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Israel's Netanyahu Warns Gaza Militants Against Attacking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza on Sunday that his country will retaliate with "greater force" than deployed in the 2014 Gaza war if cross-border tunnels are used to attack Israel.

Was Zika outbreak caused by release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Brazil?
The Zika virus outbreak currently gripping the Americas could have been sparked by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in 2012, critics say. The insects were engineered by biotechnology experts to combat the spread of dengue fever and other diseases and released into the general population of Brazil in 2012.

Ouch: U.S. economy stumbles with 0.7 percent growth in 4Q 2015
Obama will be gone this time next year, but have we learned enough from the past seven years not to elect another socialist or a socialist who masquerades as something else?We’re always told that consistent economic growth will get us out of all our fiscal problems. That’s not true, although it would certainly help. We recently told you that deficit projections for coming years are looking pretty scary, and even those projections depend on some pretty rosy assumptions about future economic growth.

Election 2016’s about Obama’s visceral hatred of America
Election 2016 is about the turnaround survival or continuing downfall of Western Society as we know it.The 2016 election is about the possibility of releasing the USA from its lockdown of hatred; a hatred that has all but swiped America off the world map; a hatred that gutted America’s role as leader of the Free World, the same way as it gutted the nation’s Armed Forces; a hatred that allows murderers and rapists to be set free from prisons; a hatred that gives carte blanche to ISIS, which the current administration refuses to even name, and everything in between.

Boko Haram burned children alive in Nigeria, witness says
A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts and heard the screams of children among people burned to death in the latest attack by Nigeria's homegrown Islamic extremists.

Global Trade Collapsed In January: Bellwether South Korea Exports Crash "Most Since Lehman"
As the first major exporting nation to report each month, all eyes and hopeful speculative capital was glued to tonight's South Korean trade data. After a brief respite in November, December's drop was worrisome, but January's just reported 18.5% crash - the most since the financial crisis - has only been seen during a US economic recession.

US pledges $97M to combat Ethiopia's drought
The U.S. has boosted its emergency food aid to Ethiopia by nearly $100 million to combat one of the worst droughts in decades, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced Sunday.

Humans could become GMO
Genetic engineering is currently an immature and imprecise science. Scientists cannot forecast all the impacts of a particular genetic modification. They do know, however, that many modifications come with strings attached. For instance, a genetic modification to establish HIV resistance would also increase susceptibility to West Nile Virus, not to mention that the changes are permanent and heritable.

Colorado to Iowa, Michigan face blizzard Monday into Groundhog Day
Snow and slippery travel over the central United States will evolve into dangerous blizzard conditions to start February, including Groundhog Day. A storm will strengthen and gather snow and wind as it tracks across the Southwest states into Monday to the central Plains and Upper Midwest during Monday night into Tuesday night.

Pope Francis Said to Bless Human-Animal Chimeras
While the Catholic Church has opposed research on human embryos, it endorses evolution and generally takes a liberal view on scientific matters. In fact, the Vatican’s position on “human-animal chimeras,” as the mixtures are known, may be more liberal than that of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which in September instituted a ban on funding chimera research until it can weigh ethical questions associated with it.

Satanic group set to lead Phoenix City Council in prayer
A Satanic group is set to deliver an opening prayer at an upcoming meeting of the Phoenix City Council, sparking controversy. The local Satanic Temple will deliver the invocation at the Council’s Feb. 17 meeting after winning approval -- and at least one Councilman is calling that a joke, Fox 10 reported Thursday.

The US Mosque Obama Has Chosen For His First Presidential Visit Has Deep Extremist Ties
The Baltimore mosque President Obama has chosen as the first U.S.-based mosque to visit during his presidency has deep ties to extremist elements, including to the Muslim Brotherhood. The White House announced on Saturday that Obama will visit the Islamic Society of Baltimore (ISB) on Wednesday. He has visited several mosques overseas as president but has resisted visiting one in the homeland.

Thousands march in Paris rain to protest state of emergency
Thousands of people marched in the Paris rain on Saturday to denounce plans to renew France's state of emergency and revoke the French citizenship of dual nationals convicted of terrorism. Human rights groups, politicians and unions joined the march in the French capital, and in other demonstrations around France.

Syria conflict: Deadly blasts near Sayyida Zeinab shrine
At least 45 people have been killed in three blasts near the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, south of the capital Damascus, Syrian state media say. Scores of people were also reported to have been wounded. The shrine, which is highly revered by Shia Muslims, has been targeted before, most recently in February last year.

Zika: Colombia cases in pregnant women double in a week
The number of pregnant women in Colombia infected with the Zika virus has doubled in a week, officials said. Almost 2,000 pregnant women now have the virus, Colombia's National Health Institute said, out of the more than 20,000 people infected across Colombia. The mosquito-borne virus has been linked to babies being born with abnormally small brains.

Turkey says Russia violated its airspace near Syria border
Turkey has accused Russia of again violating its airspace and warned it would "face consequences" if such infringements continue. The foreign ministry said a Russian jet flew into its airspace on the border with Syria on Friday. Moscow described the claim as "baseless propaganda". Tensions between the two countries have been high since November, when Turkey shot down a Russian jet.

Report: Senior Hamas official blames Iranian 'liars' for deserting Hamas
Deputy Chairman of Hamas' political bureau, Musa Abu Marzouk, blamed Iran for lying about financial aid to Hamas, claiming that the Palestinian Islamist movement has not received any Iranian funding since 2009, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Sunday. In a recording of a private conversation...Abu Marzouk is heard saying that "the story is not like Iran presents it… The Iranians are masters of diplomatic wordplay.


Israel would consider invitation to peace talks with Palestinians: spokesman
Israel would consider a French invitation to peace talks with the Palestinians, but believes France has made a mistake by saying it will recognize a Palestinian state if the talks fail, an Israeli government official said on Saturday.

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Legal US pot sales soar to $5.4B in 2015: Report
Legal U.S. pot sales soared to $5.4 billion for 2015, up 17.4 percent from $4.6 billion in 2014, according to data released Monday by the ArcView Group, which tracks the cannabis markets.

Six cases of Zika virus diagnosed in California, officials say
Six people in California have been diagnosed with the Zika virus in the past three years, state public health officials said Monday. All of the cases were contracted abroad.

Nations gather in Rome to discuss anti-Islamic State push, Libya
Nearly two dozen nations gather on Tuesday to plot their fight against the Islamic State militant group in Syria and Iraq and how to choke off its rise in Libya.

Putin is fanning Syrian civil war, Britain's Hammond says
Russian President Vladimir Putin is undermining international efforts to end the Syrian civil war by bombing opponents of Islamic State in an attempt to bolster Bashar al-Assad, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Monday.

John Cleese: Political Correctness Will Lead To An Orwellian Nightmare
John Cleese says political correctness has gone too far, especially on America's college campuses, where he will no longer go to perform. As BigThink reports, the very essence of his trade — comedy — is criticism and that not infrequently means hurt feelings. But protecting everyone from negative emotion all the time is not only impractical (one can't control the feelings of another), but also improper in a free society.

National debt hits $19 trillion
The national debt hit $19 trillion for the first time ever on Friday, and came in at $19.012 trillion. It took a little more than 13 months for the debt to climb by $1 trillion. The national debt hit $18 trillion on Dec. 15, 2014.


Winter Storm Kayla Prompts Blizzard Warnings in the Plains, Midwest
Blizzard and winter storm alerts have been expanded to cover 13 million Americans from Nevada and Arizona to the Great Lakes as Winter Storm Kayla kicks into high gear with heavy snow and high winds, leading to major travel headaches early this week.Blizzard warnings stretch from far north-central Kansas into southern Minnesota...

Asteroid so huge it has its own MOON set to zoom past earth today
AN asteroid capable of eradicating all life across the globe is zooming towards Earth and traveling with its very own moon in tow. Asteroid 1998 QE2 has the same level of force as the giant rock that eliminated the dinosaurs, experts have said, and will make its near-miss approach to Earth later tonight.

Fears of the 'big one': Volcano explodes 1.8 miles high hours after massive earthquake
A HUGE volcano has seen a massive eruption of toxic ash and gas just hours after a major earthquake rocked the region, causing shopping centre evacuations. The Karymsky volcano in Russian Kamchatka's eastern volcanic zone spewed ash up to 3km into the air, according to the Regional Emergencies Ministry. Airlines have been placed on an "orange" warning to avoid the area following today's eruption. It came less than 48 hours hours after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake tore through the region...

150,000 homes without power, gusts up to 115mph as El Nino storm hits US southwest
Over 150,000 US households were left without electricity as gusts of an El Nino-driven storm downed trees and power poles is Southern California. Gusts of wind up to 115mph were recorded, with locals taking to social media to share the aftermath.

A New Madrid Earthquake Is Coming And America Will Be Shaken Like Never Before
In fact, the U.S. Geological Survey has admitted that the New Madrid fault zone has the “potential for larger and more powerful quakes than previously thought“, and the number of significant earthquakes in the middle part of the country has more than quintupled in recent years.

Leviathan’s First Deal Signed With Israeli-Turkish Consortium
The Leviathan natural gas field is launching its debut into the world of domestic production and foreign export, simultaneously. The mammoth natural gas field will supply two private companies with its natural resource in a new $1.3 billion contract signed with Edeltech Group (owned by the Edelsburg family) and its Turkish partner, Zorlu Enerji.

Comment: Shooting attack in Beit El signals the start of an armed intifada
The terror attack yesterday [Sunday] in Beit El seems to mark the beginning of the next armed intifada we have so far sought to avoid.

Will Two-Thirds of Israelis Perish?
There is a popular belief, even among Christian lovers of Israel, that according to Zechariah’s prophecy, two-thirds of the Jewish people in Israel “will be cut off and perish” (Zech. 13:8). This interpretation is tied to the belief of how God will bring about Israel’s ultimate salvation.

Very shallow M6.0 earthquake hits Balleny Islands region, Antarctica
A very shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.0 hit Balleny Islands region, Antarctica at 17:39 UTC on January 31, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 40 km (25 miles). There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles) radius.

Gov't approves mixed prayer area at Western Wall
According to the proposed arrangement, a new prayer area will be set up south of the existing separate prayer areas. The new prayer area will be modeled on the one set up at Robinson's Arch two years ago where Women of the Wall could worship, and will allow Reform and Conservative Jews to pray according to their custom.

60% of Jordanian students have never heard of 'Al-Aqsa'
A new survey published by the University of Jordan raises a startling statistic which challenges quite a few deeply-rooted fundamental assumptions surrounding the Temple Mount. The survey, conducted among 6,000 Jordanian students, asked only one question: What is al-Aqsa Mosque? The result: More than 60 percent of the students did not know how to answer.

We Need a New Government Agency to Oversee the Search for Immortality
Scientists increasingly agree that we’re fast approaching a moment in medicine—probably within 30 years—where we won’t just be significantly lengthening human lifespans, but probably conquering death too. Medicine’s main goal will no longer be to just improve health, but to attempt to guarantee survival for every person that exists on the planet. We must remember the greater good for society and ourselves...

China shares fall as economic pulse slows
Chinese shares stumbled lower on Monday after an official measure of activity in the giant factory sector fell to its lowest since mid-2012, offering no respite for markets from the country's economic drift.

Pope Francis Said to Bless Human-Animal Chimeras
A Spanish scientist working at the Salk Institute in California told Scientific American that Pope Francis personally blessed his cutting-edge research to mix human cells into animal bodies.

4.1 Earthquake Recorded in Western Montana
The quake occurred at 7 a.m. yesterday in a sparsely populated area about 15 miles east of the small community of Lincoln or 28 miles northwest of Helena.

Scientists get 'gene editing' go-ahead
UK scientists have been given the go-ahead by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos. The research will take place at the Francis Crick Institute in London and aims to provide a deeper understanding of the earliest moments of human life. The experiments will take place in the first seven days after fertilisation and could explain what goes wrong in miscarriage.

Lift-off for Europe's space laser network
Europe has begun to roll out a data superhighway in orbit above the Earth. The first node in the network is a telecommunications satellite that was launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. It will use a laser to gather pictures of the planet taken by other spacecraft and then relay them to the ground.

Syria conflict: Dozens killed near Sayyida Zeinab shrine
At least 71 people have died in blasts near the Shia shrine of Sayyida Zeinab, south of Syria's capital Damascus. A bus station and a building housing military headquarters were hit by the blasts, which mangled nearby vehicles. It happened as the government and opposition groups gathered in Geneva in a bid to start talks aimed at a political solution to the conflict.

African Union abandons plans to send peacekeepers to Burundi
The African Union has abandoned its plan to send 5,000 peacekeepers to help restore stability to troubled Burundi. Officials said they would instead encourage political dialogue between Burundi's opposing sides. Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza had fiercely opposed the AU plan's to send peacekeepers.

IDF partial blockade in Ramallah response to alerts of future attacks from city
The IDF has placed a partial blockade around Ramallah on Monday morning, allowing only residents of the Palestinian city to enter and leave it. An army spokeswoman said the partial closure placed around the major city...came following "concrete alerts regarding future acts of terrorism originating in the city," as well as a spate of recent attacks, including the shooting attack by a PA policeman on IDF soldiers on Sunday.

Company Developing ‘Tech Tattoos’ So People Can Track Their Medical, Financial Info
Could we soon be carrying all of our medical and financial information on a tattoo? Software company Chaotic Moon has developed a “tech tattoo” that gets embedded into a person’s arm and can track a person’s financial and medical information.

Israel's Netanyahu Warns Gaza Militants Against Attacking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza on Sunday that his country will retaliate with "greater force" than deployed in the 2014 Gaza war if cross-border tunnels are used to attack Israel.

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Poll: 63% of Israelis Rank President Obama ‘Worst for Israel in The Last 30 Years’
A survey shows that Jewish Israelis rank Barack Obama as the “worst” U.S. president in relation to Israel in the last 30 years -- 63% of Israelis put Obama in the “worst” category while 16% rated Jimmy Carter as the second “worst” president.

‘Zero confidence’ in Obama to stop Zika virus
The World Health Organization now calls the Zika virus a global emergency and a 30-year immigration official says the U.S. response should be obvious, but he suspects President Obama will do virtually nothing to stop the virus from entering the U.S.

N. Korea confirms imminent satellite launch
North Korea confirmed Tuesday it was planning an imminent space rocket launch -- a move the US immediately condemned as "another egregious violation" of UN resolutions following Pyongyang's nuclear test last month.

Syrian army threatens to encircle Aleppo as talks falter
A Syrian military offensive backed by heavy Russian air strikes threatened to cut critical rebel supply lines into the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, while the warring sides said peace talks had not started despite a U.N. statement they had.

Plane makes emergency landing after explosion tears gaping hole in its side
A passenger plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Somalia on Tuesday when an explosion shortly after takeoff tore a large, gaping hole in its fuselage. Two people were hurt in the incident onboard the Dijbouti-bound Daallo Airlines flight, officials told BBC News, which occurred at 10,000 feet over Mogadishu. Local reports also suggested that at least one man was blown out of the plane.

White House rallies public, private efforts to prepare for devastating earthquakes
Spurred by renewed fears of the fabled “Big One” shattering the West Coast, the Obama administration on Tuesday promoted stronger earthquake-preparedness efforts as part of a first-of-its-kind White House summit.

Doomsday Clock Set at Three Minutes to Midnight, But What Does the Bible Say?
“Three minutes (to midnight) is too close. Far too close,” the Bulletin said in a statement. Rabbi Yitzchak Batsri, a noted Kabbalist from Jerusalem, who was unconcerned about the global threats used to determine the doomsday clock. “While the world exists, it is through God’s mercy and not because of our merit. Therefore, until God’s mercy ends, the world cannot end, no matter what men do.

Small Quake Shakes up Sleepy Down East Maine
A small earthquake served as a wakeup call Tuesday for sleeping residents in Eastport, Maine, the easternmost city in the U.S. The magnitude 3.3 earthquake, among the smallest generally felt by people, was recorded just before 7 a.m. in the waters between Maine and Canada, and about 6 miles northeast of the city, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

“To God be the Glory”, Says Ted Cruz After Sweeping Trump in Iowa Caucus
The surprising results of Monday’s Iowa caucuses are in, and Senator Ted Cruz is the clear Republican winner, upsetting Donald Trump’s frontrunner status in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. “To God be the glory!” Cruz cried to a crowd of his supporters after winning 27.7 percent of the vote. “Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation.”

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake shakes northeastern Taiwan
An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale occurred off the coast of northeastern Taiwan at 10:19 p.m. Tuesday, the Central Weather Bureau reported shortly after the temblor. The quake's epicenter was located at sea about 185.4 kilometers east of Keelung City Hall in northern Taiwan at a depth of 212.7 km, the bureau said.

Macroscopic quantum entanglement achieved at room temperature
In quantum physics, the creation of a state of entanglement in particles any larger and more complex than photons usually requires temperatures close to absolute zero and the application of enormously powerful magnetic fields to achieve. Now scientists working at the University of Chicago (UChicago) and the Argonne National Laboratory claim to have created this entangled state at room temperature on a semiconductor chip, using atomic nuclei and the application of relatively small magnetic fields.

Violent weekend pushes Chicago to most homicidal January in 16 years
The start to the new year has been a particularly deadly one in the Windy City, where authorities say more homicides were committed this January than any other since 2000 -- owing partly to the month's violent final weekend. Chicago police say 51 homicides were committed in January -- an increase of 22 over January 2015 (29) and more than double the number recorded in 2014 (20).

Hillary Says She’s Not In ‘Anyone’s Pocket’ After Taking $6 Million From George Soros
In the last 6 months, the Hillary 2016 super-PAC raised $25.3 million, meaning that Soros’s contribution accounted for almost a quarter of its fundraising haul.

BP reports biggest ever annual loss
BP (BP.L) slumped to its biggest annual loss last year and announced thousands more job cuts on Tuesday, showing that even one of the nimblest oil producers is struggling in the worst market downturn in over a decade.

Hillary Clinton supporters endorse 19th century socialist Karl Marx as her vice president
Some Americans seem to be disconnected with historical reality, as a number of Hillary Clinton supporters signed a mock petition to approve 19th century socialist philosopher Karl Marx as "her choice" for vice president if she's elected president.

WHO declares global emergency over Zika virus
The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the explosive spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects in the Americas, calling it an "extraordinary event" that poses a public health threat to other parts of the world.

Australia reports two cases of Zika virus, detects mosquitoes at Sydney airport
Two Australians were diagnosed with the Zika virus after returning home from travels in the Caribbean, a state health service said on Tuesday, confirming the first cases of the mosquito-borne virus in the country this year.

Undersea earthquake felt in NZ
An earthquake registering 6.6 on the Richter scale has been felt throughout the North Island. The 366km deep undersea earthquake was centred 850km north of Whakatane at 8am. The earthquake was felt in Tauranga and as far away as Wellington says GeoNet duty seismologist Caroline Holden.

M5.7 quake strikes Japan’s northeast, no tsunami warning issued
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 shook northeastern Japan on the afternoon of February 2, 2016, although no tsunami warning was issued.

A strong earthquake measuring 6.7 magnitude has hit northeast India
The strong earth tremor is reported to have cracked walls while a recently completed six-storey building in Imphal collapsed. Many other buildings werte also damaged Other buildings were also reported to have been damaged. In Manipur atleast six people have been killed with more than 30 injured, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Aetna CEO Has `Serious Concerns' About Obamacare Sustainability
The head of the third-biggest U.S. health insurer said he has “serious concerns” about whether or not Obamacare’s new markets are sustainable, echoing criticism from other top for-profit insurers. “We continue to have serious concerns about the sustainability of the public exchanges,” Aetna Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini said on a call Monday while discussing the company’s fourth-quarter results.

Mystery surrounds Muslim cleric in US mountain compound
The influential Muslim cleric lives quietly on a gated 26-acre compound in the Pocono Mountains, where he prays, works, meets admirers and watches from afar as terrorism accusations that have landed him on Turkey's most-wanted list unfold in court. Rarely seen in public, Fethullah Gulen has long been one of Turkey's most important scholars, with multitudes of followers in his native country and around the world.

Russia deploys frontline fighter jets to Syria amid Turkish tension
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Monday that Su-35 fighters have been deployed to Hemeimeem air base in Syria. The Su-35 is Russia’s most advanced fighter that is fielded in significant numbers... “Starting from last week, super-maneuverable Su-35S fighter jets started performing combat missions at Khmeimim airbase,” Maj. Gen. Konashenkov told the Russian state news agency, TASS.

Outbreak of female, vampire-like attackers in New Zealand
A number of people have been injured during a series of vampire-like biting attacks on New Zealand’s North Island. Over the past two days, a woman was accused of biting a man’s neck so hard, her teeth cut through an artery, while another woman was arrested after allegedly chomping on a woman’s ear.

America’s Economic Freedom Has Rapidly Declined Under Obama
Millions of people around the world are emerging from poverty thanks to rising economic freedom. But by sharp contrast, America’s economic freedom has been on a declining path over the past decade. According to the 2016 Index of Economic Freedom...America’s economic freedom has tumbled. With losses of economic freedom in eight of the past nine years, the U.S. has tied its worst score ever, wiping out a decade of progress.

As Feds Plan to Cut Border Monitoring, Texas Officials Ask Why
Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, pressed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Monday to explain why the agency plans to reduce its aerial surveillance on the Texas-Mexico border. In a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, the lawmakers said the cut to a requested 3,850 hours of aerial detection and monitoring in 2016 amounts to 50 percent less coverage than recent years.

Syria conflict: Jordanians 'at boiling point' over refugees
King Abdullah of Jordan says his country is at "boiling point" because of an influx of hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees. Ahead of a donor conference on Syria, the king told the BBC that there was enormous pressure on Jordan's social services, infrastructure and economy. "Sooner or later, I think, the dam is going to burst," he warned.

China snow strands 'nearly 100,000' at Guangzhou station
Heavy snow has disrupted public transport in southern China, stranding tens of thousands of people outside a rail station, police say. The crowd outside Guangzhou station swelled to nearly 100,000 at its peak on Monday night, police said. Central China has experienced some of its coldest weather in years.

Jordanian BDS campaign launched against renewed negotiations for Israeli gas imports
The Jordanian BDS movement launched a social media campaign against gas imports from Israel following reports of renewed negotiations between Jordan and the American gas company, Noble Energy, over the gas deal. An official Noble Energy delegation arrived in Jordan's capital, Amman, on Monday, to discuss the Israeli-Jordanian gas deal with senior government officials, the Jordanian newspaper al-Ghad reported on Monday.


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5.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Timor island in Indonesia
An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 struck Timor island in eastern Indonesia early today, US seismologists said, but no tsunami warning was immediately issued. The shallow quake struck at around 4:30 am local time (0200 IST), some 11 kilometres north of the city of Kupang, the US Geological Survey said.

At the United Nations Nothing Justifies Terrorism, Except Palestinian ‘Frustration’
The United Nations played the Holocaust game last week so it could play another lethal game this week. The ruse consists of making a big deal about the gas chambers for Jews back then, while stoking the fires of anti-Semitism burning right now.

Student: Gay-straight alliances are NOT a safe place for me
Let me get this through your head: I DO NOT FEEL SAFE. This idea that Gay Straight Alliances make a safe space for everyone, is false.

American Jewish Leader Urges Jews to Get Out of America
Palatnik is referring to the dangers of increased anti-Semitism. “There’s been a build up. Anti-Semitism is worse than before the Holocaust. In Paris you can’t wear a kippah on the street. Is that what we’re waiting for?” she asked.

Hiker Discovers 3,500-Year-Old Egyptian Seal in Galilee
this particular seal is dedicated to Pharaoh Thutmose III, who reigned around the 15th century BCE and imposed Egyptian administrative rule over Canaan.

CO-ROTATING INTERACTION REGION
NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Feb 3rd when a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field.

West’s lack of morals & disregard for law caused current political crisis – Duma speaker
“The tensions in the international situation have seriously increased over the past few years and this happens primarily because a group of Western nations, first of all, the United States of America, are neglecting the major principles of international law or interpret them freely,” Interfax quoted the Russian parliamentary leader as saying at a meeting with law students on Monday.

NATO should keep its promises for Russia to trust it - security chief
Russia is open to negotiating better relations with NATO, but it’s only possible if the Western military bloc starts keeping its promises and considering the national interests of other countries, the head of the Russian Security Council told the press.

Russia assures Israel: We're not passing weapons to Hezbollah
An internal Russian probe has determined that Israeli fears of Russia passing arms to the Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah are baseless. The Israeli ambassador to Moscow, Zvi Heifetz, relayed the findings to a Knesset committee and added that the relations between the two countries "are flourishing in an unprecedented manner."

First U.S. Zika virus transmission reported, attributed to sex
The first known case of Zika virus transmission in the United States was reported in Texas on Tuesday by local health officials, who said it likely was contracted through sex and not a mosquito bite, a day after the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency.

'Journalists orchestrating events to make Israel look bad'
MKs, IDF accuse media of fomenting conflict in West Bank; journalists’ groups say security forces are increasingly violent towards reporters.

Oil rises after Russia says open to OPEC meeting
Oil rose on Wednesday, paring earlier losses after fresh comments from Russia about its openness to talk with OPEC over output cuts helped revive hope among investors that the world's largest producers could act to boost prices. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said if there is consensus among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC members to meet, "then we will meet".

Fears Zika virus could contaminate emergency blood supply
New concerns have emerged over the widespread Zika epidemic as it's feared the virus can be spread through sex and can impact blood donations. Scientists probing the rapid onslaught of the virus claim pregnant women can catch it through unprotected sex. At least one UK resident was warned not to have sex without a condom after contracting the virus.

The Fed Wants to Test How Banks Would Handle Negative Rates
As interest rates turn negative around the world, the Federal Reserve is asking banks to consider the possibility of the same happening in the U.S. In its annual stress test for 2016, the Fed said it will assess the resilience of big banks to a number of possible situations, including one where the rate on the three-month U.S. Treasury bill stays below zero for a prolonged period.

Microsoft buys UK AI firm SwiftKey
UK-based artificial intelligence firm SwiftKey has been acquired by Microsoft, the company has confirmed. The Financial Times reports the deal is worth $250m (£174m). SwiftKey is known for its predictive keyboard, which can be found installed on millions of smartphone devices.

Egypt overturns death sentences for 149 Muslim Brotherhood supporters
An Egyptian court has overturned the death sentences of 149 supporters of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group and ordered a retrial. The defendants were convicted of carrying out a 2013 attack on a police station in Kerdasa, near Cairo, in which at least 11 officers were killed. Egypt has cracked down on Islamists since the army overthrew President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

Zika virus infection 'through sex' reported in US
A rare case of the Zika virus being transmitted through sex, not a mosquito bite, has been reported in the US. A patient infected in Dallas, Texas, is likely to have been infected by sexual contact, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) told the BBC. The person had not travelled to infected areas but their partner had returned from Venezuela.

South Korea warns North against satellite launch
South Korea has warned the North it will "pay a harsh price" if it goes ahead with its plan to launch a satellite into space. North Korea said on Tuesday it intended to carry out the launch between 8 and 25 February. Critics say it is a cover for a test of ballistic missile technology.

US House passes bill again to restrict Obama lifting Iran sanctions
The US House of Representatives narrowly approved legislation on Tuesday that would restrict President Barack Obama's ability to lift sanctions under the international nuclear deal with Iran... House members voted 246-181 to pass the "Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act," almost entirely along party lines, with almost every "yes" vote coming from Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly opposed to it.

German FM urges Iran's President Rouhani: Please visit Germany
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Wednesday that he had told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani he was welcome to visit Germany the next time he comes to Europe. Speaking after meeting Rouhani in Tehran, Steinmeier said he had urged him "to keep Germany in mind as a destination on his next trip to Europe."

Top German Journalist Admits Live On Air National News Agenda Set By Government
A retired media boss at a major German state broadcaster has admitted his network and others take orders from the government on what — and what not — to report.


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Germans Are Turning Sour On Angela Merkel
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, once the adored "mutti," or mother, of her country, is seeing her popularity plummet. "I don't think there is any question anymore," Werner J. Patzelt, a political analyst at Technical University Dresden, told The Washington Post. "Angela Merkel is really in trouble."

Tortured Italian student died 'slow death': Egypt official Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20160204_ap_df70b1b30d3
The body of an Italian graduate student who disappeared last month has been found with multiple stab wounds, cigarette burns and other signs of torture and a "slow death" on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo, an Egyptian prosecutor said Thursday. Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University PhD candidate who had been researching labor rights in Egypt, went missing on Jan. 25, the fifth anniversary of the popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. His body was found Wednesday.

Syrian rebels are losing Aleppo and perhaps also the war
Syrian rebels battled for their survival in and around Syria’s northern city of Aleppo on Thursday after a blitz of Russian airstrikes helped government loyalists sever a vital supply route and sent a new surge of refugees fleeing toward the border with Turkey.

US demands end to Russia strikes after Syria talks collapse
The United States demanded Thursday that Russia immediately halt its bombing campaign in Syria after a bitter breakdown in peace talks exposed the deep rift between world powers aiming to end the five-year conflict.

Protests, EU demands add pressure on Greece's Tsipras
Tens of thousands joined anti-government protests across Greece Thursday as the country was crippled by a general strike against painful pension reforms demanded by bailout lenders.

Branstad says Cruz employed ‘unethical and unfair’ tactics Monday night
Governor Terry Branstad is crediting Ted Cruz for running an “old-fashioned”, 99-county campaign that yielded victory in Monday night’s Iowa Caucuses, but Branstad is joining the chorus criticizing Cruz for “questionable” campaign tactics. “This thing that they distributed on Caucus night saying that Dr. Carson was likely to drop out and his supporters should support Cruz, that is, I think, unethical and unfair,” Branstad said this morning. “I think there’ll be repercussions to that.”

EU on brink of 'terrifying crisis' Five of Europe's big banks are in danger, warns expert
SOME of Europe's biggest banks are on the brink for a crisis that echoes the 2008 meltdown, a finance expert warned today, as fears over the global economy escalate.

‘Russia & Israel Partners Against Holocaust Denial’
Russia and Israel are partners in the struggle against Holocaust denial, says Valentina Matviyenko, head of the Federation Council of Russia.

Top House Republican demands Kerry explain $1.7 billion Iran payment
The chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee demanded Wednesday that Secretary of State John Kerry explain a $1.7 billion settlement paid to Iran that some Republicans have described as a "ransom" tied to last month's release of five American prisoners.

WikiLeaks' Assange 'unlawfully detained' in Ecuador embassy, U.N. panel to rule, BBC says
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's three-and-a-half-year stay in the Ecuadorian embassy in London amounts to 'unlawful detention', a United Nations panel examining his appeal will rule on Friday, the BBC reported.

81% of Germans say refugee crisis 'out of control' under Merkel govt
More than four in five Germans believe Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government isn’t controlling the refugee crisis, and welcome tougher measures to deal with it, a poll by ARD Deutschlandtrend has suggested.

ASTEROID TO BUZZ EARTH
An asteroid named "2013 TX68" will fly by Earth on March 5th as close as 17,000 km from our planet's surface. That would put it well inside the Clarke Belt of geosynchronous satellites. The space rock is about 30 meters wide, or 50% larger than the asteroid that broke up in the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, three years ago.

Three Caribbean countries rattled by quake
An earthquake measuring 4.9 rattled several Caribbean islands on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 was felt in Antigua and Barbuda and Guadeloupe.

Top IS commanders 'taking refuge' in Libya
Senior commanders from so-called Islamic State (IS) have moved to Libya from Iraq and Syria recently, a top Libyan intelligence official says. The official told BBC Newsnight that increasing numbers of foreign fighters had arrived in the city of Sirte. Representatives from 23 countries met in Rome on Tuesday to discuss the growing threat from IS in Libya.

Syria civil war: Leaders in new plea for massive refugee aid
World leaders have opened a donor conference in London with an urgent plea for billions of pounds in aid for refugees from war-torn Syria. "There is a critical shortfall in life-saving aid," said UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Both he and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke of the need to get all Syrian refugee children into education within months.

Paris climate deal could 'displace millions of forest dwellers'
The Paris climate agreement could make millions of forest dwellers homeless, according to a new analysis. Many developing countries will try to curb carbon emissions by setting aside forested areas as reserves. But experts are worried that creating national parks often involves removing the people who live in these areas.

It could be too late to avoid catastrophe in Venezuela
As markets brace themselves for the negative effects of the decline in oil prices, Venezuela will probably be the first big domino to fall. Domestically, the most likely scenario is an imminent economic collapse and a humanitarian crisis. Internationally, it will imply the largest and messiest emerging market sovereign default since the Argentine crisis of 2001. The situation is made worse by the inability of the political system, at present, to address the situation.

Donald Trump on Obama's mosque visit: 'Maybe he feels comfortable there'
Real-estate mogul Donald Trump said on Wednesday that US President Barack Obama may have visited a Maryland mosque because "he feels comfortable there."

Is It Time To Panic About Deutsche Bank?
Back in April 2013, we showed for the first time something few were aware of, namely that "At $72.8 Trillion, The Bank With The Biggest Derivative Exposure In The World" was not JPMorgan as some had expected, but Germany's banking behemoth, Deutsche bank.

WikiLeaks' Assange says to leave Ecuador embassy, accept arrest if loses U.N. case
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he took refuge in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, and accept arrest on Friday if a UN panel investigating his case rules against him, he said in a statement.

Syria Talks Go off the Rails as Russia Ignores Cease-Fire Call
With the Syrian government intensifying its assault on rebels in Aleppo, the United Nations formally suspended faltering peace talks in Geneva Wednesday and appealed to the big powers to prod their Syrian proxies to end the fighting.

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Defeat BDS the non-government way
Government should concentrate on international diplomacy and leave public diplomacy to non-government organizations and Zionist groups which it must help with funding. The Israeli government has 108 delegations abroad, and plans to close 6 of them. The 22 Arab League nations alone have 1799 delegations. Turkey has 233 delegations. That is more than double the number of Israeli missions abroad. With its limited manpower, the Israeli government cannot cope with the added responsibility of challenging the thousands of global non-government, anti-Israel, groups that are practicing BDS and delegitimization of Israel

Palm Bay, FL Protects Religious Freedom, Rejects GLBT Ordinance
The proposed ordinance would have directly infringed on the religious freedom of churches, religious organizations, businesses, and individuals. Palm Bay, FL - At 1:30 AM this morning, the Mayor and City Council of Palm Bay voted 4-1 to reject a proposed ordinance that would have added “sexual orientation,” “gender identity” and “gender expression” to its non-discrimination policy that applies to employment and public accommodations, including churches, religious organizations and businesses. Liberty Counsel provided a letter analyzing and detailing the clear danger and far-reaching consequences this ordinance posed to the Palm Bay community.

Obama’s faith: hidden in plain sight
Based upon context—the ongoing 7 year pattern of concrete deeds—one can only surmise an active and “secret” Muslim faith. No other reasonable conclusion can be drawn. As a so-called Christian Mr. Obama should easily recognize Romans 2:6 in which it is written: “God will repay each person according to what they have done.” Applying colloquial language to Scripture it means ‘evaluate every person by their behavior not their words’. With this sensible standard as a guide, Mr. Obama is so stalwart in his Christian faith that when giving a 2012 speech at Catholic-founded Georgetown University all religious signs and symbols were covered up including the small letters IHS, signifying the name of Jesus Christ.

Hear Obama! Muslims Are Not The Victims, They Are The Perpetrators
Obama’s recent visit to the Islamic Society of Baltimore, a radical mosque with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, is a slap in the face to all Americans whose lives have been altered due to Islamic warfare. While Obama continues to lecture us about the “victimized” Muslim community here in the United States, his comments fly in the face of reality. Who is really victimized here?

Rome Enters the Presidential Election
Pope Francis and his global warming slogan-chanting, singing nuns have wandered far away from God who created our “Common Home” and closer to the growing pagan religion of Gaia. God Bless” on Planned Parenthood, Catholic nuns have jumped into the fray to elect his successor, abortion advocate Hillary Clinton. With songs and slogans, 13 congregations of Catholic Sisters of the Upper Mississippi River Valley hit the campaign trail in Iowa earlier this week.

UN chief: 34 groups now allied to Islamic State extremists
UNITED NATIONS — Thirty-four militant groups from around the world had reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group as of mid-December — and that number will only grow in 2016, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report Friday.

Strong quake hits Taiwan, killing 3; 221 rescued from rubble
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Rescuers in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan pulled out 221 people and three dead from a residential high-rise complex that collapsed when a shallow 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck before dawn Saturday, leaving still others trapped inside.

Ted Cruz’s Campaign Spread False Report in Iowa That Ben Carson Was Quitting Race
As Iowa Republicans headed to the caucuses on Monday night, Senator Ted Cruz’s campaign left recorded messages for supporters with “breaking news” that Ben Carson would drop out of the race, and told them to “inform any Carson caucus-goers of this news and urge them to caucus for Ted instead.” The false report, echoed in an email and in a text message sent to campaign volunteers, was trumpeted by at least some Cruz precinct captains when they addressed their caucuses. When Mr. Carson’s wife, Candy Carson, arrived at two precincts to speak on his behalf, she was furious to learn that speakers for Mr. Cruz had suggested moments earlier that her husband was quitting the

Email Scandal Spin: No, Hillary, Powell and Rice Didn't 'Do It Too'
Yesterday evening, Hillary said, "I never sent or received any classified material," without her (legally irrelevant) "marked" caveat. This is a flat falsehood. It is an established fact that she personally sent and received classified material. The State Department's review has discovered more than 1,600 classified emails on her server thus far, with another batch still outstanding -- to say nothing of the 32,000 messages she unilaterally deleted, some of which we now know did pertain to official business.

Muslim Countries Refuse to Take A Single Syrian Refugee, Cite Risk of Exposure to Terrorism
Five of the wealthiest Muslim countries have taken no Syrian refugees in at all, arguing that doing so would open them up to the risk of terrorism.

God Rains Down Divine Retribution Upon Detractors of Israel
This type of instant karma is the rule and not the exception when it comes to politicians that treat Israel badly. One of the clearest examples of divine slap-down came on January 21, 1998....

By the Way, The National Debt Just Blew Past $19 Trillion
On Monday the U.S. national debt hit a new record: $19,012,827,698,418. This is the first time the national debt has ever exceeded $19 trillion. That’s more than $58,000 for each person who lives in the U.S. today (including children). The main culprit behind the rising deficits and debt is growing federal spending—especially among Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare.

Return Of The Mahdi Central To Apocalyptic Islam
The Islamic Mahdi is being eagerly awaited by millions of Muslims around the world. Ironically, this includes arch enemies ISIS (Sunni branch of Islam) and Iranian leaders (Shiite branch of Islam). While there are differences about the details of who he is and what he will do, both share the belief in the establishment of a global Islamic state under his rule and in the annihilation of non-Muslim nations.

Issa: FBI Has No Choice But To Recommend Clinton Indictment
Yesterday on The Intelligence Report, former House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa explained why FBI Direct James Comey has no choice but to refer Clinton for indictment.

Could it soon be illegal for doctors to believe in male and female?
A current proposal by a federal agency has raised concerns that doctors may be punished for believing that there are only two genders, rooted in biological sex. The proposed rule, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says that it is aimed at banning discrimination against transgender individuals under the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act.

Britain on STORM ALERT: Fierce gales and torrential rain to hit SOUTH for WASHOUT WEEKEND
More than two inches of rain is forecast in parts of the country with up to 90mph winds threatening a washout weekend. Stormy weather will make a comeback on Friday with the south in the firing line for the worst of the battering at the weekend.

Russia: Bad Turkey Planning Invasion of Syria, Good Israel Cooperating with Russians
The current activity at the Turkish-Syrian border suggest that Turkey prepares to invade Syria, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Thursday, according to various reports in Russia’s state-sponsored media. “We have good reasons to believe that Turkey is actively preparing for a military invasion of a sovereign state – the Syrian Arab Republic,” Konashenkov told reporters.

Sologamy Rises as the Latest Marriage Perversion Trend
God gave these women and others interested in self marriage over to their own "depraved minds." Their depravity is the result of their rejection of God and they "do what ought not to be done." Lifestyle choices reflect more than an individual's personal choice. They have eternal consequences.

On Political Correctness, Truth Telling, and Christians, Muslims Worshiping the Same God
Surely, Christians and Muslims pray to the same God," we are told often. Muhammad taught that the Word did not become flesh, Jesus is not the incarnate Son of God, Jesus did not die on the cross (because such a good man could not die so horribly), Jesus did not die for our sins, Jesus did not rise again from the dead, Jesus is not the Lord, and there is no radical forgiveness in Jesus' name or in anyone else's name. Muhammad's Allah contradicts every key element of the Gospel.

Hurricane Patricia's winds reached record 215 mph
That's 15 mph greater than Patricia's previously thought top speed. It's the strongest wind speed ever measured in a hurricane in the Western Hemisphere. The record was set while the storm was offshore. Before it hit land, the storm "weakened" to 150 mph. That still made Patricia the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in Mexico, the hurricane center said.

Syrian rebel commander says northern Aleppo countryside 'totally encircled'
The commander of a U.S.-supported Syrian rebel group said on Friday the northern countryside of Aleppo province was completely encircled by Syrian government forces and its allies and heavy Russian bombardment continued.

Unprecedented: Pope Francis, Russian Patriarch Kirill to meet in Cuba to heal 1,000yr rift
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, is to meet his Roman Catholic counterpart, Pope Francis, during a historic visit to Latin America. The groundbreaking meeting is to happen in mid-February in Cuba. The meeting between heads the two major Christian churches would be an unprecedented move to mend a millennium-long rift between the Western and Eastern branches of the religion, which started with the Great Schism of 1054.

Syrians mass on Turkish border as regime advances
Tens of thousands of civilians are reported to have joined the exodus after fierce fighting by advancing government forces who severed the rebels' main supply route into Syria's second city.

Jews, Christians, Arabs, and Druze Come Together in Prayer on the Israel-Syria Border
On Monday, Eliyahu Mclean led approximately 100 people in a multi-faith prayer and “Great Abrahamic Pulse Meditation” for the welfare of the Syrian people, at the border in the Golan Heights overlooking Syria. At the gathering was a remarkable mix of Muslims, Druze, Christians, and Jews.

Esau and Ishmael Unite Against Israel in Fulfillment of Ancient Prophecy
For Bible believers, these and similar news items that reflect increasing cooperation between the Arab world and the West should be viewed as fulfillment of ancient Jewish prophecy. Jewish tradition contains a 2,000 year-old prophecy that the children of Esau (today’s Western nations) and the children of Ishmael (today’s Arab nations) will unite against the Jewish people at the End of Days.

Magnitude 4.6 earthquake hits east Japan
- No tsunami warning issued; bullet train services at parts of line between Tokyo and Osaka briefly disrupted

Magnitude 5.2 quake hits Quezon province
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit Quezon province on Friday afternoon, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s (Phivolcs). In its bulletin, the earthquake occurred at 1 p.m. with epicenter traced 11 kilometers (kms) southeast of Lopez in Quezon which also felt intensity 4.

Bioethics center says Britain moving toward genetically modified babies
A Catholic bioethics institute has accused the British government of moving toward the creation of genetically modified babies after scientists were given permission to alter the DNA of embryos in experimentation. "Experiments to edit the genes of human embryos represent a further step towards the creation of GM babies," said a Feb. 1 statement by David Jones, director of Anscombe.

The post box in Bermuda numbered 666 which receives Google profits worth £8BILLION a year
Google has no offices or staff in Bermuda but sends billions of profit there Island has a 0 per cent rate of corporation tax and is used as a tax haven But Google claims it has no 'permanent base' in the UK despite vast offices Britain lobbied EU not to put sanctions on Bermuda for sheltering tax

Mochas, Midrash and Mystery: Pope Francis, another Moses
Drawing on an essay about Moses as the paradigm of the true religious leader by Archbishop Bruno Forte, I would like to notice three qualities of Moses that I find compelling in Pope Francis: humility, encounter with the divine, and service to the people.

Assange ‘unlawfully detained’ in embassy, UN panel reportedly will rule
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's three-and-a-half-year stay in the Ecuadorian embassy in London amounts to "unlawful detention," a United Nations panel examining his appeal will reportedly rule on Friday. Assange, a former computer hacker who has been holed up in the embassy since June 2012, told the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention that he was a political refugee whose rights had been infringed by being unable to take up asylum in Ecuador.


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Somali officials: Suicide bomber may have blown hole in jet
A suicide bomber is suspected to have set off the explosive that blew a hole in a jetliner, sucked the man out of the plane and forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing on Tuesday in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, Somali officials said Saturday.

Turkey must cut migrant flows to Europe, top EU official says
Europe needs Turkey to dramatically cut the number of migrants reaching Greece within weeks or the pressure for more border closures and fences will grow, the EU's top official in charge of ties with Ankara warned on Saturday.

8 dead after explosive-laden motorcycle rams Pakistani security forces vehicle
A man rammed his explosive-laden motorcycle into a Pakistani security forces' vehicle, setting off a blast that killed at least eight people and injured about 20 others, officials said.

Taiwan Quake Kills at Least 18 as Search for Missing Continues
A strong earthquake rocked a region of Taiwan that’s a hub for chipmaking suppliers to the likes of Apple Inc. and Qualcomm Inc., killing at least 18 people and forcing rescuers to pull hundreds from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

N Korea launches long-range rocket despite warnings
North Korea has launched a long-range rocket, violating UN resolutions and doubling down against an international community already determined to punish Pyongyang for a nuclear test last month.

Trump's Ban on Muslims: The Discussion the Media Won't Have
◾Trumps call to ban the entry of Muslims to the U.S. seemed to indicate that it should be temporary, until the American leadership has figured out what in the complex reality of the Muslim world – religious, political, economic, cultural, and so on– contributes to turning a significant portion of Muslims into jihadi operatives at war with the United States.

The parents of a Briton who travelled to Syria and has been dubbed 'Jihadi Jack' were arrested by police after sending their son money
The parents of a British man who travelled to Syria and has been dubbed “Jihadi Jack” were arrested by police on suspicion of sending money overseas which could have been used for terrorism purposes, Channel 4 News revealed.

First case of Zika confirmed in Austin, disease continues to spread in U.S.
According to the department’s website, a man under the age of 50 contracted the virus while abroad in Columbia. Currently, there are 10 confirmed Zika cases in Texas including seven in Harris County, one in Bexar County and two in Dallas County.

Baghdad to build a WALL and a MOAT around city to keep ISIS out
A GIGANTIC wall and moat is being built around Baghdad in a bid to protect it from bomb attacks by Islamic State. A 100km barrier, almost four metres high is being consructed that will surround the city and help to keep out suicide car bombers and terrorists.

EUROPE’S CLOSED: 70,000 Syrians head for Turkish border as authorities shut off country
UP to 70,000 Syrians are flocking to the border with Turkey to flee the civil war which has seen Aleppo bombed to obliteration.

Bombshell: Obama cutting border surveillance in half
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is planning to cut 50 percent of the budget for aerial surveillance along the U.S.-Mexico border, agents revealed at a congressional hearing Thursday. In an effort to understand why DHS is cutting funding, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, wrote a bipartisan letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson. “Any decrease in aerial observation is not only imprudent, but contradicts the very mission of border security enforcement,” the letter states.

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Nepal, Tremors Felt In Bihar
The quake's epicenter was in the Sindhupalchowk district, 55 km north-east of Kathmandu, according to The National Seismological Centre, news agency Press Trust of India reported. People were injured as they ran from their houses in panic during the tremor, the Nepal home ministry spokesperson said.

Earthquake shakes Tokyo, no tsunami risk
An earthquake has struck close to Tokyo, shaking much of the metropolitan region. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, and no tsunami risk. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the 7.41am Friday morning quake had a preliminary magnitude of 4.6.

Iran's army chief vows to bolster ballistic missile program
Iran will continue to develop its missile program, and it should not be considered a threat to neighboring and friendly countries, Iran's...news agency quoted the head of the army as saying on Thursday. Under a deal reached between Iran and six major world powers in 2015, most international sanctions imposed on Iran due to its nuclear program were lifted last month. However, sanctions imposed on its missile program remain in place.

Magnitude-6.4 earthquake hits Taiwan; 5 dead
At least five people were killed Saturday morning when a magnitude-6.4 earthquake hit Taiwan, the Taiwanese Disaster Response Center said.

Brazil finds Zika in saliva, urine; expert warns against kissing
Scientists identified the Zika virus in the saliva and urine of two infected patients... prompting its president to urge pregnant women not to kiss strangers just as local carnival celebrations begin. The discovery added to the rising concern over Zika, which is spreading rapidly in the Americans and has been linked to thousands of severe birth defects in Brazil.

Japanese volcano erupts, nearby nuclear plant unaffected
A Japanese volcano about 50 km (30 miles) from a nuclear plant erupted on Friday, shooting ash nearly 2 km into the night sky along with fountains of lava, but there were no immediate report of damage and operations at the power station were not affected.

Highest EU Court Considers Criminalizing Website Hyperlinks
The highest court in the European Union this week heard arguments which could impact the ability to link to content on the Internet. ...Meanwhile in the US...news aggregator Matt Drudge...told Infowars ...copyright laws which prevent websites from linking to news stories were being debated. “I had a Supreme Court Justice tell me it’s over for me,” said Drudge.

Immortality Quest Aims to Preserve Brain 100 Years
...Neuroscientists are pursuing new methods for preserving brains for future revival. They’re being spurred on by visions of post-humans and a cash prize that’s now well over $100,000. Someone always seems to be hot on the trail of human immortality, but this time the competitors are... neuroscientists vying for the Brain Preservation Foundation‘s Tech Prize have impressive credentials and come to the table with published research.

North Korea advances 'satellite' launch
North Korea has brought forward the possible date of a controversial "satellite" launch to as early as Sunday, regional governments say. The secretive state will launch the satellite-bearing rocket between 7-14 February, the Japanese government has said, according to reports. Pyongyang previously said the launch would take place between 8-25 February.

Iran's crude oil sales to Europe surpass 300,000 barrels post-sanctions
Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Saturday that Iran's crude oil sales to Europe after the lifting of international sanctions on Tehran had already reached above 300,000 barrels, according to the ministry's news agency. ...After the rubber-stamping of the nuclear deal with world powers last year, however, Tehran has ordered a 500,000 bpd increase in oil output.

Steinitz: 'Egypt floods Hamas tunnels, in part due to Israel's request'
Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said Saturday that Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the flooding of several Hamas tunnels linking Egypt to the Gaza Strip, to a certain extent, "due to Israel's request." The minister affirmed that security cooperation between Israel and Egypt is "better than ever," and asserted that "flooding is a good solution" for the challenge of tackling Hamas' intricate tunnel system...

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Russia having success in hybrid war against Germany
Now, as the German chancellor flounders domestically because of her open-door refugee policy, she has made herself vulnerable to attack. “I’ve never seen so much glee from the Russians as during Germany’s refugee crisis,” said a diplomat in Berlin.

Zika virus discourages many Americans from Latin America travel
The rapidly spreading Zika virus is discouraging many Americans from traveling to Latin America and the Caribbean, with 41 percent of those aware of the disease saying they are less likely to take such a trip, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

10-Year Old Austrian Boy Raped By Iraqi Refugee Due To "Sexual Emergency"
The refugee - who at that point had gone back to swimming and diving - was arrested on the spot and taken into custody where he told police that he was experiencing a "sexual emergency."

Chelsea Clinton accidentally calls Bernie 'President Sanders'
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., Feb. 5 (UPI) -- Chelsea Clinton, campaigning for her mother in Eden Springs, Minn., made a verbal slip at a town hall, accidentally calling Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders "President Sanders."

Hamas kills its own commander for unnamed 'violations'
Hamas says it has killed one of its own commanders over unnamed "moral and behavioral violations." The Islamic militant group, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, said in a short Twitter statement Sunday that Mahmoud Eshtewi was killed after he confessed.

UN Security Council calls emergency meeting after North Korea rocket launch
North Korea fired a long-range rocket and placed a satellite into space Sunday morning, an act immediately condemned internationally.

Indian man could be first recorded human fatality due to a meteorite
Indian officials say a meteorite struck the campus of a private engineering college on Saturday, killing one person. If scientists confirm the explosion was due to a meteorite, it would be the first recorded human fatality due to a falling space rock.

Debt, defaults, and devaluations: why this market crash is like nothing we've seen before
A global recession is on the way. This truism of economics holds at any point in which the world is not in the grips of a contraction. The real question is always when and how deep the upcoming downturn will be. “The crash will come, but it would be nice if it came two years from now”, Thomas Thygesen, head of economics at SEB told over 200 commodity investors and analysts in London last month.

NY to probe 'radioactive' water leak at Indian Point
ALBANY - New York will investigate the Indian Point Energy Center after Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he learned that "radioactive tritium-contaminated water" leaked into the groundwater at the nuclear facility in Westchester County. Cuomo...called for the probe after he said Entergy Corp., the Buchanan plant's owner, reported "alarming levels of radioactivity" at three monitoring wells.

Migrants should be rounded up and put into detention centres, urges Government politician
MIGRANTS should be put in closed detention centres and be banned from obtaining permission to remain in the country, a politician has said. At a party conference the Oslo delegation passed several policies, including deporting youth migrants when they reach 18 and banning migrants from obtaining leave to remain in the country. The delegation also called for the Schengen agreement to be scrapped and for Norway to leave the Refugee Convention's additional protocol of 1967 meaning migrants from Africa, Asia, and South-America would no longer have the right to apply for asylum.

China's currency reserves plunged in January
China's foreign currency reserves plunged by $99.5bn in January, the People's Bank of China reported. China has been running down its vast foreign currency reserves in an attempt to boost the value of its own currency and stem a flow of funds overseas. At $3.23 trillion, China still has the world's biggest reserve of foreign currency holdings.

North Korea rocket launch: UN Security Council to meet
The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting later following North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket. The meeting was requested by South Korea, Japan and the US to agree on a collective response to the launch. Pyongyang said it fired the rocket to place a satellite in orbit, but critics believe the real purpose was to test a ballistic missile.

Tunisia builds anti-terror barrier along Libya border
Tunisia says it has completed the first part of a 200km (125-mile) barrier along its border with Libya, designed to deter terrorism. The barrier is made of sand banks and water trenches. It was announced last summer after 38 people were killed on a beach by a gunman said to have trained in Libya.

Senior PA official: 'Do we have to hijack planes for you to care about our cause?'
A senior Palestinian Authority official has suggested that the West ignores the Palestinians when they maintain security, rhetorically asking if they have to resort to "hijacking planes" and "destroying airports" to garner Western support for the Palestinian cause. In an interview translated by MEMRI on the PA-backed station Awdha TV last week, Nabil Sha'ath asserted that being moderate does not turn heads.

Next time it’ll be 100,000: UK and EU cities see day of co-ordinated anti-Islamic rallies
UK PEGIDA has warned there will be "100,000 Britons marching on the streets against Islam" by the end of the year after a day of sometimes violent anti-Islamic migrant protests were staged across Europe.

Growing support for an OPEN FIRE border policy on illegal refugees in Germany
This, say observers, is proof of the greatest fear among liberal politicians - citizens pushed into the embrace of the far-right and its intolerant attitudes which brought Hitler to power in the 1930's.

Swine flu to KILL OFF ISIS: Panicked Daesh issues urgent health warning after dozens die
The reported death toll, which rose to "around 20 people" this week, has put the panicked terrorists on edge and prompted a desperate health shut down. According to watchdog Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently (RIBSS), the epidemic had triggered "panic among civilians" and taken the lives of at least two children so far.

Brink of WORLD WAR 3? US threatens SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES after North Korea launches ROCKET
NORTH Korea has vowed to launch more long-range rockets after successfully firing a satellite into space. Pyongyang claimed the latest rocket launch, which was fired from a launch pad on the west coast between 9.30am and 9.35am local time, had successfully delivered a satellite into orbit and vowed to continue launching satellites in future.

'Astonishing': CNN rips into Ted Cruz for 'categorically false' characterization of Iowa controversy
"What Senator Cruz said tonight in the debate is categorically false," the statement read. "CNN never corrected its reporting because CNN never had anything to correct. The Cruz campaign's actions the night of the Iowa caucuses had nothing to do with CNN's reporting. The fact that Senator Cruz continues to knowingly mislead the voters about this is astonishing."

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Saudi offer to send troops to Syria comes with uncertainty
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia's offer to send troops to fight Islamic State in Syria is as much about the kingdom's growing determination to flex its military might as it is about answering U.S. calls for more help from its allies in the Middle East.

ISIS: The Latest Phase of the Jihad
The best way to understand the Islamic State (ISIS) is to see it as the next phase of al-Qaeda. All Sunni Islamic jihadi groups—Boko Haram, ISIS, Taliban, al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda, even Hamas—share the same motivations based on a literal and orthodox reading of Islamic history and doctrine: resurrecting a caliphate (which existed in various forms from 632 to 1924) that implements and spreads the totality of sharia, or Islamic law.

Liberty Counsel Moves to Dismiss a Suit to Silence Pro-Life Sidewalk Counselor
Washington, DC - Liberty Counsel filed a motion over the weekend to dismiss a legal complaint from Two Rivers Public Charter School against veteran pro-life advocate Larry Cirignano for his peaceful, lawful, constitutionally protected speech for unborn children.

Ted Cruz needs an intervention
It is no disgrace to lose a presidential primary. Many distinguished people have run for president, and the vast majority of them have lost, many of them badly. Howard Baker, Jack Kemp, George H.W. Bush (1980) and Ronald Reagan (1976) all lost a run for the presidency; some never made it. Sometimes a candidate is not ready, and sometimes the electorate is not ready to hear the message (e.g., Reagan in ’76). But it is quite another thing to lose because you, throughout your life, have been hated if not uniformly, then widely and passionately.

Russian firepower helps Syrian forces edge toward Turkey border
The Syrian army advanced toward the Turkish border on Monday in a major offensive backed by Russia and Iran that rebels say now threatens the future of their nearly five-year-old insurrection against President Bashar al-Assad.

North Korea rocket launch may spur U.S. missile defense buildup in Asia
North Korea's latest rocket launch might kick off a buildup of U.S. missile defense systems in Asia, U.S. officials and missile defense experts said, something that could further strain U.S.-China ties and also hurt relations between Beijing and Seoul.

Canada to end bombing missions in Iraq and Syria
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday Canada would pull out six jets that have been bombing targets in Iraq and Syria, ending a controversial combat role in the fight against Islamic State.

Iraqi woman charged with role in Kayla Mueller's death
The wife of a senior Islamic State leader who was killed in a U.S. raid last year has been charged in federal court with holding American Kayla Mueller hostage and with contributing to the aid worker's death, the Justice Department said Monday.

Strong 6.3-magnitude earthquake strikes off Papua New Guinea
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.3 has struck off the town of Panguna in Papua New Guinea, seismologists say, but no tsunami warnings have been issued.

ISIS Playbook - Look Like Western Christians
Samuel Smith for the Christian Post reported that a detailed Islamic State "secret agent" training manual had been distributed on the Internet. It was designed to provide prospective ISIS supporters in Western nations with ways to disguise themselves and their motives when trying to plan and carrying out "lone wolf" attacks and espionage missions. Things to do include: wearing necklaces with a cross - but only those without Arabic names on their passports because "it may look strange".

Protesters use 'WW2 tank’ to demonstrate against migrant crisis during carnival
GERMANS used weekend carnival processions as a platform to protest against asylum seekers - including a WW2 lookalike tank emblazoned with the word "asylum defence" near to an Iron Cross emblem. The panzer float in the procession in the town of Steinkirchen in Bavaria drew cheers from some onlookers and boos from others.

FINALLY! UAE and Saudi Arabia join fight against ISIS and WILL put boots on the ground
On Sunday, the UAE, said it stands ready to supply ground troops to support and train international coalition soldiers in the war-ravaged country. Saudi Arabia has also said it is prepared to take part in ground operations in Syria if the US-led coalition decides to go in that direction.

'Me or terrorists?' Furious Erdogan tells US to choose between Turkey and Syrian Kurds
Riled by a meeting between a US official and members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which controls the Syrian town of Kobane, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has told Washington to choose between Turkey and, as he put it, the “terrorists.”

Herzog calls to unilaterally divide Israel to avoid 'Israestine'
Opposition head and Zionist Union chairperson MK Yitzhak Herzog took part on Monday morning in Arutz Sheva's Jerusalem Conference, where he presented his "separation plan" from the Palestinian Arabs involving a unilateral division of Israel.

Woman who accused Bill Clinton of assault to campaign against Hillary presidential run
Kathleen Willey, a former White House volunteer who says Bill Clinton groped her in an Oval Office hallway in 1993 when she came to him tearfully seeking a paid job, said she had agreed to become a paid national spokeswoman for a group being created by Roger Stone.

Earth changes intensifying: Volcanoes across the globe go ballistic as 2016 arrives
A volcano eruption in western Mexico has sent a spectacular plume of smoke and ash high into the air. Colima volcano is one of three that make up the Colima Volcanic Complex, near the west coast of Mexico. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the country and has erupted more than 40 times, including several times in the past few years.

European stocks plunge as Lunar New Year offers no cheer
European shares plunged to 16-month lows on Monday, extending a aggressive sell-off, while bond yields and oil also fell as investors shed risky assets on persistent concern over the pace of global growth. Data over the weekend showing China's foreign reserves fell for a third straight month in January, as dollars were dumped to defend the yuan and curb capital outflows, did nothing to calm investors.

Migrant crisis: '33 dead' off Turkey as two boats sink
At least 33 migrants have drowned near Turkey after their boats capsized on the way to Greece, Turkish media say. Both the Anadolu and Dogan agencies reported that 22 people died close to the Greek island of Lesbos. Dogan said another 11 people died in a separate incident further south, near Dikili in Turkey.

'Somalia plane bomber given bomb in laptop' on CCTV
Somali intelligence officials have released a video showing a passenger being given a laptop they say contained a bomb that blew a huge hole into a passenger plane last Tuesday. More than 20 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, a government spokesman told BBC Somali.

Turkey looking to warm ties with Egypt after trying with Israel
Turkey is looking to upgrade diplomatic ties with Egypt, after relations became strained when President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted president Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, Turkish media reported on Sunday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would allow ministerial-level talks between the two countries, but ruled out meeting with the Egyptian president.

'ISIS operatives in Sinai are receiving medical treatment at Hamas hospitals in Gaza'
Islamic State terrorists in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula have received medical treatment in Gaza Strip hospitals, Maj.-Gen. Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, charged in an interview with online Arabic newspaper Elaph on Monday. "We have received authenticated reports that ISIS members in Sinai entered the Gaza Strip through tunnels in order to receive treatment at Hamas hospitals," Mordechai said.

Another Exponential Chart: Record Numbers Renounce Their U.S. Citizenship In 2015
Another year, another record number of Americans willing to not only pay the $2,350 fee, but also appear in the US Treasury's "name of shame" list published every, quarter which reveals all the now-former US citizens who have decided to hand over their US passport back to Uncle Sam and expatriate.

Professor Who Said Christians, Muslims Share A God Is Leaving Christian College
A professor at an evangelical Christian college who was suspended for saying Christians and Muslims worship the same God will no longer be teaching at the school. As we've reported, Larycia Hawkins, an associate political science professor who had tenure at Wheaton College in Illinois, was suspended from her job in December. She was put on paid administrative leave after vowing to wear a hijab for Advent in solidarity with Muslims — not because of the headscarf, but because of a Facebook post about her decision where she wrote about the relationship between Islam and Christianity and said, "as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.


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Chile earthquake: Strong tremor strikes near Tongoy and La Serena
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 has struck off the coast of central Chile, centered off Tongoy and La Serena, seismologists say. No tsunami warnings have been issued.

When Maine Required Childless Adults to Work to Get Food Stamps, Guess What Happened
One trillion dollars—that’s how much the government spent last year on means-tested welfare aid, providing cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor and low-income individuals. The food stamp program is the nation’s second largest welfare program.

Strong earthquake hits Solomon Islands
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit the Solomon Islands at 12.19am today, according to the Malaysian Meterological Department.


North Korea may get plutonium from restarted reactor in weeks: U.S.
North Korea, which conducted its fourth nuclear test last month and launched a long-range rocket on Saturday, could begin to recover plutonium from a restarted nuclear reactor within weeks, the director of U.S. National Intelligence said on Tuesday.

The Moscow-Jerusalem axis over Syria
Russia's offensive in Syria is paying big dividends, and not only for the coalition assembled by Russian President Vladimir Putin. As a consequence of understandings reached between Putin and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the beginning of the Russian bombing campaign in September, Israel has become a silent if uneasy partner, along with Iran and Hezbollah, in the energised campaign to defeat the increasingly besieged opposition.

Magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattles eastern Taiwan
An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 5.1 shook eastern Taiwan at 8:47 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Central Weather Bureau. The epicenter of the earthquake was about 11.5 kilometers southeast of Hualien County Hall at a depth of 10 km, the bureau's Seismology Center said.

Democratizing Europe: Varoufakis launches new movement to save EU from ‘disintegration’
Democracy or disintegration are the EU’s only options, Greece’s ex-finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, said before the official launch of a pan-European political movement he hopes will help tackle the nationalization of policies in the 28-member union.

NASA says there is no room for 'Jesus' anymore
“The JSC Praise & Worship Club was directed by NASA attorneys to refrain from using the name ‘Jesus’ in club announcements that appeared in a Space Center newsletter.” Does that sound kind of ridiculous? If so, just listen to the reasons behind the ban:

Israel locks down Palestinian village after settler stabbed
The Israeli army locked down a village in the occupied West Bank, the military said, as part of efforts to find the perpetrator who stabbed a Jewish man from a nearby settlement Tuesday.

$365,694,500,000: U.S. Merchandise Trade Deficit With China Hit Record in 2015
The merchandise trade deficit that the United States ran with China in 2015 hit a record high of $365,694,000,000, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Setting the News Agenda
Al Jazeera might want to change its motto from “Setting the news agenda” to “Setting the news agenda that protects Muhammad.” An Al Jazeera spokesman told Breitbart London on Monday that editing out criticism of Muhammad in a conversation about censorship was a pure coincidence.

Christians “Should be Eradicated”: Researchers Document Anti-Christian Agenda Among Powerful Elite
The researchers say that while Christianophobia — which the sociologists define as "unreasonable hatred or fear of Christians” — isn’t common among common people, it does characterize those in the upper echelons of American society. It’s intense, too. The book’s title was apparently inspired by elitist interviewees lamenting how there were “so few lions,” referencing the Roman Empire’s practice of throwing Christians into an arena to be slaughtered by the wild cats.

China's experimental fusion reactor maintains superheated hydrogen plasma for 102 seconds
Wendelstein 7-X made headlines last week after generating a quarter-of-a-second pulse of hydrogen plasma, and now scientists at China's Institute of Physical Science have flexed their fusion muscle to sustain the gas for an impressive 102 seconds.

More evidence emerges for 'transmissible Alzheimer's' theory
Autopsies reveal plaques in the brains of people who died after receiving grafts from cadavers.

Breaking: First-ever Malaria Parasite Found in Whitetail Deer
According to a press release from UVM, a malaria parasite called Plasmodium odocoilei was found in whitetail deer, and these were not isolated cases. Researchers believe the parasite is actually incredibly widespread and is estimated to be present in roughly 25 percent of all whitetail deer on the East Coast.

Lyme disease: CDC discovers new cause, new symptoms for life-threatening disease
“The new bacteria is related to a strain that has long been linked to the disease and was thought to be the only cause of lyme in the U.S. Researchers came across the new bacteria after lab tests from six people with suspected Lyme came back unusual. The bacteria was genetically distinct from the usual suspect.”

Dragon + Bear: China seeks Russia's help in mastering Arctic, sets sights on Antarctic
China wants to further explore the Antarctic and Arctic, according to the Chinese State Oceanic Administration. Deep-sea mining and deep-sea space stations are on the agenda, while Beijing wants to arrange a joint Arctic expedition with Russia.

MINOR CME IMPACT POSSIBLE TODAY
NOAA forecasters estimate a 40% chance of minor geomagnetic storms today, Feb. 9th, when a CME could deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magetic field.

5.7-magnitude earthquake felt in New Zealand capital
New Zealand's capital city Wellington was rocked by 5.7-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday (Feb 9), according to the country's earthquake monitoring service. The quake's epicentre was 35km southeast of St Arnaud, a small town in the north of the country's South Island, at a depth of 62km, according to Geonet's website.

Report: Bloomberg confirms he is considering 2016 presidential run
Bloomberg, a billionaire media magnate who served three terms as New York mayor, said for the first time that he was seriously thinking about throwing his hat in the ring in an interview with the Financial Times published on its website Monday evening, hours before the first U.S. primary election in New Hampshire.

Arabs responsible for 59% of all murders in Israel
According to the statistics that the police have, 21 percent of the Israeli population is Arab, however their involvement in criminal activities stands at 59 percent, which is an unprecedented statistic," he said.

The Islamic Rape and Murder of Christian Boys
A group of Muslim men recently went into a Christian district in Pakistan, abducted a 7-year-old boy, and took turns gang raping him before finally strangling him to death with a rope. Locals found the child’s body dumped in a field the next day:

Massive earthquake hits near Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit near the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville early on Tuesday morning. The undersea quake struck at 3.19am local time (5.19am NZ time), at a depth of 30.6 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said.

Zika prompts urgent debate about abortion in Latin America
Across Latin America, calls to loosen some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world in the face of the Zika virus outbreak are gaining momentum but encountering strong and entrenched opposition. In El Salvador, where abortions are banned under any circumstance, the health minister has argued for a revision of the law because of the dangers the virus poses to fetal development.

Americans are ‘being betrayed by their own president’
The Obama administration is ordering Border Patrol agents to release illegal immigrants without making them appear in court or keeping track of their whereabouts, and it’s also dramatically rolling back aerial surveillance along the southern border, leading a senior congressman to suggest the public is unaware it is being “betrayed” by its commander in chief.

More than 1 million are besieged in Syria, new report says
NEW YORK — More than one million Syrians are trapped in besieged areas, a new report says in a challenge to the United Nations, which estimates just half that amount and has been accused by some aid groups of underplaying a crisis.

Iraqi woman charged with role in Kayla Mueller's death
WASHINGTON -- The wife of a senior Islamic State leader who was killed in a U.S. raid last year has been charged in federal court with holding American Kayla Mueller hostage and with contributing to the aid worker's death, the Justice Department said Monday.

Russians Arrest 7 in Alleged ISIS-Related Terror Plot
Russian security services have arrested seven people accused of plotting terror attacks on behalf of the Islamic State in major Russian cities, the country’s FSB intelligence agency said today. The arrests were made in the city of Ekaterinburg, located in the Urals region on the edge of Siberia, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation said in a written statement.

Zika Virus Outbreak Prompts CDC to Activate Highest Emergency Ops Level
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Emergency Operations Center has been moved to Level 1, the agency's highest level, due to the risk of Zika virus transmission in the U.S., officials said today. The Level 1 activation is "reflecting the agency’s assessment of the need for an accelerated preparedness to bring together experts to focus intently and work efficiently in anticipation of local Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes," the agency said in a statement.

Suspected Bomb Hand-Off Caught on Camera Before Ill-Fated Flight
Authorities in Somalia have released video footage from inside Mogadishu’s airport that they say shows a laptop packed with explosives being handed to a passenger before the mid-air explosion that forced a Daallo Airlines flight to make an emergency landing last week.



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NYPD reshuffles forces to focus on gang violence, will dismantle Organized Crime Bureau
The NYPD is launching a major reshuffling of its investigative forces, consolidating several in an effort to tackle the city's biggest crime problem — violence by gangs and youth crews.

FBI closes in on last Oregon refuge occupiers
The FBI appears to be closing in on the last of the occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Details of exactly what was happening remained unclear late Wednesday. Some of the occupiers were on the phone with a Nevada state assemblywoman, Michele Fiore, on a livestream on YouTube, saying they feared an armed assault by agents was imminent, though there was no confirmation of that.

Senate passes bill to hit North Korea with harsher sanctions
Seeking to derail North Korea’s drive for nuclear weapons, Republican and Democratic senators set aside their partisan differences Wednesday to unanimously pass legislation aimed at starving Pyongyang of the money it needs to build an atomic arsenal.

With fewer U.S. troops in Afghanistan, pressure grows for more air strikes
Pressure is growing on the U.S. military to do more to help Afghan forces repel the threat posed by Taliban militants, and commanders in Washington and Kabul agree that enhanced air power may be where it can make the most difference.

Damascus expects tough but short battle for Aleppo
The Syrian government expects a tough battle for Aleppo, the city that has become the focal point of the country's long civil war, but is confident of victory and says it won't be a long fight.

Female suicide bombers kill over 60 people in northeast Nigeria: officials
Two female suicide bombers killed more than 60 people at a camp for people displaced by an insurgency of the jihadist Boko Haram group in the northeast Nigerian town of Dikwa, military and emergency officials said on Wednesday.

Historian rejects Obama’s mosque portrayal of Islam
It’s a great paradox of American progressivism: Leftists who normally crusade against the Founding Fathers switch gears and suddenly appeal to the memory of men like Thomas Jefferson when it helps advance a progressive agenda. Historian David Barton says that’s exactly what President Barack Obama is doing when it comes to Islam.

China is on a massive gold buying spree
The Chinese are on a massive gold shopping spree. China's government doesn't share exact figures, but the vast majority of gold heading into mainland China passes through Hong Kong, which does make its records public. Gold imports to China have surged over 700% since 2010, according to the latest data from Hong Kong.

London on emergency flood alert as Thames Barrier is raised to protect capital
Storm Imogen has seen heavy rain lash the country causing river levels to rise dramatically. The high river flow coupled with rising tide has forced the Environment Agency to shut the barrier today. Tide alerts have been issued for riverside properties and it is expected to remain high all week.

A Seat at the Table: Kurds Could Participate in Syrian Peace Talks
There is a great probability that Syrian Kurds will take part in the next round of Geneva peace talks on Syria’s reconciliation, Syrian opposition figure Qadri Jamil said Wednesday.

Hawaii's Big Island declares emergency over dengue fever infections
The mayor of Hawaii's Big Island declared a state of emergency on Monday to deal with a growing outbreak of dengue fever...with 250 cases confirmed over the past four months. As a result of Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi's order people on the Big Island will be allowed to resume disposing of old tires in landfills, since tires which are left lying around are a known breeding spot for mosquitoes.

Obama climate initiative: Supreme Court calls halt
President Barack Obama's plans to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide from US power plants have been stalled by the US Supreme Court. The court ruled that the president's Clean Power Plan could not go forward until all legal challenges were heard. Designed to cut US emissions by 32% by 2030, the scheme put huge emphasis on a shift to renewable energy.

‘End of Europe’: Trump slams Merkel’s refugee policy, wants good relations with Russia
Donald Trump lambasted German Chancellor Angela Merkel for allowing thousands of migrants into Germany, saying this could be “the end of Europe.” Trump also said the US could have “very good relations” with Russia. "If you don't treat the situation competently and firmly, yes, it's the end of Europe. You could face real revolutions," Trump was quoted as saying, as cited by Reuters.

Russia has offered US ‘concrete plan’ to end Syrian crisis – Lavrov
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has revealed the US is studying Moscow's “concrete” plan to end the war in Syria, while expressing concerns that rhetoric over the humanitarian issue is hindering efforts to resolve the crisis in the Arab country.

French parliament approves stripping citizenship from terrorists
Lawmakers in France's lower house of parliament on Tuesday night narrowly voted to pass a highly controversial proposal to amend the constitution to strip people convicted of terrorist offences of their French nationality, AFP reported.

Ignoring Obama, Iran upgrades its nuclear-capable Emad missile
n open defiance of recent US sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan on late Tuesday told local media that Tehran will soon be rolling out an upgrade of its nuclear-capable medium-range Emad missiles.

U.S. & India consider joint patrols in South China Sea - U.S. official
The United States and India have held talks about conducting joint naval patrols that a U.S. defense official said could include the disputed South China Sea, a move that would likely anger Beijing, which claims most of the waterway.

Why the West is standing by amid Russia's campaign in Syria
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is “horrified” by the impact that Russia’s relentless airstrikes on Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, are having on civilians.


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Solar cycle 24 activity continues to be lowest in nearly 200 years
r has been a couple of months since WUWT has checked in on the progress of solar cycle 24. Right now, the sun is in “cue ball” mode, with no large visible sunspots

It's Official: Global stocks are in a bear market
On Thursday, the MSCI all-country world index closed down 20% from its recent high to meet that technical definition. The index tracks large and mid-cap stock performance across 23 developed and 23 emerging countries. It peaked last May but fell about 1% on Thursday.

ISIS use 4-year-old British boy nicknamed 'Jihadi Junior' as brutal executioner in new video
ISIS terrorists have issued a video that shows a 4-year-old British boy nicknamed “Jihadi Junior” blowing up prisoners. Footage of the execution shows the little boy, named as Isa Dare, pushing a button on a remote control device seconds before a car explodes in a ball of flames.

Nigerian suicide bomber gets cold feet, refuses to kill
A teenage girl tore off explosives and fled as two companions completed their grisly mission at Dikwa refugee camp in Nigeria and blew themselves up, killing 58 people. The girl's tearful account is an indication that at least some of the child bombers used by Boko Haram are aware that they are about to die...

New data undermines story of Yellowstone's formation
The origins of the Yellowstone supervolcano remain controversial. The most popular theory is that the supervolcano formed from a mantle plume, a vertical column of hot rocks extending from the top of the earth's core, but a new computer model developed by scientists at the University of Illinois suggests otherwise.


Investors 'go bananas' for gold bars as global stock markets tumble
Bullion dealers report record sales as buyers "queue round the block" to purchase the precious metal

Cascadia subduction zone worse than San Andreas fault
Mother Earth slowly reveals her secrets, and this time, it's a fault line deep in the belly of the planet. Its name is a whopper: The Cascadia subduction zone.

Russian engineers working with ISIS in Syria to produce gas
At the largest gas facility in Syria, the Tuweinan gas facility, Russian engineers are working together with ISIS forces to produce natural gas, according to reports from rebels and Turkish officials.

Vatican: Bishops not required to report abuse
ROME, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- A newly released Catholic church document tells bishops they don't have to report clerical child abuse accusations to the police.

U.S. tells allies campaign to defeat Islamic State must be accelerated
The United States is pressing allies on Thursday to contribute more to a U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State that it says must be accelerated, regardless of the fate of diplomatic efforts to end Syria's civil war.

Russian Patriarch Kirill flies to Cuba for historic meeting with Pope Francis
Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has started his journey to Latin America for a historic meeting with the Pontiff to discuss the persecution of Christians in conflict zones, in particular in the Middle East. The unprecedented meeting, which will take place at Havana's international airport, is expected to last as long as is necessary to agree on a joint declaration.

Scientists to unveil proof of Einstein's theory of relativity
In a presentation set for Thursday at the Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, US researchers are expected to announce that they have detected gravitational waves for the very first time, a century after they were proposed by Albert Einstein. “Cornish will provide a status report on the effort to detect gravitational waves – or ripples in the fabric of spacetime – using the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO),”

Modern Sanhedrin and Ancient Jewish Sage Agree: UN, Ban Ki-Moon Cannot Deny the Jewish People’s God-Given Right to the Land
In response to Ban’s comments, the Nascent Sanhedrin recently issued a proclamation calling for the State of Israel to leave the UN. The dispute is not over a point of international law, or even a point in the Middle East peace negotiations. Rather, the Sanhedrin reasons that it is fighting for the essential identity of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish People. They feel that the UN and Ban Ki-Moon are rejecting the validity of the Biblical covenant, and perhaps of the Bible itself. In the words of the Sanhedrin:

Top U.S. Intelligence Official Calls Gene Editing a WMD Threat
Genome editing is a weapon of mass destruction. That’s according to James Clapper, U.S. director of national intelligence, who on Tuesday, in the annual worldwide threat assessment report of the U.S. intelligence community, added gene editing to a list of threats posed by “weapons of mass destruction and proliferation.”

North Korea to cut hotlines with South amid Kaesong shutdown
North Korea has vowed to cut two key communication hotlines with the South, amid rising tensions after Pyongyang's recent rocket and nuclear tests. It comes after Seoul suspended its operations at the jointly-run Kaesong industrial complex in the North. Kaesong is one of the last points of co-operation between the two Koreas and a key source of revenue for Pyongyang.

Emerging split within Hamas' military wing following member's execution
A split began to emerge in the ranks of Hamas’ military wing in recent days after the group executed one of its own members, signaling growing tensions between the organization’s local leadership in Gaza and its leadership abroad. On Monday, Hamas posted on one of its social media accounts that its military wing had executed Mahmoud Rashid Eshtaiwi, for ''behavioral and ethical excesses."

Next Big Future: Russia and Iran appears close to handing a military victory to Assad in Syria
Days of intense bombing that could soon put the critical city of Aleppo back into the hands of Syrian President Assad’s forces. The USA says there could be no military solution to Syria. The Russians may be proving the United States wrong. There may be a military solution, one senior American official conceded Wednesday, “just not our solution,” but that of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.


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Debate Rages Over Praying for Atheist Richard Dawkins After Stroke
Famed atheist Richard Dawkins suffered a recent stroke, forcing him to postpone his tours to Australia and New Zealand. His health crisis rapidly developed into a Twitter debate on if Christians should pray for his recovery.

Assad vows to retake all of Syria, keep 'fighting terrorism'
President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to recapture the whole of Syria and keep "fighting terrorism" while also negotiating an end to the war, as international pressure mounts for a ceasefire.

Austrians Need Constitutional Right to Pay in Cash, Mahrer Says
Austrians should have the constitutional right to use cash to protect their privacy, Deputy Economy Minister Harald Mahrer said, as the European Union considers curbing the use of banknotes and coins.

Israel Says EU Relations 'Friendly' Again After Label Spat
Israel's foreign ministry says relations with the European Union are "close and friendly" again after tensions arose last year over the bloc's decision to label West Bank exports. Spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said the sides had "overcome the crisis" after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini spoke Friday.


Zero For 64: The U.S. Record On Prosecuting Palestinian Killers
Sixty-four American citizens have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists in Israel since the signing of the 1993 Oslo accords, including my daughter Alisa – yet the United States has not prosecuted even one of the killers. How is that possible? That was the question that set off heated exchanges between members of Congress and a Justice Department official at a Capitol Hill hearing on February 2.

Congress Members Move to Shut Down PLO Office in U.S.
A proposed law will require the US President to certify the PLO is not engaging in specified activities or the PLO office in D.C. must close.

Jordan king, Iraqi, Saudi officials expected at Munich meet
Jordan's King Abdullah, the Iraqi prime minister and Saudi Arabia's foreign minister are among those expected at a conference opening in southern Germany, after diplomats agreed to work toward a temporary "cessation of hostilities" in Syria's civil war.

Russia's new Syrian strategy: Ethnic cleansing
Russia's new strategy to prop Assad up is to destroy rebels' power base through ethnic cleansing, forcing supporters to flee as refugees to neighboring countries and eventually Europe.

Meeting of Pope and Patriarch may avert WWIII
The meeting of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill in Cuba on February 12 may turn out to be not only the most significant ecclesiastical event, but one of the most momentous political events in recent years. Since the schism of 1054 when the church separated into an Eastern and Western part, the differences have been irreconcilable and the two have not engaged in any dialogue.

EARTH-DIRECTED FLARE (UPDATED)
Sunspot AR2497 erupted on Feb. 11th (2103 UT), producing a C9-class solar flare and hurling a coronal mass ejection (CME) in space. Newly-arriving images from SOHO show that the CME does have an Earth-directed component: NOAA analysts are working now to determine the arrival time and possible effect of the CME's impact. Stay tuned.

Pushing the Outer Limits of Humanity and Its Bearing on Space Travel: The Trans-human Quest
“Jesus ‘became what we are so that we can become what he is’–an astronaut, an alien, a trans-human?”

Several minor earthquakes rattle Maine, is a bigger one on its way?
Several small earthquakes have rattled Maine since the beginning of February, so does that mean a big one is on the way?

Strong earthquake rocks eastern Indonesia
A strong undersea earthquake has hit off the coast of eastern Indonesia, but no injuries or serious damage was reported immediately. The Indonesian Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the temblor Friday had a magnitude of 6.6 and was unlikely to trigger a tsunami.

Obama to sign customs, trade enforcement bill into law: White House
U.S. President Barack Obama will sign into law a bill that will strengthen trade enforcement rules and provide new tools to address currency manipulation, the White House said on Thursday. The legislation, known as the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, was part of a package of trade legislation originally presented to Congress in June.

Asian shares slide as bank fears add to global gloom
Asian shares slid on Friday as mounting concerns about the health of European banks further threatened a global economic outlook already under strain from falling oil prices and slowdown in China and other emerging markets. The prices of yen, gold and liquid government bonds of favored countries soared as investors rushed to traditional safe-haven assets.

UN rights expert accuses Israel of excessive force against Palestinians
The UN human rights investigator for Gaza and the West Bank called on Israel on Thursday to investigate what he called excessive force used by Israeli security forces against Palestinians... Makarim Wibisono, the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, also challenged Israeli authorities to charge or release all Palestinian prisoners being held under lengthy administrative detention...

CIA director says IS group has used, can make chem weapons
CIA director John Brennan has said that Islamic State fighters have used chemical weapons and have the capability to make small quantities of chlorine and mustard gas, CBS News reported. "We have a number of instances where ISIL has used chemical munitions on the battlefield," Brennan told CBS News, which released excerpts of an interview to air in full on the "60 Minutes" news program on Sunday.

Russia warns of 'new world war' starting in Syria
Russia warned of “a new world war" starting in Syria on Thursday after a dramatic day in which Gulf states threatened to send in ground forces. Foreign and defence ministers of the leading international states backing different factions in the war-torn country met in separate meetings in Munich and Brussels following the collapse of the latest round of peace talks.

Schengen zone: EU gives Greece deadline on borders
The European Union has given Greece three months to fix its border controls, in a move that could allow other Schengen zone states to maintain internal border controls. Two weeks ago, a draft report found that Greece had "seriously neglected" its obligations to control the external frontier of the border-free zone.

Iranians mark anniversary of 1979 Islamic revolution holding 'Death to America, Israel' signs
As Iranians held reenactments of the captivity of US Navy soldiers by Iran last month, President Hassan Rouhani called for political unity in Tehran on Thursday marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. A video of a crowd burning US flags was posted on social media...NBC posted video of the main rally in Tehran’s Azadi Square, which included chants of “Death to America and Israel” and anti-Western signs.

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Iran Plays and Backstabs the US: Iran Dumps Dollar in Trade
he Islamic Republic declared that it is moving away from the US dollar for use in trades and that Tehran welcomes replacing dollar with other currencies.

Justice Antonin Scalia's death quickly sparks political battle
Justice Antonin Scalia's death immediately triggered a monumental election-year battle in Washington over whether President Barack Obama should choose a successor who could tilt the Supreme Court toward liberals.

Pope condemns Mexico 'drugs cancer'
Pope Francis has urged Mexico's leaders to provide "true justice" to citizens hit by drug violence in the country. Speaking on the first day of his five-day visit to Mexico, he said drug trafficking was a cancer that devoured and destroyed Mexican society.

Syrian army gains ground around Aleppo, looks to Raqqa
Russia said on Saturday a Syria ceasefire plan was more likely to fail than succeed, as Syrian government forces backed by Russian air strikes took rebel ground near Aleppo and set their sights on the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa province.

North Korea took 70 percent of Kaesong wages for weapons program: South Korea
South Korea said 70 percent of the U.S. dollars paid as wages and fees for the suspended Kaesong industrial project, run jointly with the North, had been diverted for Pyongyang's weapons program and luxury goods for leader Kim Jong Un.

Turkey strikes Kurd, regime forces in Syria, mulls ground attack
Turkey hit Kurdish and Syrian regime targets on Saturday as Ankara mulled a ground assault with Saudi troops, further complicating efforts to end the war just days after the US and Russia agreed on a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria within a week.

*****hammer: CBS Republican Debate Was "Thermonuclear War," "We Went From WWE To The UFC"
Charles *****hammer analyzes the Saturday night Republican presidential debate moderated by CBS News. *****hammer said if the previous debates had been World War I or II, then this debate was a thermonuclear war.

Senior U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia found dead at West Texas ranch
Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead of apparent natural causes Saturday on a luxury resort in West Texas, federal officials said. Scalia, 79, was a guest at the Cibolo Creek Ranch, a resort in the Big Bend region south of Marfa.

Earthquake hits Big Island
HONOLULU (AP) - A magnitude-4.1 earthquake jolted the southern flank of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano Friday morning. The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake was centered about 26 miles south of Hilo. It hit at 9:23 a.m.

5.1 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks Central, Northern Oklahoma
The 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck at approximately 11:07 a.m. Its epicenter was located 17 miles northwest of Fairview, 39 miles east of Woodward, and 44 miles west of Enid. It was less than a mile deep. Then around 11:17 a.m., a 3.9 magnitude struck in the same area.

Latest undercover abortion video talks about 'group purchasing program'
National Abortion Federation members are shown in the video agreeing that payment for fetal parts would be a “win-win” for abortion clinics, “Yeah, it definitely sounds like something some of our members would be really interested in,” Sandy Fulkerson, Training and Education Coordinator at the National Abortion Federation

Report: Russia, Israel, to Sign Free Trade Agreement
Russia and Israel are about to sign a free trade agreement in the very near future, Russian Deputy Agriculture Minister Sergey Levin told TASS on Friday after talks with his Israeli counterpart. “We’ve discussed the prospects of forming a free trade zone, which the government plans to put on paper within the shortest period of time,”

Moderate earthquake, 5.2 mag strikes near Torata in Peru
A moderate earthquake with magnitude 5.2 (ml/mb) was reported 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Torata in Peru on Friday. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 114.36 km (71 miles) below the earth’s surface. Exact location of event, depth 114.36 km, -70.9129° West, -17.0108° South. The temblor was detected at 22:46:45 / 10:46 pm (local time epicenter). A tsunami warning has not been issued (Does not indicate if a tsunami actually did or will exist).

World is fighting a new Cold War, Russia's Medvedev says
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the world was fighting a new Cold War, warning of grave consequences for the West if it didn’t cooperate with Russia in Syria and elsewhere. Medvedev cited the Syria conflict as an arena of much needed Russian-Western cooperation, especially on military issues.

Russian Orthodox Patriarch, Pope hold historic meeting, sign call to end persecution of Christians
Patriarch Kirill, and Pope Francis signed a joint declaration after their first historic meeting in Havana, Cuba. They called on world leaders to prevent Christians in the Middle East from “being completely exterminated” and to help refugees from those regions. The declaration calls on the world to unite against terrorism and help free those who have been kidnapped by extremists.

U.S. Defence Secretary says UK needs nuclear weapons for 'outsized' world role
Britain must renew its submarine-borne Trident nuclear weapons system if it is to maintain its "outsized" role in world affairs, U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter said in comments published on Saturday. A decision on replacing the ageing fleet of four submarines which carry nuclear warheads is due to be made this year and while Prime Minister David Cameron is committed to renewal...

Rare Biblical Redemption of Donkey Performed on Mt. Zion
Last Saturday night, a baby donkey was brought to the Tomb of King David on Mount Zion to be redeemed. What many consider an obscure agricultural ritual turned into a joyous celebration that ended with passionate cries for the coming of the Messiah.

Venezuela Declares Another Emergency: It Has Run Out of Food
Venezuela’s opposition legislature has declared a “nutritional emergency,” proclaiming that the country simply does not have enough food to feed its population. The move comes after years of socialist rationing and shortages that forced millions to wait on lines lasting as long as six hours for a pint of milk, a bag of flour, or carton of cooking oil.

US-South Korea missile defence system 'threatens China'
China's foreign minister says a planned US missile defence system to protect South Korea from North Korea could threaten Chinese security. Wang Yi told Reuters news agency that the system went "far beyond the defence needs of the Korean peninsula". The US and South Korea announced plans to deploy the system after the North fired a long-range rocket this month.

Turkish FM: Russia targeting schools, hospitals in Syria
Turkey's foreign minister said on Friday that Russia was targeting schools and hospitals as part of its bombing campaign in Syria. Speaking at a security conference in Munich, Mevlut Cavusoglu put the blame squarely on Moscow for the wave of tens of thousands of people who have arrived at the Turkish border over the past week.

Jerusalemites torn over Herzog's proposal to give up Arab neighborhoods
Less than 48 hours after Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog presented a diplomatic plan...to relinquish Arab neighborhoods in the capital to increase security...Israelis expressed conflicting opinions... “It begins with conceding sovereignty over neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city, continues with concessions in the Old City, and...a short path to conceding...the Western Wall, and indicating...we will concede all our rights to this land,” he said.

Analysis: Moscow’s alliance with Iran and Hezbollah threatens strategic Israeli interests
GOVERNMENTS AND pundits were stunned last September when Russia sent an expeditionary force into Syria... On the face of it, Putin was challenging Western sanctions...But Russia’s interest in Syria goes much deeper. It is driven by a burning desire to reinstate its Middle Eastern presence and influence...and the great power status it lost with the crumbling of the Soviet empire.

The Pentagon’s vile ‘divided loyalty’ rules for Jews
Congress is rarely called upon to dispel conspiracy theories. But it needs to teach the Pentagon to separate fact from fiction, because American Jews are routinely denied security clearances based on nothing more than a fear that they are Israeli spies.

Investors are flooding into gold like it's the financial crisis all over again
Investors are flooding into precious metals as fears of a global slowdown grip markets and send people toward so-called safe-haven assets.



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China exports fall 11.2% in January, imports down 18.8%
China's exports fell 11.2 percent on-year in January, while imports declined 18.8 percent, clocking far bigger slides than expected by analysts. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a 1.9 percent drop in January exports, and a 0.8 percent drop in imports.

Europe's Convinced U.S. Won't Solve Its Problems
Europe is facing a convergence of the worst crises since World War II, and the overwhelming consensus among officials and experts here is that the U.S. no longer has the will or the ability to play an influential role in solving them.

Box Office: Michael Moore's 'Where to Invade Next' Marks Career Low
Michael Moore's Where to Invade Next wasn't greeted by a victory march at the box office, where its per-theater average ranked below those of the filmmaker's previous offerings.

Israel fears Gaza 'tunnel' war waged by Hamas
The last Gaza war began in the air with rockets that Hamas militants fired at Israel. Now, Israelis living next door to the Palestinian territory see worrisome signs that the next war will be waged underground.

New Zealand's Christchurch rocked by 5.7 magnitude quake, cliffs collapse into sea
A strong 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Christchurch in New Zealand on Sunday, causing cliffs to collapse into the sea but no major damage to the city, which was devastated by a 2011 quake which killed nearly 200 people. The epicentre of Sunday's quake on New Zealand's south island was 15 kms (9 miles) east of Christchurch and at a shallow depth of 15 km (9 miles), said the country's seismological body Geonet.

Oklahoma rattled by state's third-largest earthquake; 5.1 recorded near Fairview
The third-largest earthquake in recorded state history rocked parts of western Oklahoma on Saturday morning near the site of other large, recent temblors. The quake registered a magnitude of 5.1 and was recorded northwest of Fairview at 11:07 a.m., according to preliminary estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Israel’s New Gun Lobby Hopes to Ensure Right to Bear Arms
Following in the footsteps of America’s influential National Rifle Association (NRA), a lobby which has considerable sway in Congress, a Likud MK is establishing a gun lobby here in Israel’s Knesset. MK Amir Ohana will formally launch the initiative on Monday with a caucus aimed at protecting and widening the rights of Israelis to own and carry firearms.

Hawaii governor signs emergency proclamation on Zika, other illnesses
The governor of Hawaii has signed an emergency proclamation regarding Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses. Gov. David Ige signed the declaration Friday as "a preventative measure" to guard against Zika, dengue fever and other diseases, his office said in a statement.

Fierce Battle Erupts Over Next Supreme Court Judge Following Death of Justice Scalia
News of the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday almost immediately sparked a massive debate in the political arena over the weighty question of whether or not President Barack Obama should attempt to fill the opening on the bench during his remaining time in office.

EU talks will go down to the wire, says Philip Hammond
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond says Britain needs a "robust deal" for staying in the EU, when European leaders meet at a summit on Thursday. Prime Minister David Cameron is seeking EU reform before Britain votes in an in/out referendum before 2018. "There are still a lot of moving parts," Mr Hammond told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

Syria conflict: Turkey presses on with assault on Kurds
A Turkish assault on positions claimed by Kurdish fighters in northern Syria has continued into a second day. On Saturday, Turkey began shelling the militia, which it says is linked to the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The YPG militia, which is based in Syria, has rejected a demand by Turkey to leave areas it has seized, saying Islamists would return if it left.

China bank chief says 'speculators' caused yuan fall
Chinese central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan has accused "speculative forces" of targeting the country's currency, the yuan. He said there was no reason for the yuan to keep depreciating in value and that China would not let international speculators dominate market sentiment. Mr Zhou's remarks come as Chinese markets prepare to reopen on Monday after a week-long New Year holiday.

Report: Minister's comments lead to Egypt canceling Netanyahu meeting
Egypt has canceled a scheduled meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Cairo, Arab media reported Sunday. The announcement comes after Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said earlier this month that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the flooding of several Hamas tunnels linking Egypt to the Gaza Strip, to a certain extent, "due to Israel's request."


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Missiles in Syria kill 50 as schools, hospitals hit; Turkey accuses Russia
Turkey on Monday accused Russia of an "obvious war crime" after missile attacks in northern Syria killed scores of people, and warned Kurdish militia fighters there they would face the "harshest reaction" if they tried to capture a town near the Turkish border.

Germany expects 500,000 refugees this year: newspaper
The German government expects 500,000 refugees to come to Germany this year, German newspaper Rheinische Post cited sources from the Federal Labor Office as saying.

'Severe' 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits New Zealand's south coast – just two days after another massive tremor rocked Christchurch
A 'severe' 6.0 magnitude earthquake has hit off the south coast of New Zealand just two days after Christchurch was rocked by a powerful quake. The 10km-deep earthquake struck 160km south-west of Snares Islands at 8.28am on Tuesday, with shaking felt near Roxburgh, Invercargill, Dunedin and

Explosive device found on rental car at Albuquerque airport
The Albuquerque International Sunport did not shut down Sunday morning, but customers returning rental cars were diverted to another location after what officials called a “safe and credible explosive device” was discovered at the airport’s Avis Budget rental car facility.

Sri Lankan 'witch doctor' claims he used black magic to elect president of the Maldives
The autocratic president of the Maldives is already known to have one prominent international adviser on his payroll: Cherie Blair and her law firm. But now a Sri Lankan "witch doctor" has gone public with claims he deployed black magic to win the presidency for Abdulla Yameen. "We invited the devil to destroy the political power of Mr Yameen's opponents...

After Atheist Richard Dawkins Suffers Stroke, Twitter Users Debate over Praying for Him
Twitter user John Cumberbatch similarly tweeted, “Richard Dawkins has had a stroke :( Pray for him.” Other Twitter users, however, knowing that Dawkins was an avowed atheist, wished Dawkins well, but said they would not be praying for him.

DARPA's fully-loaded quadcopter autonomously navigates an indoor maze at 45 mph
A fully-laden quadcopter recently flew through an indoor obstacle course at 45 mph (72 km/h) as part of DARPA's Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program. The test flight was conducted entirely under autonomous control with the goal of developing small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with the ability to navigate through tight spaces without the need for outside control or GPS.

Graphene successfully interfaced with neurons in the brain
"For the first time we interfaced graphene to neurons directly," said Professor Laura Ballerini of the University of Trieste in Italy. "We then tested the ability of neurons to generate electrical signals known to represent brain activities, and found that the neurons retained their neuronal signaling properties unaltered.

UN releases stamps celebrating homosexuality, gay parenting, transexualism
Dark naked figures dancing around a fire and a powerful Greek god presided over the unveiling of six explicit UN postage stamps to promote homosexuality, transexuality, and gay parenting at UN headquarters last week.

Urgent calls begin for Scalia autopsy
“The horrid reaction and comments about his death expressed by many liberals online illustrate that Scalia was hated by many people. His death hands the power of the Supreme Court to the modern left for the first time in American history. The court can now vote, even without a replacement of Scalia, to radically change the United States of America.

Debunking Gary Burge's Supersessionist Theology Regarding Israel
Burge writes that “Jesus’ words reflect those of the Old Testament prophets when he says that people who possess the land must exhibit righteousness or else they will lose their gift” (173). This statement ignores the fact that God’s Land promise to Abraham was unconditional and eternal (Genesis 17:8). When God made the Land Covenant with Abraham, the covenant was one-sided and based on God’s integrity alone, not on anyone’s obedience (Genesis 15:7–18).

Assad vows to retake all of Syria, warns could 'take long time'
Syrian president says while he supports peace talks, it 'does not mean we need to stop fighting terrorism' and calls on Europe to 'stop giving cover to terrorists' in the form of refugee.

Diplomat: Samples confirm Islamic State used mustard gas in Iraq
Islamic State militants attacked Kurdish forces in Iraq with mustard gas last year, the first known use of chemical weapons in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein, a diplomat said, based on tests by the global chemical weapons watchdog.

New York school holds World Hijab Day
Officials at the World [High] School of Inquiry in Rochester, New York, spent a week this month fielding dozens of calls from parents angry about a “World Hijab Day” event that encouraged girls to wear the Muslim religious head covering.

Valentine’s picnic couple flee as earthquake sends clifftops tumbling into the sea
A couple enjoying a romantic day out ran for their lives when an earthquake caused cliffs to crumble just yards from their Valentine’s Day picnic. The 5.7 magnitude quake hit the Christchurch area in New Zealand at lunchtime yesterday.

Turkey issues new threats to Kurdish forces in Syria
Turkey has promised the "harshest reaction" if Kurdish forces try to take the key town of Azaz in northern Syria. Over the weekend Turkey shelled the Kurdish YPG militia as it made advances in the area. Syria said the Turkish shelling was a violation of its sovereignty and called on the UN to act.

Russia-Ukraine road blockades hit trade
Hundreds of goods lorries are stuck on roads in Russia and Ukraine because of tit-for-tat economic blockades. On Monday the Ukrainian government said Russian lorries would no longer be allowed to transit through Ukraine. The move came after Russia said it had stopped 152 Ukrainian lorries en route to Kazakhstan. Russia accused Ukrainian nationalists of preventing Russian lorries reaching Belarus.

Bosnia-Herzegovina applies to join European Union
Bosnia-Herzegovina has formally applied to join the 28-nation European Union - a milestone in its efforts to overcome political and ethnic divisions. More tough negotiation and reforms lie ahead if it is ever to join the EU... Bosnia's move comes more than two decades after it emerged from a three-year conflict that cost about 100,000 lives, when Yugoslavia fragmented.

New Libya cabinet proposed to replace dual governments
Libya's internationally-backed presidency council has proposed a new cabinet for the country which has had two competing governments since 2014. The proposed council will be put to a vote in parliament this week. The BBC's Rana Jawad says Western powers hope that this will be Libya's future unity government.

Missiles hit school and hospital in Syrian border town, 14 dead
AMMAN- At least 14 civilians were killed when missiles hit a children's hospital, a school and other locations in the rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz near the Turkish border on Monday, a medic and two residents said. They said at least five missiles hit the hospital in the town center and a nearby school, where refugees fleeing a major Syrian army offensive were sheltering.

'Europe's Jews are worried - and for a good reason'
The Weimar Republic, Germany’s flawed experiment in democracy in the 1920s, has become today’s paradigm for the failure of state and society. By the end of Weimar...vigilantes...claimed they were keeping the streets safe while beating up vulnerable minorities, above all Jews. So it is shocking when citizens in Germany and France — and elsewhere in Europe — increasingly cite Weimar when discussing their society today.

North Korea's Kim orders more rocket launches
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has praised scientists involved in the country's recent rocket launch that he said struck a "telling blow" to enemies and ordered them to press ahead with more launches, state media reported Monday.

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Why is America losing faith in its military?
As the United States military recovers from two decade-long wars – neither of which were won decisively – and endures significant downsizing, do Americans think it's still the best in the world? The answer is increasingly 'no,' according to a new Gallup poll. Last year the number of Americans who thought they were protected by the world's strongest military was 59 percent, but this year that number has dropped to 49 percent – the lowest figure in the 23 years Gallup has recorded the trend.

China sends missiles to contested South China Sea island: Taiwan
China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed islands it controls in the South China Sea, Taiwan and U.S. officials said, ratcheting up tensions even as U.S. President Barack Obama urged restraint in the region.

Cracking down on Pyongyang is difficult. Here's why
Repeatedly over the past six weeks, since the morning North Korea surprised the world with its fourth nuclear test, the United States, South Korea, Japan and their allies have vowed to get tough on Pyongyang.

This is the beginning of the end for US shale oil
We're witnessing the slow death of US shale oil production. Shale oil producers have long been seen as the most vulnerable group in the oil crash, but have proven far more resilient than markets expected. And in the last 18 months oil prices have crashed about 70% while US-based production in 2014 led the global oil market.

Top secret CIA poison dart gun 'gives targets deadly HEART ATTACKS and leaves no trace'
A WHISTLEBLOWER has claimed the CIA developed a "heart attack gun" laced with deadly poison to carry out assassinations. ...the toxin would not appear in an autopsy – so there would be "no way of perceiving that the target was hit".

Hawaii declares state of emergency over Zika virus, dengue fever outbreak
Hawaii Gov. David Ige declared a state of emergency to fight mosquito borne illnesses including dengue fever and the Zika virus. The state has been in the midst of a dengue fever outbreak on Hawaii's Big Island, where there were more than 250 confirmed cases. There have been no locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus in Hawaii, Ige said in a news conference Friday.

Michael Savage: 'Was Scalia murdered?'
With confirmation that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was found dead Saturday morning with a pillow over his head and his clothes unwrinkled, nationally syndicated talk-radio host Michael Savage called for an investigation on the level of the presidentially appointed probe into President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

France presents Israel, Palestinians with peace plan
Israeli and Palestinian officials say France has presented the two sides with a proposal for an international peace conference.

‘Christians are under pressure in many developed countries’ – Russian Patriarch Kirill
In an exclusive interview to RT's Ed Schultz Patriarch Kirill stressed the importance of his meeting with Pope Francis in Cuba, which he said came “at the right time.”

US Ambassador to UN: “UN is Part of the Problem”
US Ambassador Samantha Power vigorously criticized the UN’s bias against Israel in her speech at the Israel Middle East Model UN Conference at the American International School in Even Yehuda.

Obama Reluctantly Signs BDS Bill Recognizing Territories as Part of Israel
A trade bill which passed a senate vote Thursday is set to be signed into law by US President Barack Obama, despite his objections to its pro-Israel portions.

5.7M earthquake adds shaking to gales on Tongatapu
A short tremor was felt in Tongatapu tonight at around 4:03 am. The earthquake rattled houses and woke people, who stayed indoors sheltering from the gale force winds and heavy rains brought to Tonga overnight by Tropical Cyclone Winston.

Thousands of Blacktip Sharks Clog the Coastline of Florida in Palm Beach County
People aren’t the only ones heading to Florida for warmer weather. Over 10,000 sharks have situated themselves just off the Palm Beach County coastline for the winter, although further north than usual. The blacktip sharks are only several hundred feet away from the shore, according to Stephen Kajiura, an associate professor at Florida Atlantic University whose research interests include the sensory biology of fish.

Negative central bank interest rates now herald new danger for the world
The world's tentative experiment with negative interest rates got off to an unremarkable start. Sweden's Riksbank - the world's oldest central bank - became the first major monetary authority to cross the rubicon and take its main policy rate into the red exactly a year ago to the month (see map above).

Doctors 3D-print 'living' body parts
Custom-made, living body parts have been 3D-printed in a significant advance for regenerative medicine, say scientists. The sections of bone, muscle and cartilage all functioned normally when implanted into animals. The breakthrough, published in Nature Biotechnology, raises the hope of using living tissues to repair the body.

Antonin Scalia death: Obama to act after Senate returns next week
A new US Supreme Court judge to replace justice Antonin Scalia will be nominated by the president after next week, the White House has said. There will be no announcement before the Senate returns on 22 February, said deputy press secretary Eric Schultz. Republicans have demanded President Barack Obama - a Democrat - leave the nomination to his successor next year.

Earthquakes hit Greece just MILES from popular holiday hotspot
THREE earthquakes have struck the Greek city of Patras, just miles from holiday hotspot Zakynthos. The initial quake, which measured 5.3 on the richter scale, struck the area just before 9pm local time. Two more aftershocks, each measuring around 3 on the scale then followed.

Four oil producing nations agree to freeze output
Oil ministers from three Opec countries, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela, as well as Russia, have agreed to freeze oil output at January levels, as long as others follow suit. The announcement came after the four ministers met in Doha on Tuesday. The move is designed to support the oil price, which has dropped sharply in recent months.

Russia rejects Syria war crimes claim over hospital attacks
Russia says it "categorically rejects" accusations of war crimes over the bombing of hospitals in Syria. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "those who make such statements are not capable of backing them up with proof". Up to 50 people were killed in missile attacks on at least four hospitals and a school in rebel-held areas of northern Syria on Monday.

Senior Palestinian official calls on Jews to 'return to country of origin'
Palestinian Authority envoy to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Ibrahim Khreisheh, said that all Jews living in Israel "should all return to their country of origin,"... In an interview with Palestinian Authority TV earlier this month, Khreisheh posited that Jews are not indigenous to the land of Israel, and their presence today is a product of years-long colonization.

First Chinese train arrives in Tehran to revive Silk Road
Iran's state TV says the first Chinese commercial train has arrived in Tehran to revive the Silk Road — an ancient network of trade routes running through Asia.

Britain wants to ban boycotts on Israeli goods
The British government intends to ban public institutions in the country from themselves banning the purchase of goods from Israel. It will unveil rules later this week that will make it harder for local town halls and public universities to enact boycotts on Israeli products, spurred by growing popular anger around the collapse of the Middle East peace process.

EU future not what it once was with 2 big crises at summit
After decades of often unbridled expansion and increasing prosperity, the once-robust European Union is this week looking at its biggest challenge — crumbling from within, says EU President Donald Tusk.

White House says expects China will support new sanctions on North Korea
President Barack Obama's top national security adviser Susan Rice said on Monday that she expects China will support new international sanctions on North Korea for its recent rocket launches.

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Decorated Iraq vet whose bravery was immortalized in a statue 'attacked in hate crime': Marine says he was beaten and robbed by teens who asked
The marine, who had survived ambushes in Fallujah at the height of the Iraq War, was taken unaware again — and this time he was unarmed and without backup. One of the teens hit him in the head him from behind, knocking him to the floor, where the gang beat him savagely before robbing him. Marquez told police that one youth hit him in the head with a handgun.

China leads global U.S. debt dump
he largest owner of U.S. debt, China sold $18 billion of U.S. Treasury debt in December. And it's not alone. Japan sold even more: $22 billion. In the past year, Mexico, Turkey and Belgium have also lowered their holdings of U.S. debt, all of which have led to a record annual dump by central banks.

'Zero Days' director says U.S. government secrecy trend 'appalling'
The director of a new documentary outlining U.S. plans for an extensive cyber attack on Iran said on Wednesday he was angry and appalled by the rapidly growing trend towards secrecy in the U.S. government.

Radioactive material stolen in Iraq raises security concerns
Iraq is searching for "highly dangerous" radioactive material whose theft last year has raised fears among Iraqi officials that it could be used as a weapon if acquired by Islamic State.

Covertly, Israel prepares to fight boycott activists online
Israel is using its world-leading expertise in cyber security to take on the growing threat of the global pro-Palestinian movement to boycott Israel.

Israeli archaeologists discover 7,000-year-old settlement
Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday they have unearthed a 7,000-year-old settlement in northern Jerusalem, describing it as the oldest discovery of its kind in the area. Israel's Antiquities Authority said the excavation exposed two houses with well-preserved remains and floors containing pottery vessels, flint tools and a basalt bowl.


China sends missiles to contested South China Sea island
China has deployed anti-aircraft missiles on a disputed South China Sea island in a major escalation of tensions with the United States over the world’s most lucrative shipping lanes. Taiwan’s defence ministry told The Telegraph that it has confirmed the existence of the missiles on an island in the Paracel chain that are occupied by Beijing but also claimed by Taipei and Vietnam.

Earthquake Prediction California: New Quake Strikes Fears Of The Big Thing To Come
The quake was “high up there, even for California standards,” said Rafael Abreu, a geophysicist of the USGS Earthquake Information Center in Colorado. In the last 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 nearby. The earthquake has raked up the fears of a major earthquake hitting California as predicted by scientists last year.

Latest Version of Monopoly is Called “Ultimate Banking” and is Completely Cashless
The war on cash has been in the works for a very, very long time, but the propaganda campaign to convince an always gullible public to accept the scheme seems to have been hatched in earnest late last spring. For example, here are a few excerpts from the post, Martin Armstrong Reports on a Secret Meeting in London to Ban Cash:

Eagles of Death Metal Singer: French Gun Control Saved No One in Paris Attacks
Jesse Hughes, singer for the Eagles of Death Metal and survivor of the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, is finally speaking out against the French gun control laws he said not only failed to protect French citizens, but actually aided the attackers. “Did your French gun control stop a single […] person from dying at the Bataclan?”

Hezbollah Threatens It Can Hit Israel With a Low-Tech Weapon That Will Pack the Punch of a Nuclear Bomb
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has threatened to attack an ammonia storage facility in northern Israel, a move he said would pack the punch of a nuclear weapon, resulting in hundreds of thousands of fatalities.

Moscow’s alliance with Iran and Hezbollah threatens strategic Israeli interests
GOVERNMENTS AND pundits were stunned last September when Russia sent an expeditionary force into Syria. The immediate goal seemed to be to safeguard the survival of the beleaguered Bashar Assad regime and Russian naval assets in the port of Tartus. But it soon became clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin had other major strategic goals.

Knesset Defense Committee Chairman in Brussels: Talks Need Brave Palestinian Leader
“there is not one Israeli who does not want peace with the Palestinians, but this calls for a return to the negotiating table in order to discuss all the disputes, with a brave leader on the other side who openly agrees to relinquish the Palestinians’ right of return to the State of Israel’s territory.”

Cheney calls Trump 'a liberal Democrat'
Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Donald Trump “sounds like a liberal Democrat” following the billionaire’s recent claims that the George W. Bush administration lied to start the Iraq War and failed to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

700,000+ CIA docs close to release as ‘national security geek’ nears Kickstarter goal
Known as CREST, the CIA Records Search Tool allows anyone to search the documents, but only if they wish to make the trip there. Even then the only way to share any findings is to print, scan, and upload, which so far has only happened with about 1 million out of the total 11 million pages in the archive.

Obama in wonderland? US ‘schizophrenic’ on Syria as Kurds, govt forces advance
The US president has claimed that Russian involvement in Syria is a sign of weakness and has pressed for regime change in Damascus, brushing aside ongoing peace talks and ignoring steady gains by the Syrian army and Kurdish forces against terrorists.

Austria tightens border control in an attempt to deal with migrant crisis
Austria announced that the country is returning its border control and inspection along its borders with Italy, Slovenia and Hungary, in an attempt to control the flow of migrants entering its territories.

How a 300-Year-Old Vision Predicted a Global Economic Crisis That Could Bring Messiah
His teachings are still studied in depth and his book, the Tanya, is widely read by Jews around the world. Chabad is exceptional in that it emphasizes the concept of Messiah in a manner generally eschewed by other branches of Judaism.

Hezbollah Leader Irked by Growing Sunni Arab Ties with Israel
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared upset with reports that Sunni Arab leaders are increasingly viewing Israel as an ally in the fight against Iran.

Kurds' advance in Syria divides U.S. and Turkey as Russia bombs
The rapid advance of U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, taking advantage of Russian air strikes to seize territory near the Turkish border, has infuriated Ankara and threatened to drive a wedge between NATO allies.

Donald Trump Is Still Planned Parenthood’s Favorite Republican
In August, Planned Parenthood released a statement applauding Donald Trump. The abortion industry made nice to Trump because he first made nice to them.

UK Latest Nation to Boycott BDS
New British government directives are aiming to prevent public bodies, universities, and student unions from boycotting Israeli products, The Independent reported Sunday. According to The Sunday Times, the move “follows mounting concern among Jewish leaders about anti-Semitism.”

Magnitude 4.8 Quake Strikes Near Big Pine, California, East of Fresno
Police and fire departments in Bishop said they felt the quake, describing it as a "big boom and some rattling." So far, there have been no reports of significant damage or calls for service, Bishop police said.

Syria crisis: Aid lorries set off for besieged areas
Aid convoys are preparing to deliver desperately-needed food and medicine to five besieged towns in Syria. A spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) told the BBC lorries had begun leaving Damascus. They will head to rebel-held Madaya, Zabadani and Muadhamiya, near the capital, and to the pro-government northern villages of Foah and Kefraya.

China 'has deployed missiles in South China Sea' - Taiwan
China has deployed surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island in the South China Sea, Taiwan says. Satellite images taken on 14 February appear to show two batteries of eight missile launchers and a radar system on Woody or Yongxing Island in the Paracels. The presence of missiles would significantly increase tensions in the acrimonious South China Sea dispute.

Report: Russia will send first S-300 missile system to Iran on Thursday
Russia will send the first S-300 air defense missile system to Iran on Thursday... The missile system will be delivered under the terms of an earlier contract. RIA reported earlier on Wednesday that Russia will sign this year a contract with Iran to supply a batch of its Sukhoi Su-30SM multi-role fighter jets to the Islamic Republic.

Archaeologists discover 7,000-year-old Jerusalem settlement
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority recently unearthed the remains of a well-preserved 7,000-year-old settlement in northern Jerusalem from the Chalcolithic period, dating back to the 5th millennium BCE. The discovery was made by the Authority prior to the laying of a road in the Shu’fat neighborhood, the IAA said on Wednesday.

Russia, Iran coordinate moves on Syria
The Iranian defense minister Gen. Hossein Dehghan left Tehran on Monday on a visit to Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. In an arrival statement in Moscow, he said, We are seriously with the Syrian government and nation and we have had decisive cooperation with Russia, which has resulted in a change of power balance and creation of a new situation for Syria.

The Obama administration enables anti-Semitism at the United Nations
The Times of Israel reports that United States ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power is in Israel: “Bias has extended well beyond Israel as a country, Israel as an idea,” she said of the UN and particularly the UN Human Rights Council. “Israel is just not treated like other countries,” she added during a Q&A session, while also maintaining that there are legitimate criticisms of the Jewish state.


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Palestinian leader gives wife-beating tips on Gaza TV
A top spiritual leader in the Palestinian territory of Gaza told a television audience last week how and when men can beat their wives, advising not to hit them in a way that “makes the face ugly.”

Matt Drudge slams ‘media cover-up’ of Hillary Clinton’s declining health
Drudge Report creator Matt Drudge slammed what he called a “media cover-up” of Hillary Clinton’s “flaring hypothyroidism” after the Democratic presidential candidate suffered another coughing fit on the campaign trail.

Syrian rebels say reinforcements get free passage via Turkey
Syrian rebels have brought at least 2,000 reinforcements through Turkey in the past week to bolster the fight against Kurdish-led militias north of Aleppo, rebel sources said on Thursday.

US: Russian fighter jet sale to Iran would violate arms ban
The Obama administration said Thursday that a proposed Russian sale of fighter jets to Iran would violate a U.N. arms embargo on Tehran, setting up another standoff related to last year's nuclear negotiations. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said transferring the Sukhoi-30 jets, comparable to American F-15E fighter bombers, requires the U.N. Security Council's approval.

Palestinians kill Israeli in West Bank supermarket
Two Palestinian teenagers wielding knives fatally stabbed an Israeli and seriously wounded another at a supermarket in the West Bank on Thursday before they were shot and wounded by an Israeli bystander, the military said.

Apple vs. the FBI: Here's where everyone stands
You might have heard: The U.S. government wants Apple to unlock an iPhone 5C that belonged to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. The order, handed down by a U.S. magistrate judge, demands Apple (AAPL) write new software that would help the FBI get around the passcode so it can search the phone for evidence. And Apple isn't playing ball.

How Apple will fight the DOJ in iPhone backdoor crypto case
Cook said Apple will fight the Riverside, California magistrate judge's orders, calling it an "unprecedented use of the All Writs Act of 1789 to justify an expansion of its authority." Depending on where you line up in the cryptowars debate, Cook's characterization of the government's stance may or may not be true. But what is undeniable is that the act has certainly been used to expand the government's surveillance reach.

Merkel's Europe Faces Judgment Day at EU Summit
Angela Merkel is facing an impossible task at this week's EU summit and returning to Germany without reaching her objectives could lead to her resignation, Deutsche Welle reported.

Moderate earthquake 5.8 mag, 60 km NNW of Visokoi Island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
A moderate earthquake magnitude 5.8 (ml/mb) has struck on Wednesday, 60 km NNW of Visokoi Island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (37 miles). The epicenter was at a depth of 119.26 km (74 miles). Exact location of event, depth 119.26 km, -27.6226° West, -56.2123° South. Event id: us10004qp2. Ids that are associated to the earthquake: us10004qp2. A tsunami warning has not been issued (Does not indicate if a tsunami actually did or will exist).

Magnitude-5.9 earthquake jolts East Halmahera
akarta (ANTARA News) - An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale jolted East Halmahera area in North Maluku early on Thursday morning.

Turkey blames Kurdish militants for Ankara bomb, vows response in Syria and Iraq
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu blamed a Syrian Kurdish militia fighter working with Kurdish militants inside Turkey for a suicide car bombing that killed 28 people in the capital Ankara, and he vowed retaliation in both Syria and Iraq. A car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses as they waited at traffic lights near Turkey's armed forces' headquarters, parliament and government buildings in...Ankara...

Venezuela raises petrol price for first time in 20 years
Venezuela is raising petrol prices for the first time in 20 years, although the president claims it will still be the cheapest in the world. President Nicolas Maduro said pump prices of premium fuel would rise from the equivalent of $0.01 a litre to about $0.60 (£0.40). The cost of lower grade petrol would rise to about $0.10 a litre.

Kenya 'kills' al-Shabab intelligence chief in Somalia
A Kenyan air strike has killed the intelligence chief of Somalia's militant Islamist group al-Shabab, an army statement has said. Mohammed Karatey and 10 other al-Shabab commanders were killed in the strike in southern Somalia on 8 February, it added. He played a key role in last month's deadly attack on a Kenyan military base in neighbouring Somalia, the army said.

Students in Brooklyn College demand ‘Zionists off campus’
Approximately 10 Brooklyn College students who interrupted a faculty meeting called for “Zionists off campus” among its list of demands. A faculty member at the Tuesday afternoon meeting told JTA that along with the demand on Zionists, the students called one faculty member a “Zionist pig.” The educator who spoke to JTA wished to remain anonymous.

Report: Israel strikes Syrian army outposts south of Damascus, monitor says
Three Israeli rockets allegedly hit Syrian army outposts south of Damascus on Wednesday, reported the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict. Meanwhile, a pro-Syrian government military source denied reports that Israel carried out air strikes inside Syria The IDF said it does not respond to such foreign reports.

Catholic Church in Israel blames Jewish state for current Palestinian violence
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which represents the Catholic Church in the region, accused Israel on Thursday of responsibility for the recent wave of Palestinian violence, saying Israeli policy has created despair and frustration among Palestinians leading them to carry out acts of terrorism.


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The Global Oil Glut Is So Great, Tankers Take The Long Route Around Africa To Find A Buyer
While we have previously observed the massive glut of oil product in the US, which has led to such arcane developments as a "parking lot" of oil tankers outside of Galveston, TX...

Hezbollah’s ‘Nuclear Bomb’: We Can Kill Tens of Thousands of Israelis by Hitting Toxic Gas Tank
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has called on U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to condemn a veiled threat by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah – a member of Lebanon’s caretaker government – to kill tens of thousands of Israelis by firing missiles at a toxic gas storage tank in Israel’s third-largest city.

US air strike kills dozens at IS camp in Libya
A US air strike on a jihadist training camp in Libya killed dozens of people Friday, probably including a senior Islamic State group operative behind attacks in Tunisia, officials said.

Russia warns Assad on vow to retake all of Syria
Russia's envoy to the UN on Friday warned long-term ally President Bashar al-Assad over his vow to retake all of Syria, saying he faced dire consequences if he did not comply with Moscow over the peace process.

European leaders strike deal to try to keep Britain in the E.U.
Prime Minister David Cameron vowed late Friday to wage a relentless campaign to keep Britain in the European Union after striking a deal with fellow leaders that he said would transform the country’s relationship with the 28-member bloc.

Decision Imminent for Green Beret Who Confronted Afghan Child Rapist
A decision is imminent regarding whether Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland will be kicked out of the Army for confronting an Afghan child rapist while serving in Afghanistan in 2011.

Electron state-changing device could be used in quantum computing
An international team of researchers has found a way to control the spin of electrons – from a normal state to excited and back again – in a silicon-based material, and in the process to get them to release microwave photons.

China: Sanctions won't resolve North Korea tensions
China is voicing concerns after U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea. The bill, which aims to cut the last remaining lifelines to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile technology, will blacklist third-party individuals and entities that engage in North Korea trade.

‘I would eat my shoe’: McAfee tells FBI he can open San Bernardino iPhone for free
John McAfee, a computer security pioneer, has offered to crack a phone belong to a San Bernardino shooter free of charge in just three weeks – if the agency drops its “back door” order to Apple, which he says is “the beginning of the end of the US.”

Germany says Syria ceasefire talks to take place this afternoon
BERLIN - A task force set up to discuss a planned cessation of hostilities in Syria will meet for the first time in Geneva on Friday afternoon, the German foreign ministry said.

Franklin Graham to Pope: 'Build a Bridge to Donald Trump'
The Rev. Franklin Graham Thursday suggested that Pope Francis "build a bridge" to Republican front-runner Donald Trump because "who knows where he may be this time next year."

MAGNETIC EXPLOSION ON THE SUN
A magnetic filament snaking across the sun's southern hemisphere exploded during the late hours of Feb. 18th. Debris flew away from the sun in the form of a coronal mass ejection (CME), but the storm cloud does not appear to be heading for Earth.

Hold Up, Did We Just Crack Time Travel?
This detection supports Einstein’s general theory of relativity in a way that revolutionizes scientific understanding of how space and time behave in extreme environments, and astrophysics will never be the same. That includes mankind’s pursuit of time travel.

Small Earthquake Rattles New Jersey Town
A small earthquake shook a New Jersey community Thursday evening, prompting concerned residents to call 911.

UK's Labour probes alleged anti-Semitic behavior at Oxford student club
The national student organization of Britain's Labour party has opened an investigation into allegations of anti-Semitis behavior among the members of Oxford University's Labour students club. According to witnesses, members of the organization expressed support for Hamas and sang songs praising missile attacks on Tel Aviv, among other things.

South Florida Jewish Community Concerned Over Bizarre Encounters
South Florida’s Jewish community is on edge over the odd behavior of two women. “These two people came into one of the temples in the community. One, if not two, walked inside the temple,” said Yona Lunger of the two Middle Eastern women in question. ...“Showing the Koran, asking certain questions that raised concerns, enough to alert the police department,” said Lunger.

'Consequences' for the US if it quits Paris climate deal
The US faces "diplomatic consequences" if a new President decides to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement. American climate envoy Todd Stern said the reaction would be far greater than when the US left the Kyoto Protocol under President Bush. Many countries are worried that a Republican victory in November's presidential election would see the US walk away from the landmark Paris deal.

IS increases use of child soldiers, says US report
The number of children who have died fighting for so-called Islamic State (IS) in the last year is nearly twice the previous estimate, a report says. Researchers at Georgia State University tracked IS propaganda and eulogies over 13 months. The propaganda claimed 89 boys aged eight to 18 had been killed fighting in a number of different combat roles.

Barack Obama imposes new North Korea sanctions
President Obama has signed off new expanded sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear programme, weeks after it launched a long-range rocket. The country has refused to stop its nuclear programme and the bill was easily passed last week by Congress. The sanctions attempt to cut off money North Korea needed to develop miniaturised nuclear warheads.

Islamic State: Bombing strikes militants in Libya
The New York Times newspaper cited an anonymous official saying US planes had carried out the air strikes. It said the target was a top Tunisian jihadist linked to two terror attacks last year, including a resort shooting that killed 30 British nationals. Recent reports say top IS commanders - followed by many fighters - have moved to Libya from Iraq and Syria.

Syrian opposition leader pushes for buffer zone near Israel border
Visiting Syrian opposition leader Kamal al-Labwani called on Thursday for a small safe zone to be created near Israel’s border in Syria. Asked if he really has enough power on the ground in Syria to create a buffer zone, Labwani told The Jerusalem Post that the goal is “to protect civilians and some military groups could be able to cooperate with me.”



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This Is What Happens To Gold When Citizens Lose Faith In Fiat Currency
It appears, first slowly and now quickly, the world is realizing that Alan Greenspan was right after all: "Gold is a currency. It is still, by all evidence, a premier currency. No fiat currency, including the dollar, can match it."

Jeb Bush drops out of the Republican race for president
Jeb Bush withdrew from the Republican presidential race after his loss in South Carolina, abandoning a campaign that struggled frequently in the glare of anti-establishment politics.

Walesa Legend Now a Spy Story as Polish History Is Rewritten
In the new Poland, yesterday’s heroes are being turned into today’s villains. It means that Lech Walesa, the country’s most famous politician and freedom fighter, is a traitor and the 1989 uprising that ushered in democracy and a market economy was little more than a conspiracy. At least, that’s the new Polish government’s narrative after documents were released this week that purport to show the former Solidarity leader was a paid agent working for the communist authorities.

Attempt to place Review-Journal obituary for Hillary Clinton prompts report to Secret Service
The Las Vegas Review-Journal on Friday reported a possible threat related to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton after a man tried to place an obituary notice for the former secretary of state. The man, who identified himself as Don Schubert, was asked to leave the newspaper building's lobby after he filled out a standard obituary form identifying the deceased as Hillary Rodham Clinton, and listing her date of death as Feb. 20, 2016, the date of Saturday's Democratic Party presidential caucuses. Previously he had called the newsroom to complain about the coin flips that determined the outcome of some Iowa caucuses last month.

Pro-Hezbollah hackers: We penetrated Israeli sites, security feeds
A pro-Hezbollah hacker group calling itself We Are Coming claims it penetrated 5,000 Israeli websites, including some containing sensitive security data, in 2015, as well as security camera feeds, Lebanese network Al-Manar declared this week. Pro-Hezbollah news outlets in Lebanon have reported in the past that the group successfully breached Israeli websites and Facebook pages.

Egypt's Sisi pledges crackdown on police abuses after shooting
The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has said that police officers guilty of human rights abuses will face tougher action under new laws. His remarks follow a protest in Cairo after a taxi driver was shot dead by a policeman during a dispute over a fare. The case was the latest of many alleged cases of police brutality in Egypt.

Libya air strike: Two Serbs feared dead in US attack on IS
Two Serbian nationals held hostage in Libya since November are believed to have been among those killed in Friday's air strikes by US warplanes, the Serbian government says. The jets targeted positions of the self-styled Islamic State group (IS) in the city of Sabratha. The kidnapped Serbs, Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic, worked at the Serbian embassy in Libya.

EU deal gives UK special status, says David Cameron
David Cameron says a deal struck with EU leaders will give the UK "special status" and he will campaign with his "heart and soul" to stay in the union. The agreement, reached late on Friday after two days of talks in Brussels, gives the UK power to limit some EU migrants' benefits. It also includes a treaty change so the UK is not bound to "ever closer union" with other EU member states, he said.

Cyclone Winston hits Fiji's main island Viti Levu
The most powerful storm to hit Fiji has made landfall on the Pacific nation's main island, Viti Levu. Cyclone Winston brought winds of over 320 kph (200 mph), torrential rain and waves of up to 12m (40ft). Flights have been cancelled, evacuation centres activated and a nationwide curfew put in place.

China replaces securities regulator Xiao Gang
China has removed the head of its securities regulator as it tries to tackle major volatility in its stock markets. Xiao Gang was replaced by Liu Shiyu as the chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), state media report. Mr Xiao was in charge when China's markets crashed in mid-2015.

Have Israel's missile defense systems hit a snag?
Last year the Defense Ministry outlined a list of successful trials of air defense systems....Following several crises...progress has slowed down... Maariv Hashavua, has learned that one of the conditions of the significant increase in defense support put in place by the government in Washington DC was a marked increase in efforts to compromise with the Palestinians, in an effort to renew political negotiations.

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Obama’s rudeness hits new heights with Scalia, Schumer
Gratuitous. Nasty. Petty. Spiteful. Insulting. Just plain rude. When the rhetoric of a major party’s leading presidential candidate falls to this level, we should be scornful. So, how is it OK when it isn’t just a presidential candidate, but a president, who does it?

China is quickly becoming one of the world's biggest arms exporters
China has almost doubled its weapons exports in the past five years, a military think tank said on Monday, as the world's third-largest weapons exporter pours capital into developing an advanced arms manufacturing industry.

Lebanese minister resigns over Hezbollah domination
Lebanese Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi resigned from the Cabinet Sunday, saying the militant Hezbollah group dominates the government and is harming Beirut's relations with Arab countries.

Unholy row over church's play which portrays Jesus as a transgender woman who refers to God as 'Mum'
A play that portrays Jesus as a transgender woman who refers to God as 'Mum' is to be performed in a Church of England church today. To the fury of critics who say the play is deeply offensive, the Bishop of Manchester, David Walker, will not block the staging of The Gospel According To Jesus, Queen Of Heaven.

CUFI, Christian TV Launch Israel News Show "The Watchman"
Christians United for Israel (CUFI), which calls itself the largest American pro-Israel organization with 2.7 million members, is teaming up with the Christian satellite network Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) to launch a weekly news show highlighting the rising threats facing Israel and the United States.

Pope Backs Down After Attempting to Shame Trump Over Immigration Views
The Vatican responded defensively to the media circus sparked by the feud, attempting to clarify Pope Francis’s remarks as general rather than specific to Trump.

Speaking Tour Is A Degree Worth Having Debt? Is Twitter Silencing Conservatives?
Twitter, an invaluable news aggregator when properly run and used, has seemingly taken aim at conservatives and those advocating conservative causes. ...Rumours that Twitter has begun ‘shadowbanning’ politically inconvenient users have been confirmed by a source inside the company, who spoke exclusively to Breitbart Tech. His claim was corroborated by a senior editor at a major publisher.

Syria conflict: Homs car bombings kill 46, says monitor
At least 46 people have been killed in a double car bombing in the Syrian city of Homs, a monitoring group has said. Most of the dead appear to be civilians, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It is not yet clear who was behind the bombing but the so-called Islamic State (IS) has targeted the area in the past.

Europe migrant crisis: Razor wire fence failing in Hungary
Police in Hungary say increasing numbers of migrants are breaching a razor wire fence built to stop them crossing the border from Serbia. In January, 550 people were caught getting through - up from 270 in December. More than 1,200 were caught in the first 20 days of February. Hungary caused controversy with the 4m (13ft) barrier, completed in September.

‘Hezbollah has become a small faction serving the Russian bear,’ group’s founder says
Hezbollah's first secretary general, Subhi al-Tufayli, has vehemently attacked the Lebanese terror organization for its participation in the Syrian civil war, claiming that the organization is serving the interests of the Russian conqueror and that its fighting in Syria endangers Shi’ites in Lebanon.

6 Dead, 3 Hurt in Apparently Random Shootings in Michigan
Six people were killed and three others were wounded in a series of apparently random shootings in Michigan Saturday, Kalamazoo County sheriff's official said. "We seem to be dealing with a worst case scenario, someone driving around shooting," Kalamazoo County Undersheriff Paul Matyas told NBC News. Matyas said there are three shooting scenes. None of the victims at the three scenes appear connected, he said.

Fiji cyclone leaves trail of destruction, five dead
Fiji was assessing the damage on Sunday after one of the most powerful storms recorded in the southern hemisphere tore through the Pacific island nation, flattening remote villages and killing at least five people.

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Afghan army abandons three bases in Helmand province
In an apparent bid to bolster security in other parts of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, the Afghan army abandoned a number of its bases in two hard-fought districts over the weekend, according to a report from the Afghan news outlet TOLO News.

Obama Cracks Joke About Scalia's Death
During his National Governors Association speech Monday, President Obama joked there was a lot to get done during his final days in office, including “appointing judges.”

Islamic State rigs currency rates in Mosul to prop up finances
Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul are manipulating the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars to squeeze money out of local people as coalition bombers attack the group's finances.

China signals no South China Sea backdown as foreign minister goes to U.S.
China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, striking a combative tone ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the United States this week.

Iranian media outlets add to bounty for killing Britain's Rushdie
Iranian state-run media outlets have added $600,000 to a bounty for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie imposed in 1989 over the publishing of his book "The Satanic Verses".

The Obama Administration Wants to Make Sure Non-Citizens Vote in the Upcoming Election
Several well-funded organizations — including the League of Women Voters and the NAACP — are fighting efforts to prevent non-citizens from voting illegally in the upcoming presidential election. And the United States Department of Justice, under the direction of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, is helping them.

Record-setting Tropical Cyclone Winston hit Fiji and left this terrible scene across the island
The Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston caused heavy flooding, down power lines and damage to buildings. Cyclone Winston packed maximum sustained winds of 180 mph and was the strongest storm on record in the Southern Hemisphere...

Fifth-dimensional black hole could cause general relativity to break down
A team of physicists at the University of Cambridge have run computer simulations that show that a five-dimensional, ring-shaped black hole could violate Einstein's general theory of relativity by creating a naked singularity, which would result in the equations behind the theory breaking down.

Erdogan's Nightmare of United Kurdistan Fueling Turkey's 'Misguided Policies'
Erdogan's obsession with preventing the Kurds from making any gains in Turkey or elsewhere is contributing to greater chaos in the Middle East, yet Ankara seems oblivious to this adverse trend.

Franklin Graham: 'World Is Unraveling From Middle East to North Korea, Jesus Is Coming'
Franklin Graham has said that international news headlines indicate the world is unraveling, and urged people to trust Jesus Christ, who is going to one day "wipe the slate clean." "While the United States is focused on its own politics, the world is unraveling. The danger signals are everywhere. Beheadings, rapes, murders, bombings are taking place every day across North Africa through the Middle East, all the way to the borders of India," Graham wrote Thursday on his Facebook page.

False Flags To Be Used To Justify A Massive Ground Invasion Of Syria?
it appears that we may have just seen a “false flag” attack in Turkey. The Turks needed justification for bombarding the Kurds in northern Syria, and right on cue there was a “terror attack” in Ankara. During the weeks to come, will we see more “false flag” attacks that will be used to justify a full-blown ground invasion of Syria?

What did 1969 astronauts hear on dark side of moon?
Apollo 10 astronauts orbiting the moon in 1969 said they heard strange music at a time when they had traveled far beyond the ability to receive earthly broadcasts, and they weren’t sure whether or not to alert NASA authorities, newly released recordings of their conversations revealed. “It sounds like, you know, outer space-type music.”

Clinton E-Mail Reveals Hezbollah Base in Cuba
Hezbollah established an operational base in Cuba, according to intelligence received by Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State. The State Department’s latest release of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s e-mails reveals that she received a message claiming Hezbollah is seeking to set up a base in Cuba to carry out attacks in Latin America.

Bennett calls to ‘truly unite Jerusalem’
“If you truly believe in a united Jerusalem, deeds have to be more than words. We need a real united Jerusalem. It takes determination, audacity and money to provide full services and law enforcement in the entire city.”

Obama: We're better off now than when I started as President
“There is no doubt that we are better off than we were when I came into office,” said the President when asked if his presidency and his administration had made real change in the US.

IDF, U.S. European Command Undertake Joint Military Drills
The IDF and the United States European Command (US EUCOM) began their eighth ballistic missile defense exercise today. The joint exercise, known as Juniper Cobra, has taken place every two years since 2001. Its primary purpose is to enhance interoperability between the two militaries and improve joint defensive capabilities.

Assassination Attempt on Netanyahu Averted
A Hamas terror cell operating out of Jerusalem had been planning a mass casualty attack with the added goal of assassinating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

Earthquakes Rattle Morris County Towns - Again
Sunday was filled with excitement in the Butler and Kinnelon area, just as it was Thursday night, as another earthquake was recorded.

Magnitude 5 quake near Seddon
A magnitude 5 earthquake has hit near Seddon, but St John says it hasn't received any calls or reports of injuries from the area. Geonet said the severe quake hit shortly after 4pm was 8km deep, about 30km south-east of the upper South Island town.

Moderate 5.5 earthquake hits Nepal
At least 434 aftershocks with four or more magnitude have been recorded so far since the 2015's devastating earthquake.

China signals no South China Sea backdown as foreign minister goes to U.S.
China's South China Sea military deployments are no different from U.S. deployments on Hawaii, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday, striking a combative tone ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the United States this week. The United States last week accused China of raising tensions in the South China Sea by its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island, a move China has neither confirmed nor denied.

IDF, US European Command undertake joint military drills
The IDF and the United States European Command (US EUCOM) began their eighth ballistic missile defense exercise on Sunday. The joint exercise, known as Juniper Cobra, has taken place every two years since 2001. Its primary purpose is to enhance interoperability between the two militaries and improve joint defensive capabilities. The drills are not undertaken in preparation for any specific or potential scenario.

U.S. Scrambles to Contain Growing ISIS Threat in Libya
The Islamic State’s branch in Libya is deepening its reach across a wide area of Africa, attracting new recruits from countries like Senegal that had been largely immune to the jihadist propaganda — and forcing the African authorities and their Western allies to increase efforts to combat the fast-moving threat.

EU referendum: Pound sees biggest fall in a year on Brexit fears
The pound has seen its biggest drop in more than a year against the dollar amid uncertainty about a possible British exit from the European Union. It fell 1.65% to $1.4167, the biggest one-day drop since 2 January, 2015. The move follows London Mayor Boris Johnson joining the campaign to leave the EU after Prime Minister David Cameron set a June referendum date.

HSBC shares slide on earnings and bumpier road ahead
Shares in HSBC fell nearly 4% following a surprise fourth quarter loss and predictions of a "bumpier" road ahead because of China's slowing economy. In the final three months of last year, HSBC reported a loss of $1.3bn compared with a profit in the fourth quarter of 2014. For the full-year, pre-tax profit was flat, up just 1% to $18.9bn (£13.1bn).

Kalamazoo, Michigan: Taxi driver held over 'random' killings
A taxi driver is being held over the deaths of six people in an apparently random shooting spree in the Michigan city of Kalamazoo. Jason Brian Dalton, 45, was arrested after attacks at three locations on Saturday evening. Two people, including a 14-year-old girl, remain seriously ill in hospital. It has been confirmed that Mr Dalton was a driver for cab-hailing app Uber.

India caste unrest: 'Ten million without water' in Delhi
More than 10 million people in India's capital are without water despite the army regaining control of its key water source after protests, officials say. Keshav Chandra, head of Delhi's water board, told the BBC it would take "three to four days" before normal supplies resumed to affected areas. Jat community protesters demanding more government jobs seized the Munak canal, the city's main water source on Friday.

Saudi Arabia exposes alleged spying cell that collaborated with Iranian intelligence
A 32-person cell accused of espionage and ties to Iranian intelligence went on trial Sunday in Saudi Arabia, the London-based daily al-Hayat reported on Monday. According to al-Hayat, the indictment against the cell members accused them of forming a spying unit that transmitted secret information related to Saudi Arabia's military capabilities to Iranian intelligence, thus hurting the kingdom's national security.

London Underground trains splashed with anti-Israel ads for Israel Apartheid Week
Advertisements attacking Israel were splashed across London's underground tube network on Monday as the annual "Israel Apartheid Week" began. The campaign, entitled "Apartheid is Great Britain," takes the UK to task for providing arms to Israel which were used in 2014's Operation Protective Edge to "massacre" Palestinians in Gaza.

Cyclone Winston leaves 18 dead, thousands without power in Fiji
The death toll from a ferocious cyclone which tore through Fiji over the weekend has risen to 18 as authorities on Monday began to get a grasp on the scale of the disaster and deploy aid to hard-hit outer islands.

Syria conflict: IS claims deadly Homs and Damascus blasts
The Islamic State group says it carried out bomb attacks in the Syrian capital Damascus and the city of Homs, which left at least 140 people dead. Four blasts in the southern Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab killed at least 83 people, state media say.

Heavy gunfire heard as operation to flush out gunmen in Kashmir enters third day
Indian security forces battled for a third day amid heavy gunfire on Monday to clear militants who stormed a government building in the disputed Kashmir region and killed six people, officials and a witness said.

Russia's defence minister on surprise visit to Iran
Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Sunday started a previously unannounced visit to Tehran with the conflict in Syria high on his agenda, Iranian state media reported.

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CDC: Half of Gay Black Men Will Get HIV
For the first time ever, federal officials estimated how likely blacks and Hispanics are likely to be diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS. Half of gay and bisexual black men and a quarter of gay and bisexual Hispanic men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetimes, the Centers for Disease Control announced in a first-of-its-kind study on Tuesday.

Japan's Negative Interest Rates Are Driving up Sales of Safes
The Japanese are spending—but not in a way that is likely to strengthen the country’s economy. Following the Bank of Japan’s decision to lower interest rates below zero in January, many consumers have reportedly rushed to hardwares store in search of one thing: safes.

North Korea threatens to carry out attacks on 'mainland America' if the US carries out planned military drill with South Korean troops Read
North Korea has threatened to attack 'mainland America' if the U.S. carries out a planned military drill with South Korean troops next month.

McConnell: Not a 'snowball's chance in hell' I'll relent on SCOTUS
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told a group of staunch House conservatives there isn't "a snowball's chance in hell" that he will back down from his opposition to confirming a Supreme Court justice before a new president is elected.

Saudi Oil Minister Rules Out Possibility of Production Cuts
Saudi Arabia’s petroleum minister on Tuesday ruled out the possibility that a recently announced oil production freeze by several countries might lead to cuts to reverse the plunge in oil prices.

World Medical Association to revise ‘Hippocratic Oath”
The WMA says that the ethical obligations of doctors may need to be redrafted to reflect social changes. “In recent decades, respect for patient self-determination has been established as one of the most important principles of medical ethics,” says the WMA.

IVF an “evolutionary experiment” – genetics expert
Heart and artery malfunction was reported "very convincingly" in the assisted reproduction children, including those with brothers and sisters who were conceived naturally, Dr Gagneux said.

Expert: U.S. military could topple like Jenga blocks
An expert on military preparedness says the United States armed forces could topple like a Jenga block tower if President Obama’s social agenda is allowed to continue.

Obama plan to shut Guantanamo names no sites to replace Cuba-based prison – report
President Barack Obama is expected to submit a plan to Congress outlining steps to close Guantanamo Bay. His long-awaited blueprint reportedly does not name specific locations that could replace the US prison in Cuba, however. The administration is going to submit the Pentagon-drafted plan on Tuesday, meeting a congressionally-mandated February 23 deadline.

Senate Republicans Plan to Follow Joe Biden’s Advice on the Supreme Court Vacancy
Months before the 1992 presidential election, Joe Biden urged fellow U.S. senators to shut down the nomination process and block President George H.W. Bush’s judicial picks from a confirmation vote. Today, Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, called on the Senate to follow what he dubbed “the Biden Rules.”

WEATHER ALERT: Britain set for HEAVY SNOW TODAY in worst cold snap for a YEAR
ARCTIC gales, snow and freezing rain is sweeping Britain today with the entire country facing the worst winter blast for at least a year.

China Removing Thousands From Homes to Hunt for Aliens
In what would make for a decent episode of The X-Files, the Chinese government is forcing more than 9,000 residents from their homes in order to better search for alien life in the cosmos.

Slovenian army to help police control migrant inflow on border
The Slovenian army will be sent to guard the border with Croatia and help police control the flow of migrants into the country under legislation passed by parliament late on Monday. The act giving the army the power to control the migrant flow was passed by 69 votes to five, parliamentary speaker Milan Brglez said.

Attacks on Christians in U.S. double in 3 years
The new report, titled “Undeniable: The Survey of Hostility to Religion in America,” reveals a list that admittedly is not exhaustive but still totals 1,285 cases at the start of this year. “hostility to religion in America is rising like floodwaters.”

Light earthquake, 4.7 mag has occurred near Al Hoceima in Morocco
A light earthquake with magnitude 4.7 (ml/mb) was detected on Tuesday, 61 kilometers (38 miles) from Al Hoceima in Morocco. The 4.7-magnitude earthquake has occurred at 10:12:33 / 10:12 am (local time epicenter). The epicenter was at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).

Syrian govt. accepts halt to 'combat operations' in line with U.S.-Russian plan
The Syrian government said on Tuesday it accepted a halt to "combat operations" that does not include the Islamic State group, the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, or groups connected to it, in line with a U.S.-Russian plan.

Earthquake Felt In Oklahoma City Metro Area
Oklahoma - A 3.5-magnitude earthquake rattled residents in the Oklahoma City metro area Monday night. The earthquake happened at 8:35 p.m.

Largest fireball since Chelyabinsk falls into the ocean: Nasa reports huge explosion of seven meter space rock over the Atlantic
A huge fireball crashed into the Atlantic earlier this month - and went almost unseen. The event took place on February 6 at 14:00 UTC when a meteor exploded in the air 620 miles (1,000km) off the coast of Brazil. It released energy equivalent to 13,000 tons of TNT, which is the same as the energy used in the first atomic weapon that leveled Hiroshima in 1945.

Islamic State 'releases Assyrian Christian hostages'
Islamic State (IS) militants have released the last of more than 200 Assyrian Christians they kidnapped in north-eastern Syria a year ago. Some 42 captives were freed on Monday morning, following mediation by the Assyrian Church, activists said. One Assyrian group said IS had demanded an $18m (£13m) ransom.

Syria conflict: Warring parties accept US-Russia truce plan
The Syrian government and the main opposition umbrella group say they accept the terms of a deal to cease hostilities from Saturday. The government said it would halt "combat operations" in line with the plan announced by the US and Russia. But the opposition said its acceptance depended on government forces ending sieges and air strikes of civilians.

Canadian Parliament overwhelmingly passes anti-BDS motion
Canada’s Parliament passed a motion formally condemning the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. The motion passed Monday in a 229-51 vote, CIJ News reported. Introduced last week by members of the opposition Conservative Party, the motion won support from the ruling Liberal Party as well.

Report: Iranian Revolutionary Guards planning attack on Saudi airliner in Southeast Asia
A terrorist plot to hijack or bomb a Saudi Arabian passenger plane in Southeast Asia has reached an "advanced stage" of implementation, the Manila Times reported on Sunday. The news outlet cited "a reliable airport source," that warned of the threat of a terrorist attack that would be carried out somewhere in Southeast Asia after Iran warned of "divine revenge" against Saudi Arabia following the kingdom's execution of the Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr last month.

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Beijing overtakes NYC as 'Billionaire Capital of the World'
Move over, New York City: Beijing is the new "Billionaire Capital of the World." The Chinese capital has overtaken the Big Apple as home to the most billionaires — 100 to 95 — according to Hurun, a Shanghai firm that publishes a monthly magazine and releases yearly rankings and research about the world's richest people and their spending habits.

Justice Scalia spent his last hours with members of this secretive society of elite hunters
When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died 12 days ago at a West Texas ranch, he was among high-ranking members of an exclusive fraternity for hunters called the International Order of St. Hubertus, an Austrian society that dates back to the 1600s.

China Warns U.S. After Trump Wins Nevada Caucus
China warned the United States on Wednesday not to adopt punitive currency policies that could disrupt U.S.-China relations after Donald Trump’s win in the Nevada caucus. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing that “we are following with interest the U.S. presidential election.”

Kerry weighs ‘genocide’ label for Islamic State
Secretary of State John Kerry signaled today that he plans to decide soon whether to formally accuse the Islamic State of genocide amid what sources describe as an intense debate within the Obama administration about how such a declaration should be worded and what it might mean for U.S. strategy against the terrorist group.

The Saudis are 'drawing lines in the sand' — and showing they are serious about confronting Iran
audi Arabia warned its citizens against traveling to Lebanon on Tuesday after one of its biggest allies, the United Arab Emirates, banned travel to Lebanon altogether.

A meteor that exploded over the Atlantic on Feb. 6 had more force than the Hiroshima bomb
Earlier this month, folks detecting atmospheric explosions for the United States government noticed something a bit out of the ordinary off the coast of Brazil. At roughly 2 p.m. UTC on February 6, a wayward meteor measuring roughly the size of a small living room entered Earth’s atmosphere and — while traveling over 34,000 miles per hour — exploded with an incredible amount of force. How much force, you ask? Think 13,000 tons of exploding trinitrotoluene (TNT), or more energy than what was given off by the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima.

Another aftershock for Nepal; 5.4 magnitude quake creates panic
New Delhi: A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook Nepal on Wednesday afternoon, creating panic in the Himalayan country. The earthquake, with its epicenter in Sindhupalchowk district of central Nepal, was felt at 3.07 p.m. Nepal local time.

Belgium suspends Schengen in fears of Calais ‘Jungle’ chaos
Belgium’s Interior Minister, Jan Jambon, announced on Tuesday that the decision comes as France is looking into the option of evacuating the Calais “Jungle” refugee camp, which houses around 4,000 people. It is feared the move could trigger a new wave of migrants streaming out of the port city in northern France.

Earthquake in Nepal: 4.7 magnitude tremor strikes Himalayan nation, third within a month
A 4.7 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday afternoon struck close to Kodari area in Nepal. This is the third earthquake in one month to hit Himalayan region.

Are the Jews of Today Really Descendants of Abraham Who Should Inherit the Land?
“On the Y-DNA test that tracks the paternal line, 75-85% of Jews have a Semitic ancestry, that is to say they are from the Middle East. ‘Semitic’ may also include Turkey and Northern Syria, going back 3,000 years,” Greenspan explained.

Bernie Sanders Says Pope is a Socialist, Just Like Him
Sanders said, “What it means to be a socialist, in the sense of what the pope is talking about, what I’m talking about, is to say that we have got to do our best and live our lives in a way that alleviates human suffering, that does not accelerate the disparities of income and wealth.” “When [the pope] talks about wealth being used to serve people, not as an end in itself, I agree with that,” Sanders gave an example.

Archaeologists find fabric collection from time of King David
A team of archaeologists, led by Tel Aviv University's Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef, has found a large collection of fabrics dating back to the era of King David and his son Solomon. This is the first time textiles from that period have been discovered, and they are expected to provide information on the clothes and fashion that were used by ancient Israelites, as well as the neighboring Edomites.

How Academia whitewashes Muslim honor killings
A classic honor killing is a family conspiracy mainly against a young daughter; fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins — sometimes even grandfathers — may join in. Westerners don’t often kill their teenage daughters.

Kerry on Syria: May Be Too Late to Keep Whole, May Get Much Uglier
John Kerry warned Tuesday the world community may not be able to save Syria – what once was Syria, anyway – if the current fighting continues much longer.

Cox: Let the Chinese buy Chicago’s stock exchange
For the avoidance of doubt, the Stanley Cup winners do not own the city’s stock market. A group of Chinese investors would like to, however, and a gaggle of Republican congressmen are up in arms about the prospect. They are badly missing the point. An acquisition of the minuscule Midwestern bourse would give its new Chinese owners an important lesson on the importance of robust disclosure, smart regulation and the merits of free capital markets.

Trump's third straight win has rivals looking for answers
Trump's decisive win is likely to further frustrate Republican establishment figures who, less than a month ago, were hoping that the outspoken billionaire’s insurgent candidacy was stalled after he lost the opening nominating contest in Iowa to Cruz.

How the Nine Traits of the Messianic Generation are Coming Alive in the Modern World
One section of the Talmud describes, in detail, the characteristics of society preceding the Messiah. In many ways, it is a disturbingly accurate description of our culture today and its unique traits, never seen before in history.

4.9 quake rattles central Calif.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake struck at 4:02 p.m. PT Tuesday. About 10 minutes later, a 2.6 aftershock was felt. "That's very common," said USGS Western States Communications Chief Justin Pressfield. "This is consistent with what we have experienced." The quake and the aftershock were centered near Wasco

Ahead of election, Iran's Khamenei calls for unity against West
Iran's leader said that he was confident voters would return a parliament prepared to stand up to the United States at Friday's election and that the West was falsely trying to portray a split between candidates.

Israel approves drug that prevents HIV infection
The Health Ministry approved a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program to prevent HIV transmission on Tuesday, making Israel one of the first countries to implement it. PrEP involves healthy but high-risk people taking medications that significantly reduce the risk of HIV infection or of carriers infecting others.

Zika virus: US investigating 14 possible sexually-transmitted cases
US health officials are investigating 14 new reports of possible sexual transmission of the Zika virus. The cases include several involving pregnant women, the CDC said. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) made the revelation while publishing new guidance on sexual transmission of the virus.

Saudi Arabia and Gulf allies warn against Lebanon travel
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have told their citizens not to travel to Lebanon. The Saudi and Bahraini foreign ministries urged people to leave quickly for their own safety. But the UAE issued a "complete ban" on travel to Lebanon, and said it would pull out most diplomats from Beirut.

Egyptian MP invites Israeli ambassador to dinner to discuss Israeli mediation in Nile dispute
A member of the Egyptian parliament, Tawfik Okasha, has invited the Israeli ambassador in Cairo to a dinner at his house to discuss the option of Israeli mediation in Egypt's Nile dispute with Ethiopia, Egyptian media has reported. Okasha...delivered the invitation to the Israeli ambassador during his TV show "Egypt Today," in which he claimed that Israeli mediation is the key to solving the Nile dispute.


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Brexit vote would affect UK's top credit score, says Standard & Poor's
The UK would lose its top credit score if the public voted to leave the EU in the 23 June referendum, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said in a fresh warning on Thursday.

3 reasons the gold rally is just getting started
There are three reasons why I think the gold run is just getting started. The first is a growing concern about not only world events, but about the Fed itself…

NYC Comedy Fest Charges Straight White Men More In Push For Gender Equality
Organizers of an upcoming comedy festival in New York City are telling straight men to move over with a submission policy that takes a stance on gender equality issues.

Explosion at Police HQ in Northeast Nigeria Kills 4
Bombs retrieved from Boko Haram extremists exploded accidentally Thursday at police headquarters in Nigeria's northeastern city of Yola, killing four people and driving shattered glass into officers and school children, officials said.

Sheriff says gunman, 3 others dead after shootings in Kansas
A sheriff in south-central Kansas said Thursday that four people, including a gunman, are dead after a series of shootings at a business, its parking lot and two streets nearby. Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said at a news conference that all the dead were shot inside Excel Industries, a plant in Hesston that makes lawn mower products. He said 14 were injured in the shootings.

US Weather Update: At Least 3 Killed In Virginia As Storms Rip Through East Coast, Virginia Gov. Declares State Of Emergency
At least three people were killed in Waverly, Virginia, as a powerful storm system ripped through the East Coast Wednesday, knocking out power lines for several buildings and houses. A day before, the storm system brought about two dozen tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, wrecking houses in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, killing three people and injuring several others.

Czech health officials announce country's first Zika cases
PRAGUE - Czech health officials on Thursday announced the first cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in the Czech Republic, saying they would provide further details at a press conference later in the morning.

M5.4 quake rocks central region http://bit.ly/1QFY3pH
An earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitude was felt in different parts of the country at 3:07 pm on Wednesday afternoon. According to the National Seismological Centre (NSC), the quake’s epicentre was in Sindhupalchok district and it was felt in several parts of the country, including Kathmandu....

Earthquakes hit Tri-Boro area for third time in four days
"While no one has been able to explain to us the increased frequency of seismic activity, no one has raised concerns, and we've been told there is nothing to be alarmed about," said Chimento. "According to the USGS, this activity is normal when you are located on a fault, and we're on the Ramapo Fault."

Moderate earthquake shakes California; no reported problems
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck near Wasco about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield shortly after 4 p.m. The USGS described the quake as light and said it came at a depth of about 14 miles.

Large Earthquake Rattles Near Langston, Guthrie
Another large earthquake struck early Thursday morning in Oklahoma. A 4.0 quake shook the ground at 5:39 a.m. just four miles southwest of Langston, five miles east northeast of Guthrie and 18 miles north northeast of Edmond.

China says its warships to join major U.S.-hosted naval drills
China on Thursday confirmed it would send warships to join a major U.S.-hosted naval drill this summer, even as tension between the world's two largest economies mounts over the South China Sea. The Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC, is billed as the world's largest international maritime exercise, held every two years in Hawaii in June and July.

China stocks tumble more than 6 percent, post biggest 1-day loss in a month
China stocks tumbled more than 6 percent on Thursday, their biggest one-day loss in a month, as investors booked profits after the market's recent rebound and awaited policy cues from global leaders gathering in Shanghai for a G20 meeting. Traders and analysts cited a confluence of reasons for the slide in addition to profit-taking.

Gov't freezes final aliyah of Ethiopian Jews over budgetary issues
Three months after the government approved a plan to bring the remaining members of the Falash Mura community from Ethiopia to Israel...was put on hold until a budget can be found for it. The director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, Eli Groner, sent an email to the team in charge of the plan's implementation...over 9,000 people still waiting in Ethiopia will be suspended until...fund ..are allocated.

Netanyahu: Even after nuclear deal, Iran still funds terrorism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday slammed Iran's announcement that it will pay thousands of dollars to families of Palestinian terrorists who were killed while committing attacks, or whose homes were demolished. "This shows that Iran, even after the nuclear agreement, is continuing to aid terrorism, including Palestinian terrorism, Hezbollah terrorism and its assistance to Hamas.

Putin's Newest Satellite State
Two days before Christmas, as American policymakers were settling into the holidays, Russia quietly signed a sweeping air defense agreement with Armenia, accelerating a growing Russian military buildup that has unfolded largely under the radar. It was the most tangible sign yet that Putin is creating a new satellite state on NATO’s border and threatening an indispensable U.S. ally.

Abortion Clinics Are Closing at a Record Pace
Abortion access in the U.S. has been vanishing at the fastest annual pace on record...Since 2011, at least 162 abortion providers have shut or stopped offering the procedure, while just 21 opened. At no time since before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion, has a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy been more dependent on her zip code or financial resources to travel.

Australia to boost defence spending
Australia has announced a surge in defence spending, a move that reflects concern over military expansion in the region. Military spending will grow by A$29.9b ($21.4b, £15.4b) over next 10 years, the 2016 Defence White Paper outlined. The largest investment will be made in submarines, with investment also being made in additional naval vessels, fighter jets and personnel.

Ebola 'devastates long-term health'
Most people who survive an Ebola infection will have long-lasting health problems, say doctors from the US National Institutes of Health. Their studies on survivors in Liberia showed large numbers had developed weakness, memory loss and depressive symptoms in the six months after being discharged from an Ebola unit. Other patients were "actively suicidal" or still having hallucinations.

Reform Movement holds first official prayer service at Western Wall
Dozens of Rabbis from the Reform Movement in Israel and North America joined together for the first official morning prayer service on Thursday held in the area of the Western Wall formally designated to be used for non-orthodox worship. Women and men joined together in the prayer service and participated in the reading of the traditional reading of the Thursday Torah portion.


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Brexit vote would affect UK's top credit score, says Standard & Poor's
The UK would lose its top credit score if the public voted to leave the EU in the 23 June referendum, ratings agency Standard & Poor’s said in a fresh warning on Thursday.

3 reasons the gold rally is just getting started
There are three reasons why I think the gold run is just getting started. The first is a growing concern about not only world events, but about the Fed itself…

NYC Comedy Fest Charges Straight White Men More In Push For Gender Equality
Organizers of an upcoming comedy festival in New York City are telling straight men to move over with a submission policy that takes a stance on gender equality issues.

Explosion at Police HQ in Northeast Nigeria Kills 4
Bombs retrieved from Boko Haram extremists exploded accidentally Thursday at police headquarters in Nigeria's northeastern city of Yola, killing four people and driving shattered glass into officers and school children, officials said.

Sheriff says gunman, 3 others dead after shootings in Kansas
A sheriff in south-central Kansas said Thursday that four people, including a gunman, are dead after a series of shootings at a business, its parking lot and two streets nearby. Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said at a news conference that all the dead were shot inside Excel Industries, a plant in Hesston that makes lawn mower products. He said 14 were injured in the shootings.

US Weather Update: At Least 3 Killed In Virginia As Storms Rip Through East Coast, Virginia Gov. Declares State Of Emergency
At least three people were killed in Waverly, Virginia, as a powerful storm system ripped through the East Coast Wednesday, knocking out power lines for several buildings and houses. A day before, the storm system brought about two dozen tornadoes along the Gulf Coast, wrecking houses in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida, killing three people and injuring several others.

Czech health officials announce country's first Zika cases
PRAGUE - Czech health officials on Thursday announced the first cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in the Czech Republic, saying they would provide further details at a press conference later in the morning.

M5.4 quake rocks central region http://bit.ly/1QFY3pH
An earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitude was felt in different parts of the country at 3:07 pm on Wednesday afternoon. According to the National Seismological Centre (NSC), the quake’s epicentre was in Sindhupalchok district and it was felt in several parts of the country, including Kathmandu....

Earthquakes hit Tri-Boro area for third time in four days
"While no one has been able to explain to us the increased frequency of seismic activity, no one has raised concerns, and we've been told there is nothing to be alarmed about," said Chimento. "According to the USGS, this activity is normal when you are located on a fault, and we're on the Ramapo Fault."

Moderate earthquake shakes California; no reported problems
The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck near Wasco about 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield shortly after 4 p.m. The USGS described the quake as light and said it came at a depth of about 14 miles.

Large Earthquake Rattles Near Langston, Guthrie
Another large earthquake struck early Thursday morning in Oklahoma. A 4.0 quake shook the ground at 5:39 a.m. just four miles southwest of Langston, five miles east northeast of Guthrie and 18 miles north northeast of Edmond.

China says its warships to join major U.S.-hosted naval drills
China on Thursday confirmed it would send warships to join a major U.S.-hosted naval drill this summer, even as tension between the world's two largest economies mounts over the South China Sea. The Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC, is billed as the world's largest international maritime exercise, held every two years in Hawaii in June and July.

China stocks tumble more than 6 percent, post biggest 1-day loss in a month
China stocks tumbled more than 6 percent on Thursday, their biggest one-day loss in a month, as investors booked profits after the market's recent rebound and awaited policy cues from global leaders gathering in Shanghai for a G20 meeting. Traders and analysts cited a confluence of reasons for the slide in addition to profit-taking.

Gov't freezes final aliyah of Ethiopian Jews over budgetary issues
Three months after the government approved a plan to bring the remaining members of the Falash Mura community from Ethiopia to Israel...was put on hold until a budget can be found for it. The director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, Eli Groner, sent an email to the team in charge of the plan's implementation...over 9,000 people still waiting in Ethiopia will be suspended until...fund ..are allocated.

Netanyahu: Even after nuclear deal, Iran still funds terrorism
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday slammed Iran's announcement that it will pay thousands of dollars to families of Palestinian terrorists who were killed while committing attacks, or whose homes were demolished. "This shows that Iran, even after the nuclear agreement, is continuing to aid terrorism, including Palestinian terrorism, Hezbollah terrorism and its assistance to Hamas.

Putin's Newest Satellite State
Two days before Christmas, as American policymakers were settling into the holidays, Russia quietly signed a sweeping air defense agreement with Armenia, accelerating a growing Russian military buildup that has unfolded largely under the radar. It was the most tangible sign yet that Putin is creating a new satellite state on NATO’s border and threatening an indispensable U.S. ally.

Abortion Clinics Are Closing at a Record Pace
Abortion access in the U.S. has been vanishing at the fastest annual pace on record...Since 2011, at least 162 abortion providers have shut or stopped offering the procedure, while just 21 opened. At no time since before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion, has a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy been more dependent on her zip code or financial resources to travel.

Australia to boost defence spending
Australia has announced a surge in defence spending, a move that reflects concern over military expansion in the region. Military spending will grow by A$29.9b ($21.4b, £15.4b) over next 10 years, the 2016 Defence White Paper outlined. The largest investment will be made in submarines, with investment also being made in additional naval vessels, fighter jets and personnel.

Ebola 'devastates long-term health'
Most people who survive an Ebola infection will have long-lasting health problems, say doctors from the US National Institutes of Health. Their studies on survivors in Liberia showed large numbers had developed weakness, memory loss and depressive symptoms in the six months after being discharged from an Ebola unit. Other patients were "actively suicidal" or still having hallucinations.

Reform Movement holds first official prayer service at Western Wall
Dozens of Rabbis from the Reform Movement in Israel and North America joined together for the first official morning prayer service on Thursday held in the area of the Western Wall formally designated to be used for non-orthodox worship. Women and men joined together in the prayer service and participated in the reading of the traditional reading of the Thursday Torah portion.


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Al Qaeda Makes a Comeback
Intelligence analysts paid close attention last month when al Qaeda's master bombmaker, Ibrahim al Asiri — whose name tops U.S. kill lists — issued an audiotape from his hiding place.

Deadline expires for homeless at San Francisco tent city
A city deadline for homeless people to vacate a San Francisco tent city came and went Friday evening with no action.

You should of said, “Don’t you want to know when it’s coming out?”
Senior U.S. defense officials voiced concern about North Korea's nuclear ambitions on Friday as they toured American missile defense sites a day after watching the military test-fire its second intercontinental ballistic missile in a week.

Syria ceasefire begins under US-Russia deal
Guns fell silent across Syria on Saturday after a landmark UN-backed ceasefire came into effect, the first major truce in five years of civil war that have claimed more than 270,000 lives.

China is finally facing reality
Zhou Xiaochuan, the head of China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, rarely makes public statements. But with the country's economy slowing down and driving significant volatility in global markets, and with G-20 world leaders meeting in Shanghai, he made a speech.

Syria war rages hours before deal to halt fighting
Heavy air strikes were reported to have hit rebel-held areas near Damascus as fighting raged across much of western Syria on Friday, hours before a U.S.-Russian plan aimed at halting hostilities was due to take effect.

Schengen will ‘break down’ in 10 days if no solution to migrant crisis found – EU commissioner
There are only ten days left for European Union officials to significantly reduce the flow of migrants and asylum-seekers into the EU from Turkey, or the Schengen system is at risk of total collapse, according to the EU’s migration commissioner.

NATO can’t fight Russians in Europe, says leading US think tank
A report by influential US-based think tank the Atlantic Council says NATO’s European members can’t fight a war against Russia. Earlier, the commander of US European forces said Americans were ready to “fight and win” against Russia. The Financial Times said it warns of a “lack of progress” in NATO’s build-up plans.

From China to Israel: 5 women from ancient Jewish community to make aliya
Five women in their twenties from the ancient Chinese Jewish community of Kaifeng are due to make aliya in late February in what will mark the first aliya of its kind in nearly seven years.

U.S. test-fires ICBMs to stress its power to Russia, North Korea
The U.S. military test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile in a week on Thursday night, seeking to demonstrate its nuclear arms capacity at a time of rising strategic tensions with Russia and North Korea. The unarmed Minuteman III missile roared out of a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California...and landed a half hour later...near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific.

Israel to transfer NIS 500 million in withheld taxes to Palestinians
Israel has decided to take a series of steps meant to help improve the economic situation of the Palestinian Authority, including the transfer of NIS 500 million in withheld tax money. Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, after consulting with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, has also decided to issue thousands of additional work permits for Palestinians to work in Israel, as well as reduce commissions Israel charges from the Palestinians.

Egypt sentences Christian teens to jail for contempt of Islam
An Egyptian court on Thursday sentenced three Coptic Christian teenagers to five years in jail for contempt of Islam after they were seen in a video mocking Muslim prayers. A judge in the central Egyptian province of Minya also sent a fourth defendant, aged 15, to a juvenile detention centre for an indefinite period.

While US Attorney General, Eric Holder Used Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Birth Name as His Official Email Address
Former US Attorney General Eric Holder...used Abdul-Jabbar's birth name, Lew Alcindor, as an alias for his official Department of Justice (DOJ) email account, raising more questions about the email practices of top Obama administration officials, and about the ability...to track down correspondence in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

Lab-grown sperm makes healthy offspring
Sperm have been made in the laboratory and used to father healthy baby mice in a pioneering move that could lead to infertility treatments. The Chinese research took a stem cell, converted it into primitive sperm and fertilised an egg to produce healthy pups. The study, in the Journal Cell Stem Cell, showed they were all healthy and grew up to have offspring of their own.

Syria conflict: Obama says next few weeks 'critical'
President Obama has said the coming weeks will be "critical" for Syria's future, ahead of a two-week truce due to start on Friday. He warned Russia that all parties to the cessation of hostilities needed to stop attacks, including air strikes. If successful, he said, the truce could be a first step towards ending the chaos and violence in Syria.

Voting is underway in Iran in elections with few moderate candidates
Iranians headed to the polls Friday in national elections that conservatives are once again expected to dominate parliament and other government bodies, constraining the ability of Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s pragmatist president, to push through reforms.


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The Tunnels of Gaza’s Next War
By all accounts, Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, is on a tunnel-building streak. Hamas has boasted of building fifty tunnels since the Israel–Gaza conflict of July, 2014, though Israel insists those numbers are exaggerated. But residents of kibbutzim that border Gaza are increasingly warning of clattering and drilling noises under their homes.

Up to 6 drive-by shootings of cars in a few weeks along California highway
A car speeds along a California highway when someone pulls up, then opens fire. It happened Saturday morning along Interstate 80 in Richmond, just like it's happened up to five other times since November in the same place.

Mysterious artifact discovered at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity
According to the Times of Israel, the artifact is made of brass, silver, shells and stones. Although officials confirmed that the artifact has been cleaned up, it is not on display, and there are no images of it as yet.

'Pandemic' Asks: Is A Disease That Will Kill Tens Of Millions Coming?
Citing a 2006 survey, Shah says, "the majority of ... pandemic experts of all kinds, felt that a pandemic that would sicken a billion people, kill 165 million people and cost the global economy about $3 trillion would occur sometime in the next two generations."

Hamas hopes to gain seaport from Israel-Turkey reconciliation
Hamas says it is hopeful an emerging deal to restore ties between Israel and Turkey will result in the construction of a port on the coast of the impoverished Gaza Strip. Turkey has stipulated that it will not normalize ties with Israel, ruptured in 2010, unless Israel lifts its naval blockade on Gaza. Hamas, the rulers of the Gaza Strip, hope a seaport might be built if Israel does lift its restrictions.

Joint Israel-US air defense drill to begin missile training
Juniper Cobra 16, a massive, joint Israeli-American air defense exercise is scheduled to culminate next week with a simulation of a wide-scale missile strike on Israel. Israeli Air Force officials declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the scenarios included in the drill, saying only that "all relevant scenarios" were being considered.

Germany says uncertain where 130,000 registered migrants are
German authorities do not know the whereabouts of 130,000 asylum seekers, the government said in a parliamentary document seen by AFP on Friday. Out of some 1.1 million asylum seekers registered in 2015, "about 13 percent did not turn up at the reception centres to which they had been directed," the government said in a written reply to a question from a lawmaker of the Left Party.

Drought in South Africa creates maize shortage
South Africa's economy is in serious trouble. First there was the contraction of the mining industry, followed by the retrenchment in manufacturing and now the farmers are facing a crisis. The major cause of the country's agricultural problems is the long-standing drought, which has reached its driest and hottest levels in over a century.

Somalia al-Shabab: Deadly attack on SYL hotel in Mogadishu
Militants have stormed a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, leaving at least nine people dead, in an attack claimed by al-Shabab. The attackers set off a car bomb outside the heavily fortified Somali Youth League hotel before moving in. An explosion also targeted a popular park known as the Peace Garden. Police say the attack is now over after they shot and killed four attackers.


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Pentagon Research Could Make ‘Brain Modem’ a Reality
The Pentagon is attempting what was, until recently, an impossible technological feat—developing a high-bandwidth neural interface that would allow people to beam data from their minds to external devices and back.

Twitter accused of shutting down Hillary critics
Bernie Sanders supporters are saying their Twitter account was “censored and locked down” after they criticized Hillary Clinton.

Ohio Pastor Shot & Killed During Sunday Service
An Ohio pastor with deep roots in the Dayton community was shot and killed at his church, and police have taken his brother into custody for the slaying.

Syria rebels say attacks by army and Russian planes threaten truce
The Syrian opposition warned on Sunday that attacks by the army, backed by Russian warplanes, threatened a U.S.-Russian deal for a cessation of hostilities with collapse and endangered future peace talks.

Twin suicide bombing kills 70 in Baghdad's deadliest attack this year
A twin suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State killed 70 people in a Shi'ite district of Baghdad on Sunday in the deadliest attack inside the capital this year, as militants launched an assault on its western outskirts.

The asteroid of 'uncertain orbit' that REALLY could smash into Earth, according to NASA
AN ASTEROID set for a staggering close whistle past of Earth in just 10 days could return to strike the planet as early as next year, NASA has admitted. We are expected to be risk free when the space rock hurtles past us at as close as 11,000 miles away - 21 times closer to us than the moon - on March 8. But the US space agency cannot yet be 100 per cent certain about its orbital path.

The Great Wall of Europe: Hungary splits continent in two with huge fence to stop migrants
HUNGARY is set to split Europe in two by building a huge network of fences along its entire southern border in a desperate bid to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Mr Orban has styled himself as a defender of Christian Europe, repeatedly ignoring pleas from European Union (EU) bureaucrats to open up his country's borders to millions of migrants.

Analysis: Iran, ISIS Likely to Unite for WWIII
Israeli military analysts are now beginning to prepare top officials, who are in turn beginning to prepare the nation, for what eventually may become the start of World War III. The other question is how long until someone strikes the spark that ignites the conflagration -- the region is already in chaos.

Moderate quake in Mindanao, Philippines
KUALA LUMPUR: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale occurred in Mindanao, the Philippines at 5.06 pm today, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

Earthquake terror: Violent shake jolts Christchurch awake, residents left on edge
It was of strong intensity and was close to the central city - just five kilometres south of Christchurch.

EU's Tower of Babel may fall while leaders distracted
It's little wonder the European Union can't find common solutions to Europe's urgent problems when its main members are having such different national conversations. Like the biblical Tower of Babel, Europe's ambitious construction is in danger of toppling because its peoples are not speaking the same political language.

Pentagon Research Could Make ‘Brain Modem’ a Reality
The Pentagon is attempting...[to] developing a high-bandwidth neural interface that would allow people to beam data from their minds to external devices and back...a brain modem. One that could allow a soldier to...control a drone with his mind. ...Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)...announced the first successful tests...of a tiny sensor that travels through blood vessels, lodges in the brain and records neural activity.

The Russia-Armenia alliance is threatening Turkey, a critical U.S. ally
The growing military alliance between Russia and Armenia is threatening Turkey, an indispensable U.S. ally and partner in the fight against the Islamic State. The announcement that Russia is sending a new set of fighter jets and combat helicopters to an air base only 25 miles from the Turkish border is just the latest example of this alliance.

Iran election: Reformists win all 30 Tehran seats
Allies of Iran's reformist president, Hassan Rouhani, have won a landslide victory in Tehran, in the first parliamentary vote since Iran signed a nuclear deal with world powers. With 90% of the votes counted, the pro-Rouhani List of Hope is set to take all 30 parliamentary seats in the capital. The leading conservative candidate Gholamali Haddad-Adel is in 31st place.

Saudi TV's mockery of Nasrallah angers Hezbollah supporters
Dozens of young Hezbollah supporters took to the streets of the predominantly Shi’ite quarter of southern Beirut late Saturday to protest a satirical sendup of their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, which aired on a Saudi-owned satellite television station. ...Saudi Arabia, the Sunni monarchy, considers Iran-backed Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Egyptian MP: Netanyahu mediated between Obama and Sisi following the 2013 military coup
Egyptian Member of Parliament, Tawfik Okasha, has revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mediated between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US President Barack Obama following the military coup that took place in Egypt in July 2013. ...Okasha called for normalization with Israel, claiming that "Egypt is a very beautiful bride for Israel, and if Israel does not marry Egypt, it will destroy it."

Drought in South Africa creates maize shortage
South Africa's economy is in serious trouble. First there was the contraction of the mining industry, followed by the retrenchment in manufacturing and now the farmers are facing a crisis.

Kim Jong-un Oversees Tests of New North Korean Anti-Tank Rocket
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has supervised the testing of a new anti-tank rocket developed by the country in the midst of increasing tensions, state media reported on Saturday.

The B-21: At $500 million each, is this a better bomber?
On Friday, the US government announced that the Air Force’s next bomber would be manufactured by Northrop Grumman and named the B-21.

Clinton sweeps South Carolina primary as 'Super Tuesday' looms
Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders in a landslide in the Democratic primary in South Carolina, projections showed, seizing momentum ahead of the most important day of the nomination race: next week's "Super Tuesday" showdown.

Dozens killed, wounded in Afghanistan suicide attacks
A Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up near the Afghan defense ministry in Kabul on Saturday, causing heavy casualties just hours after an attack in the eastern province of Kunar killed 13 people and put prospects for new peace talks in doubt.

Mass Shooting In Washington State Ends With Five Dead
Within hours of the Kansas shooting that ended with four people dead and 14 wounded, a man in Washington State gunned down four people in his home. The local sheriff’s office is calling the mass shooting a “family-domestic situation.”


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