilometre (379 mile) standard-gauge link and Kenya the remaining 10 percent.

'Killer robots' to be debated at UN
Killer robots will be debated during an informal meeting of experts at the United Nations in Geneva. Two robotics experts, Prof Ronald Arkin and Prof Noel Sharkey, will debate the efficacy and necessity of killer robots. The meeting will be held during the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).

INCREASING CHANCE OF FLARES
NOAA forecasters have boosted the odds of an M-class solar flare today to 50% mainly in response to the rapid growth of a new sunspot in the sun's southern hemisphere.

4.2-magnitude tremor jolts Catanduanes; 3 volcanic quakes recorded on Mt. Mayon
The tremor’s epicenter was at 93 kilometers northwest of Pandan town, Catanduanes and was tectonic in origin, the Phivolc’s Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division said on its official online quake recording site.

Meet the new fascists – and their victims
Remember when, a few weeks ago, Newt Gingrich called the forced resignation of Brendan Eich as Mozilla CEO an “open, blatant example of the new fascism”? Charles *****hammer called it “totalitarian,” Pat Buchanan labeled it “the new blacklist” and RedState headlined it as “a fascist purge.” Even foulmouthed leftist comedian Bill Maher described the perpetrators as the “gay mafia,” while well-known “gay” media personalities condemned it, Andrew Sullivan saying it “disgusts me” and radio talker Tammy Bruce calling out the “gay gestapo.”

Deadline for Immigration Overhaul Is August, Says Diaz-Balart
The deadline to pass immigration legislation is this August, said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., who is part of the effort to develop an immigration bill that could pass the House. “The legislative process in essence, frankly, has to work on deadlines. There’s a deadline. And the deadline is that if we don’t get it done by August it doesn’t happen,” Diaz-Balart told CQ Roll Call...

Iran and Assad have won in Syria, say top Tehran foreign policy figures
Iran and its close ally President Bashar al-Assad have won the war in Syria, and the US-orchestrated campaign in support of the opposition's attempt to topple the Syrian regime has failed, senior Iranian officials have told the Guardian. In...interviews in Tehran, top figures ...said the west's strategy in Syria had merely encouraged radicals, caused chaos and ultimately backfired, with government forces now on the front foot.

Mers virus: Saudis warned to wear masks near camels
Saudi Arabia has urged its citizens to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels so as to avoid spreading the deadly Mers virus. The agriculture ministry advised people not to come into contact with camels unless necessary and to wash their hands if they did.

North Korea’s State Owned News: “Obama is a monkey”
Propaganda is usually more eloquent, combined with images of gallantry and false promises through meaningless slogans; a rhetoric that allows for no free thought or discussion – ‘you’re either with us or against us.’ North Korea spares no elegance when it tries to make a point, whether it’s a myriad of empty threats, execution by flamethrower, or bombardments from its state-run media front; Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), currently threw out some bigoted comments describing President Barack Obama as a “wicked black monkey.”

Putin’s Rise Highlights U.S. Descent from Global Stage
On ABC’s This Week Sunday morning, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel conceded that the U.S. may not be perceived, internationally, as being quite as powerful as it has been in the past.

Israel closes Golan zone adjacent to Syria
Israel's army on Sunday declared part of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights a closed military zone, fearing battles on the Syrian side would spill over the ceasefire line. An army spokeswoman told AFP the area around the Quneitra crossing was closed "for security reasons." Speaking to AFP, security sources said they feared fighting between rebels and Syrian army forces would affect the area.

Nigeria abducted girls 'sighted', says state governor
The governor of Nigeria's Borno state says he has information on the whereabouts of about 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist group Boko Haram. Governor Kashim Shettima said he had passed reports of the sightings of the girls to the military for verification. Mr Shettima added that he did not think the girls had been taken across the border to Chad or Cameroon.

Iran leader slams West's 'stupid' missile stance before talks
Iran's Supreme Leader described as "stupid and idiotic" Western expectations for his country to curb its missile development, striking a defiant tone ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Redistribute the Wealth!
We have always had a sentimental attachment to religion. We are happy to go along with our religion, such as it is. But the clergy doesn’t make it easy. “Follow me,” said Jesus in the King James Version, “and I will make you fishers of men.” We never really considered the meaning of it until the improvers changed it. Then it was too late. The spell was broken. “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people,” says the New International Version. This was supposed to be easier for worshipers to understand. It also avoided the word “men,” which had become politically incorrect by the 1970s. if God had a plan for redistributing wealth, he forgot to mention it. But the highest authority in the Roman Catholic Church must have some thoughts on the matter.

Pope says baptism for all - even Martians
Pope Francis has declared everyone has the right to be baptised, even aliens should they come knocking on the church's door. Christians cannot "close the door" to all those who seek baptism even if they are "green men, with a long nose and big ears, like children draw," the pope said at his daily mass on Monday, according to Vatican Radio.

Unable to find new location, Harvard club drops satanic black mass
After being unable to find an off-campus location that would host the club's black mass, the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club announced it would no longer be sponsoring the event, but the New York-based Satanic Temple planned to stage their own black mass at an "undisclosed private location."

Man visiting Orlando is 1st Central Florida MERS virus case
A growing global threat of the potentially deadly MERS virus has spread to Orlando with the case of a 44-year-old man visiting from Saudi Arabia, health officials reported Monday. He becomes the second U.S. patient with the respiratory illness, which has infected more than 500 people worldwide and killed 114.

Israel declares part of occupied Golan Heights closed military zone
Israel has locked one of its border crossing with the neighboring Syria declaring part of the Golan Heights a closed military zone, fearing that intensifying battles and violence in Syria will spread...

CO-ROTATING INTERACTION REGION
NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on May 14th when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field.

6.8 magnitude Panama earthquake rattles coast
The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 has hit just off the coast of Panama.

US warns Beijing on South China Sea tensions
The US has warned China that moving a drilling rig into seas disputed with Vietnam was "provocative". In a telephone call, US Secretary of State John Kerry told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi the US had "strong concerns" over recent developments. Last week, Chinese and Vietnamese ships clashed over the drilling rig that China has placed in waters near the disputed Paracel Islands.

4 NABBED IN ESPIONAGE AT OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE MEMBER
This week, a “Watergate” type attack on the Federal Building in New Orleans was thwarted when 4 “black bag” operatives, one the son of US Attorney, William J. Flannigan, whose offices were in the same building, were arrested “in the act.”

Same-sex couples marry in US state of Arkansas
The first same-sex couples have been married in the US state of Arkansas, after a judge threw out a voter-approved ban on gay marriage. The roughly 100 couples were the first in the states of the traditionally conservative south-east to be wed. Pulaski County circuit judge Chris Piazza ruled on Friday that the 2004 ban amounted to the unconstitutional "exclusion of a minority".

EU keen to sign Moldova pact despite Russia threats
The EU and Russia are locked in a Ukraine-type tug of war on Moldova, with an overflight scandal highlighting Russia’s effort to destabilise the country. Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's deputy PM and special envoy on Transniestria, a part of Moldova which broke away in a civil war 20 years ago, was last week refused entry to Romanian and Bulgarian airspace on his way back from the exclave to Moscow.

El Nino Watch & Update 2014-2015
May 2014- El Nino is coming and the latest trend shows a 66% chance by summer and now up to a 77% chance by the climalogical winter of December-February. Unlike a few years ago where El Nino looked like a sure thing this trend is heading upward not downward as of the May 2014 update.

The Israel Navy is quietly enhancing its capabilities for precision, long-range missiles
The Israel Navy has begun a program to enhance its sea-to-surface missile capabilities, a senior naval source told The Jerusalem Post in recent days. Although details of the weapons program remain classified, the source said the planned upgrade was a part of an overall strategic vision in which the navy plays a growing role in the IDF’s integrated warfare capabilities.

Jimmy Carter hails Palestinian unity deal as opportunity for Israel to forge peace
The Palestinian unity agreement between Hamas and Fatah offers Israel an opportunity to move the peace process forward since any future agreement would incorporate all of the West Bank and Gaza, former president Jimmy Carter argues in an op-ed he wrote for The Washington Post on Tuesday.

World War III Has Begun In Ukraine
The title of this article is not hyperbole. Indeed, war has broken out in Ukraine. Both the United States and the Russians are employing asymmetrical warfare, at least for the time being, in an attempt to control the country.

Why is the State Department Stockpiling C4 Explosives ?
The U.S. State Department has ordered hundreds of pounds of plastic explosives and thousands of containers of liquid explosives, WND has discovered, shipping them to the location of U.S. centers that typically send sensitive materials to overseas embassies.

Iran nuclear negotiators to start work on final accord
Talks between six world powers and Iran on the country's controversial nuclear programme are to resume in Vienna. Negotiators are expected to begin trying to draft an agreement that will provide a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. Although meetings have been held since February, correspondents say nothing of substance has yet been agreed.

Israel ex-PM Ehud Olmert jailed for six years for bribery
A court in Israel has sentenced former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to six years in prison for bribery and fined him 1m shekels ($289,000; £171,000). The judge ordered Olmert to report to prison on 1 September, effectively giving his lawyers time to lodge their planned appeal with the Supreme Court. He would be the first former head of government in Israel to be jailed.

Orthodox Jews protest at disputed Jerusalem site
Hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered Monday near the reputed scene of Jesus's last supper in Jerusalem demanding that Israel keep sovereignty over the site where Pope Francis will celebrate mass.

US flying 'manned' missions to find Nigerian girls
The United States was Monday flying "manned" missions over Nigeria to track down more than 200 abducted schoolgirls as experts pored over a new video seeking clues to where they are being held.

North Korea vows to punish South Korean official
North Korea warned Tuesday that a South Korean official would pay a high price for saying the North "must disappear soon" in an escalation of rhetoric between the rivals.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Southern California Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Coachella
A Southern California earthquake today 2014 has struck Coachella. The Southern California earthquake today May 14, 2014 began in the morning hours. Elsewhere another strong Panama earthquake has hit this morning as well. Damage assessment is pending.

Partially Parched: Half of US Is In Drought
Half of the United States is experiencing drought, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. National Drought Monitor. The drought is deepest in California and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, according to the latest drought map, released May 8. Most of California is in extreme or exceptional drought...

Alien Baptism! Pope Francis would welcome Martians to the church
Pope Francis has stated that he would welcome alien life forms into the open arms of the Catholic Church, should they be willing to convert. He put forward his official stance on Martians - among other intergalactic travelers - at a homily on Monday.

CORONAL CANYON
Today, the sun's atmosphere is split down the middle by a canyon-shaped coronal hole. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory photographed the chasm, which is almost directly facing Earth.

Netanyahu: Iran, North Korea sharing nuclear technology
Iran is sharing nuclear technology with North Korea, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published Wednesday, as Tehran and world powers hold talks aimed at ending a decade-old standoff.

New Mexico county defies U.S. government over cattle grazing
A rural New Mexico county has voted to defy the federal government and give a rancher's cattle access to a watering hole fenced off by the Forest Service in the latest dispute over federal control of public land in the U.S. West. Commissioners in Otero County voted 2-0 on Monday night to authorize Sheriff Benny House to open a gate allowing nearly 200 head of cattle into the 23-acre area despite Forest Service restrictions.

The Obama State Department's Understanding of Boko Haram Was Even More Delusional than You Thought
A review of the State Department's actual statements from that era would have revealed a flawed official analysis of the situation that is more disturbing. In 2012, the State Department was declaring that Boko Haram was motivated not by Islamic extremism, but by anger at "poor government service delivery" and "poverty" generally.

Russia to ban US from using Space Station over Ukraine sanctions
Russia is to deny the US future use of the International Space Station beyond 2020 and will also bar its rocket engines from launching US military satellites as it hits back at American sanctions imposed over Ukraine crisis. Russia’s deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced a series of punitive measures on Tuesday against the US in response to sanctions imposed after Russia annexed Crimea.

Orthodox Jews Protest Christian Worship at Site of Last Supper in Israel
Pope Francis is expected to hold a mass at the Last Supper site, known as the "Upper Room" on Mount Zion, when he visits Jerusalem from May 24-26. About 200 ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered near the site on Monday to protest Francis' planned mass, arguing that allowing the Vatican to hold a Catholic mass there denigrates the Jewish religion. Jews regard the site as being the Tomb of King David, as well as the site of a 16th Century mosque. "Under Jewish law it is a big problem … basically they are taking over the place," Rabbi Avraham Goldstein, who organized Monday's protest, told NBC News.

Ohio measles outbreak largest in USA since 1996
A measles outbreak in Ohio has reached 68 cases, giving the state the dubious distinction of having the most cases reported in any state since 1996, health officials say. The Ohio outbreak is part of a larger worrisome picture: As of Friday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had logged 187 cases nationwide in 2014, closing in on last year's total of 189.

Feds released hundreds of immigrant murderers, drunk drivers, sex-crimes convicts
Immigration officials knowingly released dozens of murderers and thousands of drunken drivers back into the U.S. in 2013, according to Obama administration statistics that could undercut the president’s argument that he is trying to focus on the most serious criminals in his immigration enforcement.

Erebus volcano
Mount Erebus stratovolcano is the highest and most active volcano of Antarctica, one of the Volcanic Seven Summits, and the largest of 4 volcanoes that form the roughly triangular Ross Island

Iran nuclear talks resume in Vienna amid caution
US and Iranian officials have sounded a note of caution as the talks on Iran's nuclear programme resume in Vienna. Negotiators were expected to officially begin trying to draft an agreement that will provide a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said a lot of effort was needed.

Factories burnt in Vietnam anti-China protest
Several factories have been set on fire amid anti-China protests at an industrial park in southern Vietnam, amid tensions over the South China Sea. The park's management said three factories were set on fire on Tuesday, but other reports put the figure as high as 15. No casualties have been reported but officials said many arrests were made.

MERS emergency response due
The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee for MERS was last night meeting in Geneva to decide whether to raise the risk of MERS in its fifth meeting since being convened in 2012.

Newly-discovered active volcano could erupt underneath ice in Antarctica and add to effects of global warming, say scientists
Researchers discovered the volcano underneath the ice after setting up devices to measure tectonic activity across Marie Byrd Land in the west of the continent. Scientists had intended to use the seismograph machines to help in their efforts to weight the ice sheet - only to find that a volcano was in fact forming underneath the ice. Discovery: A newly-discovered active volcano could erupt underneath Antarctica, melting the ice from below

Another drone found on mountain in S. Korea
Another drone was found on a mountain near Seoul, South Korea's capital, after the defense ministry concluded three drones discovered in March and April were flown by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), local media reported Wednesday.

Hagel: US urges divided Gulf to unite against threats like Iran
The United States on Wednesday urged Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors to unite in confronting common threats such as Iran, even as the Arab states struggle to overcome divisions over Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Turkey coal mine explosion: Death toll rises
An explosion at a coal mine in western Turkey has left at least 201 workers dead and scores injured, officials say. Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said 787 people had been inside the mine at Soma in Manisa province when an electrical fault triggered the blast. Rescuers worked through the night, but Mr Yildiz said hopes were fading of finding any more survivors.

Scientists May Have Finally Pinpointed What's Killing All The Honeybees
A new study seems to strengthen the evidence linking pesticides used on crops to colony collapse disorder in honeybees. Colony collapse disorder, or CCD, is a phenomenon in which honeybees inexplicably disappear from their hives. The bodies of the dead bees are typically never found.

De-Dollarization: Russia Is On The Verge Of Dealing A Massive Blow To The Petrodollar
Is the petrodollar monopoly about to be shattered? When U.S. politicians started slapping economic sanctions on Russia, they probably never even imagined that there might be serious consequences for the United States. But now the Russian media is reporting that the Russian Ministry of Finance is getting ready to pull the trigger on a "de-dollarization" plan.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"




Muslims Stone, Attack Christians at Church Near Bethlehem
Christian Arab residents of the village of El-Khader in the Bethlehem area were savagely attacked by local Muslims as they celebrated a Christian holiday last week.

Saudi seeks stronger US-Gulf military cooperation
Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, who also holds the defence portfolio, made the remarks at a meeting in the Saudi city of Jeddah between US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. Hagel for his part stressed that Washington remained "committed" to the oil-rich region's security and stability.

One in four adults worldwide are anti-Semitic, survey says
The survey included 102 countries representing 88 percent of the world population, and asked if 11 traditionally anti-Semitic attitudes were true or false. Those stereotypes include whether Jewish people have excessive power over international markets and the global media, whether they are about only "their own kind," and whether "Jews are responsible for most of the world's wars."

Synthetic Biology: Rebranding Extreme Genetic Engineering
Some years ago, bread companies got the word that customers wanted more fiber in their bread. Instead of making more of their bread with whole grains, a few companies actually put in wood pulp and labeled it as “fiber”. Today, in San Francisco, a group of synthetic biology companies and a representative from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) are holding a meeting called the SynBioBeta Cultured Food Forumabout how to market foods and food additives made from extreme forms of genetic engineering as “natural” and “sustainable.”

IMF sees 25% chance of euro zone deflation by 2015
The International Monetary Fund sees a 25 percent chance of the euro zone slipping into deflation by the end of next year, the fund's chief economist said on Wednesday

Powerful Tropical Cyclones Reaching Peak Intensity Farther From Equator & Close to Poles
"The absolute value of the latitudes at which these storms reach their maximum intensity seems to be increasing over time, in most places. The trend is statistically significant at a pretty high level."

No tsunami threat to Hawaii from strong quake off Micronesia
A strong earthquake in the South Pacific did not generate a Pacific-wide tsunami, officials in Hawaii said Wednesday. The quake, with an estimated magnitude of 6.1, was centered about 61 miles south southeast of Ifalik in the Federated States of Micronesia and about 481 miles south of Hagatna, Guam, at a depth of about 6 miles. It struck at about 10:56 a.m. in Hawaii, or 8:56 p.m. in Micronesia.

Scheme to bypass Electoral College quietly advances
With little fanfare and nearly no national media attention, the National Popular Vote effort is now 61 percent of the way toward its goal of legally bypassing the Electoral College established in the U.S. Constitution.

Double Standard Between Reactions For Sam, Tebow
“In the end, I am glad our team made the decision we did,” he told The Monday Morning Quarterback regarding showing the kiss on air. “It was a really cool moment to be involved in.” With the league and the media seemingly embracing Sam, attention has turned to a player that’s not currently playing – Tim Tebow – and raising questions if there is a double standard on how the two were received and treated.

California's Thirst Triggers Earthquakes, Lifts Mountains
Thirsty Californians have sucked so much water from beneath the Central Valley that scientists estimate the Sierra Nevada mountains and Coast Ranges both rose nearly 6 inches (15 centimeters) since groundwater pumping started in 1860. The Central Valley grows 25 percent of the nation's food, but most of its water comes from wells, not rainfall.

Ukraine crisis: Kiev talks open without rebels
Ukraine's political and civic leaders have held a first round of talks to end the crisis in the country - but separatists were not represented. Correspondents said talks were heated although there was a consensus that Ukraine must remain a united state. The interim president said Kiev was prepared to listen to rebels, but said they must lay down their arms first.

Japan PM Abe calls for new defence law interpretation
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for a new interpretation of the constitution, which could pave the way for the military to fight overseas. His call came hours after a panel of advisers - picked by Mr Abe - released a report recommending changes to defence laws. Japan's constitution bans acts of war and "the threat or use of force" to settle international disputes.

Sudan woman faces death for apostasy
A Sudanese court has sentenced a woman to hang for apostasy after she left Islam and married a Christian man. "We gave you three days to recant but you insist on not returning to Islam. I sentence you to be hanged to death," the judge told the woman, AFP reports. Western embassies and rights groups had urged Sudan to respect the right of the pregnant woman to choose her religion.

Egypt's Sisi asks for US help in fighting terrorism
Abdel Fattah Sisi, the general who ousted an elected Islamist president and is set to become Egypt's next head of state, called on the United States to help fight jihadi terrorism to avoid the creation of new Afghanistans in the Middle East. ...Sisi called for the resumption of US military aid, worth $1.3 billion a year, which was partially frozen after a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

Results Force Runoff in Afghan Presidential Election
Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission announced the final results of the 2014 presidential election Thursday, making minor adjustments to its earlier estimates and calling for a runoff between the two top vote getters to determine the country’s next president.

More than 20 dead, doctor says, as anti-China riots spread in Vietnam
More than 20 people were killed in Vietnam and a huge foreign steel project set ablaze as anti-China riots spread to the centre of the country a day after arson and looting in the south, a doctor and company officials said on Thursday.

Thousands flee Southern California wildfires, university evacuated
Wildfires roared out of control in Southern California, forcing authorities in San Diego county on Wednesday to order thousands of people to abandon their homes, including students at a state university, though no major injuries were reported.

'Friends of Syria' group set for London talks
Foreign ministers from 11 Western and Arab nations are due to meet in London to discuss new ways of supporting the Syrian opposition. The Friends of Syria group will also discuss the country's dire humanitarian situation. US Secretary of State John Kerry is among those attending. The meeting comes days after UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi stepped down over lack of progress in ending the crisis.

Egypt seizes bomb-making material near Suez Canal
Fifteen tonnes of a material used to make explosives have been seized in a town straddling the Suez Canal, the Egyptian army said on Wednesday, one of the biggest such hauls since the start of a campaign against Islamist militants in the nearby Sinai.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Strong quake hits Guadeloupe
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 rattled the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe Friday morning, but there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries

NBC Southern California Study Examines Link Between Drought, Earthquakes
The pumping, which has been going on for decades in the usually fertile San Joaquin Valley, is now leading to an increase in temblors in the area, according to the study, spearheaded by Western Washington University, which was published in the science journal Nature.

DOJ: Americans Have No 4th Amendment Protections At All When They Communicate With Foreigners
We've already questioned if it's really true that the 4th Amendment doesn't apply to foreigners (the Amendment refers to "people" not "citizens"). But in some new filings by the DOJ, the US government appears to take its "no 4th Amendment protections for foreigners" to absurd new levels. It says, quite clearly, that because foreigners have no 4th Amendment protections it means that any Americans lose their 4th Amendment protections when communicating with foreigners.

The Internet’s 51 New Regulators
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler went ahead with his proposal on Thursday to give his agency the power to decide whether the terms and prices of broadband Internet services are “reasonable.” That’s bad enough as political discretion, but according to dissenting Commissioner Ajit Pai, regulators from every state will also be able to get into the act.

The gospel according to Francis I
As opposed to the impressions one could get from the Israeli media over the last week, Israel, the Holocaust, Palestinians and even the dispute over the Last Supper Room on Mount Zion in Jerusalem are not at the top of Pope Francis’ interests when he arrives for his visit here in two weeks.

Pope Francis visits the Holy Land
In his trip to Jordan, West Bank and Israel between May 24-26, Pope Francis will visit sites important to Christians, Jews and Muslims alike.

U.S. Agents to Legally Hack Computers Everywhere
It seems that the American thirst for citizens’ private information literally knows no bounds. The U.S. is promoting laws that will make it much easier for the FBI to legally hack into suspects’ computers. U.S. judges, under the new regulations, will have the authority to approve the investigation of computers that aren’t even located on American soil.

Earthquake hits southern Iran
An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale shook the Bastak district in the southern province of Hormozgan in Iran on May 16.

Rocket Carrying Russia's Most Advanced Communications Satellite Crashes During Take Off
Two days ago Russia retaliated against US sanctions by banning the US from using the International Space Station after 2020, and by barring the use of Russian rockets as launch vehicles for US military satellites. Then, moments ago, a Russian Proton rocket, carrying Russia's most advanced and powerful satellite on board, crashed on take off, during the activation of the third rocket stage some 9 minutes into the launch. Coincidence? Surely.

California's burning – and half the US is now in drought
If you live in the US, there is a 50 per cent chance your area is abnormally dry. According to the National Drought Monitor, half of the country is now in some level of drought, and almost 15 per cent is in "extreme or exceptional" drought. The sustained dry spell may explain why wildfires have broken out earlier than expected in California.

Abe Takes 1st Step in Allowing Japan to Go to War Again
The Japanese government will take steps to exercise its right to so-called collective self-defense, allowing it to attack a third country when an ally is in some way under threat. The move is at odds with Japan' pacifist postwar constitution and has alarmed neighbors who recall the country's wartime aggression.

PM to Hagel: Iran is fooling int’l community on nukes
US defense secretary promises Netanyahu that Tehran will not be allowed to achieve nuclear weapons.

Quake shakes Pakistan
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake has struck southwestern Pakistan but officials say there are no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

Evidence for solar wind modulation of lightning
The response of lightning rates over Europe to arrival of high speed solar wind streams at Earth is investigated using a superposed epoch analysis.

Syria conflict: Deadly blast near Turkey border crossing
At least 43 people have been killed in a car bombing near the border between Syria and Turkey, activists say. A car filled with explosives was reportedly blown up in the Karaj Sajou area, near the Bab al-Salam crossing in the northern province of Aleppo. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that five women and three children were among the dead.

California wildfire 'flare-up' forces new evacuations
Firefighters have beaten back parts of the nine blazes raging in southern California, allowing thousands of displaced locals to return to the area. But a flare-up of a wildfire in San Marcos prompted more than 13,000 new evacuation notices to residents. The fires have destroyed at least 18 houses and two businesses and caused more than $20m (£12m) in damage.

Netanyahu to Hagel: Israel not surprised by new report on Iranian missile work
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was not surprised by a new UN report that said Iran has been pursuing ballistic missiles capabilities. Speaking of regional security threats, Netanyahu indicated that the report seen Reuters presented further indication that Iran was trying to deceive the international community of its desire to produce nuclear weapons.

Palestinian official: PA to halt security coordination with Israel
The Palestinian Authority leadership said it was considering halting security coordination with Israel in response to the killing of two Palestinians near Ramallah on Thursday, a Palestinian security source told the Ma’an news agency. The source accused Israel of escalating the situation by firing live ammunition at Palestinian protesters during Nakba Day.

Sudanese woman sentenced to death for apostasy
A pregnant Sudanese woman who married a Christian man was sentenced to death Thursday after she refused to recant her Christian faith, her lawyer said. Meriam Ibrahim, whose father was Muslim but mother was an Orthodox Christian from Ethiopia, was convicted of "apostasy" on Sunday and given four days to repent and escape death, said lawyer Al-Shareef Ali al-Shareef Mohammed.

Five dead as worst floods in 120 years hit Serbia, Bosnia
The heaviest rains and floods in 120 years have hit Bosnia and Serbia, killing five people, forcing hundreds out of their homes and cutting off entire towns. The five casualties, one of them a firefighter on a rescue mission, drowned in Serbia. Bosnia and Serbia declared a state of emergency, while the Serbian Orthodox church said it would hold special prayers in Belgrade for the rain to stop.

Jupiter's Red Spot Shrinks to Smallest Size Ever
Jupiter's trademark Great Red Spot - the most powerful storm in the solar system - has shrunken to its smallest observed size ever, and scientists struggle to figure out why. Recent Hubble Space Telescope images of the storm show that it is now 10,250 miles (16,496 km) across, which is less than half the size of the storm in the late 1800s, Amy Simon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said in a statement.

British tourists to be evacuated from Kenya after terror warnings
Hundreds of British tourists are being evacuated on chartered flights from Kenya’s coast after the Foreign Office warned them to leave because of terror threats. Holidaymakers with Thomson and First Choice were told that their dream long-haul trips were being cut short and that they should pack and prepare to travel to the airport in convoys of coaches under armed guard. Both companies said they were cancelling flights to Mombasa until at least October.

Exclusive: Iran pursues ballistic missile work, complicating nuclear talks
Despite apparently reducing illicit purchases that breach U.N. sanctions, Iran is pursuing development of ballistic missiles, a confidential U.N. report says, posing an acute challenge to six powers negotiating with Tehran to rein in its nuclear program.

http://raptureready.com/rapnews_db.php

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Record Balkan floods claim at least 20 lives
Tens of thousands fled their homes Saturday in Bosnia and Serbia, evacuated by boat or helicopter as rising waters surged into villages and towns. Authorities said the record flooding killed at least 20 people and the death toll could rise further. Meteorologists say the flooding is the worst since records began 120 years ago and is due to a three-month amount of rain that fell on the region in just three days.

Arkansas court halts gay marriages pending appeal
The Supreme Court of the US state of Arkansas has halted same-sex marriages pending an appeal against a lower court ruling overturning a voter-backed ban. On Friday the court suspended the ruling by a Pulaski County circuit judge, but it was unclear whether his ruling applied to other counties. Since the courthouses opened on Monday, hundreds of gay couples have wed.

Report: UN organization concerned by rise in honor killings in West Bank
UN Women, the United Nations' organization for women's rights, is "seriously concerned" by rising rates of violence against women, including honor killings in the West Bank, according to a report by the Palestinian news agency Ma'an. The UN statement highlighted the Palestinian Authority's recent endorsement of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

UCLA student leaders face hearing over Israel trips
The University of California, Los Angeles student government held a hearing in response to a complaint leveled against two student council members over free trips they took to Israel. The UCLA chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine brought the complaint against the two former members of the Undergraduate Students Association Council...

"Feeding The Homeless" Is A Crime In Increasingly More US Cities
Have you ever given food to a homeless person? Well, if you do it again in the future it might be a criminal act depending on where you live. Right now, there are dozens of major U.S. cities that have already passed laws against feeding the homeless.

As California fires rage, arson suspect arrested
A man was charged with setting one of nearly a dozen fires that have destroyed homes and raced through nearly 20,000 acres of northern and eastern San Diego County brush land, but most of the blazes seemed to be dying down, despite the eruption of a new fire at the Camp Pendleton Marine base.

Nuclear Talks With Iran Fail to Yield Pact, Officials Say
The latest round of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers ended on Friday in Vienna, with Iranian and American officials saying that progress was slow and difficult, with serious gaps between the two sides on basic issues like the size of any nuclear enrichment capability Iran would be permitted to retain.

France hosts summit on Boko Haram
France is to host a security summit on the threat from Boko Haram Islamists, after they abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria in April. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and other West African leaders will attend the talks in Paris.

Laos Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit's plane crashes
A military plane carrying Laos Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit and other senior officials has crashed in the north of the country. It is thought the plane came down in the province of Xiangkhouang, nearly 500km (311 miles) from the capital Vientiane where its journey began.

Syria conflict: Deadly blast near Turkey border crossing
At least 43 people have been killed in a car bombing near the border between Syria and Turkey, activists say. A car filled with explosives was reportedly blown up in the Karaj Sajou area, near the Bab al-Salam crossing in the northern province of Aleppo.

How Four Israeli Fighter Pilots Stopped A Massive Arab Invasion In 1948
Steven Pressfield's new book "The Lion's Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Day War" contains a remarkable account of the Israeli Air Force's first-ever mission in 1948, in which four planes succeeded against overwhelming odds to stop a massive Egyptian army in its tracks.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

The exodus of Nigeria's Christians
Arriving at St Joseph's church in the Nigerian town of Gashua, Father John Bakeni knew he was taking on a tough posting. A flyblows settlement near the northern border with Niger, his new parish was smack in the heart of Boko Haram territory, and in the previous three years, all but a fraction of its 3,000-strong Christian minority had fled.

US Citizens Warned: Stay Away from Golan Heights
US citizens have been warned to stay away from the Golan Heights, the Embassy in Tel Aviv announced, due to fears of spillover from neighboring Syria. "As always when traveling within the Golan Heights, caution should be exercised due to unmarked or poorly marked minefields from previous conflicts," the statement reads.

Strong Earthquake Hits Indonesia; No Casualties
A strong and shallow undersea earthquake hit parts of Indonesia's Sumatra island on Sunday, causing panic but there were no immediate reports of casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.2-magnitude quake hit at a depth of 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) beneath the sea. It was centered 319 kilometers (197 miles) southwest of Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province.

Federal health-care subsidies may be too high or too low for more than 1 million Americans
The government may be paying incorrect subsidies to more than 1 million Americans for their health plans in the new federal insurance marketplace and has been unable so far to fix the errors, according to internal documents and three people familiar with the situation. The problem means that potentially hundreds of thousands of people are receiving bigger subsidies than they deserve.

Bank of England's Mark Carney warns on housing market
The governor of the Bank of England has given his strongest warning yet about the dangers to Britain's economy posed by the booming housing market. Mark Carney said the market represented the "biggest risk" to financial stability and the long-term recovery.

Netanyahu: Palestinian Authority incitement makes West Bank world's most anti-Semitic region
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the prevalence of anti-Semitsm in the West Bank, as noted in the Anti-Defamation League's global survey of the phenomenon released last week, is the result of the Palestinian leadership's incitement. Ranking anti-Semitic sentiments by region, the ADL determined that the most anti-Semitic regions were found to be the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

EU will not monitor Egypt vote after equipment blocked: official
The European Union will not be able to monitor the Egyptian presidential election this month because Cairo has not given permission for it to bring essential security and safety equipment, an EU official said on Saturday.

Obama encountering growing election-year dissent from Democrats
President Barack Obama is encountering an increasingly resistant Democratic caucus on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers in his party break with him on a series of issues in the run-up to the November elections. On issues such as judicial nominees, the Keystone XL pipeline, taxes and trade, the fraying party unity is a sign that individual Democrats have reached a point where their own re-election needs take precedence over Mr. Obama's goals.

CDC: Illinois man is 3rd reported case of MERS in nation
A U.S. citizen previously hospitalized in Indiana with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has passed the potentially fatal virus to an Illinois man, federal health officials said Saturday.

US Citizens Warned: Stay Away from Golan Heights
US citizens have been warned to stay away from the Golan Heights, the Embassy in Tel Aviv announced, due to fears of spillover from neighboring Syria. "As always when traveling within the Golan Heights, caution should be exercised due to unmarked or poorly marked minefields from previous conflicts," the statement reads. "Travelers are reminded to walk only on established roads or trails and to pay close attention to warning signs and notices in the area."

Israel, US holding joint missile defense drill
srael and the United States were slated to hold a joint missile defense drill on Sunday morning. The biennial exercise is designed to test the ability of joint operations between the two nations in response to missile attacks. Some 1,000 American soldiers arrived in Israel for the drill, Israel Radio reported.

6.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Aceh: USGS
A 6.2-magnitude quake struck off the western Indonesian island of Sumatra Sunday, prompting panicked people to run out of their homes. However there were no reports of damage and a tsunami warning was not issued. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of nine kilometers, just over 300 kilometers west of the coastal city Banda Aceh.

Ukraine approaching point of no return, says UN chief
Ukraine is edging towards "the point of no return", a senior UN official says, amid rising tensions between security forces and pro-Russia separatists. UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic told the BBC that the crisis had worrying echoes of the 1990s war in his native Croatia.

Balkan floods threaten Serbia power plant on River Sava
The worst floods in the Balkans for decades are threatening Serbia's main power plant, officials say. The River Sava has burst its banks in many areas and water levels are expected to peak later on Sunday.

Vietnam riots: China ships to evacuate workers
China is sending five ships to evacuate Chinese nationals from Vietnam following a wave of anti-Chinese riots. The Chinese government has already evacuated more than 3,000 people, Chinese state-run media report. The first ship set sail on Sunday, while 16 critically injured Chinese nationals left Vietnam on a chartered flight, Xinhua news agency said.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


19 May 14

Prepping 101: EMP Attack – Electro-Magnetic Pulse – Natural & Nuclear
There is a lot of banter about the fall of the dollar and a collapse of our financial system, but historically, governments and the bankers who control them don’t let that stuff happen. They start a war instead. And an easy way to start such a war would be to burst a nuke 250 miles into space, creating what is called an EMP, or Electro-Magnetic Pulse

Scientists discover how to turn light into matter after 80-year quest
Imperial College London physicists have discovered how to create matter from light - a feat thought impossible when the idea was first theorised 80 years ago. In just one day over several cups of coffee in a tiny office in Imperial's Blackett Physics Laboratory, three physicists worked out a relatively simple way to physically prove a theory first devised by scientists Breit and Wheeler in 1934.

10 Amazing Superpowers Humans Will Be Able To Get From Brain Implants
A tiny computer chip surgically embedded in your brain could give you superpowers. It sounds crazy, but scientists already use these devices to restore sight for some blind people and hearing for the deaf.

Hamas video raises concerns of possible train attack
A new train line from Ashkelon to Sderot may be vulnerable to missile fire from the Gaza Strip, a new Hamas video suggests. The video, found by Israeli forces in Gaza, depicts detailed Palestinian surveillance of an Israeli passenger train. The train line, only a few months old, was built to link the southern city of Sderot to the center of Israel. All the stations are fully protected against missile attacks.

MKs propose bill to allow Jewish prayer on Temple Mount
Labor and Likud members join bid to push controversial legislation to open up Temple Mount compound for Jewish prayer, currently permitted for only for Muslims.

Israel, Palestinians eye political gain from papal visit
Palestinians view decision to start pope's visit in West Bank as recognition of Palestine, while Israel views it as a political slight.

Russia's Pacific Fleet Warships Arrive in China for Drills
A Russian Pacific Fleet squadron, led by the guided-missile cruiser Varyag, has arrived in China to participate in a joint drill Naval Interaction-2014... ...The drills will take place on May 20-26 and will primarily focus on raising the levels of difficulty of the combat vessels' joint actions at sea, Tian Zhong, deputy commander of the Chinese Navy, said in his welcome speech.

CDC: Illinois man is 3rd reported case of MERS in nation
A U.S. citizen previously hospitalized in Indiana with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has passed the potentially fatal virus to an Illinois man, federal health officials said Saturday.

Foreign doctors, nurses in Saudi Arabia could take MERS global
The biggest risk that Middle East Respiratory Syndrome will become a global epidemic, ironically, may lie with globe-trotting healthcare workers.

SOLAR 'MINI-MAX'
Last month at the Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, solar cycle expert Doug Biesecker of NOAA announced that "Solar Maximum is here, finally." According to his analysis, the sunspot number for Solar Cycle 24 is near its peak right now. Spoiler: It's not very impressive.

Iran's president says internet controls must go
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has launched a series of outspoken attacks on the country’s hardline security forces after...one of his addresses on freedom of speech was taken off the air... The reformist president was elected last year on a platform of easing state meddling in private lives but a major speech to a national internet festival on Saturday was unceremoniously removed from the airwaves.

Powerful quake hits Indonesia
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale jolted the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra island Sunday, an official said.

Syria war: Air defence chief Gen Hussein Ishaq killed
The head of Syria's air defences has died amid fighting near Damascus. Gen Hussein Ishaq was said to have been wounded as rebels attacked an air defence base near the town of Mleiha on Saturday and later died. He is one of a handful of high-ranking military officers to be killed in the country's civil war.

Balkans floods: Appeal for aid as rescue continues
Serbia and Bosnia have called for international help to rescue people from inundated areas after the worst flooding since modern records began. Waters are now beginning to recede, but officials say dangers remain. They say that the threat of landslides is an ever-present problem as are the difficulties caused by unexploded landmines in Bosnia and river surges.

Ukraine crisis: Putin orders troops back from border
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops near Ukraine's border to withdraw, the Kremlin says. Units in the Rostov, Belgorod and Bryansk regions should return to their permanent bases, a statement said. Russia has made similar statements in the past, only for Nato to report no change.

Libya fighting causes turmoil as government claims control
The Libyan government has insisted that it remains in control of the country despite a series of heavy attacks and clashes over the weekend. The parliament building in the capital Tripoli was overrun by a militia group, and two people were killed. Later a militia spokesman demanded that the assembly hand over power to a body drawing up a new constitution.

Greek far-left in election lead
The radical-left Syriza party is ahead in the first round of voting in Greek local elections on Sunday (18 May), while exit polls suggest a boost for the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn in some areas. Syriza is set to take Athens and the surrounding Attica region away from the ruling coalition of the conservative New Democracy and its socialist partner, Pasok.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Pew Study: Recession Lingers in 26 States as Revenue Lags
Tax revenue in more than half of U.S. states still hasn’t fully recovered from the recession that ended five years ago, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Collections in 26 states remained below their 2008 highs as of the end of 2013, with five states more than 15 percent short, according to Pew....

Tom DeLay: Michelle Obama's Segregation Talk Promotes Racism
"What she's pushing for is racism. Michelle Obama and Barack Obama can't do anything unless there's a certain amount of race involved in it," DeLay told "The Steve Malzberg Show"

The Era Of Chimeras: Scientists Fearlessly Create Bizarre Human/Animal Hybrids
Did you know that scientists are creating cow/human hybrids, pig/human hybrids and even mouse/human hybrids? This is happening every single day in labs all over the western world, but most people have never even heard about it. So would you drink milk from a cow/human hybrid that produces milk that is almost identical to human breast milk? And how would you interact with a mouse that has a brain that is almost entirely human? These are the kinds of questions that we will have to start to address as a society as scientists create increasingly bizarre human/animal hybrids.

Obama's Israeli-Palestinian mediator accused of anti-Israel beliefs
Martin Indyk, Obama's chief American negotiator, who works closely with Secretary Kerry in the peace talk process, was heard while drinking at a bar condemning the Jewish nation for its part in causing the peace talks to fail.

VA scandal reaches Obama
If the Veterans Administration scandal is a preview of government-run health insurance, then Republicans are rapidly acquiring explosive new ammunition in their efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. The scandal is becoming a bigger disaster everyday. Also, more evidence is accumulating that the Obama administration was repeatedly warned about problems at the VA, going back all the way to 2008, before the president even took office.

European minorities troubled by events in Crimea
A congress being held along the German-Danish border is focusing on how Europe's many smaller ethnic groups can preserve their rights. The current fate of Crimea's Tatars in the Ukraine crisis is a key subject.

Confusion over Temple Mount prayer law used to fan tensions
The Palestinian Authority response to a proposed Knesset bill that would allow Jewish prayer on Temple Mount may exacerbate the already fraught issue by apparently misrepresenting the bill as a bid to allow Jewish worship inside the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Lavrov: Russia’s relations with EU, NATO need ‘rethinking’
“We will discuss international affairs, including the European situation, on what is happening in relations between Russia and the EU, and in the NATO-Russia Council in regard to the crisis in Ukraine,” Lavrov said in the talks with Lajcak, who arrived in Russia on a working visit on Sunday.

El Niño: Is 2014 the new 1997?
"A pattern of sea surface heights and temperatures has formed that reminds me of the way the Pacific looked in the spring of 1997," says Bill Patzert, a climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "That turned out to be the precursor of a big El Niño."

Soros’ secret political network revealed
The Democracy Alliance is highly secretive in all of its operations. The donors it solicits and the organization to which it directs their financial support are prohibited from speaking publicly about its operations. Security was tight at its recent conference in Chicago where reporters from the Free Beacon and Politico were rebuffed by attendees who would not answer questions about their involvement with the group.

Rush Limbaugh: Death panel at work in VA
Talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh on Monday blasted the Veterans Administration as a “death panel being done on purpose” as the investigation into secret waiting lists and backlogs causing unnecessary deaths expanded to 19 states. “These people are special. These are soldiers. They’re special. They got wounded in action … defending this country on missions assigned by their commander-in-chief and other commanding officers,” Limbaugh said. He said it appears the death toll, combining various reports, has passed 100 victims.

El Nino Alert Signals Drought, Flood Risk for World’s Farmers
Australia issued an El Nino alert on expectations the weather-altering pattern will probably develop as early as July, potentially bringing drought across the Asia- Pacific region and heavier-than-usual rains to South America.

Big Bear Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Lake Arrowhead, East of LA
A Big Bear earthquake today 2014 has struck Lake Arrowhead, east of Los Angeles. The Big Bear earthquake today May 19, 2014 began in the afternoon hours. Damage assessment is pending.

The Next Big California Earthquake May Be Spread Out Over Years
But a group of scientists in Northern California, looking at the geologic evidence from the last 400 years came to an alternative prediction: the Bay Area is somewhat more likely to get a series of serious quakes rather than one huge one. If that sounds like good news, it isn’t.

Russia's President Putin arrives in China for state visit
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Shanghai ahead of a summit at which Russia and China are hoping to deepen ties. The two countries will make a "substantial" announcement and sign agreements, said Xinhua. They will also kick off a joint military exercise involving their navies.

Thailand army declares martial law
The Thai army has imposed martial law amid a political crisis "to preserve law and order". The surprise announcement also granted the army sweeping powers to enforce its decision. The military insisted it was not a coup. Soldiers have taken over TV and radio stations, and blocked off roads in the capital, Bangkok.

Nearly 60 countries back move to bring Syria to the ICC
Nearly 60 countries led by Switzerland have expressed support for a French proposal to bring Syria before the International Criminal Court (ICC). They are calling on the ICC to investigate possible crimes against humanity and war crimes. Swiss ambassador to the UN Paul Seger issued an appeal on behalf of the group to the Security Council to adopt a draft resolution over the issue.

China Warns of ‘Serious Damage’ to U.S. Military Relations Over Hacking Charges
Fresh tensions emerge between Washington and Beijing as China summons the U.S. ambassador over American allegations that five Chinese military officers were involved in commercial espionage

North Korea may be close to developing nuclear missile, some say
North Korea, which this month threatened to carry out a fourth nuclear test, may be closer than previously thought to putting a nuclear warhead on a missile, some experts say, making a mockery of years of U.N. sanctions aimed at curbing such a program.

US Oil Production Booms While OPEC Flounders
Instability in the Middle East is posing problems for OPEC, the world’s largest oil cartel. The cartel may have trouble producing enough oil to meet demand later this year, according to energy analysts. But in the U.S., oil production continues to boom, reaching a 28-year high last week, rising 78,000 barrels per day to reach 8.428 million — close to the 1970 all-time production high of 9.6 million barrels per day.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"



Magnitude 6.0 quake off India's east coast, no damage reported
An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck off India's east coast on Wednesday and the tremors were felt in several cities. The quake was centered 275 km (170 miles) southeast of the port of Paradip in the Bay of Bengal at a depth of 40 km, the United States Geological Service said. No tsunami warning was issued.

Russia And China Finally Sign Historic $400 Billion "Holy Grail" Gas Deal
There was some trepidation yesterday when after the first day of Putin's visit to China the two countries did not announce the completion of the long-awaited "holy grail" gas dead, and fears that it may get scuttled over price negotiations. It wasn't: moments ago Russia's Gazprom and China's CNPC announced, that after a decade of negotiations, the two nations signed a 30 year gas contract amounting to around $400 billion.

Secrets, lies and Snowden's email: why I was forced to shut down Lavabit
For the first time, the founder of an encrypted email startup that was supposed to insure privacy for all reveals how the FBI and the US legal system made sure we don't have the right to much privacy in the first place.

California’s Central Valley Drought to Cost 14,500 Jobs
The preliminary analysis indicates that the Central Valley, the richest food-producing region in the world, likely will receive only two-thirds of its normal river water deliveries this year due to the drought. The particular impacts of this include:

Earthquake hits southern Iran
The tremor occurred at 14:16 local time, according to the report of the seismography center affiliated with Tehran University Geophysics Institute, Iran's IRNA news agency reported. The earthquake's epicenter was located at 50.83 degrees longitude and 29.61 degrees latitude.

Fed nominee Fischer clears procedural hurdle in US Senate
Stanley Fischer's nomination to be vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday, virtually assuring that the noted economist will join the central bank's board within days.

Thailand under martial law
Martial law appeared to be primarily playing out behind closed doors Wednesday in Thailand, with little outward change on the streets of Bangkok a day after the military invoked expanded powers. ...In declaring martial law Tuesday, the army said it needed to restore order after long-running political protests that have been targeted by violence.

Lab shut after loss of SARS virus samples
French medical authorities have ordered a prestigious laboratory to suspend its activities after it lost more than 2,000 test tubes containing the SARS respiratory virus.

Saudi Arabia reports 2 new MERS deaths
Saudi health authorities have reported two new deaths from the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the country, raising the overall death toll to 175.

US-Israel partnership proposal put on hold
After months of cooperation on a popular strategic partnership bill, politics has frozen progress on legislation that would strengthen ties between Israel and the United States. The US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act...was taken off the Senate agenda after top Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee attached an amendment that would have triggered hearings on any deal reached between world powers and Iran over its nuclear program.

'Worst' fire season still better than Obama
But one man who lost his home to the flames put things in perspective. “I’m handling this OK, because the last five years under Obama has been worse than this,” said a man identified as HUSTASA.

The Birth of a Eurasian Century: Russia and China Do Pipelineistan
A specter is haunting Washington, an unnerving vision of a Sino-Russian alliance wedded to an expansive symbiosis of trade and commerce across much of the Eurasian land mass — at the expense of the United States.

State Dept. Won’t Say If Christian Toddler Jailed in Sudan is U.S. Citizen
The U.S. State Department on Monday declined to say if Martin Wani, a 20-month-old Christian boy imprisoned by the Islamist Sudanese government, is a U.S. citizen. ...Meriam Ibrahim—the toddler’s mother and fellow prisoner--was sentenced to be executed last week by a Sudanese court. Her capital offense was refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

Jihadists look to form extremist state along Syria-Iraq border
Jihadists have launched a fresh bid to take over the Syria-Iraq border area and set up a so-called Islamic state they can control, rebels, activists and a monitoring group say.

Egypt’s Mubarak sentenced to 3 years in graft case
An Egyptian court sentenced deposed president Hosni Mubarak Wednesday to three years’ prison on corruption charges, in one of two trials following the 2011 uprising that ended his rule.

Federal ‘Biosurveillance’ Plan Seeking Direct Access to Americans’ Private Medical Records
The federal government is piecing together a sweeping national “biosurveillance” system that will give bureaucrats near real-time access to Americans’ private medical information in the name of national security, according to Twila Brase, a public health nurse and co-founder of the Citizens Council for Health Freedom.

WH ‘picking up the pace’ on executive actions
The White House will be “picking up the pace on executive actions,” as Congress focuses its efforts on the newly formed select committee investigating Benghazi, senior Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer declared Tuesday. ...“Next week, as congressional Republicans spend their energy on yet another partisan investigation, we'll be picking up the pace on the executive actions to help the economy,” Pfeiffer added.

Mega El Nino Developing, Already Stronger Than 1997 At This Time Of The Year
The El Nino signature is stronger than the 1997 El Nino, perhaps even reaching further westward and thicker south and northward. The coverage of the 2014 El Nino right now is more than 3 or 4 times that of the 1997 El Nino. What does it mean?

Magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits Taiwan
There are reports of an earthquake in Taiwan. The epicenter was 30km SSW of Hualian, Taiwan and there are no early reports of damage.

Mexico Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Hidalgotitlan
Officials tell news that a 4.8 magnitude Hidalgotitlan, Mexico has hit the country moments ago this May 20, 2014. The quake was nineteen miles southwest of town. But the quake posted a huge depth. USGS indicates to news that the quake was more than one hundred miles below ground level. As a result its impact was limited to the immediate vicinity.

China president speaks out on security ties in Asia
China's President Xi Jinping has called on Asian countries to avoid strengthening military alliances with "third party" powers. Addressing neighbouring countries at a summit, Mr Xi also said that issues and problems in the region should be resolved by Asians themselves. His comments come as the United States seeks to increase its presence in Asia.

Nigeria violence: 'Boko Haram kill 17' in village attack
The Islamist group Boko Haram has been accused of killing at least 17 people in an attack on a village in north-east Nigeria, close to where hundreds of schoolgirls were seized. It comes a day after 118 people died in a double bombing in the central city of Jos, also blamed on Boko Haram. In the latest attack, Boko Haram fighters reportedly spent hours killing and looting in the village of Alagarno.

Prince Charles 'compared Russian actions to Nazis'
A former Polish war refugee who met Prince Charles in Canada has said he likened some Nazi actions in Europe to those of Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Pakistan air strikes 'kill 32'
Air strikes in Pakistan have killed at least 32 militants in North Waziristan including "important commanders". Officials described precision air strikes on targets near the border with Afghanistan. Tens of thousands of Pakistanis have died in bomb attacks since the Pakistani Taliban began its campaign against the central government in 2007.

China warns US cyber charges could damage ties
China on Tuesday warned the United States was jeopardizing military ties by charging five Chinese officers with cyberspying and tried to turn the tables on Washington by calling it "the biggest attacker of China's cyberspace."

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan condemns bombings
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned twin bombings in the central city of Jos, in which at least 118 people were killed. Mr Jonathan said those who carried out the attack were "cruel and evil". It is feared more bodies still lie under the rubble of buildings destroyed by the explosions, which targeted a crowded market and a hospital.

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

Another week of government lawlessness
What if, in order to advise the president that he can legally kill, the lawyer assigned to the task sent numerous legal memoranda to the president? What if that lawyer persuaded the president that he could legally and constitutionally kill whom he wishes? What if that lawyer who advised the president that he could kill with drones -- even Americans if he wished -- has been nominated to become a federal judge?

Earthquake experts monitor Mount Kazbeki after landslide
Earthquake experts are monitoring seismic activity on Mount Kazbek following the devastating landslide in Dariali Gorge, northern Georgia, on May 17. A team of nine geologists, geophysicists and seismologists travelled to the disaster zone earlier today to install micro-seismic stations at the site and monitor earthquakes.

Released! Clinton files on media enemies
The most important of the documents, “The Communication Stream of Conspiracy Commerce,” originally some 331 pages, was reduced to only 28 pages in the sanitized and heavily redacted version posted by the presidential library.

Big chill: Feds want to scour Net, media for 'hate speech'
If two Democratic lawmakers have their way, Barack Obama’s Justice Department will submit a report for action against any Internet sites, broadcast, cable television or radio shows determined to be advocating or encouraging “violent acts.” This according to the text of a new bill from Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

Israel 'seeking to take over Islamic site near Al-Aqsa' - UPDATED
The Knesset (Israel's parliament) is holding a series of sessions to discuss the acquisition of the Al-Shahabi building, an Islamic waqf site adjacent to the so-called Western Wall, the Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage, a Palestinian NGO, said in a statement. "The latest [Knesset] session on Sunday decided to expand the spaces allowed for Jewish prayers inside the building," the statement read

Pope's Mideast programme refers to "State of Palestine"
With a Rabbi and a Muslim leader in tow, Pope Francis makes his first visit to the Middle East on Saturday, a delicate mission to push his vision of inter-religious dialogue as a vehicle for peace in the region. But, in a region where religion and politics are inextricably intertwined, the three-day trip to Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel will set the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on a diplomatic tightrope.

Magnitude 4 quake jolts Calayan
The quake was centered 24 kilometers southeast of the northern Philippine municipality at a depth of 89 kilometers. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

Pope Faces Serious Health Concerns as Holy Land Trip Begins
As Pope Francis begins a trip to the Holy Land on Saturday with a rigorous schedule that could be challenging even for the healthiest person, Vatican insiders are raising questions about the pontiff's health.

Damascenes fear Assad election will provoke rebel onslaught
Syria's presidential election is just a fortnight away and Damascenes fear rebels will mark it with fierce mortar bombardment on the capital, or even a devastating tunnel bomb similar to attacks in northern Syria. The government has launched its "Together, We Rebuild" campaign that now peppers the capital's streets with posters that feature hands clasped together.

Hackers raid eBay in historic breach, access 145 million records
EBay Inc said that hackers raided its network three months ago, accessing some 145 million user records in what is poised to go down as one of the biggest data breaches in history, based on the number of accounts compromised. It advised customers to change their passwords immediately, saying they were among the pieces of data stolen by cyber criminals who carried out the attack between late February and early March.

Pentagon Looks To Enlist Young Illegal Alien ‘dreamers’ Into Military
The Defense Department said Monday it is looking at expanding its application pool by letting some young illegal immigrants join the military, in what could be another tool for an Obama administration seeking unilateral steps to take on immigration reform.

Teacher says he helped write Common Core standards to combat white privilege
Claiming he had input into the content of the standardized English test, Pook said, “One of the reasons I helped write the standards, was that as a white male in society, I’m given a lot of privilege I didn’t earn, and as a result I think it’s really important that all kids get an equal opportunity to learn how to read.

Temple Mount Activist Held for Selling Controversial Bracelets
Glick had sold bracelets reading “Temple Mount is in our hands” in the area.

What's Really Going on at David's Tomb?
As Pope Francis's landmark visit to Israel fast approaches, the storm of controversy over rumors the Israeli government plans to hand the Tomb of King David to the Vatican refuses to abate.

Critics call Obama funding plan for health insurer losses a 'bailout'
The Obama administration has quietly adjusted key provisions of its signature healthcare law to potentially make billions of additional taxpayer dollars available to the insurance industry if companies providing coverage through the Affordable Care Act lose money. ...It comes as part of an intensive administration effort to hold down premium increases for next year...ahead of this fall's congressional elections.

Progressive icon: Democrat Party has 'disintegrated' under Obama
“I used to be a Democrat. But under Mr. Obama that party has rather disintegrated,” he told WND. “I’m more likely to vote for who I believe supports the Constitution.”

Aleppo prison siege 'broken by Syrian troops'
Syrian forces have broken a year-long rebel siege of a prison in the northern city of Aleppo, reports say. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say forces entered the complex, but this is not confirmed. Thousands of inmates are held in the prison, which has been the scene of fierce fighting for months as rebels have tried to capture it.

N Korea 'shells near South warship'
North Korea has fired shells into disputed waters near a South Korean warship, South Korean media report. The incident took place near Yeonpyeong island which lies on the disputed western maritime border, Yonhap news agency said. On Tuesday, South Korea fired warning shots at three North Korean ships that crossed the maritime border. The North had said it would retaliate.

Small earthquake shudders through Virginia
The U.S. Geological Survey says a small earthquake shook the capital of Virginia and surrounding areas. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The USGS reported on its website that the quake happened at 9:47 p.m. Wednesday and had a preliminary magnitude of 3.2. It was centered 32 miles west of the capital of Richmond.

Thailand coup d'etat as military seizes power
Thailand's army chief has announced a coup d'etat, saying the military is taking control of government. In a televised statement, the army chief said the military would restore order and enact political reforms. It came after two days of inconclusive talks by the main political factions. The army sealed off the talks venue and took the leaders away.

Small Earthquake Rumbles Near Guthrie
The quake was measured as a 3.6 on the Richter scale and struck just after 8:30 p.m. The epicenter of the quake was located six miles south southwest of Guthrie, or about 21 miles north of the Oklahoma City metro, at a depth of six miles.

US 'losing patience' with Venezuela - John Kerry
US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that impatience with the Venezuelan government is growing across the region over its failure to address the country's serious political crisis. Mr Kerry called on President Nicolas Maduro to reopen negotiations with the opposition. Talks collapsed over a dispute about the release of political prisoners.

Very dangerous earthquake in Southern Iran
People living in the epicenter area are going through a lot of misery at the moment. Here a list with (often strong) aftershocks.

Small earthquake swarm consisting of at least 6 events off Malta on Wednesda
A small earthquake swarm consisting of at least 6 events occurred yesterday, 21st May, at approximately 40km southeast of Malta. The swarm was well recorded and located by the Seismic Monitoring and Research Unit (SMRU) of the University of Malta.

6.0-magnitude quake strikes off Odisha coast
No tsunami warning was issued though. There was no report of loss of life and property, officials said. Reports of jolts came in from places such as Ranchi, Kolkata, Gaya, Bhubaneshwar, Chennai and Vishakhapatnam. Even Delhi-NCR felt the tremors.

Netanyahu Was 'This Close' to Dumping Livni Over Abbas Meeting
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was on the verge of firing Justice Minister Tzipi Livni after her recent meeting with Palestinian Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas in London – but restrained himself, according to a report in business magazine Maariv This Week.

Many Criticize Glenn Beck's Mormon Speech at Liberty University Convocation
Liberty University hosted Mormon Glenn Beck to speak at the annual convocation ceremony, but many were critical of what the conservative talk show host and author had to say. “I am Mormon and share your faith,” Beck said in his half hour speech.

2-Hackers raid eBay in historic breach, access 145 mln records
EBay Inc said that hackers raided its network three months ago, accessing some 145 million user records in what is poised to go down as one of the biggest data breaches in history, based on the number of accounts compromised. It advised customers to change their passwords immediately, saying they were among the pieces of data stolen by cyber criminals who carried out the attack between late February and early March.

David's Sling missile shield unlikely to be ready in 2015
Israel's US-backed David Sling missile shield is unlikely to be deployed by next year as originally scheduled, an Israeli defense official said on Wednesday, citing budget shortfalls.

Syrian al Qaeda reach foothills of Israeli-held Golan
Atop the hill of Tel Ahmar just a few kilometers from Israeli forces on the Golan Heights, Syrian Islamist fighters hoist the al Qaeda flag and praise their mentor Osama bin Laden.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Al Qaeda terrorists at Guantanamo treated better than our vets
Despite the fact that Al Qaeda terrorists carried out the Sept. 11 terror attacks, killing 3,000 people in America, the admitted co-conspirators and their roughly 150 fellow jihadists at Gitmo have approximately 100 doctors, nurses and health care personnel assigned to them.

Sorry, John Kerry Can't Testify About Benghazi; He Is Just Too Busy
Once again we get confirmation that this administration is the most transparent in history. The State Department's Marie Harf explained that John Kerry will not be attending the Select Committee hearing on Benghazi and must postpone his testimony to the House Oversight committee due "critical diplomatic work" he is undertaking.

Analysis: US plays down warming China-Russia ties
The Obama administration is playing down an increasingly warm relationship between its main global rivals, China and Russia, that it may have inadvertently encouraged.

Clerics Urge Obama to Unilaterally Overturn 41-Year Overseas Abortion Ban
Nearly two dozen religious leaders have signed a letter urging President Barack Obama to overturn a longstanding ban that forbids the use of foreign aid for overseas abortions.

Restaurant With Anti-Gun Policy Robbed at Gunpoint
A North Carolina restaurant that posted a sign out front saying it was a gun-free zone was robbed at gunpoint earlier this week.

Russian, Iranian defense ministers meet
Iran's defense minister has invited his Russian counterpart to visit Tehran, saying it would send a "clear message to the Americans." Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu welcomed Iran's Hossein Dehqan to discuss closer cooperation and regional security, at a time when Russia's ties with the West have plummeted to the lowest level since the Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine.

N.Y. State Suggests HIV Tests For 13-Year-Olds, Sex Ed In Elementary School
One in four adolescents is likely to acquire a sexually transmitted disease, according to the first ever Youth Sexual Health Plan released by New York State. ...Youth Sexual Health Plan, a 22-page document defining “sexual health” as “a state of well‐being in relation to sexuality across the life span that involves physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions.”

Russia may build eight nuclear reactors for Iran
Russia plans to sign a contract with Iran this year to build two more nuclear reactors at its Bushehr power plant as part of a broader deal for up to eight reactors in the Islamic state, a source close to the negotiations told Reuters on Thursday. It was not immediately clear how this might affect six global powers' talks with Iran addressing disputed aspects of its nuclear program

U.S. investigates multi-state E.coli outbreak; no deaths reported
U.S. health officials are investigating a multi-state E.coli outbreak linked to raw clover sprouts that have sickened as many as 10 people, half of whom required hospitalization, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. No deaths have been reported. As of May 21 there were seven confirmed and three probable cases of E. Coli illnesses, three in Idaho and seven in Washington state, the FDA said.

Palm Beach County man diagnosed with chikungunya
A 66-year-old man became the first person in Palm Beach County — and the fourth in Florida — to come down with chikungunya fever after contracting the mosquito-borne virus in the Caribbean, the county Health Department announced Wednesday. The unidentified man began feeling ill on May 15, shortly after returning home from a trip through the island of Hispaniola, Health Department spokesman Timothy O'Connor said.

Ukraine crisis: Donetsk sees deadliest attack on troops
A dawn attack on a checkpoint in eastern Ukraine has left at least 14 soldiers dead, in the worst loss of life for government forces to date. Heavily armed militants attacked the checkpoint in the Volnovakha area, in one of four attacks reported overnight in eastern Ukraine. It is unclear who attacked the checkpoint, with one Ukrainian officer telling the BBC it was not separatists.

US House passes bill on NSA bulk data sweep
The first legislation aimed at ending the National Security Agency's bulk collection of US phone records has been passed by the House of Representatives. The USA Freedom Act would mean that kind of data remains largely in the hands of phone companies. Despite some fears the White House-backed bill had been diluted, it passed through the House by 303 votes to 120, and now goes to the Senate.

Netanyahu could be open to exploring annexation plans if talks fail
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu dismissed the possibility of unilateral territorial withdrawals and appeared open to annexation plans for portions of the West Bank in the absence of a peace process, in an interview by Jeffrey Goldberg published Friday on BloombergView. “The idea of taking unilateral steps is gaining ground, from the center-left to the center-right,” Netanyahu said in the Goldberg interview.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Al Qaeda terrorists at Guantanamo treated better than our vets
Despite the fact that Al Qaeda terrorists carried out the Sept. 11 terror attacks, killing 3,000 people in America, the admitted co-conspirators and their roughly 150 fellow jihadists at Gitmo have approximately 100 doctors, nurses and health care personnel assigned to them.

Sorry, John Kerry Can't Testify About Benghazi; He Is Just Too Busy
Once again we get confirmation that this administration is the most transparent in history. The State Department's Marie Harf explained that John Kerry will not be attending the Select Committee hearing on Benghazi and must postpone his testimony to the House Oversight committee due "critical diplomatic work" he is undertaking.

Analysis: US plays down warming China-Russia ties
The Obama administration is playing down an increasingly warm relationship between its main global rivals, China and Russia, that it may have inadvertently encouraged.

Clerics Urge Obama to Unilaterally Overturn 41-Year Overseas Abortion Ban
Nearly two dozen religious leaders have signed a letter urging President Barack Obama to overturn a longstanding ban that forbids the use of foreign aid for overseas abortions.

Restaurant With Anti-Gun Policy Robbed at Gunpoint
A North Carolina restaurant that posted a sign out front saying it was a gun-free zone was robbed at gunpoint earlier this week.

Russian, Iranian defense ministers meet
Iran's defense minister has invited his Russian counterpart to visit Tehran, saying it would send a "clear message to the Americans." Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu welcomed Iran's Hossein Dehqan to discuss closer cooperation and regional security, at a time when Russia's ties with the West have plummeted to the lowest level since the Cold War over the crisis in Ukraine.

N.Y. State Suggests HIV Tests For 13-Year-Olds, Sex Ed In Elementary School
One in four adolescents is likely to acquire a sexually transmitted disease, according to the first ever Youth Sexual Health Plan released by New York State. ...Youth Sexual Health Plan, a 22-page document defining “sexual health” as “a state of well‐being in relation to sexuality across the life span that involves physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions.”

Russia may build eight nuclear reactors for Iran
Russia plans to sign a contract with Iran this year to build two more nuclear reactors at its Bushehr power plant as part of a broader deal for up to eight reactors in the Islamic state, a source close to the negotiations told Reuters on Thursday. It was not immediately clear how this might affect six global powers' talks with Iran addressing disputed aspects of its nuclear program

U.S. investigates multi-state E.coli outbreak; no deaths reported
U.S. health officials are investigating a multi-state E.coli outbreak linked to raw clover sprouts that have sickened as many as 10 people, half of whom required hospitalization, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday. No deaths have been reported. As of May 21 there were seven confirmed and three probable cases of E. Coli illnesses, three in Idaho and seven in Washington state, the FDA said.

Palm Beach County man diagnosed with chikungunya
A 66-year-old man became the first person in Palm Beach County — and the fourth in Florida — to come down with chikungunya fever after contracting the mosquito-borne virus in the Caribbean, the county Health Department announced Wednesday. The unidentified man began feeling ill on May 15, shortly after returning home from a trip through the island of Hispaniola, Health Department spokesman Timothy O'Connor said.

Ukraine crisis: Donetsk sees deadliest attack on troops
A dawn attack on a checkpoint in eastern Ukraine has left at least 14 soldiers dead, in the worst loss of life for government forces to date. Heavily armed militants attacked the checkpoint in the Volnovakha area, in one of four attacks reported overnight in eastern Ukraine. It is unclear who attacked the checkpoint, with one Ukrainian officer telling the BBC it was not separatists.

US House passes bill on NSA bulk data sweep
The first legislation aimed at ending the National Security Agency's bulk collection of US phone records has been passed by the House of Representatives. The USA Freedom Act would mean that kind of data remains largely in the hands of phone companies. Despite some fears the White House-backed bill had been diluted, it passed through the House by 303 votes to 120, and now goes to the Senate.

Netanyahu could be open to exploring annexation plans if talks fail
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu dismissed the possibility of unilateral territorial withdrawals and appeared open to annexation plans for portions of the West Bank in the absence of a peace process, in an interview by Jeffrey Goldberg published Friday on BloombergView. “The idea of taking unilateral steps is gaining ground, from the center-left to the center-right,” Netanyahu said in the Goldberg interview.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Putin says Russia ready for talks with Japan over disputed islands
President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia is ready for talks with Japan over disputed Pacific Islands but that Japan may not be ready for negotiations.

Jewish DePaul Student: 'I No Longer Felt Safe on This Campus'
This week, students at DePaul University are being asked to get involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and vote on a non-binding resolution that asks the university to divest from companies that do business in the Jewish State. But for some Jewish students on the Lincoln Park, Chicago campus, the campaign behind the proposed measure has created an atmosphere of intimidation, not free speech.

Obama blames Founding Fathers’ ‘structural’ design of Congress for gridlock
President Obama is taking a swipe at the Founding Fathers, blaming his inability to move his agenda on the “disadvantage” of having each state represented equally in the Senate. ..The president also blamed “demographics” for the inability of the Democratic Party to gain more power in Congress, saying Democrats “tend to congregate a little more densely” in cities such as New York and Chicago.

USDA warns of sticker shock on U.S. beef as grilling season starts
The Department of Agriculture has warned of sticker shock facing home chefs on the eve of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, the unofficial start of the U.S. summer grilling season. The agency said conditions in California could have "large and lasting effects on U.S. fruit, vegetable, dairy and egg prices," as the most populous U.S. state struggles through what officials are calling a catastrophic drought.

Somalia parliament attacked by al-Shabab in Mogadishu
Islamist militants from the al-Shabab movement have attacked the Somali parliament in Mogadishu, leaving at least 10 people dead. Explosions and gunfire were heard and witnesses reported seeing bodies. Somali police were joined by African Union troops as they engaged the attackers.

Jon Stewart Disembowels Sec. Treasury Geithner
Tim Geithner has been using voodoo economics to rationalize choosing the big banks over homeowners. (And his argument that it wasn't politically possible to do anything else is bunk, especially since the American people opposed bank bailouts from day one.) Jon Stewart does a better job of challenging Geithner than any mainstream "reporter":

Heart stopping moment when baby is saved after plunging from second floor
Shocking moment a Chinese passer by saves a terrified toddler as he falls from a window ledge during a thunderstorm. This is the heart-stopping moment a man caught a baby as he fell from a second-floor window onto a busy street in Southern China.

UK Independence Party surge challenges Britain's three-party mould
Britain's UK Independence Party was hoping Saturday its local election success is replicated in the European Parliament polls as commentators said Nigel Farage's group had broken the three-party mould.

Terrorists kill 21 Assad supporters at Daraa election rally: source
Terrorists in Syria bombarded a campaign rally in support of President Bashar al-Assad's re-election in a June 3 poll, killing at least 21 people. The mortar fire hit a tent where Assad supporters had gathered in the southern city of Daraa late on Thursday and also wounded at least 30 people, the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, according to media reports.

Ukraine, on edge, prepares to vote after bloodshed
Candidates in Ukraine's presidential election stayed out of the public eye on Saturday, observing a ban on campaigning on the eve of a vote that Kiev hopes can help end a bitter confrontation with Russia.

Slovak parents fail to block adoption by gay couple
Two Slovakian parents have failed to block the adoption of two of their sons by a same sex couple in Kent. The Catholic couple, who are of Roma origin, argued their two young children would grow up alienated from their family and community.

Pope Francis to arrive in Jordan for Middle East visit
The Pope is due to arrive in Jordan at the start of a three-day visit to the Middle East which will also take him to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Pope Francis will first travel to Amman, where he will celebrate Mass in a stadium, and later meet Syrian refugees. The official purpose of the visit is to improve ties with the Orthodox Church.

Thailand army continues crackdown after coup
Thailand's military has ordered 35 more people, including prominent academics, to report to them by Saturday afternoon as the post-coup crackdown continues. The move comes a day after the army ordered more than 100 politicians, including ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra, to come to the military council. Ms Yingluck was detained in Bangkok on Friday and spent the night in custody.

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On: Busy Stretch for Large Earthquakes
A Live Science analysis of U.S. Geological Survey data finds that April's first three weeks were the busiest stretch for earthquakes going back to at least the beginning of last year. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said April was a record month for warnings from the Alaska-based center.

Russia gas chief says China deal will impact Europe prices
Russia’s 30-year deal to supply China with natural gas is likely to affect gas prices in Europe, the head of Russia’s state-owned gas company said. “Literally a day ago, a really historical event took place, an epoch-making event. We, Russia and Gazprom, have discovered the Asian gas market for ourselves,” Alexei Miller, chief executive of Gazprom, said at an event in St. Petersburg, according to Reuters.

Putin on Obama: 'Who Made Him a Judge?'
A defiant Vladimir Putin declared today that the U.S.-led world order "has failed." Speaking to business leaders a at a forum in St Petersburg, the Russian president railed against U.S. sanctions and dismissed allegations that Russia is meddling in Ukraine, which he said was in the midst of "civil war" thanks to the West. He also rejected accusations by President Obama in unusually pointed terms.

Iran addresses nuclear bomb allegations for first time: IAEA
Iran has for the first time in six years addressed concerns about the so-called "possible military dimensions" of its nuclear programme, a new IAEA report showed Friday.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

‘Political earthquake’: Eurosceptics surge in EU elections
The European parliamentary elections have drawn to a close bringing major gains for both Eurosceptic and Far Right movements. The results have dealt a blow to governments, with the French PM even calling the result "a political earthquake.” The most major anti-EU public mood was demonstrated in France, where Marine Le Pen's far right National Front scored more than a quarter of the votes cast.

Pope Extends Dramatic Vatican Summit Invitation to Israeli, Palestinian Leaders
Francis also buoyed Palestinian hopes by openly endorsing “the State of Palestine.”

Are Climate Scientists Being Forced to Toe the Line?
After joining a controversial lobby group critical of climate change, meteorologist Lennart Bengtsson claims he was shunned by colleagues, leading him to quit. Some scientists complain pressure to conform to consensus opinion has become a serious hindrance in the field. ...The scientist said colleagues placed so much pressure on him after joining GWPF that he withdrew from the group out of fear for his own health.

Visa, MasterCard renew push for chip cards
Visa and MasterCard are renewing a push to speed the adoption of microchips into U.S. credit and debit cards in the wake of recent high-profile data breaches, including this week's revelation that hackers stole consumer data from eBay's computer systems. Card processing companies argue that a move away from the black magnetic strips on the backs of credit cards would eliminate a substantial amount of U.S. credit card fraud.

Two Jews attacked outside Paris synagogue
Two Jewish men were attacked Saturday night outside a suburban Paris synagogue, just hours after a deadly shooting at the Brussels Jewish Museum in Belgium. The two men, brothers in their 20s, were heading to an office located in Chaare Tsion Synaogue on Saturday night around 8:30 p.m. They were about 200 meters away from the synagogue when they noticed that they were being followed.

China, Japan Swap Charges Over East China Sea Aircraft Encounter
China and Japan traded accusations over two encounters between their military aircraft yesterday, with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera terming the events “dangerous” and China warning Japan not to intrude on its joint naval exercises with Russia.

Earthquake Rattles Greece, Turkey
An earthquake beneath the sea shook northern Greece and western Turkey Saturday, with more than two dozen injuries reported on a Turkish island. In Istanbul and in other parts of Turkey residents fled homes in panic after the quake struck at midday.

EU set for election 'Super Sunday,' with far-right vote in spotlight
European elections reach their culmination on "Super Sunday" when the remaining 20 of the EU's 28 countries go to the polls, with the vote expected to confirm the dominance of pro-European centrists despite a rise in support for the far-right and left.

Hurricane Amanda strengthens quickly, wheels far off Mexico
Hurricane Amanda rapidly gained strength far off the west coast of Mexico on Saturday evening and churned farther out to sea. It was located 665 miles (1,075 km) southwest of the Mexican port of Manzanillo, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Ukrainians vote in presidential elections
Ukrainians are going to the polls to vote in a new president after months of unrest following the ousting of former President Viktor Yanukovych. Eighteen candidates are competing in the contest, which is widely seen as a crucial moment to unite the country. But pro-Russian separatists in the east who oppose the election have threatened to disrupt the voting process.

Deadly California rampage: Chilling video, but no match for reality
After promising a "day of retribution" on YouTube, a heavily armed, mentally disturbed 22-year-old went on a killing spree in a California college town, authorities said. He fatally stabbed three men in his residence, shot two women to death in front of a sorority house, shot a man to death inside a deli, exchanged gunfire twice with police and injured 13 people as he drove from block to block, the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office said Saturday night.

Pope Francis arrives in Bethlehem on Middle East tour
Pope Francis has arrived in the West Bank city of Bethlehem as he continues his three-day tour of the Middle East. He will hold an open-air mass by the city's Church of the Nativity for about 8,000 local Christians. Later, the Pope will travel to Tel Aviv and then Jerusalem where he will meet Bartholomew I, the Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople.

Brussels killings due to 'incitement' against Jews: Netanyahu
Israel's premier said late Saturday that the attack at the Brussels Jewish Museum, which left three dead and one badly wounded, was the result of anti-Jewish and Israeli sentiment in Europe.

No Eden: Atheist group takes on religious-themed public garden
A park planned in Sioux City is getting national attention. The Shepherd’s Garden, a Christian-themed park, was recently was awarded $140,000 from the state through a Vision Iowa grant. It’s meant to “assist projects that will provide recreational, cultural, entertainment and educational attractions.” The money would go towards building and planting green spaces in the park, but not for any religious symbols.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Pope: Abbas man of peace, Abbas: murdering Israelis not a punishable crime
Below we have the Pope calling Mahmoud Abbas a "man of peace". At the same event, Abbas repeated his demand, in the Pope's presence, that any Palestinian who murders an Israeli today must not be punished. Yes. That's what Mahmoud Abbas said.

Pope Francis I and his Invitation for Peace
To try successfully to separate religion and politics in the Middle East is an illusion. You can’t have one without the other. The brief three-day visit of Pope Francis I to the Holy Land in May 2014 is the latest example of the inevitable interaction between the two. His “pilgrimage for prayer” had significant political overtones in his plea for revitalizing the peace process between Israel and Palestinians.

Palestinians present doctored Christian paintings to Pope Francis
The PA’s hijacking of great paintings includes Raphael’s 1507 masterpiece, "The Deposition," which shows Jesus Christ -- now claimed as a Palestinian by the PA and not from Judea as documented in the Gospels. In the twisted interpretation commissioned for the Pope's visit, he is still shown being carried away after the Crucifixion, his upper body as painted more than 500years ago. But Christ's legs have been digitally altered and melded to the original painting to show those of an injured Palestinian clad in jeans being carried away as an Israeli soldier looks on.

Hurricane Amanda swells into most potent May storm in Eastern Pacific
Hurricane Amanda has rapidly gained force far off of Mexico's Pacific coast and is now the strongest May hurricane on record for the Eastern Pacific, with sustained winds of up to 155 mph (250 kph). The main body of the category-4 hurricane poses little threat to land, however.

3.1 magnintude earthquake hits Lebanon
Residents of several Lebanese regions felt an earthquake on Sunday afternoon. The tremor was felt in the capital Beirut, the Mount Lebanon areas of Keserwan and Jbeil, and the northern regions of Tripoli and Batroun, according to state-run National News Agency.

Mexico Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Southern California
A Mexico earthquake today 2014 has just struck Southern California. The terremoto en Mexico hoy, a moderate Mexico temblor, struck just after 5 am PST today May 26, 2014. Damage assessment is pending.

Christians With Biblical Values Blocked From Running For Office In Canada
Justin Trudeau, the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, recently announced that the Liberal Party will not allow anyone to run in any provincial or national election who does not pledge to vote "pro-choice" without exception. The Liberal Party, which has been relegated to a mere thirty-five seats in the national parliament and opposition status, has been trying to shore up support since its disastrous outing in the most recent elections.

Heavy Rains, Earthquake Reported in Macedonian Capital Skopje
At 11.03 pm Skopje was shaken by an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale, Bulgarian Vesti informs based on Macedonian media reports. The epicenter of the quake was 8 km away from the city. So far there have been no reports of serious damages or casualties.

European Elections: UKIP Tops British Polls
Coming a year ahead of the General Election, it is the first time a party other than the Conservatives or Labour has topped a nationwide poll in 108 years.

‘Political earthquake’: Euroskeptics surge in EU elections
The European parliamentary elections have drawn to a close bringing major gains for both Euroskeptic and Far Right movements. The results have dealt a blow to governments, with the French PM even calling the result "a political earthquake.”

I.R.S. Bars Employers From Dumping Workers Into Health Exchanges
Many employers had thought they could shift health costs to the government by sending their employees to a health insurance exchange with a tax-free contribution of cash to help pay premiums, but the Obama administration has squelched the idea in a new ruling. Such arrangements do not satisfy the health care law...and employers may be subject to a tax penalty of $100 a day — or $36,500 a year — for each employee who goes into the individual marketplace.

Pope prays at Israeli wall in unprecedented gesture
Pope Francis prayed in silence and pressed his forehead against the wall that separates Jerusalem from the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Sunday... In an unscheduled stop during his visit to Bethlehem, the town where Christ was born, the Pope ordered his white Popemobile to stop as it passed the separation barrier built by the Israelis.

Doctor: Detroit abortion stats 'like some Third World country'
Nearly one-third of all pregnancies in the city of Detroit end in abortion, a statistic public health officials blame on rising poverty and dwindling access to affordable contraception. Of an estimated 18,360 pregnancies among Detroit residents in 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, 5,693 ended in abortion, or 31 percent.

Pope visits Jerusalem holy sites on last day in Middle East
Pope Francis has visited the most important holy sites for Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem's Old City on the final day of his Middle East tour. At the al-Aqsa mosque compound, the Pope urged people of all religions to "work together for justice and peace". He then prayed at the Western Wall, which lies just beneath it, bowing his head as he touched the stones.

Egypt elects new leader to steer country out of crisis
Millions of voters are casting ballots across Egypt to choose a new president, for the second time in two years. A huge security operation has been mounted by police and the military, amid fear of attacks by militants seeking to disrupt the polls. Former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who deposed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last year, is standing against left-wing candidate Hamdeen Sabahi.

Eurosceptic 'earthquake' rocks EU elections
Eurosceptic and far-right parties have seized ground in elections to the European parliament, in what France's PM called a "political earthquake". The French National Front and UK Independence Party both performed strongly, while the three big centrist blocs in parliament all lost seats. The outcome means a greater say for those who want to cut back the EU's powers, or abolish it completely.

Will Israel be the next big financial hub?
Israel has been called the start-up nation. It’s been called the innovation nation and the hi-tech nation. It’s been called the brain nation and the biomed nation and the would-be scale-up nation. While everyone, thankfully, agrees that Israel is a nation, is it possible that its next moniker will be the finance nation? “There is only one input in the financial-services industry.

Land of Israel Caucus submits bills to annex West Bank settlement blocs
Ten bills that could lead to the annexation of major settlement blocs were placed on the Knesset's docket Monday. Coalition chairman Yariv Levin (Likud Beytenu) and MK Orit Struck (Bayit Yehudi), leaders of the Knesset Land of Israel Caucus, submitted separate bills calling to annex different major settlement blocs.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"


Astrobiologists testify before Congress that alien life will be encountered by 2034
This past week, a few scientists took the bench and gave the U.S. Congress a relative date by which they expect we’ll have discovered signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe. According to their estimates, by 2034 we should make first contact or 30 years ahead of Star Trek’s first contact. Whether this was just a stunt, a ploy meant to convince Congress to up SETI’s budget, or a genuine estimate is difficult to tell.

President Blair? Is he the best hope for faltering EU project?
Could Tony Blair be pushing himself forward to become the next President of the European Union? The question has been raised after a Radio 4 Today programme interview which sounded like an application for the job. While David Cameron hits the phone to Angela Merkel ahead of tonight's panic summit of European heads in Brussels, Blair is already in Berlin for face-to-face talks with the German Chancellor about how to rescue the European project from a swing to the anti-EU parties across the continent, including Ukip in Britain and the Front National in France.

HAARP conspiracy theories: what the mysterious program actually did
As the multi-billion dollar facility begins to wind down, theories about HAARP's true purpose persist. Here are some of the best (and most unusual):

The politically tone-deaf pope
I know this column will offend some Catholics. But Pope Francis, once again, has proven he is not politically infallible. He’s on the wrong side of history and truth, at least when it comes to the well-being of Israel. Standing in Bethlehem with Mahmoud Abbas, the man who signed the check for the Munich Olympics terrorist murders, he said: “Our recent meeting in the Vatican and my presence today in Palestine attest to the good relations existing between the Holy See and the state of Palestine.” “State of Palestine?” There is no state of Palestine. And, if the Middle East is to know peace before Jesus comes back, there won’t be one.

Interview with Alex Pentland: Can We Use Big Data to Make Society Better?
In a SPIEGEL interview, American data scientist Alex Pentland discusses how data streams can be used to determine the laws of human interaction. He argues the information can be used to help forge better societies. ...The use of Big Data is proving to be just as important to social scientists as the telescope once was for astronomers.

Pope Francis says Pius XII’s beatification won’t go ahead
Pope Francis remained firm in his refusal to allow the beatification of Pope Pius XII, the World War II-era pope accused by some Jews of not speaking out enough against the Holocaust, because he doesn’t have enough miracles in his record.

Pope: Peres, Abbas have ‘courage to move forward’
Pope Francis on Monday said Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had “courage” after the two accepted his invitation to come to the Vatican to pray with him.

'Jihad will only end when society can get rid of America': Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei in chilling threat towards U.S.
Iran's supreme leader has said that his country's struggle will only end when it defeats U.S.-led oppression.

Hurricane Amanda Unexpectedly Re-Strengthens
The hurricane's maximum sustained winds early Tuesday had increased to near 125 mph (205 kph), making it a Category 3 storm. But the U.S. National Hurricane Center says weakening is expected to resume and Amanda should become a tropical storm by late Wednesday.

Guinea announces 2 new cases of Ebola in previously unaffected area
Guinean health officials announced two new confirmed cases of Ebola on Friday in an area previously untouched by the virus, which has killed more than 100 people in West Africa... West Africa's first deadly outbreak of Ebola spread from a remote corner of the country to the capital, Conakry, and into neighbouring Liberia, causing panic across a region struggling with weak healthcare systems and porous borders.

Snowden journalist set to make ‘biggest’ disclosure yet
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who helped NSA leaker Edward Snowden expose state secrets to the world, is set to make his “biggest” disclosure yet — the names of Americans the government spied on, he told The Sunday Times.

European Parliament set to usher in first neo-Nazis
German Jews shocked at EU success of far right, including local self-described ‘national socialist’ faction

Jerusalem troubled by rise of far right in European election
Jerusalem is worried about the results of this week’s European Parliament elections, in which far right and even neo-Nazi parties drastically gained strength, a senior Israeli official said late Monday.

QUIET WITH A CHANCE OF FLARES
Solar activity is low. However, departing sunspot AR2065 has a 'beta-gamma' magnetic field that harbors energy for M-class solar flares. If such an explosion does occur, it would be well-connected to Earth.

China Sinking Fishing Vessel Raises Tensions With Vietnam
Vietnam and China traded barbs over the sinking of a Vietnamese fishing boat, their most serious bilateral standoff since 2007 as China asserts its claims in the disputed South China Sea. “It was rammed by a Chinese boat,” Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Hai Binh said by phone of the Vietnamese vessel, with the crew of 10 rescued after the scrap.

Jordan expels Syrian ambassador over 'repeated insults'
Jordan says it has expelled the Syrian ambassador over "repeated insults" against the kingdom. The Jordanian foreign ministry said it considered Bahjat Suleiman a persona non grata and gave him 24 hours to leave the country. It said he had made numerous false allegations, accusing Jordan of harbouring Syrian rebels.

Ukraine unrest: Dozens die as Donetsk airport 'retaken'
Ukraine's interior ministry says the military is now in full control of the airport in the eastern city of Donetsk after a day of bloody clashes. At least 30 pro-Russia separatists have been killed, the insurgents say. Kiev said the army suffered no casualties. Armed separatists had tried to take over the airport early on Monday.

Nigeria army 'knows where Boko Haram are holding girls'
The Nigerian military says it know where the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram are but will not attempt a rescue. Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff said it was "good news for the parents," although he admitted the military would not risk "going there with force". More than 200 girls were abducted by Boko Haram gunmen from their school in northern Nigeria in April.

Government Plan Would Transform Israel Into The World’s First Cashless Society
Will Israel be the first cashless society on the entire planet? A committee chaired by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff has come up with a three phase plan to “all but do away with cash transactions in Israel”.

Is America Starting To Target Thought Crime?
Last week, Michelle Obama made headlines when she exhorted graduating high schoolers in a commencement address to monitor their families for politically incorrect thoughts and behaviors. To one journalist, this was more than an off-hand comment made by the first lady. In the opinion of Cheryl Chumley, a reporter for The Washington Times and the author of “Police State USA,” Michelle Obama’s remark reflects a growing trend in America to target and attack individuals for committing “thought crime.”

Stark warning from Europe’s voters
After five years of economic crisis, the 2014 elections to the European Parliament were always expected to produce victories for the populist parties that reject the EU and its political values. And so it has proved, with fringe and nationalist movements dealing a blow not just to the European project but to national governments who appear out of touch.

Swiss group to allow assisted dying for elderly who are not terminally ill
A Swiss organisation that helps people take their own lives has voted to extend its services to elderly people who are not terminally ill. Exit added "suicide due to old age" to their statutes at an annual general meeting held over the weekend, allowing people suffering from psychological or physical problems associated with old age the choice to end their life.

Greenwald's Finale: Naming Victims of Surveillance
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who received the trove of documents from Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, told The Sunday Times that Snowden’s legacy would be “shaped in large part” by this “finishing piece” still to come. His plan to publish names will further unnerve an American intelligence establishment already reeling from 11 months of revelations about US government surveillance activities.

Pope, Netanyahu spar over Jesus' native language
Pope Francis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traded words on Monday over the language spoken by Jesus two millennia ago. "Jesus was here, in this land. He spoke Hebrew," Netanyahu told Francis, at a public meeting in Jerusalem in which the Israeli leader cited a strong connection between Judaism and Christianity.

N. Korea says danger of 'catastrophic' clash at truce village
North Korea on Tuesday warned that recent "provocative" activities by US troops at a truce village on the heavily fortified inter-Korean border could lead to a "catastrophic" military clash.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Suicide Bomber in Syria Was U.S. Citizen, Officials Say
A United States citizen working in Syria with a militant group backed by Al Qaeda conducted a suicide bombing there Sunday, in what is believed to be the first time an American has been involved in such an attack, American officials said Wednesday.

Snowden: ‘There Are Some Things Worth Dying For’
Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, stands by his decision to leak a huge collection of classified National Security Agency documents that revealed extensive, global U.S. government surveillance programs. “There are some things worth dying for,” Snowden said in an interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams that aired late Wednesday, “I think the country is one of them.” The interview was his first with a U.S. television network since he fled from Hawaii to Hong Kong a year ago with classified materials.

Rogue Libya general's forces bomb Islamist camp
Libyan forces loyal to a renegade general have bombed government-funded Islamist militia in the eastern city of Benghazi. Witnesses say aircraft targeted a base of the February 17th Brigade, one of the main armed groups in the area. General Khalifa Haftar, a former army chief of staff under Col Muammar Gaddafi, has launched several recent attacks in Benghazi and Tripoli.

Egypt election: Sisi heads for crushing win
Former military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is heading for a huge victory in Egypt's presidential election, preliminary results have shown. He had gained about 90% of the vote after 2,000 of 12,000 polling stations reported their results.

John Kerry urges Snowden to return to US
US Secretary of State John Kerry has labelled intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive from justice who should "man up" and return home. Mr Kerry added that if Mr Snowden, 30, "believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice". His comments come in the wake of an interview with NBC in which Mr Snowden said he sought asylum in Russia because the US revoked his passport.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Earthquake shakes Two Rivers, North Pole
A small earthquake gave residents in Fairbanks something to talk about over their morning coffee Thursday morning. The 3.2-magnitude quake occurred at 8:06 a.m. and was felt in Fairbanks, North Pole and Salcha, reports the Alaska Earthquake Information Center in Fairbanks. The quake was centered 17 miles northeast of North Pole.

Russia forges huge economic bloc with Kazakhstan and Belarus
The presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus signed a treaty on Thursday creating a vast trading bloc which they hope will challenge the economic might of the United States, the European Union and China. The treaty forging the Eurasian Economic Union will come into force on Jan. 1, once it has passed the formality of being approved by the three former Soviet republics' parliaments.

Obama’s FDIC Choking Gun Owners Out Of Business By Forcing ‘High Risk’ Label On Them
Gun retailers say the Obama administration is trying to put them out of business with regulations and investigations that bypass Congress and choke off their lines of credit, freeze their assets and prohibit online sales.

Guyana Reports First Cases of Mosquito-Borne Chikungunya Virus
Guyana has reported its first cases of a mosquito-borne virus that has been rapidly spreading in the Caribbean. Health Minister Bheri Ramsarran says the two confirmed cases of chikungunya involved a 4-year-old child and a 40-year-old man. Both cases occurred in the eastern part of the country along the border with Suriname. Guyana is the second place on mainland South America to report a locally transmitted case. French Guiana was the first and has had more than 170 cases.

Edward Snowden Reveals What the NSA Can Allegedly Do With Your Phone — Even if It’s Off
Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden says the U.S. government has the capability to remotely turn on a targeted cellphone and then secretly activate the device’s camera and microphone.

Cosmic explosion spotted in neighbouring galaxy
NASA's Swift satellite reported an enormous explosion occurred this morning at 8.15 AEST in our neighbouring galaxy, Andromeda. This explosion is known as a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB), one of the most powerful explosions in the Universe.

Edward Snowden Claims US 'Forced' Him to Stay in Russia
Snowden told NBC News that the US forced him to seek asylum in Russia, after they revoked his passport at a Moscow airport last year. "In reality I never intended to end up in Russia," he said. "So when people ask why are you in Russia, I say, 'Please ask the State Department.'"

NATO chief, former US intelligence director among Bilderberg elite
As is usually the case with the renowned summit, this year’s Bilderberg – which will take place May 29 to June 1 – has attracted a cadre of influential experts, including notable attendees such as NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former director of the US National Security Agency Keith Alexander, and former US national security advisor to the White House Thomas E. Donilon.

Inside the Ring: Directive outlines Obama’s policy to use the military against citizens
A 2010 Pentagon directive on military support to civilian authorities details what critics say is a troubling policy that envisions the Obama administration’s potential use of military force against Americans. ...The troubling aspect of the directive outlines presidential authority for the use of military arms and forces, including unarmed drones, in operations against domestic unrest.

Trump: Obama rejected $50 million for birth records
Donald Trump has revealed he offered Barack Obama a $50 million donation to the president’s favorite charities in exchange for releasing his personal records, but Obama never responded. “I would take it, and I’d give it to Chicago charities, and I would give it to all sorts of charities,” Trump said at a recent appearance at the National Press Club. “And they can use the money.” Trump originally offered to give $5 million to Obama’s pick of charities if he would release his college and passport records.

Is it the Bilderberg conference – or conspiracy?
Conspiracy theorists may chuckle when they learn a debate entitled “Does Privacy Exist?” is to feature at this year’s Bilderberg conference, the notoriously secretive gathering of the world’s most powerful bankers, politicians and business people. ...Items on the agenda include “The future of democracy and the middle-class trap”, “The new architecture of the Middle East” and...the...“Ukraine”.

Palestinian government announcement likely postponed
A disagreement between Hamas and Fatah over ministerial appointments could delay the announcement of a unity government Thursday.

Bilderberg Meetings
The key topics for discussion this year include: Is the economic recovery sustainable? Who will pay for the demographics? Does privacy exist? How special is the relationship in intelligence sharing? Big shifts in technology and jobs Etc. Etc.

Quake rattles Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the waters between the Dominican Republic and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, shaking buildings in both places. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Moderate intensity earthquake on Indo-Myanmar border
Another moderate intensity quake rocked the Indo-Myanmar border, few kilometres away from Moreh in Manipur, early on 29th May 2014 but there was no report of any casualty, officials said. The quake measuring 4.8 on the Richter rocked the same area within 24 hours when a tremor of the same intensity rocked the area.

Putin signs economic union deal with ex-Soviet states
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a deal with his counterparts from Kazakhstan and Belarus to create an economic union. Moscow says the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) of ex-Soviet states will create a shared market and help integrate economic policy, starting next year. Critics say the project is an attempt to revive part of the old Soviet Union.

CAR Seleka rebels kill many in Bangui church attack
At least 11 people have been killed in an attack on a church in the Central African Republic. Eyewitnesses said members of the Seleka militia group threw grenades before shooting indiscriminately at the Church of Fatima in the capital Bangui. The mostly Muslim Seleka rebels have been involved in heavy fighting with mainly Christian fighters in the anti-balaka militia since March 2013.

Egypt election: Sisi secures crushing win
Former military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has won an overwhelming victory in Egypt's presidential election, according to provisional results. He gained more than 93% of the vote with ballots from most polling stations counted, state media say. Turnout is expected to be about 46% - far lower than Mr Sisi was hoping for as an endorsement. Islamist and some secular groups boycotted the vote.

EU unveils plan to curb reliance on Russian gas
The EU has unveiled plans to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, with increased imports from Norway and energy efficiency at the top of its wish-list. Launching the European Commission's paper on European Energy Security on Wednesday (28 May), energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger told reporters that "in a time of crisis between Russia, Ukraine and EU … energy independence has risen up the agenda and is a concern to all."

In Kharkov, life continues as usual but Jews are wary
Life appears completely normal in the eastern city of Kharkov. Ukraine’s second-largest city, it was one of several locales where separatists began their budding civil war, taking over government buildings and seeking to gather the reins of power into their hands. ...There are approximately 30,000 Jews in the city and many are mulling immigration to Israel, according to Moskoivitz.

Suicide Bomber in Syria Was U.S. Citizen, Officials Say
A United States citizen working in Syria with a militant group backed by Al Qaeda conducted a suicide bombing there Sunday, in what is believed to be the first time an American has been involved in such an attack, American officials said Wednesday.

Snowden: ‘There Are Some Things Worth Dying For’
Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, stands by his decision to leak a huge collection of classified National Security Agency documents that revealed extensive, global U.S. government surveillance programs. “There are some things worth dying for,” Snowden said in an interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams that aired late Wednesday, “I think the country is one of them.” The interview was his first with a U.S. television network since he fled from Hawaii to Hong Kong a year ago with classified materials.

Rogue Libya general's forces bomb Islamist camp
Libyan forces loyal to a renegade general have bombed government-funded Islamist militia in the eastern city of Benghazi. Witnesses say aircraft targeted a base of the February 17th Brigade, one of the main armed groups in the area. General Khalifa Haftar, a former army chief of staff under Col Muammar Gaddafi, has launched several recent attacks in Benghazi and Tripoli.

John Kerry urges Snowden to return to US
US Secretary of State John Kerry has labelled intelligence leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive from justice who should "man up" and return home. Mr Kerry added that if Mr Snowden, 30, "believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice". His comments come in the wake of an interview with NBC in which Mr Snowden said he sought asylum in Russia because the US revoked his passport.

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

"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

31 May 14

Google privacy law ‘means total rethink of basic freedoms’
Hundreds of millions of people across Europe will be forced to change completely the way they use the internet, according to one of Google’s key advisers. The era of freely available information is now over in Europe, warns Professor Luciano Floridi, who has been appointed by the £225bn search engine firm to find out how it should comply with a landmark ruling that allows people to ask for personal information to be taken down.

Volcano ash clouds force Australia flight cancellations
Huge ash clouds thrown up by an Indonesian volcano have forced airlines to cancel all flights to and from the northern Australian city of Darwin. Mount Sangeang Api began erupting on Friday and plumes of ash have been sweeping south towards Australia. Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have all cancelled flights. Services between Australia and the province of Bali have also been hit.

Meriam Ibrahim: Sudan death sentence condemned by UK leaders
UK political leaders have united to urge Sudan to lift the "barbaric" death sentence handed down to a Christian woman accused of abandoning Islam. A court ruled that Meriam Ibrahim, who was raised by her Christian mother and married a Christian, was Muslim in line with her father - which she rejects.

Obama, Kerry haven’t given up on Israeli-Palestinian peace
US President Barack Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry both said that they have not given up on the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians... “I have not yet given up on the possibility that both Israelis and Palestinians can see...peace...that would provide Israel security...and make sure that Palestinians have a state of their own,” Obama said...

US confirms American carried out Syria suicide bombing
An American citizen fighting for a hardline Islamist group carried out a deadly suicide bombing in Syria, US officials confirmed Friday, in the first such case in the war. The State Department did not identify the man, said to have been behind a truck bombing on Sunday in the northern province of Idlib, but acknowledged concerns about the flow of foreign fighters into Syria.

VA chief and White House spokesman resign, fueling unease
Pesident Obama sought to stem a growing political furor Friday by accepting the resignation of Eric K. Shinseki, the beleaguered secretary of Veterans Affairs, the second Cabinet-level official to resign under fire this year. Two hours later, Obama abruptly returned to the White House briefing room's podium to announce the departure of what he called "one of my closest friends," Jay Carney, the White House press secretary.

India gang rapes: Police says all suspects arrested
Police in India say they have now arrested all suspects in connection with the gang rape and murder of two teenage cousins. Three suspected attackers have been detained, along with two policemen accused of dereliction of duty and criminal conspiracy. The girls, who belonged to a low caste, were found hanged from a tree in Uttar Pradesh state earlier in the week.

Chuck Hagel: Beijing 'destabilising' South China Sea
The US defence secretary has accused China of "destabilising" the South China Sea, saying its action threatened the region's long-term progress. Chuck Hagel said the US would "not look the other way" when nations ignored international rules.

Drugs for treating heroin users: a new abuse problem in the making?
Addiction to heroin and prescription painkillers bedeviled Marc Goldfinger for three decades. At times, it conspired to make him homeless; at others, it put him in prison.

‘Death Of Money’: Author Rickards Predicts Collapse Of Global Monetary System In “Near Future”
The collapse of the monetary system awaits the world in the near future, says financial expert James Rickards. Russia and China’s desire to rid the US dollar of its global reserve currency status is an early sign of the “increasingly inevitable” crisis.

Indianapolis officials scramble to avert a record murder rate for the city
Gun violence is escalating in Indianapolis this spring, and city officials are scrambling to understand why. Seventy people have been killed to date this year in the capital of Indiana, according to statistics compiled by The Indianapolis Star. This puts the city on pace to have its worst year since 1998, when it suffered 162 killings, the deadliest annual count on record for Indianapolis.

Japan to play greater regional security role, prime minister
says Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday Japan would play a greater role in Asian security and support Southeast Asian counties in territorial disputes with China.

Delaware lawmakers introduce bill to decriminalize marijuana
Democratic lawmakers in Delaware have introduced a bill that would decriminalize possession of a small amount of marijuana, following the lead of nearly 20 U.S. states that have moved to loosen laws surrounding non-medical use of the drug.

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