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Philippines Earthquake Today 2013 5.9 Strikes Near Burgos
Officials tell news that a 5.9 magnitude Philippines earthquake today just hit near Burgos. The quake had nominal depth as well. USGS indicates to news that the quake struck locally on January 1, 2014 just after 4:01 am. The quake posted a depth of only five miles below sea level. As a result the quake was felt across the region.

China tycoon 'in talks to buy New York Times'
Chen Guangbiao, listed as one of China's 400 richest people and a man known as much for his publicity stunts as his wealth, claims he is in talks to buy the New York Times. "Soon, I will go to America to do three things," Chen told a crowd on Monday night at a news media award reception in the southern Chinese boom town of Shenzhen, according to the semi-official China News Service. The first, he said, "is to go discuss the acquisition of the New York Times".

Egypt Calls on Arab Countries to Blacklist the Brotherhood
Egypt, which has blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, on Monday urged other members of the Arab League to follow suit. AFP reported that Egypt called on Arab League members to enforce a counterterrorism treaty that would block funding and support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Kerry ‘deceived’ Israel over prisoner releases, TV report claims
The dramatic Channel 2 report — broadcast just a few hours before Israel’s release of a third group of 26 Palestinian prisoners, and shortly before Kerry is due back in the region with hopes to get Israel and the Palestinians to sign a “framework” peace deal — suggested a profound breakdown of trust between the secretary and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel completes 3rd stage of Palestinian prisoners release as Kerry heads back to region
The prisoners were the third batch of 104 detainees that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to let go in four stages when the peace talks were revived in July.

China could defeat US in East Pacific conflict by 2020: Russian analyst
In a commentary published on Dec. 27 on the website of the Voice of Russia, the Russian government's international radio broadcasting service, Kashin says it is "highly probable" that by 2020 China could defeat the US in a local conflict in the east part of the Pacific or slow down the transportation of US forces to the region after it completes its current cycle of reforming and rearming the People's Liberation Army.

MKs say anti-Semitism in Europe could turn violent
The meeting came as an inverted Nazi salute known as the quenelle, invented and popularized by the anti-Semitic comedian Dieudonne M’balla M’balla, was gaining popularity in France. Committee chairman MK Yoel Razbozov (Yesh Atid) called on MKs at the hearing to work to “suppress” such manifestations of hate. He also called on the nations of Europe and the European Union to promote tolerance. Without decisive action, he stated, anti-Semitic sentiment “might develop into violent action.”

Another Damaging Wind Storm Aims United Kingdom On Wednesday, With Paris, France Affected As Well
These are not the average storms, but surface low bombs that keep on coming in, much like an airline landing pattern. Another is coming for Wednesday.

TO AMERICA AND CONSERVATIVES IN 2014
We are in the battle of our lives for our freedom, economy, health and Judeo Christian heritage. Obama has boldly attacked and shredded them all. He has gleefully used his Saul Alinsky bag of violent and covert Jihad against us. In 2014 the attacks will grow by Obama and feel like steam rollers over our lives and communities unless America snaps out of our stupor. Hark…but America IS snapping out of her stupor and so is the lame brain media.

DNC Sends Paranoid Email About Obama Impeachment
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) sent an email to supporters on Saturday with the subject “Impeachment.” The body of the email said, ‘What do these people have in common?” It then went on to list quotes from multiple Republican politicians such as Sen. James Inhofe, Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, and Rep. Blake Farenthold. So, what do all of these politicians have in common? According to the DNC, they have each pushed the possibility of Obama’s impeachment, or the “I-Word,” as the email called it.

Russia May Implement Israeli Security Measures Against Terror
The sources explained that Israel has developed some very advanced measures that are tailored to handle this type of terror acts. “this begins with intelligence through sensors and physical barriers” one of the sources said. Russia is under a terror attack carried out by suicide terrorists. A bomb blast ripped a trolleybus apart in Volgograd on Monday, killing at least 14 people in the second deadly attack in the southern city in two days and raising fears of further violence as Russia prepares to host the Winter Olympics.

Putin Orders Saudi Arabia “Destroyed” After Volgograd Terror Strikes
A grim memorandum circulating in the Kremlin today written by Federal Security Services (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov outlining the new security measures being put into place throughout Russia ordered by President Putin a few hours ago in response to the deadly Volgograd terror attacks further warns that Russia’s leader has, in effect, vowed to “destroy” Saudi Arabia as he personally is blaming them for this horrific crime against humanity.

2 quakes jolt northern Ilocos Norte town
Two successive earthquakes jolted the northern town of Burgos in Ilocos Norte province early morning Tuesday, one registered at magnitude 4.2 while the other at magnitude 4, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.

Southern California Earthquake Today 2013 Strikes East of Los Angeles
Officials tell news that a 3.7 magnitude Southern California earthquake today just started moments ago, a bit after 3:44 PM local time. The quake had a moderate depth. USGS indicates to news that the quake started twelve miles below ground level. As a result, its impact is limited to the immediate region.

A 5.4-magnitude quake hits eastern Japan
A shallow 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Japan Tuesday, rocking buildings in Tokyo but there were no reports of any damage, seismologists said.

US population growth slows to lowest rate in more than 70 years
The US population grew by just 2.26 million in the twelve months leading to July 1st 2013, according to estimated figures released by the Census Bureau. That represents a 0.72 percent year-over-year increase, which the New York Times reports is the lowest rate in "over seven decades."

Brotherhood Supporters Advising Obama Administration
Egypt acknowledged the danger of the Muslim Brotherhood by recently labeling it a terrorist organization and banning its activities. In the United States, however, the Brotherhood seems to be alive and kicking. Some of its supporters even hold influential positions in the Obama administration. A provocative statement by one of those alleged supporters created a firestorm recently because of its contents and the author’s government role.

PM: Murderers are not heroes
Netanyahu, speaking in Tiberias at a conference on Galilee development, also took the Palestinian Authority to task for the reception it gave the released Palestinian security prisoners overnight.

Calif. church battling county to keep up 'Support Our Troops' billboard
A church in California's Nevada County is battling local officials to keep up a "Support Our Troops" sign. According to FOX40, the Simple Truth Church recently was told by the county Planning Department that its billboard has to come down. The message from the county came after the church touched up the run-down sign and painted the patriotic message on it.

Settler leaders: Washington understands the Jordan Valley must remain in Israeli hands
The United States understands that the Jordan Valley must remain in Israeli hands, for security reasons, in any final status agreement with the Palestinians, and that includes its 22 settlements, David Lahiani, the area’s Regional Council head, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday night. “But the Americans cannot say this, because it would destroy the negotiations,” he said.

World in turmoil: Seven countries to watch in 2014
The world will face countless challenges in 2014, but a few nations in flux stand out in the crowd. NBC News correspondents and writers explain how the outcome of wars, negotiations and elections in these countries could have a deep impact on their own populations and regions, and sometimes the world.

Israel releases 26 prisoners as Kerry heads back to region
Israel on Tuesday freed 26 Palestinian prisoners under peace talks brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who returns to the region this week to boost the faltering negotiations.

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Rep. King: Russia Blasts Show 'How Dangerous Islamic Terrorists Are'
"With all the security that Russia has . . . if they could attack there, you can imagine what they can do here. This really should be a wake-up call to all of us about how deadly, how diabolical, and how evil Islamic terrorists can be and are,"

MSNBC Panel Mocks Photo of Romney Holding Adopted Black Grandson
An MSNBC panel cruelly ridiculed a Mitt Romney family photo showing the former Republican presidential candidate holding his adopted black grandson Kieran. The mockery came during Sunday's Melissa Harris-Perry show, on which she hosted a panel of entertainers commenting on photos of the year.

Putin vows 'total annihilation' of terrorists after Volgograd bombings
President Vladimir Putin has vowed to annihilate all "terrorists" in Russia, talking tough after two deadly bomb attacks in the southern city of Volgograd that raised security fears ahead of the Winter Olympics. "We will confidently, fiercely and consistently continue the fight against terrorists until their complete annihilation," he said in remarks from the far eastern city of Khabarovsk, where he met victims of severe floods.

3.1 magnitude earthquake hits Lake Isabella
A 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck the town at about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday. Since then, there have been at least four aftershocks throughout the day.

Ariel Sharon Condition Deteriorates: Now 'Life-Threatening'
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, comatose since a 2006 stroke, has detriorated to a "life threatening" condition after suffering kidney malfunction, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday.

6.6-magnitude earthquake reported in Vanuatu
The U.S. Geological Survey says a 6.6-magnitude earthquake has hit the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. The USGS report says the quake hit early Thursday local time, with the epicenter 37 kilometers (23 miles) west of the village of Sola and 443 kilometers (275 miles) north of the capital, Port Vila.

Earthquakes in Tonga, Canary Islands and Oklahoma (Again): End of December 2013
The seven day period closing 2013 saw 1,398 tremors of all sizes in the US and its territories, and of at least M4 worldwide, but there were just 24 of M5 or more; the largest being an M5.9 in the Tonga Trench. The distribution of the larger earthquakes is broadly as expected, with the usual focus on the western Pacific Ocean.

Heatwave kills seven in Argentina
A heatwave affecting Argentina has left at least seven people dead - most of them elderly - in the past week, officials say. The heat has been compounded by power cuts, which have prevented many people from using air conditioning. In Santiago del Estero and other northern provinces temperatures have soared to over 45C (113F).

El Salvador orders evacuation from volcano's slopes
Authorities in El Salvador have resumed evacuating residents living on the slopes of the Chaparrastique volcano. The 2,130m-high (7,000 ft) volcano started erupting on Sunday morning, spewing ash and gases. Officials from the Salvadoran environment ministry said there was a risk the volcano could erupt again, this time emitting a lava flow.

US tells Israel: There's no chance Pollard will be freed for release of Israeli-Arab prisoners
US administration officials clarified to their Israeli counterparts that there is "no chance" that US President Barack Obama would be willing to free Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard in return for the release of Israeli-Arab prisoners... "This is simply posturing," the source said, "to be expected as part of the process. Pollard is needed as a confidence-building gesture to break an impasse which the US created, not as a quid pro quo."

AirSea Battle - concept of US defeat in war with China?
AirSea Battle envisions three main courses of actions: the destruction of an adversary’s potential in managing, monitoring and intelligence; the destruction of means with the help of which an adversary intends to isolate a combat area and not let US forces to enter it; the destruction of an adversary’s armed forces. The problem is that for many years China has been building its armed forces according to such strategy chosen by the adversary.

F u k u s h i m a is here: ‘ALL Bluefin Tuna Caught In California Are Radioactive’
Every bluefin tuna tested in the waters off California has shown to be contaminated with radiation that originated in F u k u s h i m a Every single one.

Japan minister follows Abe to war shrine, pouring salt on wound for China
A Japanese cabinet member visited a shrine seen by critics as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime aggression on Wednesday, pouring salt on a fresh wound after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's pilgrimage there last week drew sharp criticism from China and South Korea.

Colorado pot users celebrate first day of legal weed sales
As Tuesday became Wednesday and 2013 became 2014, marijuana users in Colorado celebrated the new year with more than usual zeal. Beginning at 8 a.m., retail pot sales can officially begin in the Rocky Mountain State. Anyone over the age of 21 with a Colorado ID can purchase up to an ounce of marijuana at a licensed store.

Russian officials identify suicide bomb suspect as Putin vows to annihilate terrorists
Russian officials believe that they know the identity of the man who blew himself up Sunday at a train station in the southern city of Volgograd, killing at least 18 people.

Cameron, Merkel headed to Israel next month
British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will both visit Israel next month, Foreign Ministry officials said Wednesday.

West Nile Virus kills 27 bald eagles in Utah
State wildlife officials say West Nile Virus appears to be the mystery illness that's caused more than two dozen bald eagles to die in Utah this month. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says results of laboratory tests on some of the first birds found indicate they died from West Nile.

Global poll: US is the greatest threat to world peace
A survey carried out by Worldwide Independent Network/Gallup International found that the U.S. is perceived as the greatest threat to world peace. The annual end of year poll collected opinions from some 68,000 people in 65 countries.

IDF patrol takes fire from Gaza Strip
An IDF patrol operating along the Gaza border came under fire from an unidentified source in the Hamas-controlled territory Tuesday night. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Gay couple to exchange vows on Rose Parade float
A gay Los Angeles couple plans to exchange wedding vows on a flower-covered float trundling through Pasadena during the nationally televised Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday.

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Exclusive: US “framework” calls for 80,000 Israeli West Bank evacuations to the big settlement blocs
“Some people say this would be an interim agreement. No, that’s not the case,” she said. The core issues she listed were “borders between Israel and a future Palestine, security arrangements, the fate of Palestinian refugees and conflicting claims to the holy city of Jerusalem.”

NBC New Year’s Eve Mocks Pearl Harbor Survivors As Only Able to Chew SpaghettiOs
Video.

US deal will trade off ‘Jewish’ Israel for 1967 lines — report
John Kerry will offer Israeli and Palestinian negotiators a political trade-off: Israeli recognition of the 1967 lines as a basis for the future Palestinian state, in return for Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people, Palestinian sources told the Saudi daily Al-Watan on Sunday.

And The Country Posing The Greatest Threat to Peace as 2013 Ends is …
The past year witnessed bloodshed in Syria and Iraq, turmoil in Egypt, anarchy in Central Africa, threats by a nuclear-armed North Korea and Chinese military posturing, but as 2013 ends a global poll finds that the country seen as representing the greatest threat to peace today is ... the United States.

The New York Times Wants Snowden to Be Allowed Back
A staff editorial appearing in Thursday's edition of The New York Times argues that the Obama administration should make some sort of arrangement that would allow NSA leaker Edward Snowden to return home. "When someone reveals that government officials have routinely and deliberately broken the law," the Times editorial board writes, "that person should not face life in prison at the hands of the same government."

Egypt and the Threat of Islamic Terror
On December 24, 2013, deadly bombings hit Mansoura, in Egypt’s Nile Delta region, killing twelve and injuring 134, in Egypt’s worst terrorist attack since the July ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist group, claimed responsibility for the attack,

SOLAR ACTIVITY IS HIGH
2014 began with a bang. At 18:54 UT on January 1st, big sunspot AR1936 erupted, producing a strong M9-class solar flare. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the explosion's extreme ultraviolet flash.

NSA intercepts computer deliveries to plant spyware
A special hacking unit of the U.S. National Security Agency intercepts deliveries of new computer equipment en route to plant spyware, according to a report on Sunday from Der Spiegel, a German publication. The method, called “interdiction,” is one of the most successful operations conducted by the NSA’s Office of Tailored Access Operations (TAO), which specializes in infiltrating computers, wrote the publication, citing a top-secret document.

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier completes sea trials
The Chinese navy has completed sea trials for its first ever aircraft carrier, further evidence of expanding sea power as the country's neighbours worry about its military ambitions. The Liaoning was bought from Ukraine in 1998 and extensively refurbished before entering service in 2012. It returned to port on Wednesday after a 37-day voyage in the South China Sea, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

Global Terror in 2014 – a Forecast
Terror in Israel will continue as the fact that the “peace talks” with the Palestinians lead to nowhere becomes clear.

Israeli Sources: Palestinian Embassies – “Terrorist Centers”
No Surprise in Israel after the recent “work-related incident” which led to the death of the Palestinian Authority Ambassador to the Czech Republic.

US Government Orders 14 Million Doses of Potassium Iodide
The Department of Health and Human Services has ordered 14 million doses of potassium iodide, the compound that protects the body from radioactive poisoning in the aftermath of severe nuclear accidents, to be delivered before the beginning of February. The ongoing crisis at the ********* nuclear power plant has prompted concerns that the purchase is connected to the threat posed by radioactive debris washing up on the shores...

Blizzard to Reach From NYC to Boston Thursday Night
A major snowstorm will reach from across part of the Midwest to the central Appalachians and New England Thursday into Friday. A blizzard will evolve from the storm in parts of the Northeast. The storm will affect more than 70 million people in the Midwest and the Northeast combined and could have a major negative impact on travel...

Japan's population falls 'by record 244,000' in 2013
Japan's population declined by a record 244,000 people in 2013, according to health ministry estimates. The ministry said an estimated 1,031,000 babies were born last year - down some 6,000 from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of people that died last year was 1,275,000 - a rise of around 19,000 from 2012.

Skype social media platforms hacked by 'Syrian Electronic Army'
The social media platforms of Skype have been hacked by a group claiming to be the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA). The group posted anti-surveillance messages, including a message telling people not to use email services of Microsoft, the owner of Skype. It claimed "they are monitoring your accounts and selling the data to the governments".

Blast kills Palestinian ambassador in Prague
The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic is killed by an explosion at his home in Prague, in what police say appears to have been an accident. Jamal al-Jamal died of his injuries in hospital four hours after the blast. It happened when Mr Jamal tried to open a safe that had been sealed for more than 20 years, officials say.

Cuba leader Raul Castro warns of 'subversive campaign'
Cuban President Raul Castro has warned that Cuba is confronting "ideological and political subversion aimed at toppling its socialist system". In a speech commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Cuban revolution, Mr Castro said "global power centres" were "subtly introducing neo-liberal and neo-colonial thinking" into Cuba.

EU ends funding for Spanish banks, praises austerity
The EU says Spain's banks are back on a "sound footing," but one in four Spanish people are still unemployed. Klaus Regling, the director of the Luxembourg-based European Stability Mechanism (ESM), made the statement on Tuesday (31 December) to mark the expiry of Spain's EU credit line.

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Obama proposes gun control measures for mentally ill
Obama's administration has announced measures aimed at limiting access to firearms for the mentally ill. That change includes clarifying the term "committed to a mental institution" to include involuntary inpatient as well as outpatient commitments, the White House said. The second proposed action, brought by the Department of Health and Human Services, lifts certain privacy provisions preventing states from forwarding relevant information to the background check system.

Obama Administration’s Two Quiet New Executive Actions on Who Can Buy a Gun
After failing to strengthen background checks on gun buyers through Congress, the Obama administration on Friday announced pending executive action on the matter focused mainly on mental health issues that would allow the government to get around certain privacy laws on the books in order to obtain more information. Obama Administrations Two Quiet New Executive Actions on Who Can Buy a Gun The new restrictions would take the form of regulations from the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. One of the regulations would seek to gain information previously withheld because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPPA, which protects medical privacy.

Elves delay Iceland road-building project
A judge ruled that the highway project be cancelled because there is a chance elves could be living on the barren landscape it was going to take place on. Elf advocates and environmentalists have been doing everything they can to make the Icelandic Road and Coastal Commission change its mind about the controversial road. The road would have run from Reykjavik to the Alftanes peninsula. The landscape between the capital and the peninsula is home to an elf church, and campaigners think elves may live there.

Embassies Warned: N. Korea Can’t Guarantee Safety of Diplomats
North Korea has warned diplomats in Pyongyang that it can’t guarantee the safety of embassies in the event of a conflict and suggested they may want to evacuate their staff, Russia’s top diplomat said Friday. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is demanding an explanation from the North Koreans — asking whether the warning is an order to evacuate the North Korean capital or merely a proposal to consider doing so.

No green card? No problem -- undocumented immigrant can practice law, court says
Sergio Garcia's parents brought him to the United States from Mexico nearly two decades ago. He's been waiting for a green card ever since. But there's one thing the undocumented immigrant no longer has to wait for, according to a California Supreme Court ruling on Thursday: his law license.

It Begins: Obamacare Causing Hospital Workers To Go Unpaid
The hospital is strapped for cash not because its not making money, but because Leday says a new Medicare payment facilitator named Novitas Solutions is taking too way long to pay out Medicare claims to the hospital. Leday says he’s owed nearly $3 million in payments from Medicare and can’t make payroll… The Texas Medical Association says they are familiar with complaints like this one regarding the medicare payment facilitator- and a representative told us smaller community hospitals like this one are in similar situations.

The On Going Decline of Women’s Rights in The Middle East
Women’s rights worsening in Middle East. Almost equally objectionable is the refusal of many Western organizations and activists, supposedly concerned to advance human rights, to recognize the bitter truth as a crucial problem and to demand real, systematic reform.

Is World War Three about to start... by accident? Max Hastings asks whether rising tensions between China and Japan could boil over
Chinese diplomat argued that Japan risks 'serious threat to global peace' He even compared Japan today to Lord Voldemort, from Harry Potter It comes just weeks after China declared its own Air Defence Zone Japan's prime minister has threatened to shoot down any Chinese drones.

Azle Residents Demand Answers About Quakes
Angry and frustrated, many residents are fed up after experiencing 30 earthquakes in one month. Many of the people at the meeting, which took place at Azle High School, blame the quakes on water injection wells. Fracking water is disposed of in those wells. “They’re bringing millions of gallons a day out here that have toxic chemicals and putting them down those wells. It’s just a bomb waiting to happen,” one resident told CBS 11 News.

Scientists find records of rare ‘earthquake lights’
Certain types of earthquakes in certain areas can set off blazes of light seconds — sometimes days — before the actual quake. These can manifest as floating balls of light, bluish columns shooting up out of the earth and even reverse lightning, reaching up into the sky from the ground.

Greenwald: Obama Admin Would Make Snowden ‘Disappear’ If He Returned To U.S.
During a heated exchange on CNN’s The Lead, Guardian columnist and Edward Snowden ally Glenn Greenwald claimed that should Snowden return to the United States, the Obama administration would make him “disappear in prison” and “not allow him to speak”. Saying that the U.S. government does not allow whistleblowers as in previous years, Greenwald claimed, “If Snowden came back to Washington before he was convicted of anything, he would disappear in prison and not be allowed to speak.”

‘Science Guy’ Bill Nye and Prominent Christian Set to Battle It Out Over Evolution and Creationism
Scientist Bill Nye has agreed to debate Christian leader Ken Ham next month at the Creation Museum in Petersburg, Ky., where the two will face off over the ever-contentious topics of evolution and creationism. According to a release published on AnswersInGenesis.org, the website for Ham’s organization, the event will begin at 7 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2014 inside the museum’s 900-seat Legacy Hall.

Islamic Authorities Seize Hundreds of Bibles From Malaysian Christian Group in Raid Over Use of ‘Allah’
Malaysia’s Islamic authorities seized hundreds of Bibles from a Christian group Thursday because the holy texts use the word “Allah” in reference to God. Lee Min Choon, chairman of the Bible Society of Malaysia, said Muslim officials declared the organization had violated the law. As a result, the group lost 321 of its Bibles during the raid.

Texas Mayor Declares 2014 the ‘Year of the Bible’
A Texas mayor has publicly designated 2014 as the “year of the Bible” and is encouraging citizens to read the Christian scriptures daily. Tom Hayden, mayor of Flower Mound, Texas, made the official announcement last month... “I was nervous about doing this and I’ve been thinking about it for two years, and procrastinated about if for as long as I possibly could,” he said.

'Hezbollah smuggles advanced guided-missile systems into Lebanon'
Hezbollah are smuggling components of advanced guided-missile systems into Lebanon; however the organization is yet to hold enough parts in order to make the systems operational – according to US security officials. As stated by a Wall Street Journal report Friday morning, US officials believe members of Hezbollah are smuggling the systems piece by piece to evade a secretive Israeli air campaign designed to stop them.

US Marines postpone fitness rule after most female recruits fail to do three pull-ups
The US Marine Corps has delayed a physical fitness requirement for women after more than half of female troops at boot camp couldn't do three pullups, officers said on Thursday. The pullup rule was supposed to go into effect with the new year but has been postponed indefinitely as commanders were concerned about losing female Marines and prospective recruits, officers said.

U.S. hog herd falls more than expected as virus strikes
The U.S. hog herd fell by 1 percent in the latest quarter, slightly more than forecast, U.S. government data showed on Friday, as a deadly swine virus thwarted pork producers' efforts to rebuild herds. "This confirms that PED is in the nation's hog herd, which was not shown nor implied in their previous report (September)," Rich Nelson, chief strategist at Allendale Inc, said...

NSA seeks to build quantum computer that could crack most types of encryption
In room-size metal boxes ­secure against electromagnetic leaks, the National Security Agency is racing to build a computer that could break nearly every kind of encryption used to protect banking, medical, business and government records around the world. According to documents...“a cryptologically useful quantum computer” ...is part of a $79.7 million research program titled “Penetrating Hard Targets.”

UK sees further flooding amid storms and high tides
High tides and strong winds have brought flooding to Wales and western England as officials warn of a continuing threat in parts of the UK. There are currently 10 severe flood warnings - meaning "danger to life" - affecting south-west England, Gloucestershire and Wales. A tidal surge is due in Scotland, while in Wales, people are trapped in homes.

US north-east battles first major snow storm of 2014
The north-eastern US has been hit by a major winter storm, with 53cm (21 inches) of snowfall recorded in one town in Massachusetts. Thousands of flights have been cancelled as heavy snowfall moved eastward from the Midwestern states. The New York and New Jersey governors have declared a state of emergency, urging people to stay indoors.

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USGS records several earthquakes in Oklahoma
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the largest of the three had a preliminary magnitude of 3.7. Its epicenter was 10 miles north-northwest of Langston and 13 miles west of Stillwater. It struck at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. A preliminary 3.5-magnitude quake was reported at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Its epicenter was 1 mile north-northeast of Cherokee. The USGS says a third earthquake hit at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. That quake had a preliminary magnitude of 3.2 with an epicenter 9 miles north-northwest of Chandler.

Knesset panel to prepare for Shmita year
Shmita does not begin for another nine months, but the Knesset is already preparing for the year the land lays fallow according to Jewish law. On Monday, the Knesset Control Committee is to review a State Comptroller Report on shmita, which occurs once every seven years.

It Was Terrifying Being a Christian in 2013 - CP Lists Just a Handful of the Most Horrific Persecution Stories of the Year
Despite the fact that Christians make up roughly a third of the world's population, there are still large pockets of the planet where they are targeted and hunted down simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Below are just six among hundreds of stories of persecution from the bloody, painful and tumultuous year of 2013 for Christians around the globe.

Bill O'Reilly and Piers Morgan Seek to Reinvent Christian Morality
What do Bill O’Reilly and Piers Morgan have in common? They have their own shows on cable TV, they are professing Catholics, and they recently made statements that, in effect, seek to redefine Christian moral standards (this was in response to the comments of Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson). On his December 20th broadcast, Morgan opined that certain parts of the Bible are “utterly ridiculous” and “offensive.”

McCain meets with Peres in Jerusalem, ‘guardedly optimistic’ about peace talks
John McCain expressed cautious optimism about the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians when he met with President Shimon Peres on Saturday night.

National ID headed for your wallet, purse
you’ll soon have a National Identity Card and a Western Hemisphere-compliant travel document whether you want it or not, if you plan to drive in the United States. The federal government says it soon will be enforcing its demands that state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards comply with Department of Homeland Security standards.

War planes hit 'rocket sites'
ISRAELI war planes carried out a series of strikes in the Gaza Strip yesterday, the defence force said, shortly after a rocket from the Palestinian enclave struck the Jewish state. "In response to rocket fire towards Israel," the army statement said, its "aircraft targeted a terror infrastructure site in the central Gaza Strip and three concealed rocket launchers in the northern Gaza Strip. Direct hits were confirmed.

Egypt unrest: 11 deaths at Muslim Brotherhood protests
Eleven people have died in clashes between police and Muslim Brotherhood demonstrators across Egypt, the health ministry says. The Muslim Brotherhood put the death toll at 17. Dozens of people, including police, have been wounded. The deaths were reported in the capital Cairo and the cities of Alexandria, Fayoum and Ismailia.

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks: Is Kerry offering up US troops?
Unconfirmed news reports out of Israel signal that an offer of US troops to secure the borders of a new Palestinian state is in the mix in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. US defense analysts urge caution.

Thwarted Israeli bus blast similar to Boston bombings
The bomb that tore through a Dan No. 240 bus in the central Israeli city of Bat Yam on December 22 was assembled in a pressure cooker and activated by cellphone, much like the devices that killed three people and wounded hundreds more during the Boston Marathon in April 2013, the Shin Bet investigation has revealed.

Palestinian red lines make chances of US-mediated settlement slim
US Secretary of State John Kerry met on Friday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah for a talk that lasted several hours. On Saturday morning, Kerry was expected to go back for another round of talks with Abbas and his negotiating team, including chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

Beirut IDs leader of al-Qaeda group that hit Iran embassy
DNA tests confirmed that a man in government custody is the alleged leader of an al-Qaeda-linked group that has conducted attacks across the Middle East before shifting its focus to Syria’s civil war, Lebanese authorities said Friday.

Ariel Sharon in 'critical condition': Former Israeli Prime Minister's health deteriorates further as blood infection detected
The health of the former Israeli Prime Minister Arial Sharon is deteriorating further, in a situation that hospital staff said does not “give good signs for the future”. The director of the hospital treating the 85-year-old has confirmed that Mr Sharon’s key organs continued to decline on Friday, but he is not in pain.

3 more die of H1N1 flu in Michigan, with a dozen others on life support
Potentially deadly H1N1 — the influenza virus strain behind the 2009 pandemic — continues its resurgence in Michigan, with three more deaths reported by hospital officials. About a dozen adults and children — patients who previously were healthy — have been on life support at the University of Michigan Health System’s hospitals because of the virus, according to the hospital system.

Up to 7,000 foreign jihadists reportedly fighting in Syrian civil war
There are between 6,000 and 7,000 foreign jihadists fighting in the Syrian civil war, according to a report released Thursday by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center in Tel Aviv. The report said that the two main jihadist factions in Syria are the al-Nusra Front (Jabhat al-Nusra), which is a branch of al-Qaeda in Syria under the command of Ayman al-Zawahiri, and its main competitor, the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria. These groups have a combined membership of about 9,000, with an estimated 6,000-7,000 foreign fighters.

Exclusive: U.S. waived laws to keep F-35 on track with China-made parts
The Pentagon repeatedly waived laws banning Chinese-built components on U.S. weapons in order to keep the $392 billion Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter program on track in 2012 and 2013, even as U.S. officials were voicing concern about China's espionage and military buildup.

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Tony Blair's fortune boosted £13m by 'bumper year'
Mr Blair insists he does not make as much money as he could because he uses his profits from his commercial dealings to fund his philanthropic activities. He runs two global charities – a faith foundation and a not-for-profit organisation advising African governments whose accounts are filed separately.

Rise of the exorcists in Catholic Church
Dioceses across Italy, as well as in countries such as Spain, are increasing the number of priests schooled in administering the rite of exorcism, fabled to rid people of possession by the Devil. The rise in demonic cases is a result of more people dabbling in practices such as black magic, paganism, Satanic rites and Ouija boards, often exploring the dark arts...the Church said.

Britain's version of Tea Party rocks political system across the pond
...It is here where UKIP spied an opportunity, adopting an anti-establishment, populist platform that argues for lower taxation, privatization, smaller government and getting Britain out of the European Union. The message is proving effective. UKIP look likely to make significant inroads in the next general election in 2015, possibly snatching seats away from the main parties.

Pope Francis announces plans to visit Middle East in May
Pope Francis announced on Sunday that he will visit Holy Land sites in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories in May, his first trip to the area as pontiff. Francis, who has made many appeals for peace in the Middle East since his election in March, announced the trip to thousands of people in St. Peter's Square for his Sunday address.

Polar Vortex Takes Aim On United States With Dangerous Lift-Threatening Temperatures
The temperature predictions are startling: 25 below zero in Fargo, N.D., minus 31 in International Falls, Minn., and 15 below in Indianapolis and Chicago. At those temperatures, exposed skin can get frostbitten in minutes and hypothermia can quickly set in because wind chills could hit 50, 60 or even 70 below zero. Sunday’s playoff game in Green Bay could be among one of the coldest NFL games ever played. Temperatures at Lambeau Field are expected to be a frigid minus 2 degrees when the Packers and San Francisco 49ers kickoff, and by the fourth quarter it’ll be a bone-chilling minus 7, with wind chills approaching minus 30. Officials are warning fans to take extra safety measures to stay warm including dressing in layers and sipping warm drinks.

'If We Withdraw from the Jordan Valley, Hamas Will Take Over'
Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon believes that the proposal to withdraw from the Jordan Valley, if accepted, could not only add to a general rise in terror attacks against Israel: it could also enable Hamas to take power in other Palestinian Authority (PA)-controlled areas, Walla! reports Sunday.

'Hezbollah smuggles advanced missile systems piece by piece'
According to a Wall Street Journal report, some components of a powerful anti-ship missile system have already been moved into Lebanon • Hezbollah's smuggling techniques are "pretty **** good," senior U.S. official says, "and they are patient."

iPad Bible App Used to Swear in New York Official After Real Bible Goes Missing
A New York public official was sworn in on Thursday with his left hand on an iPad Bible app after a hard copy of the holy book could not be located. Republican Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano ushered in his second term with the bible loaded up on the Apple tablet, as he promised to keep property taxes low and lure more businesses to the area.

Iraq conflict: US backs Iraq but will not send troops - Kerry
The US secretary of state has said the US will help Iraq fight al-Qaeda-linked militants, but that it is not planning to send troops back to the country.

Bangladesh votes amid violence and boycott
Violent clashes have erupted between opposition activists and police as Bangladesh holds a general election boycotted by the opposition. At least five people were killed in unrest on Sunday. Dozens have died in the run-up to the polls.

NSA dodges questions about 'spying' on Congress
The NSA has released a statement sidestepping questions about whether it spies on members of Congress. On Friday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) asked NSA head Keith Alexander if the agency was "spying," or had ever spied, on American Congress members or other elected officials.

Rumbling volcano in western Indonesia erupts again
Authorities extended a danger zone around a rumbling volcano in western Indonesia on Sunday after it spewed blistering gas farther than expected, sending panicked residents streaming down the sides of the mountain.

The New York Times Destroys Obama
The New York Times just delivered a mortal blow to the Obama administration and its Middle East policy. Call it fratricide. It was clearly unintentional. Indeed, is far from clear that the paper even realizes what it has done. Last Saturday the Times published an 8,000 word account by David Kirkpatrick detailing the terrorist strike against the US consulate and the CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. In it, Kirkpatrick tore to shreds the foundations of President Barack Obama’s counter-terrorism strategy and his overall policy in the Middle East

Inflation is Already Here… But It's Being Masked
Since 2007, the world’s Central Banks have collectively put more than $10 trillion into the financial system since 2008. To put that number into perspective, it’s equal to roughly 15% of global GDP.

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Historic deep freeze across North America conclusively proves global warming is getting worse, right?
Global warming, in other words, is climate voodoo. Worshippers of the false science can invoke it to explain any event whatsoever: hurricanes (or lack of hurricanes), tornados (or lack of tornados), too much rainfall or too little rainfall, high temperatures, low temperatures, and basically any event that we used to simply call "weather."

What would a U.S.-China war look like?
The United States military remains the world's most fearsome fighting force, unbeatable on a one-on-one basis. Yet it would find a protracted war that could end in nuclear Armageddon too costly.

Egypt bars aid convoy entry to Gaza
A humanitarian aid convoy entitled "Miles of Smiles 24" was prevented from entering the coastal enclave despite special arrangements made previously with Egyptian authorities to enter on Saturday, deputy manager of a Gaza government committee against the siege Alaa al-Battah told Ma'an. Al-Battah highlighted that the convoy was carrying humanitarian aid, including medicines and accommodation equipment, for Gaza residents who suffered serious property damages during the winter storm Alexa which hit the area in December.

Pope Francis announces pilgrimage to Holy Land
Pope Francis has announced that he will make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this coming May to mark a key moment in Catholic and Orthodox Christian relations. “In this atmosphere of joy, typical of this Christmas time, I wish to announce that from 24 to 26 (of) next May, God willing, I will carry out a pilgrimage in the Holy Land,” he said after the Jan. 5 Sunday Angelus to the crowds filling St. Peter’s Square.

Mysterious Flashes of Electricity Likely to Occur near Rifts: Study
As per the view of researchers, the rapid increase of tension at these almost vertical faults may cause electrical current to flow to the surface. This may also cause the strange lights to show up. The findings were published on January 2 in the current issue of the journal Seismological Research Letters. The outcomes were drawn by examining 65 documented cases of earthquake lights over the last 400 years.

Prophetic twist to Sharon's imminent death
With the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expected imminently, the chronicler of the life of Israel’s venerated Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri’s prophecies is much in demand by the media. Why? Because Kaduri, announced to his followers the long-awaited Messiah would not come until after the death of Sharon. He made the prediction two months before Sharon, still acting as prime minister, had a major stroke in 2006 that has left him in a coma ever since. The Kaduri prophecy did not name a specific time or date in which Messiah would be revealed — only that it would not happen until after Sharon had died.

FLARES LIKELY TODAY
NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of M-class flares and a 30% chance of X-flares on Jan. 6th. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading for Earth. The cloud raced away from the sun during the late hours of Jan 4th following a long-duration M4-class solar flare from big sunspot AR1944. The assymetric CME is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 7th.

Afghanistan girl, 8, wearing suicide vest detained
An eight-year-old Afghan girl wearing a suicide vest has been detained by police in southern Afghanistan. She was held on Sunday night in Helmand province, as she tried to carry out an attack against border police wearing a suicide jacket, a spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry told the BBC. The girl, thought to be the sister of a prominent Taliban commander, is said to be in a state of shock and confusion.

UK storms: Giant waves hit amid fresh flooding fears
Huge waves are beginning to batter the southern coast of the UK, as forecasters warn exposed areas could see a fresh round of flooding. Waves of up to 27ft (8m) have been recorded off Land's End, Cornwall. In Aberystwyth, seafront student flats have been evacuated, and across the UK dozens of flood warnings - including one severe - remain in place.

N America weather: Polar vortex brings record temperatures
Parts of the US are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a "polar vortex" brings more freezing weather. A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow. It has been blamed for 16 deaths in recent days and the cancellation of some 3,700 flights over the weekend.

Kerry seeks support for peace process from Saudi, Arab League
Saudi Arabia and the Arab League will be involved in building support for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, US Secretary of State John Kerry said before leaving Riyadh and returning to Jerusalem Sunday night. ...Al-Ahmed revealed that Kerry proposed to the Palestinians the idea of a “greater Jerusalem” as a capital for two states.

New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
Joining a growing group of states that have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York plans this week to announce an executive action that would allow limited use of the drug by those with serious illnesses, state officials say.

Risk of supervolcano eruption big enough to 'affect the world' far greater than thought, say scientists
The eruption of a “supervolcano” hundreds of times more powerful than conventional volcanoes – with the potential to wipe out civilisation as we know it – is more likely than previously thought, a study has found. An analysis of the molten rock within the dormant supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park in the United States has revealed that an eruption is possible without any external trigger, scientists said.

India judge says pre-marital sex 'against religion'
Judge Virender Bhat made the remarks after ruling that sex between two adults on the promise of marriage did not amount to rape. Pre-marital sex remains a cultural taboo in India. Last year, a court in Delhi said live-in relationships were immoral and an "infamous product of Western culture".

Automotive Black Box Mandatory by September 1, 2014
You’ve probably heard about the forthcoming automotive black boxes. These “automotive data recorders” are able to let government and insurance personnel determine the conditions leading up to an accident. Whether you like this idea or not, pretty soon, it’s going to be mandatory in all cars. As of September 1, 2014, 100 percent of new cars and trucks will be required to be equipped with this feature.

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Earthquakes lead Texas agency to hire seismologist
A Texas agency is hiring a seismologist as part of an effort to tackle a sudden increase in earthquakes in areas with significant oil and gas drilling activities. The Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates drilling in the Lone Star State, says Tuesday it is hiring a seismologist after holding a meeting with residents in Azle.

Voluntary government checkpoints spark backlash
Checkpoints, which the government insists are voluntary, are creating a backlash because of the presence of uniformed police officers. Some police departments won't participate anymore.

New Quinnipiac study stops gun-grabbers in their tracks
A study by Mark Gius, an economist at Quinnipiac University, shows states with restrictive concealed weapons laws had higher gun-related murder rates, and that assault weapons bans had no real impact on murder rates at the state level. “These results suggest that restrictive concealed weapons laws may cause an increase in gun-related murders at the state level,” Gius wrote in his summary.

FBI quietly drops 'law enforcement' as its primary mission
The FBI's creeping advance into the world of counterterrorism is nothing new. But quietly and without notice, the agency has finally decided to make it official in one of its organizational fact sheets. Instead of declaring "law enforcement" as its "primary function," as it has for years, the FBI fact sheet now lists "national security" as its chief mission.

Only a miracle could help Sharon, hospital director says
“Despite the stabilizing of his heart, we didn’t see stabilization in other systems: the kidneys, liver and lungs,” said Prof. Zeev Rotstein, director of the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer near Tel Aviv, during a daily update on the condition of the ailing Sharon.

Officials reject concerns over 500 percent radiation increase on California beach
The video, “Fukushima radiation hits San Francisco,” has been viewed nearly half-a-million times since being uploaded to YouTube on Christmas Eve, and its contents have caused concern among residents who fear that nuclear waste from the March 2011 disaster in Japan may be arriving on their side of the Pacific Ocean.

Former White House Official Admitted Obama Not Good at Governing
CNN reporter Peter Hamby recounted a recent conversation with the Democratic official and quoted him as saying, "He's really good at campaigning. Maybe not governing."

HUGE SUNSPOT TARGETS EARTH
One of the biggest sunspots in years is crossing the center of the solar disk, putting Earth in the way of potential eruptions.

‘It’s Not a Hate Thing’: Boy Scouts Face Monumental Loss After Choice to Allow Openly-Gay Members
While those in support of the new-found policy are frustrated that gay leaders are still not permitted to take part, others who oppose the amendment believe that the group is abandoning its Christian heritage. Among the denominations that may cut off support for the Scouts is the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Church leaders, according to CNN, are planning to urge the religious order’s 45,000 congregations and 16 million members to officially cut ties with the Boy Scouts.

Asia’s Worst Nightmare: A China-Japan War
Let’s not understate the likelihood of war in East Asia or kid ourselves that the United States can remain aloof should China and Japan enter the lists. It’s tough for Westerners to fathom the nature of the competition or the passions it stokes. From an intellectual standpoint, we have little trouble comprehending the disputes pitting the Asian rivals against each other.

Japan Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Yonakuni
Officials tell news that a 5.1 magnitude Yonakuni quake began just after 2:49 am local time. The quake however had substantial depth. USGS indicates to news that the Japan earthquake started one hundred forty-two miles below sea level. As a result the quake was not felt across a large area.

‘Polar Vortex’ pushes subzero temperatures into much of U.S. Midwest
The polar air will next invade the East and South on Tuesday, bringing with it the prospect of more records falling. Highs in the single digits were expected in Georgia and Alabama, and wind chill warnings stretched as far south as Florida, with forecasts calling for minus 10 in Atlanta and minus 12 in Baltimore.

Indonesian Volcano Erupts 77 Times in 24 Hours
Mount Sinabung has displaced nearly 20,000 people from their homes since sporadic eruptions began in September. Experts have placed it under the highest alert status among the 127 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is home to more active volcanoes than any other country and has some of the world's most lethal volcanic activity.

US woman known as Jihad Jane sentenced to 10 years in plot
An American-born woman who calls herself Jihad Jane was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday for a failed al-Qaeda-linked plot to kill a Swedish artist who had depicted the Prophet Mohammad's head on a dog.

Magnitude 5.1 quake off Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says the quake reported at 9:07 p.m. Alaska time was felt in Sand Point and Perryville. There were no immediate reports of damage.

Giant Sunspot AR 1944 Keeps on Growing
Giant Sunspot AR 1944 continues to grow, it is now almost dead centre of the Sun (compare the images above taken on the 7th (today) and the 5th). I could still easily see it this afternoon with just eclipse viewing glasses despite the thin haze of cloud.

Israeli Arabs: We don't want to be part of Palestinian state
Residents of predominantly Arab 'Triangle' see Lieberman land swap plan as unrealistic, say most would move to stay in Israel: 'The population won't agree to give up their citizenship'

Group unveils Satan statue design for Oklahoma
A satanic group unveiled designs Monday for a 7-foot-tall statue of Satan it wants to put at the Oklahoma state Capitol, where a Ten Commandments monument was placed in 2012. The New York-based Satanic Temple formally submitted its application...including an artist's rendering that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard that's often used as a symbol of the occult.

Iraq violence: US speeds up supply of military equipment
The US says it is speeding up the supply of military equipment to Iraq to help its government fight militant groups in western Anbar province. The White House said additional surveillance drones would be delivered within weeks and more Hellfire missiles sent in the next few months. Fighting in Anbar has led to some of the heaviest clashes in Iraq for years.

Russia's first WTO trade dispute targets EU duties
Russia has taken aim at the EU, filing its first trade dispute to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in protest against anti-dumping duties imposed by Brussels. In a statement on Monday (6 January), the Swiss-based WTO, which arbitrates on international trade, said that Moscow was seeking consultations with the EU over levies on Russian steel products and ammonium nitrate, which is mainly used in fertilisers.

US failed over Syria: Saudi Prince
President Barack Obama "made mistakes" and the United States failed in its dealing with the Syrian conflict, an influential member of the Saudi Arabian royal family, told CNBC.

Libya's lurch toward Shariah sends chill through Christian community
Libya's recent edict that its coming constitution will be based on Shariah law has sent a chill through the North African nation's small Christian community. Libya's Coptic Christians, who number about 300,000, or 5 percent of the population, were allowed to practice their faith under dictator Muammar Qaddafi. But since the strongman was ousted from power, and ultimately killed, Muslim fundamentalists have increasingly filled the power void. Last month, the national assembly voted in favor of making Koranic law, or Shariah, the basis of all legislative decisions, meaning Islam will shape all future banking, criminal and financial cases.

Hundreds of Turkish police officers dismissed
Turkey has removed 350 police officers from their posts in the capital Ankara, following a corruption probe targeting people close to the government. Officials, mostly from outside the city, are to replace them. Hundreds of police have been dismissed or reassigned across the country since last month's corruption investigation. Three cabinet ministers resigned after their sons were detained in the raids.

Iraq violence: US speeds up supply of military equipment
The US says it is speeding up the supply of military equipment to Iraq to help its government fight militant groups in western Anbar province. The White House said additional surveillance drones would be delivered within weeks and more Hellfire missiles sent in the next few months.

Kerry: Saudi king backs Israeli-Palestinian peace push
As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's latest visit to the region concludes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again highlights Palestinian incitement against Israel • Kerry says Saudi King Abdullah offered "enthusiastic support" for U.S. diplomatic effort.

Ariel Sharon, Modern Warrior
The Warrior is about to go to his fathers. If press reports are accurate, 85-year-old Israeli legend Ariel Sharon is near death. In a coma for almost eight years, “Arik” is slipping from life. Not wanting to falsely anticipate his demise (we still remember the early Titanic headlines: “All Saved!”), I do want to offer a tribute to the titanic personality.

New CNN Poll Finds Americans' Support For Legal Weed Is Soaring
A new CNN poll has found that 55% of Americans surveyed believe that pot should be legal — a sharp increase from the past decades. The number of Americans who supported pot in 1987 was just 16%, according to CNN. It has steadily been increasing since then and was up to 43% two years ago.

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Bill Nye, Ken Ham to Hold Debate on Viability of Creationism
Creation Museum CEO and President Ken Ham announced that he will hold a debate on the viability of creationism with popular scientist Bill Nye on Feb. 4 at the museum's Legacy Hall in Petersburg, Ky. "A debate with Mr. Nye, nationally known for his children's TV program and for promoting evolution, will be one of our major events in 2014 to highlight how children and teens are being influenced by evolutionary thinking," Ham said on Thursday.

Netanyahu plans a national referendum on US peace framework to extend negotiations for another year
The prime minister has been quoted as saying that he needs the referendum to push back “domestic pressures from the right”, but in any case he believes it will be politically advantageous. He has confided to his closest circle that for the first time that he is in favor of the Kerry proposals and, although they don’t see eye to eye on many of the issues, he thinks the gaps between them can be bridged.

California Legislators Propose Legislation To Keep NSA Out Of Their State
A bipartisan group of California State lawmakers introduced legislation Monday to fight the National Security Agency’s spying on American citizens by prohibiting the State and its localities from providing “material support” to the Federal agency. The bill would disallow the NSA to access public water and electricity from California utility companies, bar companies with State contracts from working with the NSA and prohibit colleges receiving State funding from building research partnerships with the spy agency.

ISIL pledges to ‘crush’ rival militants in Syria
Abu Mohammed Al-Adnani, the spokesman for the ISIL, called on its supporters in Syria to “crush them (the rival groups) totally and kill the conspiracy at birth.” The remarks came after the al-Nusrah Front, another notorious al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria, called for a ceasefire with the so-called Free Syrian Army.

Syria army continues operations across country
According to military sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday, the army continued its clean-up operations in Adra in the countryside of the capital Damascus, killing seven militants, official SANA news agency reported. Elsewhere, in Douma, the government troops stormed the militants’ hideouts and killed a number of them. The government forces also killed a number of militants in Yelda and Daraya in the southern countryside of the capital.

Democrats Ask Mike Bloomberg to Back Off Gun Control Push
According to Mediate.com, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) do not want Senators like Mark Pryor (D-AR) "targeted" for opposing gun control. MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell noted that Bloomberg is viewed as a single-issue activist "focused on guns at the risk of jeopardizing the Senate for Democrats."

Ex-US defense secretary slams Obama, Biden in scathing memoir
He also writes in the book — that President Barack Obama grew frustrated with US policy in Afghanistan and that Vice President Joe Biden has been wrong on nearly every foreign policy and national security issue.

Teacher tells 6-year-old 'Jesus is not allowed in school'
A California elementary school is facing a possible lawsuit after a teacher allegedly confiscated a six-year-old child’s Christmas candy canes and told him “Jesus is not allowed in school.” Last December, Isaiah Martinez brought his first grade classmates at Merced Elementary School candy canes. Attached to each treat was a message explaining the religious legend surround the candies. It takes a special kind of evil to confiscate a six-year-old child’s Christmas gifts. In this age of tolerance and diversity, public school educators seem to be under the impression that they can bully and intimidate Christian boys and girls.

Record freeze settles into eastern United States, affects 200 million people
The below-freezing conditions are being carried from the arctic by a phenomenon known as a polar vortex, which is being blamed for at least 16 deaths. The big chill has created weather that has paralysed transport, overwhelmed homeless shelters and closed schools and businesses.

Why I’m Leaving the Church Growth Movement
Church growth is all the rage. For pastors, the focus is on leadership. For laymen, on “reaching people.” In the church world, church-growth is the standard of success. Personally, I think the Emperor has no clothes.

Fate of Ark of the Covenant Revealed in Hebrew Text
A newly translated Hebrew text claims to reveal where treasures from King Solomon's temple were hidden and discusses the fate of the Ark of the Covenant itself.

Team discovers lost, 100-year old pictures from Antarctica expedition
Photographic negatives left a century ago in Captain Scott’s last expedition base at Cape Evans have been discovered and conserved by New Zealand’s Antarctic Heritage Trust. The pictures were found in photographer Herbert Ponting’s darkroom and have now been revealed, showing never before seen Antarctic images. Read more at http://www.zmescience.com/other/great-pics/team-discovers-lost-100-year-old-pictures-antarctica-expedition/#0X9xitg2Kx9yavkL.99

STORMY SPACE WEATHER
Giant sunspot AR1944 is directly facing Earth and crackling with solar flares. Yesterday, Jan. 7th, an X1-class explosion in the sunspot's magnetic canopy hurled a CME in our direction. High-latitude sky watchers shoud be alert for auroras on Jan. 9th when the cloud is expected to arrive.

Egypt unrest: Mohammed Morsi absence halts Cairo trial
The trial of Egypt's ousted President Mohammed Morsi has been adjourned after officials said bad weather had stopped his helicopter from taking off. Other defendants arrived at the police compound by helicopter but Mr Morsi was still said to be in Alexandria.

United States sending more troops and tanks to South Korea
The United States said on Tuesday it will send 800 more soldiers and about 40 Abrams main battle tanks and other armored vehicles to South Korea next month as part of a military rebalance to East Asia after more than a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Legalizing Pot Makes Mexican Cartels Even More Dangerous
The growing movement to legalize marijuana is radically altering the way Mexican drug cartels do business, forcing them to seek other revenue streams through increased illegal activity. Right now, only Washington State and Colorado have decriminalized pot. Taken together, they account for just a small portion of the American marijuana market. But that’s just the start of a trend that’s growing like a weed.

Gun Sales Surge To Record High In 2013; Expect Ammo To Spike In 2014
A record 21 million applications were run through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) last year - an 8% increase over 2012 and, as The Washington Times reports, the 11th straight year that the number has risen.

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Natural Disasters Were Rampant In 2013, Creating Widespread Chaos
Natural disasters were rampant in 2013, causing wide spread damage, chaos and impacting millions of lives. In a report from CBC News, German insurance company Munich Re, said that there were about 880 major natural disasters around the world in 2013.

Banana republic update: Obama donor selected to lead IRS probe
At this point, all you can do is sit back and watch the fun. Soon President Obama will be giving press conferences wearing sunglasses and an ersatz military uniform covered with phony medals. From the Washington Times: The Justice Department selected an avowed political supporter of President Obama to lead the criminal probe into the IRS targeting of tea party groups, according to top Republicans who said Wednesday that the move has ruined the entire investigation.

Rubio: War on Poverty has been lost
“Five decades and trillions of dollars after President Johnson waged his War on Poverty, the results of this big-government approach are in,” he said. “We have four million Americans who have been out of work for six months or more.” Rubio added that “economic, social, cultural and educational changes and challenges” have caused poverty to get worse and that the federal government was not equipped to fix it.

Super-Strong Magnetic Pulse Generator Prototype Unveiled
A novel high-tech magnetic pulse generator that shrinks the size of this kind of device from room-sized to tabletop has been developed and demonstrated by Rice University scientists. They dubbed it "RAMBO" - short for Rice Advanced Magnet with Broadband Optics - and it will allow researchers who visit the university to run spectroscopy-based experiments on materials in pulsed magnetic fields of up to 30 tesla. (A high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is about 10 tesla in strength.)

War’s darkening shadows: Japan girds for a showdown with China
The latest cause for hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing was Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s decision, in full knowledge of the sentiments of Koreans and Chinese, to visit the Yasukuni Shrine memorializing Japan’s millions of war dead.

We want a United States of Europe says top EU official
A campaign for the European Union to become a "United States of Europe" will be the "best weapon against the Eurosceptics", one of Brussels' most senior officials has said. Viviane Reding, vice president of the European Commission and the longest serving Brussels commissioner, has called for "a true political union" to be put on the agenda for EU elections this spring.

Amnesty 'Final Economic Blow' for American Workers
Sixteen House Republicans led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) are demanding President Barack Obama get unemployed Americans back to work before granting amnesty to illegal aliens or bringing unprecedented levels of new immigrants to take jobs away from American workers. “We write to you today on behalf of the 21 million Americans who can’t find a full time job,” the GOP members of the House wrote to President Obama Wednesday.

U.S. Fertility Rate Hits Record Low for 2nd Straight Year; 40.7% of Babies Born to Unmarried Women
The fertility rate of women in the United States fell to a record low for the second year in a row in 2012, according to data released last week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Also for the second year in a row, 40.7 percent of the babies born in the United States were born to unmarried mothers.

That’s rich: Poverty level under Obama breaks 50-year record
Fifty years after President Johnson started a $20 trillion taxpayer-funded war on poverty, the overall percentage of impoverished people in the U.S. has declined only slightly and the poor have lost ground under President Obama. ...Although the president often rails against income inequality in America, his policies have had little impact overall on poverty. A record 47 million Americans receive food stamps, about 13 million more than when he took office.

1400% Radiation Hot Spot Found on San Francisco Beach
Following reports of abnormally high radiation readings on a beach in San Francisco, experts have discovered radiation hot spots measuring 1,400 per cent above normal background levels, although they are keen to stress there is no link to ********** Many were concerned that the radiation could be related to ********* because experts have concluded that the radioactive plume...will reach U.S. coastal waters by early 2014.

3.5 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Near Prague
PRAGUE, Oklahoma - Residents near the town of Prague, Okla. were jolted by an earthquake, Wednesday night. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a 3.5 magnitude quake rumbled 5 miles northwest of Prague, 17 miles north northeast of Shawnee, or about 42 miles east of the OKC metro.

Nuclear talks exposed US hatred of Muslims, Iran's supreme leader says
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that nuclear negotiations with world powers had revealed US "enmity" towards the Islamic state... "We had announced previously that on certain issues, if we feel it is expedient, we would negotiate with the Satan (the United States) to deter its evil," Khamenei told a gathering, reported by the official IRNA news agency.

NSA developed software for backdoor access to iPhones
The U.S. National Security Agency was developing in 2008 a software implant for Apple iPhones that allowed the agency to take almost total control of the device, including retrieving text messages and voicemail and remotely turning on its microphone and camera, according to a report by the German magazine Der Spiegel. The implant, code-named DROPOUTJEEP, was “in development” and initially intended for “close access” installation on a phone, with remote installation being planned for a future release...

Ark Of The Covenant Location Found? Newly Translated Text Reveals Where King Solomon’s Treasures May Have Been Hidden
"Some of these [treasures] were hidden in various locations in the Land of Israel and in Babylonia, while others were delivered into the hands of the angels...,” wrote James Davila, a professor at the University of St. Andrews... Davila drew parallels between the treatise and another ancient text...On the Copper Scroll, now housed at the Jordan Museum in Amman, is inscribed a list of locations at which various gold and silver items were buried or hidden long ago.

Future Weapons of the NSA: Quantum Computers
The NSA is monopolizing the security landscape, The Washington Post reported that the U.S. Intelligence Agency spending a significant effort to develop a computer that could break the majority of encryption algorithms and applications that use them. The intent is to improve the surveillance capabilities of the agency, breaking principal encryption systems the NSA could spy on other foreign spying applications and banking platforms.

Making Asimov proud: New algorithm can detect where atrocities will occur
you’ve most likely read at least a few Asimov novels, and you know what psychohistory is – a fictional science which combines history, sociology, and mathematical statistics to make general predictions about the future behavior of very large groups of people. Now, researchers have made important steps towards such an algorithm. The new algorithm was developed by Xiaoshi Li of Beijing, a data scientist who took the top $12,000 prize in the organizations’ Tech Challenge for Atrocity Prevention.

Giant Sunspot, Larger Than Earth's Diameter, Appears On Sun
An enormous sunspot, labeled AR1944, slipped into view over the sun's left horizon late on Jan. 1, 2014. The sunspot steadily moved toward the right, along with the rotation of the sun, and now sits almost dead center, as seen in the image above from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Britons reporting record levels of anti-immigration attitudes
Despite potential risks to national economic performance, 77 percent of Britons want reductions in the number of new arrivals to their country, according to the findings of a new public opinion poll. A whopping eight out of 10 Britons now believe that immigration rates should be limited.

First deadly case of avian flu confirmed in North America
Health Minister Rona Ambrose revealed that the individual was a resident of Alberta who had travelled to Beijing, China. During the press-conference the minister added that the case is “isolated” and the risk to the general population remains low. “This case is not part of the seasonal flu,” she said.

Islamic extremism to blame as Christian deaths nearly double in a year – report
At least 2,100 Christians because of their beliefs in 2013 according to a group monitoring persecution of Christians worldwide. Most of the dead were in Syria, where radical Islamist groups have clamped down on a long-established religious minority.

STORM WARNING
NOAA forecasters estimate a 90% chance of geomagnetic storms on Jan. 9th when a CME is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field. The speed of the solar wind around Earth could spike to 700 km/s (1.6 million mph) shortly after the impact, sharply compressing Earth's magnetosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras.

How The U.S. Employs Overseas Sweatshops To Produce Government Uniforms
The following article from the New York Times is extraordinarily important as it perfectly highlights the incredible hypocrisy of the U.S. government when it comes to overseas slave labor and human rights. While the Obama Administration (and the ones that came before it) publicly espouse self-important platitudes about our dedication to humanitarianism, when it comes down to practicing what we preach, our government fails miserably and is directly responsible for immense human suffering.

88-year-old German charged in 1944 Nazi massacre of French civilians
German authorities said Wednesday they have charged an 88-year-old former member of an SS armored division with 25 counts of murder over allegations that he took part in the largest civilian massacre in Nazi-occupied France.

Suicide bomber kills 13 Iraqi army recruits in Baghdad
A suicide bomber killed 13 Iraqi army recruits and wounded more than 30 in Baghdad on Thursday, police said, in an attack on men responding to a government appeal for volunteers to help fight al Qaeda-linked militants in Anbar province. Police said a man with an explosive vest had blown himself up as recruits were registering their names at the small Muthanna airfield, now used by the army in the Iraqi capital.

What’s worse than an Iranian bomb? An Iranian almost-bomb
For all of their sharp disagreements over the particulars of foreign policy, everyone in Washington seems to agree on one thing — that the overarching objective of American policy toward Iran should be, as President Barack Obama frequently intones, to “prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon.”

China Vehicle Sales Beat 20 Million as Smog Chokes Cities
China became the first country in which more than 20 million vehicles were sold in any given year as Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) to General Motors Co. (GM) and Volkswagen AG (VOW) delivered a record number of cars there.

Vatican and Pope Francis Seek New Demon Exorcists
The Catholic Church says it's dealing with a spike in Satanic worship by training a growing team of specialized priests to keep the devil at bay. A new push to train priests in Italy and Spain to perform the mysterious rite of exorcism could rid these two Catholic countries of their demons—or at least confront a growth in occult worship.

Pro-Life vs. Pro-Israel
You would expect conservative groups to go ballistic when it comes to taxpayer funding of abortions, but when Israel announced just that last month, the news was greeted with a subdued response among pro-life and pro-Israel groups in the U.S. Israel will pay for all approved abortions for women aged 20 to 33, thanks to a recommendation accepted by its health ministry. Starting this year, Israel will spend 16 million shekels ($4.6 million) to cover abortions for approximately 6,300 women.

08 Jan 14

Bill Nye, Ken Ham to Hold Debate on Viability of Creationism
Creation Museum CEO and President Ken Ham announced that he will hold a debate on the viability of creationism with popular scientist Bill Nye on Feb. 4 at the museum's Legacy Hall in Petersburg, Ky. "A debate with Mr. Nye, nationally known for his children's TV program and for promoting evolution, will be one of our major events in 2014 to highlight how children and teens are being influenced by evolutionary thinking," Ham said on Thursday.

Netanyahu plans a national referendum on US peace framework to extend negotiations for another year
The prime minister has been quoted as saying that he needs the referendum to push back “domestic pressures from the right”, but in any case he believes it will be politically advantageous. He has confided to his closest circle that for the first time that he is in favor of the Kerry proposals and, although they don’t see eye to eye on many of the issues, he thinks the gaps between them can be bridged.

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Israel announces plans for 1,400 new settlement homes
Israel has announced plans to build 1,400 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The move was expected after the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners last month, but was delayed until after a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

U.S. military secretly sent small team of advisors to Somalia
The U.S. military secretly sent a small team of advisors to Somalia last month to assist with operations against militants, the first time U.S. troops have been stationed there since two helicopters were shot down and 18 American soldiers were killed in 1993.

Premier Urges Award for Boy Who Halted Pakistan Attack
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday recommended that a high civil award for bravery be bestowed on a teenager who was killed this week while stopping a suicide bomber from attacking his school in northwestern Pakistan.

Iran, EU make progress in nuclear implementation talks
Iran and the European Union appeared to make progress in resolving outstanding differences on how to implement a landmark nuclear deal in talks in Geneva on Friday but the United States said discussions were not yet finalized.

Russia tells US it will continue backing Assad
Russian diplomats told a top visiting US dignitary on Friday that Moscow would continue backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's campaign against rebel forces despite peace talks due later this month. US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's visit came ahead of a crunch meeting in Paris on Monday between her boss John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that will focus on Moscow's push to give Syrian ally Iran a formal seat at the so-called Geneva 2 conference.

Israel excavates site in flashpoint West Bank city
Israel is excavating an archaeological site in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, officials said Thursday, in a move critics say aims to legitimise Jewish settlement in Palestinian territory.

'Nearly 500 killed' in Syria rebel-jihadist fighting
Nearly 500 people, among them at least 85 civilians, have been killed in a week of fighting pitting Syrian rebels against jihadists in the north of the strife-torn country, a monitoring group said Friday.


More Americans Believe Aliens Have Visited Earth Than Believe That Jesus Is The Son Of God
According to a National Geographic survey, 77 percent of all Americans “believe there are signs that aliens have visited Earth”, and according to a recent Harris poll only 68 percent of all Americans believe that Jesus is God or the Son of God. That means that the number of Americans that believe that UFOs have visited us is now greater than the number of Americans that believe what the Bible has to say about Jesus Christ.

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Prophetic twist to Sharon's imminent death
Kaduri, subject of a new book and movie, both titled “The Rabbi Who Found Messiah,” announced to his followers the long-awaited Messiah would not come until after the death of Sharon. He made the prediction two months before Sharon, still acting as prime minister, had a major stroke in 2006 that has left him in a coma ever since.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Sharon Dies at 85
Sharon's demonstrative visit to the Temple Mount, or Haram as-Sharif, soon followed. Palestinian riots escalated into a full-fledged uprising that would claim more than 3,000 Palestinian lives and kill 1,000 Israelis. In February 2001, with the fighting continuing and last-ditch peace talks collapsing, Israelis grew deeply disillusioned and inclined to lay all the blame on Palestinian leader Arafat. Yearning for a strong leader, they elected Sharon prime minister in a landslide.

Japan and China criticise each other's Africa policies
China and Japan are criticising each other's policies in Africa as each country pledges more money for the continent. Japan has suggested China is buying off African leaders with lavish gifts. Meanwhile China accuses Japan of courting African support for a place on the United National Security Council.

CAR crisis: Stranded foreigners to be evacuated
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it would start airlifting 800 Chadians from a makeshift camp in the capital, Bangui. Some 33,000 Africans from neighbouring countries needed urgent help, it said. CAR's interim President Michel Djotodia resigned on Friday over the fighting between Muslim and Christian militia.

West Virginia chemical spill creates water warning
About 300,000 people in the US state of West Virginia have been warned not to drink tap water after a chemical spill into a river near the state capital. The water advisory closed schools and businesses in nine counties, and cancelled a state legislative session. A foaming agent used in the coal preparation process leaked from a tank at Freedom Industries on Thursday.

Iranian military official: Hezbollah capable of pinpoint missile strikes throughout Israel
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander said Saturday that Hezbollah in Lebanon has upgraded its capabilities in recent years and is now able to carry out pinpoint missile strikes on targets throughout Israel. ...Brig-Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, "...Hezbollah’s power has so much increased in recent years that they can attack any target in any part of the occupied territories with a high precision capability and with a very low margin of error.”

China surpasses US as world's largest trading nation
China became the world's largest trading nation in 2013, overtaking the US in what Beijing described as "a landmark milestone" for the country. China's annual trade in goods passed the $4tn (£2.4tn) mark for the first time last year according to official data, after exports from the world's second largest economy rose 7.9% to $2.21tn and imports rose 7.3% to $1.95tn.

The Jordan Valley: Israel’s Security Belt
US Secretary of State John Kerry is once again in town trying to reach an agreement on a framework for continued peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. One of the issues of dispute is the fate of the Jordan Valley, which is indispensable for Israel’s national security.

Target says data breach up to 110 mn customers
Giant US retailer Target said Friday that up to 110 million customers have had their personal data stolen in a data breach, sharply raising its initial estimate.

Ariel Sharon dies at 85, eight years after stroke that felled him
Former prime minister and combat soldier will be remembered for his exploits in Israel's wars, the decision to leave Gaza, an infamous trip to the Temple Mount at the start of the second intifada - and the massacre at Sabra and Shatila in Lenanon

Israel announces plans for 1,400 new settlement homes
Israel has announced plans to build 1,400 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The move was expected after the release of 26 Palestinian prisoners last month, but was delayed until after a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

U.S. military secretly sent small team of advisors to Somalia
The U.S. military secretly sent a small team of advisors to Somalia last month to assist with operations against militants, the first time U.S. troops have been stationed there since two helicopters were shot down and 18 American soldiers were killed in 1993.

Premier Urges Award for Boy Who Halted Pakistan Attack
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday recommended that a high civil award for bravery be bestowed on a teenager who was killed this week while stopping a suicide bomber from attacking his school in northwestern Pakistan.

Iran, EU make progress in nuclear implementation talks
Iran and the European Union appeared to make progress in resolving outstanding differences on how to implement a landmark nuclear deal in talks in Geneva on Friday but the United States said discussions were not yet finalized.

Russia tells US it will continue backing Assad
Russian diplomats told a top visiting US dignitary on Friday that Moscow would continue backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's campaign against rebel forces despite peace talks due later this month. US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's visit came ahead of a crunch meeting in Paris on Monday between her boss John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that will focus on Moscow's push to give Syrian ally Iran a formal seat at the so-called Geneva 2 conference.

Israel excavates site in flashpoint West Bank city
Israel is excavating an archaeological site in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, officials said Thursday, in a move critics say aims to legitimise Jewish settlement in Palestinian territory.

'Nearly 500 killed' in Syria rebel-jihadist fighting
Nearly 500 people, among them at least 85 civilians, have been killed in a week of fighting pitting Syrian rebels against jihadists in the north of the strife-torn country, a monitoring group said Friday.

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Iran, world powers reach deal opening nuke program
Iran has agreed to limit uranium enrichment and to open its nuclear program to daily inspection by international experts starting Jan. 20, setting the clock running on a six-month deadline for a final nuclear agreement, officials said Sunday.

US 'superweeds' epidemic shines spotlight on GMOs
The United States is facing an epidemic of herbicide-resistant "superweeds" that some activists and researchers are blaming on GMOs, an accusation rejected by industry giants. According to a recent study, the situation is such that American farmers are "heading for a crisis." Many scientists blame overuse of herbicides, prompted by seeds genetically modified to resist them.


4.5-magnitude quake reported near The Geysers
COBB, Calif. – A 4.5-magnitude earthquake – followed by two aftershocks – occurred near The Geysers geothermal steamfield on Sunday afternoon. The 4.5-quake was recorded at a depth of 1.6 miles at 12:24 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.

Polar Vortex Lifting, Another On The Way?
The polar vortex that recently struck North America left chilling snowscapes and massive damage in its wake. The storm froze the Niagra Falls with record breaking low temperatures. The frigid weather also cost the US economy $5 billion.

Biblical water tunnel discovered in eastern Jerusalem
Jerusalem tour guides discovered what they believe is a well–preserved water tunnel from biblical times. Running 740 feet, the long, “beautiful” tunnel was discovered during an excursion organized recently by the Etzion Field School, according to a report Friday in the Israeli daily Ma’ariv.

Meet al-Qaeda's new poster boy for the Middle East
THE FBI “most wanted” mugshot shows a tough, swarthy figure, his hair in a jailbird crew-cut. The $10 million price on his head, meanwhile, suggests that whoever released him from US custody four years ago may now be regretting it. Taken during his years as a detainee at the US-run Camp Bucca in southern Iraq, this is the only known photograph of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the new leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq and Syria.

Storms, high winds slam parts of South
Gusty winds knocked down trees throughout northern Georgia and the Carolinas on Saturday as severe storms brought heavy rains, tornado watches and flood warnings. ...Meteorologists say a cold front that pushed off to the east produced widespread showers and thunderstorms that stretched from the Gulf Coast northward into New England.

Synagogue Desecrations Plague Central Israel
A number of synagogues located in the center of Israel have been vandalized over the last week, Israeli news outlets reported on Friday. A synagogue located on the Sirkin army base...was recently trashed...IDF soldiers serving on the base were stunned to walk into the house of worship to find ripped up Bibles thrown across the floor and anti-Semitic slurs spray painted on the walls.

White House suggests Iran sanctions bill could draw U.S. into war
The White House launched a harsh attack on supporters of a Senate bill to impose fresh sanctions on Iran, suggesting that they have a hidden goal of drawing the country into another Mideast war. If supporters “want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American people and say so,” Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement.

Hawaii Court Dismisses Atheists' Lawsuit Against Two Churches
A Hawaii court has dismissed two churches from a lawsuit that atheists brought against five congregations in the Aloha State accusing them of defrauding the government. The atheists failed to produce evidence.

Volcano eruption causes 25,000 to flee their homes
MORE than 25,000 people have fled their homes following a series of eruptions and lava flows from a volcano in Indonesia. Mount Sinabung, on the western island of Sumatra, sent hot rocks and ash up to 5000 metres in the air several times at the weekend.

Israel Mourns Sharon
Israel says the body of former prime minister Ariel Sharon will lie in state for several hours Sunday in Jerusalem's Knesset (parliament) where mourners can pay their respects.

Winter Olympics: Russia arrests five 'terror suspects'
Russian authorities say they have detained five members of a "banned international terrorist organisation" in the restive North Caucusus region. The arrests were made in the town of Nalchik, some 300km (185 miles) east of the Black Sea resort of Sochi, the host of next month's Winter Olympics.

Egypt army chief al-Sisi 'may run for president'
Egypt's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will run for president if the people request it and the military supports the bid, state media quote him saying. "If I nominate myself, there must be a popular demand, and a mandate from my army," state paper Al-Ahram quoted him as telling Egyptian officials.

Libyan cabinet minister Hassan al-Droui killed in Sirte
Libya's deputy industry minister has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of the capital Tripoli. Local media quoted officials as saying unknown gunmen "sprayed bullets" at Hassan al-Droui near a central market.

Strong cyclone hits Tonga, killing at least 1
Authorities were searching remote islands for cyclone victims on Sunday after the most powerful storm to hit Tonga in decades cut a swathe of destruction through this South Pacific archipelago, leaving at least one person dead and several injured.

Abbas says he won't make concessions on Jerusalem
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent a defiant message to Israel's leadership and U.S. mediators Saturday, telling cheering supporters that the Palestinians "won't kneel" and won't drop demands for a capital in east Jerusalem.

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NSA Data Have No Impact on Terrorism: Report
A public policy group says a review of U.S. terrorist arrests shows the government’s collection of bulk phone records does little to prevent terrorism, adding fuel to a debate over whether the spy program should be ended.

13 Jan 14

Yakima firm’s labor fight turns into test of Obama’s powers
A routine labor dispute at a soft-drink bottling company in Yakima has now bubbled up to the Supreme Court, posing a serious challenge to presidential powers. In a longer-than-usual oral argument Monday, justices will weigh the appointments that presidents can make during a Senate recess.

Unemployment Rate Doublethink
War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.7 percent so more people are working, the recovery is full bore. It’s all doublethink. It’s the new normal. Call it cognitive dissonance.

Pot Politics
On the superficial exterior of shattered souls marching progressively through the sexual revolution, it appears not to have turned out terribly. Now, years after doing drugs in the privacy of their homes, the same class of people want to be as open with it as with their bodies. In the never-ending hedonistic alliance between college stoners and adults who will not grow up, they’ve pooled dad’s trust fund into a political campaign for pot legalization.

Abbas: Without East Jerusalem there will be no peace with Israel
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas told a delegation on Saturday that without East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state, there will be "no peace between us and Israel."

H7N9 has mutated and may spread from human to human: expert
Chinese researchers have discovered mutations in the new strain of avian influenza A, known as H7N9, and have found that the virus has the ability to spread from human to human, the latest issue of the Guangzhou-based Southern Metropolis Weekly reported.

Killing Them Softly
It's lethal injection by house call in Belgium, where deaths by doctor are up 6,000 percent. We hit the road with one of euthanasia's most prolific practitioners... Today only Belgium, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Colombia allow physicians to actively facilitate the death of a patient, while Switzerland and several U.S. states permit the more indirect method of “assisted suicide.”

Marco Rubio Hammers Obama Administration, Accuses President of ‘Emboldening the Taliban’
The conservative senator, widely expected to launch a bid for the White House in 2016, was reacting to a new book by former Defense Secretary Robert Gates when he made the allegations. “I don’t think we can ignore what’s in that book and I think, for many of us it confirms our worst fears,” Rubio said. ”And that is that this is an administration full of people that either have the wrong convictions or, in the case of former Secretary Clinton, lack the courage of her convictions.”

Pro-Gun Lawmakers Eye State-by-State Strategy to Nullify Federal Gun-Control Statutes
Missouri’s latest proposal, introduced this past week, would attempt to nullify certain federal gun control regulations from being enforced in the state and subject law enforcement officers to criminal and civil penalties for carrying out such policies.

Syria crisis: US and Russia discuss possible ceasefires
The US and Russia have discussed the possibility of "localised ceasefires" in Syria ahead of peace talks to be held in Switzerland next week. Russia also said Syria was considering opening humanitarian access to besieged rebel areas. A prisoner exchange is also under consideration, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

FAST SOLAR WIND
Blowing with gusts as fast as 800 km/s (1.8 million mph), a stream of solar wind is buffeting Earth's magnetic field. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras on Jan. 13th.

Sensory Performance Could Be Enhanced Through Targeted Ultrasounds
Ultrasound, which is used by creatures such as bats and whales as a type of sensory guidance system, can also boost sensory perception in humans by modulating brain activity, according to new research appearing in Sunday’s online edition of Nature Neuroscience. Dr. Tyler and his colleagues placed a small electrode on the wrist of human volunteers in order to stimulate their median nerve, which runs down the arm and is the only nerve to pass through the carpal tunnel.

Alberta woman who died of H5N1 was in her 20s
Dr. Michael Gardam, an infectious disease consultant with Toronto's University Health Network who's not with the WHO, says it's "odd" for humans to get infected with H5N1 from a non-poultry source. "Almost all of the cases that we've heard about going back to the 1990s, there's been direct contact with poultry,"

'Fewer and fewer' in Senate buy global warming
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., admits that when Al Gore first began preaching the tenets of global warming, he thought “there might be something to it.” But now the senator and author of “The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future” says not only has he seen through the “hoax,” but so have his fellow lawmakers.

DARPA Aims for Jam-Proof Communication Systems
U.S. military researchers have released a formal solicitation for a new electronic warfare program, in order to develop jam-resistant communications and difficult-to-detect-communications technology. The goal: to keep battlefield networks functioning amid a variety of spectrum-warfare threats. According to Military & Aerospace enemy technology that is designed to intercept, deny, and exploit U.S. tactical communications has advanced quickly, and poses a formidable threat to U.S. air dominance and air supremacy, DARPA officials say.

6.4-quake shakes Puerto Rico, causing minor damage
A strong earthquake out to sea shook Puerto Rico early Monday, causing minor damage in some places. Some people reported items falling in their home and dozens said they felt buildings sway in the capital of San Juan, about 61 miles (98 kilometers) from the quake's epicenter.

Rise of the exorcists in Catholic Church
Dioceses across Italy, as well as in countries such as Spain, are increasing the number of priests schooled in administering the rite of exorcism, fabled to rid people of possession by the Devil. The rise in demonic cases is a result of more people dabbling in practices such as black magic, paganism, Satanic rites and Ouija boards, often exploring the dark arts with the help of information readily found on the internet, the Church said.

Thailand crisis: Protesters launch Bangkok 'shutdown'
Protesters are blocking roads in parts of the Thai capital, Bangkok, in a bid to oust the government before snap elections on 2 February. The protesters have built barricades and occupied key road junctions. The government has deployed 18,000 security personnel to maintain order.

Israeli army: 2 rockets fired from Gaza ahead of Sharon funeral in south; did not hit Israel
Israel's army says two rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip just hours ahead of Ariel Sharon's funeral but they did not appear to have landed in Israel.

6.4-magnitude earthquake rattles Puerto Rico
A strong earthquake out to sea shook Puerto Rico early Monday, causing minor damage in some places. Some people reported items falling in their home and dozens said they felt buildings sway in the capital of San Juan, about 61 miles from the quake's epicenter.

Rodman 'sorry' after controversial North Korea trip
An emotional Dennis Rodman appeared to break down Monday as he apologised on his return from a controversial trip to North Korea, where he sang "Happy Birthday" to regime leader Kim Jong-Un. The former NBA star was widely criticised for refusing to bring up human rights abuses or the plight of a US missionary detained in North Korea during his week-long visit.

Iran, world powers reach deal opening nuke program
Iran has agreed to limit uranium enrichment and to open its nuclear program to daily inspection by international experts starting Jan. 20, setting the clock running on a six-month deadline for a final nuclear agreement, officials said Sunday.

US 'superweeds' epidemic shines spotlight on GMOs
The United States is facing an epidemic of herbicide-resistant "superweeds" that some activists and researchers are blaming on GMOs, an accusation rejected by industry giants. According to a recent study, the situation is such that American farmers are "heading for a crisis." Many scientists blame overuse of herbicides, prompted by seeds genetically modified to resist them.

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Japan holds military drill as S. China Sea islands dispute widens
Japanese paratroopers recaptured an island from an enemy in a wargame as its Defense Minister vowed to defend a disputed East China Sea territory. China’s ships sailed near the contested islets as Beijing reportedly expanded its air defense zone.

America's Dwindling Economic Freedom
World economic freedom has reached record levels, according to the 2014 Index of Economic Freedom, released Tuesday by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal. But after seven straight years of decline, the U.S. has dropped out of the top 10 most economically free countries.

Ariel Sharon and his Legacy
Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Ariel Sharon was not born great in February 1928 in the cooperative farming village of Kfar Malal. But he had achieved greatness by the time he died on January 11, 2014, gaining legendary stature as the greatest field commander in the history of the Israel Defense Forces. He was also proud to be a farmer, and he became a dynamic political leader. He lived up to his nickname Arik (“the Lion” in Hebrew) as the Lion of Israel. Not surprisingly, the title of his autobiography was Warrior.

Police Arrest US Street Preacher in Scotland for Calling Homosexuality a Sin
American street preacher Tony Miano was arrested earlier this year in July. Christian Concern, a British legal group, helped Miano avoid paying a fine and receiving a 'Caution' after he was detained. Scottish police arrested Tony Milano, a U.S. preacher and former Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff, for breach of the peace and for using "homophobic" language in the condemnation of sin.

China cloning on an 'industrial scale' using human technicians instead of machines
The technology involved is not particularly novel - but what is new is the application of mass production. The first shed contains 90 animals in two long rows. They look perfectly normal, as one would expect, but each of them is carrying cloned embryos. Many are clones themselves. The facility produces an astonishing 500 cloned pigs a year: China is exploiting science on an industrial scale.

China Conducts Test of Ultra-High Speed Missile Vehicle
China’s military last week conducted the first flight test of a new ultra-high speed missile vehicle aimed at delivering warheads through U.S. missile defenses, Pentagon officials said. The test of the new hypersonic glide vehicle was carried out Jan. 9 and the experimental weapon is being dubbed the WU-14 by the Pentagon, said officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The hypersonic vehicle represents a major step forward in China’s secretive strategic nuclear and conventional military and missile programs.

D-Wave claims it wants to release a 1,000 qubit quantum computer in 2014
Before munching up on the hype, though, it’s important to understand that to this day no one has been able to build a practical, working quantum computer. Still, in a recent interview with the Washington Post, D-Wave’s vice president of processor development, Jeremy Hilton, stated the company has a 1000 qubit processor in the lab, which they plan on releasing in 2014.

Surprise, we believe the Bible: Methodist pastor punished
United Methodist officials have followed church doctrine and church law in dealing with an errant pastor. Frank Schaefer, who pastors a church in Pennsylvania, pastors it no more. He was brought to trial and convicted of officiating at his son's same-gender "marriage" ceremony in Massachusetts where such weddings are legal. He was given 30 days to repent and conform to church doctrine but declined and has now been defrocked.

Biden: Peace talks hold out 'possibility for an island of stability'
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Israeli President Shimon Peres committed to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, with Biden saying Monday the time is ripe to act. The talks offered a "possibility for an island of stability," in the region, Biden said in remarks following the closed-door discussions with Peres.

US lawmakers rail against academic boycott of Israel
Over four dozen members of Congress have signed a bipartisan letter blasting a decision earlier this month by the American Studies Association to participate in an academic boycott of Israel.

US and Russia push for modest Syria ceasefire
In a first yet fragile step toward peace, Syria’s government and the main but disputed moderate opposition group seeking to oust it have agreed to allow humanitarian aid into some blocked-off parts of the scarred Mideast country.

NSA FILES DECODED
Much of the NSA’s defence is that the public should be unconcerned, summed up by the dictum: “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” But civil liberties groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union warn that surveillance goes well beyond what Congress intended and what the US constitution allows.

Us vs. Them
The United States Chamber of Commerce, already in the tank for amnesty, is now in the tank for Common Core. The Chamber of Commerce will be funding Republican candidates to beat conservatives. The New York Times recently ran an article on the corrupt and entangling alliances within the Mainstreet Partnership. This group of liberal Republicans, funded by an alliance of Wall Street and Labor Unions intends to defeat both conservative incumbents and challengers to Republicans.

Floods Hit South Philippines; 20 Dead, 13 Missing
Two days of heavy rains set off floods and landslides in the southeastern Philippines, leaving at least 20 people dead, 13 missing and thousands displaced, officials said Monday.

Iran and UN nuke agency postpone talks
A planned meeting between the United Nations’s nuclear watchdog and Iran meant to help alleviate concerns over its nuclear activities was postponed Tuesday, officials said.

El Salvador on Alert for Chaparrastique Volcano Activity
According to the latest special report from Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), as vibrations persist and gases column is visible, the possibility of another eruption is not ruled out in the coming days or weeks through the central crater or their flanks.

Americans warned of imminent, deadly meteor strikes
Just as when the American populace first prepared for the possibility of a nuclear blast, a person’s best option for surviving a meteor strike is the same “duck and cover” created during the 1940s and ’50s when nuclear weaponry was still in its infancy.

Congressional Leaders Announce ‘Bipartisan’ $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill
Top congressional negotiators Monday night released a “bipartisan” $1.1 trillion spending bill that would pay for the operations of government through October and finally put to rest the bitter budget battles of last year. ...“This agreement shows the American people that we can compromise, and that we can govern,” Mikulski said. “It puts an end to shutdown, slowdown, slamdown politics.”

China Set to Seize South China Sea Island by Force
Reports out of Chinese state media indicate that Beijing is set to invade an island in the South China Sea “illegally occupied” by US ally the Philippines, stoking concerns that the tension filled region could explode. The article originally appeared at qianzhan.com under the headline, ‘Sudden major move of Chinese troops this year to recover Zhongye Island by force’, and was translated by the China Daily Mail.

Bailing Out Health Insurers and Helping Obamacare
Robert Laszewski—a prominent consultant to health insurance companies—recently wrote in a remarkably candid blog post that, while Obamacare is almost certain to cause insurance costs to skyrocket even higher than it already has, “insurers won’t be losing a lot of sleep over it.” How can this be? Because insurance companies won’t bear the cost of their own losses—at least not more than about a quarter of them. The other three-quarters will be borne by American taxpayers.

Syria peace talks: Opposition 'risks US-UK support'
Britain and the US have warned they will rethink support for Syria's main opposition group if it fails to join peace talks, a Syrian source has said. The official from the Syrian National Coalition told reporters that the UK and the US were adamant the group must go to Geneva for next week's talks. The coalition will hold a vote on Friday on whether or not to attend.

Mexico to deploy federal forces in Michoacan conflict zone
The Mexican government has announced that federal troops will take over security in an area where vigilante groups and a drugs cartel are clashing. The "self-defence groups" seized several small towns in the western state of Michoacan over the past week. They say they are fighting for the freedom of their communities from the notorious Knights Templar cartel.

After dispensing with Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt trains its sights on Hamas
After crushing the Muslim Brotherhood at home, Egypt's military rulers plan to undermine the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which runs the neighboring Gaza Strip, senior Egyptian security officials told Reuters. The aim, which the officials say could take years to pull off, includes working with Hamas's political rivals Fatah and supporting popular anti-Hamas activities in Gaza, four security and diplomatic officials said.

South Sudan army advances on rebels
Government troops in South Sudan are advancing on the flashpoint town of Bor, the last state capital still in rebel hands, an army spokesman says. "Bor is still in the hands of the rebels but our forces are still moving towards it," Colonel Philip Aguer said on Monday.

Egypt referendum: Vote to begin amid tight security
Egyptians are to vote in a referendum on a new constitution, which could pave the way for fresh elections. The new charter aims to replace the constitution passed under Islamist President Mohammed Morsi months before he was ousted by the army. Correspondents say the military wants a strong "Yes" vote as a popular endorsement of Mr Morsi's removal.

Pope assails 'throwaway culture' of abortion
Pope Francis on Monday called abortion "horrific" and said it was part of a new "throwaway culture" he said wasted human life as easily as it wasted food — his strongest words yet on a practice that is a divisive political issue in the United States.

Syria foreign minister to 'visit Russia before Geneva peace talks'
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem will visit Russia ahead of the Geneva 2 peace talks on the crisis due to begin in Switzerland later this month, Damascus' ambassador to Moscow said Monday.

Iran nuke deal doesn't end debate over sanctions
The weekend deal spelling out how Iran will roll back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief buttresses the Obama administration's argument Tehran may be prepared for a grand diplomatic compromise averting the potential for war. But it has done little to sway skeptical lawmakers determined to levy new sanctions against Iran.

NSA Data Have No Impact on Terrorism: Report
A public policy group says a review of U.S. terrorist arrests shows the government’s collection of bulk phone records does little to prevent terrorism, adding fuel to a debate over whether the spy program should be ended.

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As Obama dithers, Egypt ramps up its nuclear options
After the fatally-flawed interim deal signed by the P5+1 in Geneva November 24 over Iran’s nuclear program, America’s slighted ally Egypt is now possibly pursuing its own nuclear option, amid fears of an atomic arms race between Tehran and its regional Sunni rivals in Cairo, Riyadh and beyond.

One Month After JFK’s Murder, Former President Harry Truman Called For Abolishing The CIA
In an op-ed column published in the Washington Post on Dec. 22, 1963, Truman never linked the CIA to President Kennedy’s murder, but the timing of the explicit and strongly worded column and complaint implied a connection. “For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment,” Truman wrote. “It has become an operational and at times a policy-making arm of the Government. This has led to trouble and may have compounded our difficulties in several explosive areas.”

Here’s How Atheists Are Targeting Inmates in Quest to Battle the Bible in American Prisons
A secular group is implementing a coordinated plan to regularly send atheist literature to inmates in American prisons — a quest its members claim will counter the faith-based messages that are often touted by chaplains and faith leaders.

Earthquake Shakes Northern Israel As Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Is Laid To Rest
As dignitaries from all over the world paid their respects to one of Israel’s last founding leaders, residents of northern Galilee told Ynetnews.com that they'd experienced a quake around midday. Confirming those accounts, the Israel Geophysical Institute reported the quake measured 3.5 on the Richter scale.

Norwegian Bay Froze So Quickly It Caused a ‘Fishapocalypse’
With temperatures well in the negatives and a strong east wind over the weekend, the water in a bay around the island of Lovund in Norway froze quickly. So much so, a school of fish became trapped as they swam in the ice.

Pres. Peres to the Knesset: Israel has not had security for 65 years?
"There is no peace without security and there is no security without peace" President Shimon Peres. The extraordinary commitment of Secretary of State Kerry to the cause of peace reflects Israel's deep and serious commitment to peace and is creating the opportunity for an agreement and mutual understanding."

Five reasons for China and US to go to war: New Strait Times
Resnick led by saying that China's economic ascent since the start of Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms in 1978 is a major concern for the US. He said that China, currently the world's second-largest economy, is about to surpass the United States in its GDP on the basis of purchasing power parity within the next decade. In addition, China has more money to modernize its People's Liberation Army. They must understand that China will suffer disproportionately from any war that it starts against the United States or other regional powers.

Joel Osteen Tells Larry King ‘Scripture Says Homosexuality Is A Sin.. But I Don’t Want To Preach About It’
King asked Osteen, "What are your views on homosexuality?” to which Osteen replied “The same that they’ve been. I believe that scripture says that it’s a sin but I always follow that up by saying you know what, we’re not against anybody.”

NSA able to target offline computers using radio-waves for surveillance, cyber-attacks
The secret technology uses covert radio waves transmitted from small circuit boards and USB cards clandestinely inserted into targeted computers, The New York Times reported. The waves can then be sent to a briefcase-sized relay station intelligence agencies can set up just miles away, according to NSA documents, computer experts and US officials.

Wendy Davis’s Campaign Mocks Greg Abbott for Being Paralyzed
Wendy Davis’s campaign is mocking Greg Abbott for being in a wheelchair. No, I am not kidding. Back in October, Battleground Texas mocked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for being paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

Obama Makes Secret Deal With Iran To Allow Nuclear Production To Continue
Abbas Araqchi disclosed the existence of the document in a Persian-language interview with the semiofficial Iranian Students News Agency. The new agreement, announced over the weekend, sets out a timetable for how Iran and the six nations, led by the United States, will implement a deal reached in November that is aimed at restraining Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “No facility will be closed; enrichment will continue, and qualitative and nuclear research will be expanded,” .

Report details brain complications in Canada's H5N1 case
A report published by Alberta health officials over the weekend lays out the swift clinical course of the H5N1 influenza infection that killed a young Alberta woman on Jan 3, including brain inflammation and swelling, an unusual complication in human H5N1 cases. Of 649 cases reported since 2003, 385 have been fatal, according to the World Health Organization.

Fontana Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Southern California
The Fontana earthquake today January 15, 2014 hit in the predawn morning hours. Damage assessment is pending. Officials tell news that a 4.4 magnitude Fontana earthquake today began just after 1:35 am PST. The quake was one of the strongest to strike east of Los Angeles

Another Warning Sign: Earthquakes in Israel
Yesterday afternoon there was another earthquake in Israel, 3.5 on the Richter scale. This latest quake joins other recent, local earthquakes. At approximately 3 p.m. an earthquake was felt in the Kinneret and Galilee regions. Residents reported the quake was powerful enough to move objects inside homes.

Tennis players collapsing and hallucinating as deadly heatwave continues across Australia
At Wimbledon it's usualy the rain that gets the blame but the Australian Open organizers have been criticised for forcing players to compete in intense heat as temperatures hit 42C in Melbourne. Canada's Frank Dancevic required medical attention after hallucinating, he says he saw Snoopy and fainting in his first-round match and said it was "inhumane" to allow players to compete in such testing conditions.

Illegal abortion widely used by some UK ethnic groups to avoid daughters
The illegal abortion of female foetuses solely to ensure that families have sons is widely practised within some ethnic communities in Britain... The practice of sex-selective abortion is now so commonplace that it has affected the...balance of boys to girls...and has led to the “disappearance” of between 1,400 and 4,700 females from the national census records of England and Wales, we can reveal.

DECREASING CHANCE OF FLARES
NOAA forecasters have downgraded the chance of X-flares on Jan. 14th to 15% as giant sunspot AR1944 rotates off the solar disk. The odds on Jan. 15th are even lower: 1%. A quiet spell appears to be in the offing.

You’re ‘Not Allowed to Talk About the Bible’: Teacher Reportedly Cuts Off First-Grader’s Classroom Speech
An advocacy group is claiming that a teacher at California’s Helen Hunt-Jackson Elementary School showed undue hostility toward a first grader’s faith last month during a presentation about holiday traditions. ...Brynn Williams was speaking to her class about her family’s Christmas tradition when her teacher abruptly stopped the address and said that Williams is “not allowed to talk about the Bible in school.”

Christians called to 'martyrdom' says Welby
Christians are facing a new age of “martyrdom” across much of the world, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. Speaking in Istanbul, Turkey, the Most Rev Justin Welby singled out the persecution of believers across the Middle East and said Christians are still “called” to suffer and even die for the faith in the 21st Century.

Western agencies visited Damascus to discuss security with regime
A retired MI6 officer has led British and European efforts to re-engage with the Bashar al-Assad regime, visiting Damascus to discuss mutual approaches to combating jihadists, according to new reports. The officer is one of a number of European intelligence officials sent to hold talks with the regime despite the West’s calls for it to stand down and international sanctions levelled against it.

Mosquito-borne virus spreading in Caribbean
A mosquito-borne virus appears to be spreading quickly in the Caribbean... just weeks after epidemiologists first found local transmission occurring in the French dependency of St. Martin. Scientists said Tuesday that St. Martin now has as many as 200 cases of chikungunya, a virus found mainly in Africa and Asia that can cause a debilitating but rarely fatal sickness with fever, rash, fatigue and intense muscle and joint pain.

'Robotic World Wide Web' makes life easier for machines
The first demonstration of a “World Wide Web for robots” that allows machines to share information and learn from each other will take place this week in the Netherlands. Cloud-based RoboEarth aims to help robots benefit from the experience of other machines. For instance, if one robot has spent time developing an accurate map of a room it can upload the data so another machine entering it for the first time has a navigational head start.

UN stresses Central African Republic disaster warning
A senior UN envoy has called for a huge international effort for the Central African Republic. Speaking to the BBC in the capital, Bangui, John Ging of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the country was in a "mega-crisis". Mr Ging said that many in the population were living in fear because of religious and ethnic attacks.

White House plays down Rouhani crowing on nuclear deal
The White House Tuesday dismissed an aggressive claim of victory by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani over an interim nuclear deal, and attempted to face down rising domestic political pressure over the pact.

Boy, 12, opens fire at New Mexico school, wounds two students
A 12-year-old boy armed with a shotgun opened fire at a middle school in New Mexico on Tuesday, seriously wounding two students before a staff member persuaded him to put down the firearm, authorities said.

Russian security forces battle militants before Olympics
Three Russian servicemen and four gunmen were killed in a shootout in southern Russia on Wednesday during a sweep for militants before the Sochi Winter Olympics. Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said the dead gunmen included a man accused of carrying out a car bomb attack in the city of Pyatigorsk late last year which killed three people.

West Bank mosque partly torched in suspected settler attack
A mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was partly set on fire on Wednesday in what Palestinian residents said was an attack by Jewish settlers living nearby.

Bomb attacks kill 52 in Iraq, PM calls for world's support
Bomb attacks hit the Iraqi capital Baghdad and a village near the northern town of Baquba on Wednesday, killing at least 52 people, police and hospital sources said. In the deadliest incident, a bomb blew up in a funeral tent where mourners were marking the death two days ago of a Sunni Muslim pro-government militiaman, police said. It killed 18 people and wounded 16 in Shatub, a village south of Baquba.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: KERRY IS 'OBSESSIVE,' 'MESSIANIC'
Israel's Defense Minister, Moshe "Boogy" Ya'alon, is facing criticism from the opposition after slamming U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported earlier on Tuesday that the outspoken Ya'alon had said that Kerry, who recently completed his tenth trip to the region in less than a year on the job, "turned up here determined and acting out of misplaced obsession and messianic fervor" for a peace deal.

N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers
The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.

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"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

As Obama dithers, Egypt ramps up its nuclear options
After the fatally-flawed interim deal signed by the P5+1 in Geneva November 24 over Iran’s nuclear program, America’s slighted ally Egypt is now possibly pursuing its own nuclear option, amid fears of an atomic arms race between Tehran and its regional Sunni rivals in Cairo, Riyadh and beyond.

One Month After JFK’s Murder, Former President Harry Truman Called For Abolishing The CIA
In an op-ed column published in the Washington Post on Dec. 22, 1963, Truman never linked the CIA to President Kennedy’s murder, but the timing of the explicit and strongly worded column and complaint implied a connection. “For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment,” Truman wrote. “It has become an operational and at times a policy-making arm of the Government. This has led to trouble and may have compounded our difficulties in several explosive areas.”

Here’s How Atheists Are Targeting Inmates in Quest to Battle the Bible in American Prisons
A secular group is implementing a coordinated plan to regularly send atheist literature to inmates in American prisons — a quest its members claim will counter the faith-based messages that are often touted by chaplains and faith leaders.

Earthquake Shakes Northern Israel As Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Is Laid To Rest
As dignitaries from all over the world paid their respects to one of Israel’s last founding leaders, residents of northern Galilee told Ynetnews.com that they'd experienced a quake around midday. Confirming those accounts, the Israel Geophysical Institute reported the quake measured 3.5 on the Richter scale.

Norwegian Bay Froze So Quickly It Caused a ‘Fishapocalypse’
With temperatures well in the negatives and a strong east wind over the weekend, the water in a bay around the island of Lovund in Norway froze quickly. So much so, a school of fish became trapped as they swam in the ice.

Pres. Peres to the Knesset: Israel has not had security for 65 years?
"There is no peace without security and there is no security without peace" President Shimon Peres. The extraordinary commitment of Secretary of State Kerry to the cause of peace reflects Israel's deep and serious commitment to peace and is creating the opportunity for an agreement and mutual understanding."

Five reasons for China and US to go to war: New Strait Times
Resnick led by saying that China's economic ascent since the start of Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms in 1978 is a major concern for the US. He said that China, currently the world's second-largest economy, is about to surpass the United States in its GDP on the basis of purchasing power parity within the next decade. In addition, China has more money to modernize its People's Liberation Army. They must understand that China will suffer disproportionately from any war that it starts against the United States or other regional powers.

Joel Osteen Tells Larry King ‘Scripture Says Homosexuality Is A Sin.. But I Don’t Want To Preach About It’
King asked Osteen, "What are your views on homosexuality?” to which Osteen replied “The same that they’ve been. I believe that scripture says that it’s a sin but I always follow that up by saying you know what, we’re not against anybody.”

NSA able to target offline computers using radio-waves for surveillance, cyber-attacks
The secret technology uses covert radio waves transmitted from small circuit boards and USB cards clandestinely inserted into targeted computers, The New York Times reported. The waves can then be sent to a briefcase-sized relay station intelligence agencies can set up just miles away, according to NSA documents, computer experts and US officials.

Wendy Davis’s Campaign Mocks Greg Abbott for Being Paralyzed
Wendy Davis’s campaign is mocking Greg Abbott for being in a wheelchair. No, I am not kidding. Back in October, Battleground Texas mocked Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott for being paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

Obama Makes Secret Deal With Iran To Allow Nuclear Production To Continue
Abbas Araqchi disclosed the existence of the document in a Persian-language interview with the semiofficial Iranian Students News Agency. The new agreement, announced over the weekend, sets out a timetable for how Iran and the six nations, led by the United States, will implement a deal reached in November that is aimed at restraining Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “No facility will be closed; enrichment will continue, and qualitative and nuclear research will be expanded,” .

Report details brain complications in Canada's H5N1 case
A report published by Alberta health officials over the weekend lays out the swift clinical course of the H5N1 influenza infection that killed a young Alberta woman on Jan 3, including brain inflammation and swelling, an unusual complication in human H5N1 cases. Of 649 cases reported since 2003, 385 have been fatal, according to the World Health Organization.

Fontana Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Southern California
The Fontana earthquake today January 15, 2014 hit in the predawn morning hours. Damage assessment is pending. Officials tell news that a 4.4 magnitude Fontana earthquake today began just after 1:35 am PST. The quake was one of the strongest to strike east of Los Angeles

Another Warning Sign: Earthquakes in Israel
Yesterday afternoon there was another earthquake in Israel, 3.5 on the Richter scale. This latest quake joins other recent, local earthquakes. At approximately 3 p.m. an earthquake was felt in the Kinneret and Galilee regions. Residents reported the quake was powerful enough to move objects inside homes.

Tennis players collapsing and hallucinating as deadly heatwave continues across Australia
At Wimbledon it's usualy the rain that gets the blame but the Australian Open organizers have been criticised for forcing players to compete in intense heat as temperatures hit 42C in Melbourne. Canada's Frank Dancevic required medical attention after hallucinating, he says he saw Snoopy and fainting in his first-round match and said it was "inhumane" to allow players to compete in such testing conditions.

Illegal abortion widely used by some UK ethnic groups to avoid daughters
The illegal abortion of female foetuses solely to ensure that families have sons is widely practised within some ethnic communities in Britain... The practice of sex-selective abortion is now so commonplace that it has affected the...balance of boys to girls...and has led to the “disappearance” of between 1,400 and 4,700 females from the national census records of England and Wales, we can reveal.

DECREASING CHANCE OF FLARES
NOAA forecasters have downgraded the chance of X-flares on Jan. 14th to 15% as giant sunspot AR1944 rotates off the solar disk. The odds on Jan. 15th are even lower: 1%. A quiet spell appears to be in the offing.

You’re ‘Not Allowed to Talk About the Bible’: Teacher Reportedly Cuts Off First-Grader’s Classroom Speech
An advocacy group is claiming that a teacher at California’s Helen Hunt-Jackson Elementary School showed undue hostility toward a first grader’s faith last month during a presentation about holiday traditions. ...Brynn Williams was speaking to her class about her family’s Christmas tradition when her teacher abruptly stopped the address and said that Williams is “not allowed to talk about the Bible in school.”

Christians called to 'martyrdom' says Welby
Christians are facing a new age of “martyrdom” across much of the world, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. Speaking in Istanbul, Turkey, the Most Rev Justin Welby singled out the persecution of believers across the Middle East and said Christians are still “called” to suffer and even die for the faith in the 21st Century.

Western agencies visited Damascus to discuss security with regime
A retired MI6 officer has led British and European efforts to re-engage with the Bashar al-Assad regime, visiting Damascus to discuss mutual approaches to combating jihadists, according to new reports. The officer is one of a number of European intelligence officials sent to hold talks with the regime despite the West’s calls for it to stand down and international sanctions levelled against it.

Mosquito-borne virus spreading in Caribbean
A mosquito-borne virus appears to be spreading quickly in the Caribbean... just weeks after epidemiologists first found local transmission occurring in the French dependency of St. Martin. Scientists said Tuesday that St. Martin now has as many as 200 cases of chikungunya, a virus found mainly in Africa and Asia that can cause a debilitating but rarely fatal sickness with fever, rash, fatigue and intense muscle and joint pain.

'Robotic World Wide Web' makes life easier for machines
The first demonstration of a “World Wide Web for robots” that allows machines to share information and learn from each other will take place this week in the Netherlands. Cloud-based RoboEarth aims to help robots benefit from the experience of other machines. For instance, if one robot has spent time developing an accurate map of a room it can upload the data so another machine entering it for the first time has a navigational head start.

UN stresses Central African Republic disaster warning
A senior UN envoy has called for a huge international effort for the Central African Republic. Speaking to the BBC in the capital, Bangui, John Ging of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the country was in a "mega-crisis". Mr Ging said that many in the population were living in fear because of religious and ethnic attacks.

White House plays down Rouhani crowing on nuclear deal
The White House Tuesday dismissed an aggressive claim of victory by Iran's President Hassan Rouhani over an interim nuclear deal, and attempted to face down rising domestic political pressure over the pact.

Boy, 12, opens fire at New Mexico school, wounds two students
A 12-year-old boy armed with a shotgun opened fire at a middle school in New Mexico on Tuesday, seriously wounding two students before a staff member persuaded him to put down the firearm, authorities said.

Russian security forces battle militants before Olympics
Three Russian servicemen and four gunmen were killed in a shootout in southern Russia on Wednesday during a sweep for militants before the Sochi Winter Olympics. Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee (NAC) said the dead gunmen included a man accused of carrying out a car bomb attack in the city of Pyatigorsk late last year which killed three people.

West Bank mosque partly torched in suspected settler attack
A mosque in the Israeli-occupied West Bank was partly set on fire on Wednesday in what Palestinian residents said was an attack by Jewish settlers living nearby.

Bomb attacks kill 52 in Iraq, PM calls for world's support
Bomb attacks hit the Iraqi capital Baghdad and a village near the northern town of Baquba on Wednesday, killing at least 52 people, police and hospital sources said. In the deadliest incident, a bomb blew up in a funeral tent where mourners were marking the death two days ago of a Sunni Muslim pro-government militiaman, police said. It killed 18 people and wounded 16 in Shatub, a village south of Baquba.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER: KERRY IS 'OBSESSIVE,' 'MESSIANIC'
Israel's Defense Minister, Moshe "Boogy" Ya'alon, is facing criticism from the opposition after slamming U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported earlier on Tuesday that the outspoken Ya'alon had said that Kerry, who recently completed his tenth trip to the region in less than a year on the job, "turned up here determined and acting out of misplaced obsession and messianic fervor" for a peace deal.

N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers
The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.

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"Fair Use for Information & Discussion Purposes"

Obamacare Time Bomb: Heirs May Face Bill for Your Healthcare
As part of the 1993 budget reconciliation bill, Congress required states to implement the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) to seek reimbursement of payments for nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Obamacare, officially known as The Affordable Care Act, greatly expanded the services for which reimbursement can be pursued, and states can now use liens to recover money spent by Medicaid for services beyond long-term care.

Federal Judge Denies Second TEC Request to seize Diocese of South Carolina Identity
TEC has historically used the courts to punish parishes and dioceses who disagree with the denomination's shifting theology. The group has spent more than $22 million on legal efforts to seize individual church property and evict parishioners.

9/11 mastermind says Koran 'forbids' violence to spread Islam
The self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, has released a manifesto claiming that the Koran forbids the use of violence to spread Islam. The document, published Tuesday by The Huffington Post and Britain's Channel 4 News, marks Mohammed's first public communication since 2009, when the US government officially accused him of terrorism. Mohammed, the most high-profile of the five men accused over the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on US soil, has been held at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2006.

Coming 'oil glut' may push global economy into deflation
Michael Lewis, the bank's commodity strategist, said markets face an "new oil supply glut" as three forces combine. US shale will add 1m barrels a day (b/d) to global supply for the third year running; Libya will crank up shipments after a near collapse in 2013; and Iran will come out of hibernation. "This will push OPEC spare capacity to levels last seen in the depths of the financial crisis in 2009," he said.

The Islamization of Germany in 2013
In January, the Turkish-run Kuba Camii Mosque in Eschweiler, a city situated along the German-Belgian-Dutch border and about 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Cologne, for the first time began publicly calling Muslims to prayer. The call to prayer was described as an "historical event" and was attended by numerous dignitaries, including the Turkish consul and the Turkish attaché. The Turkish imam of the Kuba Camii Mosque, Bahri Ciftci, declared his hopes that "the public prayer call will be a symbol of a tolerant, intercultural and interreligious common coexistence."

US shale revolution will transform global economy, says BP
BP expects America to switch from “a net importer of energy to a net exporter around 2018”, while Asia will account for about 80pc of import growth to 2035. American self-sufficiency in energy has prompted economists to speculate that the nation is on the cusp of a new era of industrialisation but Mr Rühl said: “There is another effect that will dwarf the current discussion about industrial relocation – and that’s the balance of payments effect. Last time I looked, more than 50pc of the US deficit in goods and services came from paying for fossil fuel imports. As the US turns into an exporting nation that is going to go away.”

Iran’s economic recovery: Tehran looking for new allies
Iran is on the way to economic recovery as a result of relative success in its talks with the West over the question of nuclear development and as a result Tehran is seeking new economic partners. Iran evaluates the Central Asian states as important potential allies in economic and political areas, given their close geographic location and almost unexplored fruitful economic market.

Republicans Begin Laying Ground Work to Walk Away From Obamacare Opposition
The Business Roundtable, which has a great relationship with Republican Leaders, is now listing Obamacare as an entitlement worth preserving.

UN panel confronts Vatican on child sex abuse by clergy
The Vatican is being confronted publicly for the first time over the sexual abuse of children by clergy, at a UN hearing in Geneva. Officials faced a barrage of hard questions such as why would they not release full data and what were they doing to prevent future abuse.

Moroccan Drought Ends after Jews Pray for Rain
The Morocco World News reported, “Moroccan Jews performed prayers in all the synagogues in the country, imploring God to spread bountiful rain on the entire territory of the Kingdom.” Two days after the reiteration of the Simchat Torah rain prayer on the Sabbath, there were abundant thunderstorms across the country.

US Abandoning Middle East, Leaving Iran in Charge
"The deal with the Persian nation makes it clear we are leaving the region, and leaving Iran in charge,” McFarland wrote. “Iran is now poised to become the Alpha Dog of the Middle East – the dominant economic, military and political power in the region that controls the world’s exported oil. Thanks to the agreement struck by President Obama’s hand-picked Secretary of State John Kerry, it is doing so with America’s blessing.”

Investigate the investigators? GOP lawmakers urge probe of IRS scandal review
Republican lawmakers, frustrated by the Justice Department's slow-moving probe into the IRS targeting scandal and "conflict of interest" concerns, are now calling for the investigators to be investigated. Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Wednesday formally requested that the Justice Department's inspector general launch his own probe into the department's review of IRS activities.

Small quake rattles Orange County area
A small earthquake has rattled northern Orange County but there have been no reports of damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey says that the magnitude 3.8 temblor hit shortly before midnight and was centered seven miles from Villa Park, Corona and North Tustin.

China steps up appeal to West in Japan propaganda battle
China took reporters on Thursday on an unusual trip to a camp which housed Western prisoners of the Japanese in World War Two, a further sign of Beijing broadening efforts to drive a wedge between the West and Japan over its wartime past. The visit comes as tensions between Asia's two largest economies rise to a fever pitch, and China works to convince the world of its viewpoint that Japan's war-era militarism is directly linked to its current military buildup.

UN climate chief: Communism is best to fight global warming
United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres said that democracy is a poor political system for fighting global warming. Communist China, she says, is the best model. China may be the world’s top emitter of carbon dioxide and struggling with major pollution problems of their own, but the country is “doing it right” when it comes to fighting global warming says Figueres.

Push 'reset' button on world, WEF founder says
It's time to press the "reset" button on the world, the founder of the World Economic Forum said Wednesday, addressing media ahead of the WEF's much ballyhooed annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, that gets underway in a week's time. "The world is complex, it's fast-moving, it's interconnected, and we in Davos want to provide a mirror to the world as it is. It is not a meeting devoted to one set of issues. It's a meeting that address the complexity of our world," said Klaus Schwab, the WEF's founder and executive chairman.

Egyptian Voters Support New Constitution
Officials and state media said preliminary returns showed more than 90 percent of people who took part in the two-day vote said yes to the constitution, which is supported by the military-backed government. Observers have said there was little doubt the new charter would be approved.

US Spy Agency Infiltrates Personal Computers Worldwide
The U.S. National Security Agency is reported to have implanted malicious software in nearly 100,000 computers worldwide -- allowing the U.S. to conduct surveillance on those machines and create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.

Global religious hostilities reach six year high
Violence and discrimination spurred by rival faiths has reached a six year high, according to a new Pew Research Center report. The sharpest spike was in the Middle East and North Africa. Christians remain the most highly oppressed religious group.

CHANCE OF STORMS
NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Jan. 17th when a minor CME is expected to hit Earth. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras competing with bright moonlight.

Ted Cruz slams Obamacare in ad planned for Super Bowl
A grassroots political action group is raising funds to air ads in key swing markets immediately before and after the Super Bowl featuring Sen. Ted Cruz’s fierce battle against President Obama’s health care law. Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/ted-cruz-slams-obamacare-in-ad-planned-for-super-bowl/#TwLH4IctleMw7vPK.99

Israel admitted as full member of CERN
At a ceremony held this morning in Geneva, Israel was officially admitted as full member to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman represented Israel at the ceremony held at the CERN Globe of Science and Innovation, at the end of which the Israeli flag was added to the line of flags representing the member states of the organization. FM Liberman said that it was a source of great pride for him to see the Israeli flag raised, symbolizing Israel's participation in the forefront of world science and progress.

13,000 teens complete Hamas training camps to emulate ‘suicide martyrs’
The Hamas government in Gaza celebrated the graduation on Monday of paramilitary camps geared at training high-school children “to follow in the footsteps of the suicide martyrs.” The camps, titled “the pioneers of liberation,” are run by Hamas’s ministries of education and interior. Some 13,000 students in grades 10-12 participated in the one-week training camps this year...

China’s Treasury Holdings Climb to Record in Government Data
China’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries increased $12.2 billion to a record $1.317 trillion in November, data released on the Treasury Department’s website showed. The figures, scheduled for release at 9 a.m. tomorrow in Washington, were inadvertently posted on the Treasury’s website. Japan’s holdings rose $12 billion to $1.186 trillion, the figures showed.

Syria chemical weapons: Security 'slows transport'
The UN body tasked with removing and destroying Syria's chemical arsenal says security concerns have slowed down the process. Ahmet Uzumcu, head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said the amount of chemicals that had reached a Syrian port ready to leave the country was not that high. But he said he was confident that the weapons would be destroyed by the end of June.

Egypt referendum turnout 'high'
Egyptian officials have spoken of a high turnout in a referendum on a new constitution, with voters expected to endorse the removal of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. Top election official Nabil Salib told state TV that voter turnout was higher than in previous polls but gave no precise figure, AP news agency said. The second day of voting on Wednesday passed off largely peacefully.

UK rejects German 'no spy' pact, report says
The UK is reportedly opposed to a no-spy pact being crafted by EU states, despite months of German-led negotiations. German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Wednesday (15 January) reported that the pact is designed to committ member states “to refrain from mutual espionage” in both the political and economic areas.

Netanyahu on Palestinian 'right of return': There is no room for maneuver
With US Secretary of State John Kerry pushing forward with efforts to present a document that will form the basis of further Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made clear there is “no room to maneuver” on the Palestinian claim of a right of return for Palestinian refugees.

Report: Netanyahu visited Jordan for talks with King Abdullah
Prime Minister Binyamin held an unannounced meeting in Amman with Jordan's King Abdullah II on Thursday, Jordan's official Petra news agency reported. According to the report, the meeting focused on the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The Prime Minister's Office would not comment on the reports.

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Tokyo, Japan Earthquake Today 2014: Quake Strikes East of Town
A Tokyo, Japan earthquake today 2014 has struck east of town. The Japan earthquake today January 17, 2014 is one of two quakes to hit the country today. Damage assessment is pending. Officials tell news that a 4.6 magnitude Tokyo, Japan earthquake struck at 6:53 pm local time today.

IMF official sees optimism for global economy in 2014 and beyond
"My great hope is that 2014 will prove momentous in another way -- the year in which the 'seven weak years,' economically speaking, slide into 'seven strong years,'" she said. "Is this wishful thinking? No, but it will not simply happen on its own. Getting beyond the crisis still requires a sustained and substantial policy effort, coordination and the right policy mix."

IMF official sees optimism for global economy in 2014 and beyond
"My great hope is that 2014 will prove momentous in another way -- the year in which the 'seven weak years,' economically speaking, slide into 'seven strong years,'" she said. "Is this wishful thinking? No, but it will not simply happen on its own. Getting beyond the crisis still requires a sustained and substantial policy effort, coordination and the right policy mix."

Defense minister rises as U.S.-Israel relations plunge
Moshe Ya’alon spoke insultingly off the record about Secretary of State John Kerry, and Prime Minister Netanyahu was in no hurry to come to the aid of his defense minister.

Report: Netanyahu Supports Liberman Land Swap Plan
Binyamin Netanyahu supports Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's land swap plan, according to a Maariv report Friday. The swap, which Israel reportedly offered the US in talks in December, refers to the area known as the Triangle in east-central Israel. The area includes the cities of Tayibe and Tira, in which about 300,000 Arabs live.

Limbaugh sees Obama tie in popes "Gay award".
After a virtual back-and-forth over the pope’s criticism of the free-market system, talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh kept an eye on the Roman Catholic pontiff on his show Tuesday, comparing the decision by the “gay” magazine the Advocate to name Francis its “Person of the Year” to President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize award in 2009.

Pope Francis launches Vatican Bank purge
In yet another dramatic attempt to introduce financial discipline and order to the Vatican, Pope Francis replaced on Wednesday four of the five cardinals overseeing the Vatican Bank. At the same time, the Vatican refused to dismiss persistent rumors Francis may simply decide to close the Vatican Bank altogether.

Report: Jews suffer hostility in 71 countries
Violence and discrimination against religious groups by governments and rival faiths have reached new highs in all regions of the world except the Americas, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

Jewish leaders fear online surge of Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' fuels new wave of hate
Originally published in 1925, the 387-page anti-Semitic manifesto on the “Jewish peril” and the Nazi ideology has become a bona fide online sensation, topping Amazon’s Propaganda & Political Psychology section as of Thursday for just 99 cents. Elsewhere, two different versions ranked No.12 and No. 15, respectively, in the Politics & Current Events section of the iTunes bookstore as of Wednesday. While such rankings in one of several categories does not make the book a true best-seller, they do indicate a spike in popularity

NSA ' harvested around 200m text messages a day'
The US National Security Agency has been gathering nearly 200 million text messages a day from around the world, gathering data on people's travel plans, contacts and credit card transactions, according to the Guardian newspaper. Code-named "Dishfire," the NSA programme collects "pretty much everything it can," the Guardian said, citing a joint investigation with Channel 4 News based on material from fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

'Israel will make Hamas suffer if Gaza rocket fire continues'
The Islamist Hamas movement is probably not responsible for a recent upsurge in rocket fire out of Gaza where it rules, but will be made to suffer if the salvoes continue, a senior Israeli military official said.

Obama Punished Rural Schools to Increase Sequester Pain
A House Natural Resources Committee investigation has found that President Obama’s Office of Management and Budget ordered that sequestration cuts be applied retroactively to funding for rural schools over the opposition of the Agriculture Department.

Democratic Exodus
Terrified Democratic lawmakers are retiring in droves because they know it won’t be easy to survive the anti-establishment electoral tsunami expected to swamp Capitol Hill in November.

Hezbollah digs in for more conflict with Israel
This week brought more wonders from the new and utterly unpredictable Middle East.

CHANCE OF STORMS
NOAA forecasters estimate a 35% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Jan. 17th when a minor CME is expected to hit Earth's magnetic field.

UN warns the ‘seeds of genocide’ are being sown in Central African Republic
A senior United Nationals official has warned of the risk of genocide in Central African Republic if the outside world does not become more closely involved. John Ging, director of operations for the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, spoke after further communal bloodshed that claimed 20 more lives on Thursday.

Senior UK Defense Advisor: Obama Is Clueless About ‘What He Wants To Do In The World’
Sir Hew Strachan, an expert on the history of war, says that the president’s strategic failures in Afghanistan and Syria have crippled America’s position in the world. President Obama is “chronically incapable” of military strategy and falls far short of his predecessor George W. Bush, according to one of Britain’s most senior military advisors.

Syria conflict: Government offers prisoner exchange
Speaking in Moscow, Walid Muallem also said he had presented a ceasefire plan for the second city Aleppo to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. The moves came as the opposition Syrian National Coalition meets in Istanbul to decide whether to go to next week's peace conference. The coalition is under Western pressure to participate in the Geneva II talks.

Mexican government says 'vigilantes not the target'
The Mexican government has tried to reassure vigilantes in the western state of Michoacan that they are not the target of its security operation. Hundreds of troops have been sent to the area to restore order after groups of vigilantes clashed with members of the Knights Templar drug cartel. Many of the "self-defence groups" have refused to heed the government's call to lay down arms.

Ukraine criminalises pro-EU protests
EU and US diplomats have voiced dismay after Ukraine on Thursday (16 January) criminalised almost every aspect of the pro-EU protest movement. President Viktor Yanukovych’s ruling Party of the Regions rushed through the legislation via show of hands in parliament.

Iranian 'tried to ship F-35 documents to Iran'
US authorities have arrested an Iranian-American engineer accused of attempting to ship stolen documentation on a high-tech military plane to Iran. Federal prosecutors have charged Mozaffar Khazaee, 59, with trying to smuggle thousands of pages of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter documents.

Syrian Opposition to Decide Whether to Attend Peace Talks
Syria's main Western-backed opposition coalition is set to vote Friday on whether to attend next week's peace talks in Geneva. The Syrian National Coalition's meeting in Istanbul comes amid intense U.S. pressure for the opposition to attend the conference, which is aimed at forming a transitional government.

Fire Near Los Angeles Damages 1,700 Acres
Three men were arrested Thursday in connection with a brush fire that destroyed close to 2,000 acres of land 25 miles northeast of Los Angeles. County fire officials said that the suspects were camping in the Angeles National Forest and that one of the men admitted they had been burning paper in a campfire Thursday morning, which quickly got out of control.

Chemical watchdog worried over Syria attack reports
The head of the world's chemical weapons watchdog voiced concern on Thursday about reports from the Syrian government of attacks on two chemical facilities but said they could not be independently verified. "The Syrian authorities have reported attacks on two sites," Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Hague-based Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said on a visit to Rome.

EU ready to resume business with Iran on Jan 20
The European Union will begin lifting sanctions against Iran on Monday, January 20, the minute it receives word that Tehran has begun implementing a deal to curb its nuclear programme.

Israel PM slams EU 'hypocrisy' on settlements
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the European Union Thursday for calling in ambassadors over plans for some 1,800 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu's angry remarks come hot on the heels of a public spat between his defence minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is energetically pushing Israel and the Palestinians toward a framework for a peace agreement.

Obamacare Time Bomb: Heirs May Face Bill for Your Healthcare
As part of the 1993 budget reconciliation bill, Congress required states to implement the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) to seek reimbursement of payments for nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Obamacare, officially known as The Affordable Care Act, greatly expanded the services for which reimbursement can be pursued, and states can now use liens to recover money spent by Medicaid for services beyond long-term care.

Federal Judge Denies Second TEC Request to seize Diocese of South Carolina Identity
TEC has historically used the courts to punish parishes and dioceses who disagree with the denomination's shifting theology. The group has spent more than $22 million on legal efforts to seize individual church property and evict parishioners.

9/11 mastermind says Koran 'forbids' violence to spread Islam
The self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, has released a manifesto claiming that the Koran forbids the use of violence to spread Islam. The document, published Tuesday by The Huffington Post and Britain's Channel 4 News, marks Mohammed's first public communication since 2009, when the US government officially accused him of terrorism. Mohammed, the most high-profile of the five men accused over the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on US soil, has been held at the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 2006.

Coming 'oil glut' may push global economy into deflation
Michael Lewis, the bank's commodity strategist, said markets face an "new oil supply glut" as three forces combine. US shale will add 1m barrels a day (b/d) to global supply for the third year running; Libya will crank up shipments after a near collapse in 2013; and Iran will come out of hibernation. "This will push OPEC spare capacity to levels last seen in the depths of the financial crisis in 2009," he said.

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When Politicians State “I Am” or “I Am Not” Something
It’s a handy rule-of-thumb that when a politician – usually in a press conference, where he’s annoyed repeatedly with the same question about his judgment – announces that he is or is not something, well, he is that thing. Richard Nixon set the gold standard in 1973 with his announcement of “I’m not a crook,” which the Watergate affair showed he exactly was.

Islamist militants strengthen grip on Iraq's Falluja
Al Qaeda and other insurgent groups have tightened their grip on Falluja, defying the Shi'ite-led Iraqi government's efforts to persuade local tribesmen to expel them from the Sunni Muslim city, residents and officials say. Despite an army siege, fighters and weapons have been flowing into the city, where U.S. troops fought some of their fiercest battles during their 2003-11 occupation of Iraq.

Ominous warning: Admiral concedes U.S. losing dominance to China
The Obama administration’s ballyhooed military “pivot” to Asia is running into some frank talk from the top U.S. commander in the Pacific. Three years after the Pentagon said it was de-emphasizing Europe in favor of the Asia-Pacific region, NavyAdm. Samuel J. Locklear III said this week that U.S. dominance has weakened in the shadow of a more aggressive China.

Gov. Brown Declares CA Drought Emergency
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency Friday for California after weeks of intensifying pressure from lawmakers to take action as the state's water reservoir levels remain strained with no rain in the forecast. The declaration comes during one of the driest winters on record in California, following two dry years that already have left many reservoirs depleted.

Israel berates 'pro-Palestinian EU'
Israel has summoned the ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain, accusing their countries of pro-Palestinian bias. The Foreign Ministry said the envoys would be told that their "perpetual one-sided stance" is unacceptable. On Thursday, the four EU countries summoned Israeli ambassadors to object to plans to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Iran diplomat dies in Yemen attack
An Iranian diplomat has been killed in a gun attack in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, local officials say. The man was shot as he was leaving the Iranian ambassador's residence in the Hadda district in the south of the city by car, sources said. He was taken to hospital but died there later.

US will not 'unilaterally disarm' its spy network, Obama says
In a major address at the US Department of Justice on Friday, President Barack Obama stood firm behind American spying practices on governments overseas ..."The legal safeguards that restrict surveillance against U.S. persons without a warrant do not apply to foreign persons overseas," he continued. "This is not unique to America; few, if any, spy agencies around the world constrain their activities beyond their own borders."

Netanyahu confidante: Jordan wants Israel to keep presence along West Bank boundary
A Likud parliamentarian considered a close ally and confidante of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that Israel’s insistence on maintaining a military presence in the Jordan Valley as part of any final status agreement with the Palestinians is supported by Jordan. ...Netanyahu met last week with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman for what was described as a “surprise” visit.

China, Japan slug it out in the world's press
China and Japan are engaged in a war of words that is lighting up editorial pages around the world as Beijing takes aim at a recent visit by Japan's leader to a controversial war shrine and Tokyo answers back.

Colorado Shop Owners Can't Keep Marijuana Edibles in Stock
Colorado residents may wind up with "pot bellies" if they keep filling up on marijuana edibles at this pace. Ever since recreational marijuana sales began in the state on Jan. 1, many shop owners said they have been unable to keep pot-infused candies, cookies and sodas in stock.

Lightning Strike Damages Rio's Jesus Statue
The iconic statue of Jesus overlooking Rio de Janeiro has lost a thumb tip as a result of a lightning strike. Christ the Redeemer, one of the city's most recognisable landmarks, was damaged in a huge storm on Thursday night. Standing at 38 metres the statue - which sits atop Mount Corcovado - was named in a 2007 global poll as one of seven new wonders of the world.

Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests over abuse
Close to 400 priests were defrocked in only two years by the former Pope Benedict XVI over claims of child abuse, the Vatican has confirmed. The statistics for 2011 and 2012 show a dramatic increase compared to previous years, according to a document obtained by the Associated Press (AP).

How London's gold and silver price benchmarks are 'fixed'
European regulators including Germany's Bafin are looking more closely at how banks set benchmarks such as the twice-daily spot gold price fix after the Libor rigging scandal exposed widespread interest rate manipulation. Deutsche Bank said on Friday it was pulling out of the group of banks that set the benchmarks for gold and silver prices after London's century-old price-setting process, known as 'fixing', came under increased scrutiny last year.

IMF and UN officials killed in Kabul restaurant attack
A senior IMF official and four UN employees were among 21 people killed in a suicide bomb and gun attack on a restaurant in Kabul, officials say. Wabel Abdallah, the head of the IMF's Afghanistan office, and the UN civilian staff died in what UN chief Ban Ki-moon said was a "horrific attack".

South Korea rejects North's call to halt drills with U.S.
South Korea on Friday rejected a call from the reclusive North to halt "provocative" military drills with the United States, saying that as a democracy it did not launch preemptive strikes.

Iran says UN experts to inspect uranium mine this month
UN nuclear experts are to inspect Iran's Gachin uranium mine later this month for the first time in almost nine years, its Atomic Energy Organisation said on Friday.

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California Governor Declares Drought Emergency
In what could become one of California’s biggest crises in years, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a statewide drought emergency Friday, an action that sets the stage for new state and federal efforts. The governor also wants to focus Californians on the possibility of water shortages.

Iran '2 to 3 weeks' from nuclear bomb
If Iran breaks its deal with the West tomorrow, the country would be only two to three weeks away from producing enough highly enriched uranium to assemble a nuclear weapon, according to Olli Heinonen, former deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Piranha-like fish attack 10 in Argentine river
An attack by a school of carnivorous fish has injured at least 10 people bathing in an Argentine river. The attack took place in the Parana River in Rosario about 300 kilometres north-east of Buenos Aires.

Narrowly leads the economy, unemployment, healthcare
Americans start the new year with a variety of national concerns on their minds. Although none is dominant, the government, at 21%, leads the list of what Americans consider the most important problem facing the country. The economy closely follows at 18%, and then unemployment/jobs and healthcare, each at 16%. No other issue is mentioned by as much as 10% of the public; however, the federal budget deficit or debt comes close, at 8%.

North Korea: a breakout moment for Kim Jong-un?
Until he executed his powerful uncle last month, Kim 'could call up Dennis Rodman but he couldn't call up military strikes,' says one observer. Now concern is rising about the secretive leader.

Obama: one if by land, two if by sea, three if by metadata
Most of these requests for warrants come from NSA and the FBI, and only government attorneys may appear before the Court, none of whose decisions are made public. Therefore, the Court is a de facto piece of the Executive Branch, and as such its existence violates the separation of powers principle of the Constitution.

Kerry expected to unveil framework at end of month for continuation of Mideast peace talks
US Secretary of State John Kerry will present a framework paper that will serve as a basis for further negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians by the end of the month, Palestinian sources said on Saturday. Although officials in the Prime Minister’s Office would not confirm this, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon told Israel Radio the same thing on Saturday

A nearly 17-year-old is reportedly author of malware that led to Target’s data breach
The Target Corp. data breach that has hurt its sales and has made many consumers skittish about using their cards has been traced to a Russian teenager who authored the malware used in the security breach, according to a cyber-intelligence firm.

Assad’s latest war crime hits Yarmouk refugee camp
The exact figure of how many people have died from starvation in Syria is unknown; reports are nebulous and uncorroborated but punctuated with copious photographic evidence: an elderly man with his mouth agape, ribs and hip bones protruding from his wrinkled skin; a newborn baby with a powdery complexion, her cheeks sunken and her lifeless doll-like eyes and mouth permanently frozen wide open.

Pregnant nun shocks church
A nun who kept her pregnancy a secret has shocked the Roman Catholic Church by giving birth to a baby boy and naming him Francesco in honour of the Pope. The 31-year-old El Salvador nun called an ambulance after suffering from severe stomach pains on Wednesday, the UK's Telegraph reported. She gave birth to the 7.7lbs boy only a few hours later.

Pakistan troops killed in bomb blast
At least 20 soldiers have been killed when a bomb blast hit an army convoy in north-western Pakistan, officials say. They say at least 20 others were injured near the town of Bannu, and there are fears that the death toll will rise further. Unconfirmed reports say a suicide bomber carried out the attack.

A disaster in the making: 95% of ATMs still run Windows XP
As we’ve mentioned multiple times, now is really the time to upgrade from Windows XP if you haven’t done so already. Even though Microsoft will extend support for its Windows XP security products through July 2015, the company has warned that “the effectiveness of antimalware solutions on out-of-support operating systems is limited.” Bloomberg Businessweek reports that some of the most important machines that desperately need to upgrade from Windows XP are ATMs, of which an estimated 95% still run on Microsoft’s older operating system.

Voters overwhelmingly back new Egypt constitution
Almost everyone who cast ballots supported Egypt's new constitution in this week's referendum, results announced Saturday show, but a boycott by Islamists and low youth turnout suggest the country is still dangerously divided.

Syria opposition to join peace talks to oust Assad
Syria's deeply divided opposition finally agreed to join an international peace conference, saying it wanted to remove President Bashar al-Assad from power, a day after Damascus offered concessions.

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No tsunami threat from earthquake near Tonga
No tsunami is expected from a magnitude 5.9 earthquake near Tonga this afternoon. The earthquake struck at 3:29 p.m. Hawaii time, about 1:29 p.m. in Tonga. It was centered about 99 miles west northwest of Hihifo, Tonga and about 240 miles west southwest of Apia, Samoa.

Gun owner unarmed, unwelcome in Maryland
“You own a gun,” the officer says. “Where is it?” “At home in my safe,” John answers. “You’re a liar. You’re lying to me. Face red, eyes shining, John pounds his knees. “And he wants to put me in jail. He wants to put me in jail. For no reason. He wants to take my wife and children away and put me in jail. In America, how does such a thing happen? ... And after all that, he didn’t even write me a ticket.”

Official: Al-Qaida Has Enough Arms to Take Baghdad
A senior Iraqi official claims al-Qaida fighters hunkered down in a city they seized late last month west of Baghdad have enough heavy weapons to allegedly take the country's capital. Senior deputy Interior Minister Adnan al-Asadi said Monday that Iraqi forces are fighting "fierce battles" against heavily armed militants to recapture parts of Ramadi, the capital of the western Anbar province, and also the nearby city of Fallujah.

Global Warming Causes Global Spending: Follow the Money
Global warming causes, when you follow the money, are shown to be nothing but political excuses to waste trillions in unnecessary global spending.

Obama: Some People 'Really Dislike Me' Because I'm Black
Obama says some people "really dislike me" because they don't like the idea of a black man occupying the Oval Office. But, he admits, that's not the whole story. "Now, the flip side of it is there are some black folks and maybe some white folks who really like me and give me the benefit of the doubt precisely because I’m a black president," Obama told The New Yorker in an interview published Sunday.

"Extraordinary Crisis" Needed To Preserve Hopes Of A New World Order
Ullman writes that an “extraordinary crisis” is needed to preserve the “New World Order,” which he sees as being under threat by non-state actors of the Edward Snowden stripe. “Very few have taken note and fewer have acted on this realization,” notes Ullman, who further complains that the “information revolution and instantaneous global communications” are thwarting the “new world order” that President George H.W. Bush announced more than twenty years ago.

Cancer patient’s treatment put on hold over ObamaCare
A woman diagnosed with breast cancer, whose life-saving surgery has been postponed after she lost her doctors under ObamaCare, made a heartfelt plea Sunday to President Obama to amend the Affordable Care Act. In an exclusive appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Josie Gracchi, who has been diagnosed with ductal-invasive carcinoma, looked into the camera and addressed Obama: “I would like my health care taken care of. I was insured. I think anyone who is going through a serious illness should have immediate responses. I shouldn’t have to wait months, weeks, to even be considered for surgery that I should have had weeks ago.”

Rogue Stars Escaping Milky Way At Hypervelocity Surprise Astronomers
An international team of astronomers has discovered a surprising new class of "hypervelocity stars" – solitary stars moving fast enough to escape the gravitational grasp of the Milky Way galaxy. The discovery of this new set of "hypervelocity" stars was described at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society this week in Washington, D.C., and was published in the Jan. 1 issue of the Astrophysical Journal.

Temple Mount Desecration: 'The Public Needs to Know'
"We're livid [that the report remains unpublished]," Kaspi declared. "[This is] harsh and severe - we unequivocally demand that this report be revealed in full to the public." "The head of the Shin Bet and the Mossad said - contrary to the Prime Minister - that nothing justifies the imposition of secrecy," he continued. Kaspi's comments refer to the contents of a secret report by the State Comptroller regarding the enforcement, or lack thereof, of the law at the Temple Mount.

Iran Is Cultivating Closer Ties with Anti-American Countries in Our Hemisphere
Iran continues to actively cultivate ties among its allies in Latin America, including Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia, a policy that some have warned could bring terrorism closer to U.S. borders. Iranian media has been filled with reports over the past week touting the ten-day visit to Latin America by Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for European and American Affairs Majid Takht Ravanchi.

Italian IOC official accuses US of 'absurdly' politicizing Olympics by sending gay athletes
A senior Italian member of the International Olympic Committee has slammed the US for mixing politics with the Olympics in its “absurd” decision to include openly gay athletes in its official delegation to the Winter Games in Russia’s Sochi.

Obscene wealth: World’s 85 richest have same wealth as 3.5 billion poorest – Oxfam
The world’s 85 wealthiest people have as much money as the 3.5 billion poorest people on the planet – half the Earth’s population. That’s according to Oxfam’s latest report on the risks of the widening gap between the super-rich and the poor.

Ahead of talks, Assad says he won’t step down
President Bashar Assad on Sunday said he would not relinquish power, and that the end of his rule would not be a subject of peace talks this week in Montreaux, Switzerland. Assad made his remarks to visiting Russian lawmakers.

Only one in five Israelis trusts Obama on Iran
Asked if they agreed with the statement, “I trust US President Barack Obama to ensure that Iran does not achieve a nuclear weapon,” just 22 percent of likely Israeli voters said yes. Fully 64% in the survey, conducted by pollster Stephan Miller of (202) Strategies, said they did not agree with the statement, and 15% said they did not know or refused to answer. The survey also asked Israeli voters if they held a favorable view of the US president. Even among the 33% who said they did (50% said they did not), trust in Obama’s ability to stop an Iranian nuclear weapons push was split evenly at 43% to 43%.

Cuomo: Pro-Lifers 'Have No Place' in New York
"Right-to-life, pro-assault weapons, anti-gay — if that's who they are, they have no place in the state of New York because that's not who New Yorkers are," he continued.

Mega Default In China Scheduled For January 31
On Friday, Chinese state media reported that China Credit Trust Co. warned investors that they may not be repaid when one of its wealth management products matures on January 31, the first day of the Year of the Horse.

Al-Qaeda training British and European 'jihadists' in Syria to set up terror cells at home
British people fighting in Syria are being trained as “jihadists” and then encouraged to return to the UK to launch attacks on home soil, an al-Qaeda defector and western security sources have told the Telegraph. ...Britain’s security and intelligence agencies believe the threat of would-be terrorists being directed back to the UK by al-Qaeda organisers in Syria is growing.

Report: Persecution of Christians reveals most abuse in Muslim countries
The majority of anti-Christian persecution in the world in 2013 took place at the hands of Muslims, according to a list by Open Doors USA . The nondenominational group supporting persecuted Christians worldwide recently released its 2014 World Watch List, that describes and ranks anti-Christian persecution in a list of the 50 worst countries for the past year.

Franco-German brigade ready for intervention in Mali
We begin to see a little more clearly what it means to be the revival of the Franco-German defense, announced by President Hollande during his press conference on January 14. German soldiers of the Franco-German Brigade (BFA) and should soon join Mali to serve in the EUTM-Mali , the EU mission training Malian army. Certainly the Germans involved since the launch of the mission , including the training of engineers and medical support. In addition, Germany provides air support for the UN force (Minusma) from Senegal.

China economic growth rate stabilises at 7.7%
China's economy, the world's second-largest, has shown signs of stabilising, as 2013's growth rate matched that for 2012, official data suggests. Gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 7.7% in the October-to-December period, down from 7.8% in the previous quarter. But it was still higher than the government's target rate of 7.5%.

Barack Obama: 'Marijuana no more dangerous than alcohol'
US President Barack Obama has said smoking marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol, but still called it a "bad idea". Speaking to The New Yorker magazine, he said it was wrong to think legalising the drug would be "a panacea" that could solve many social problems. Mr Obama was referring to recent legalisation of marijuana in the states of Colorado and Washington.

Iraq: Iraqi army launches offensive against Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) militants in Ramadi
raqi security forces have launched an operation against Al-Qaeda-linked militants in the city of Ramadi. Large areas of Ramadi, the provincial capital of the western Anbar Province, fell to militant control in late December. On January 19, heavy clashes were reported between militants and Iraqi police, which were supported by local tribesmen and SWAT teams. Police have imposed a curfew throughout the city.

Ukraine protests turn violent as EU ministers meet
Ukraine’s pro-EU protests turned violent on Sunday (19 January) amid anger over new laws and EU inaction. EU foreign ministers and foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton will discuss the situation at a regular meeting in Brussels on Monday. She told press on Monday morning only that she is “following [the events] closely.”

Obama: Less than fifty-fifty odds of Mideast peace treaty but progress also important
US President Barack Obama believes that there is a less than 50 percent chance that his administration's efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will end in success. ...Obama told the New Yorker's editor David Remnick that the odds of reaching final treaties in US efforts on the Israeli-Palestinian front, the Iranian nuclear program, and in the Syrian war were less than fifty-fifty.

Report: Canada pledges to absorb Palestinian refugees as part of peace deal
Palestinian sources expect Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to give assurances to the Ramallah government that Canada officially pledges to absorb refugees from neighboring Arab countries as part of a final status peace settlement with Israel, according to Israel Radio. ...Harper is scheduled to address the Knesset Monday a 6:00 pm, the first Canadian prime minister ever to do so.

5.2 magnitude earthquake jolts southwest Bengkulu
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter Scale jolted Southwest of Kaur, Bengkulu on Monday at 11:45 a.m. local time (GMT+7). According to the Meteorology Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 4.94 degree on Southern Latitude and 102.94 degree on Eastern Longitude or 64km Southwest of Kaur, Bengkulu, at a depth of 24km.

Minor earthquake felt east of Fairbanks
The first, at 11:31 p.m., was just less than a magnitude of 3, was about 6 miles deep. It was centered 7 miles north-northeast of North Pole and about 12 miles east of Fairbanks. A minute later, another quake with a magnitude of 2.26, was reported at a depth of 5 miles about 4 miles west of North Pole.

Strong magnitude 6.3 quake rattles New Zealand; no reports of major damage or injuries
The magnitude 6.3 quake struck the country's lower North Island at a little before 4 p.m. and rattled the capital Wellington. Many residents of the city were at home because it was a public holiday.

Church shelters Muslims from Central African killing
Small children and women in colourful headscarves cluster around the altar, bundles of their belongings piled high near a statue of the Virgin Mary. In the Central African town of Boali, the local church has become a refuge for some 700 Muslims fleeing a flare-up in sectarian violence, part of a nationwide wave of unrest unleashed by a coup last March.

Vietnam sentences 30 to death over drug smuggling
A court in Vietnam has sentenced 30 people to death over heroin smuggling in what is said to be the largest such trial ever held in the country. The trial, over the smuggling of nearly two tonnes of heroin, began in Quang Ninh province in early January.

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Super typhoon victims flee again as rains flood southern Philippines
Emergency workers evacuated thousands of people across the southern Philippines on Tuesday, including many already made homeless by a typhoon in November, after three days of rain flooded towns and farmland.

The U.S. and Christian Persecution
Prominent indicators confirm that the U.S. is the chief facilitator of the persecution of Christians around the world today. According to the recently released 2014 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted, Syria is the third worst nation in the world in which to be Christian, Iraq is fourth, Afghanistan fifth, and Libya 13th. All four countries receive the strongest designation, “extreme persecution” (other designations are “severe,” “moderate,” and “sparse” persecution).

South Korea: Credit card ‘run’ triggers national chaos
“It’s national chaos. The incident itself should never have occurred in the first place regardless of any excuses,” Lee said. The cardholders of three credit card firms hit hard by Korea’s largest financial data theft case rushed Tuesday to cancel or reissue their customers’ credit and debit cards. Some 20 million people had information stolen from KB Kookmin Card, NH NongHyup Card and Lotte Card.

Central African Republic MPs elect new leader as EU prepares to send troops
European foreign ministers have taken a step towards deploying an EU military force to assist French and African troops trying to quell anarchy and bloodshed in Central African Republic.

China reports two deaths from H7N9 avian flu
Chinese health authorities reported the deaths of two men, including a doctor, from H7N9 avian flu in Shanghai. The Shanghai municipal health commission Monday reported the 31-year-old doctor and a 77-year-old farmer died this past weekend.

Vietnam sentences 30 heroin smugglers to death in biggest drugs trial
The 30 men and women, all Vietnamese, were found guilty of drug trafficking and given the death penalty while a further 59 defendants were handed sentences ranging up to life in prison, presiding judge Ngo Duc told AFP. "This was Vietnam's largest ever trial in terms of defendants, the number of death penalties given out and the amount of heroin involved," Duc told AFP after the verdict was read out in the northern province of Quang Ninh - which borders China.

Israel, Kazakhstan sign defense pact
Israel and Kazakhstan have signed a security cooperation agreement to improve bilateral defense trade, officials said. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and Kazakh defense minister Adilbek Dzhaksbekov inked the agreement Monday in Tel Aviv, Israel Radio reported. Ya'alon said Israel appreciates Kazakhstan's desire to cooperate with the Jewish state.

Police arrest 2 in Texas in connection with Target hack
Officials investigating the hack of Target Corp.'s computers said they arrested two Mexicans trying to enter the United States with 90 phony credit cards. The arrests of Daniel Dominguez Guardiola and Mary Carmen Vaquera Garcia as they tried to enter the United States at McAllen, Texas, Monday could indicate the stolen personal information from as many as 110 million Target credit- and debit-card customers has started making its way through U.S. stores through groups of shoppers using fraudulent cards, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

Confirmed: U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution
According to the recently released 2014 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted, Syria is the third worst nation in the world in which to be Christian, Iraq is fourth, Afghanistan fifth, and Libya 13th. All four countries receive the strongest designation, “extreme persecution” (other designations are “severe,” “moderate,” and “sparse” persecution). Aside from being so closely and harshly ranked, these four nations have something else in common: heavy U.S. involvement.

Israel Bash-Fest Comes to Washington
A press release published by Reuters has announced that America’s first National Summit to Reassess the U.S.-Israel “Special Relationship” will be held on March 7 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. In reality, the conference will be little more than an Israeli bash-fest. It is being organized by a host of virulently anti-Israel entities, including the Council for the National Interest Foundation (CNIF), If Americans Knew (IAK), the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep), and the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA).

Top German Prosecutor Considers NSA Investigation
Last Tuesday, on the sidelines of an Social Democrat party caucus in Berlin, German Justice Minister Heiko Maas ran into Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Maas pulled his fellow SPD member aside and warned him about what could become a difficult matter. "Something may be coming our way," Maas whispered, and noted that the foreign minister could be affected as well. Germany's federal prosecutor, Maas intimated, is currently considering opening an investigation into the scandal surrounding the surveillance of Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone by US intelligence.

With quake fears looming, Israel races to protect ancient sites
After a series of five moderate earthquakes shook the country in October, experts installed a seismic monitoring system at the Tower of David, one of Jerusalem’s most important — and most visible — historical sites.

Veteran guard claims 'secret gay society' inside Vatican is a security threat
There is a “network of homosexuals” inside the Vatican that could present a security risk to the Pope, according to a former commander of the Swiss Guard in what is just the latest in a number of allegations of homosexuality inside the Catholic Church.

West would rather accept known ‘devil Assad’ than possible ‘jihadists regime’
The increase of Jihadist forces in Syria has become a major concern for the Western powers, who are now contemplating it might be better if President Assad stays, rather than have extremists take control of Syria, political analyst Chris Bambery told RT.

What Recovery? Sears And J.C. Penney Are Dying
Two of the largest retailers in America are steamrolling toward bankruptcy. Sears and J.C. Penney are both losing hundreds of millions of dollars each quarter, and both of them appear to be caught in the grip of a death spiral from which it will be impossible to escape. Once upon a time, Sears was actually the largest retailer in the United States, and even today Sears and J.C. Penney are "anchor stores" in malls all over the country.

He Really Hates Us
Editor David Remnick asked the obvious question about Obama’s abysmal approval ratings. Sitting in the shadow of King’s dream of a color-blind society that is united in harmony, Obama played the race card: “There’s no doubt that there’s some folks who just really dislike me because they don’t like the idea of a black President.” Of course Obama played the race card. Excepting those occasions when the target is someone like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, world-renowned surgeon Ben Carson or some other black person who demonstrated the temerity to allow their accomplishments to speak for themselves...

New radioactive water leak discovered at ********* plant
...Highly radioactive water was detected inside the No. 3 reactor building at the ********* Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, Tepco said. It is believed that the water may have leaked from within the reactor. The water was found to have high levels of radioactive cesium and cobalt, but Tepco claimed none of the water has leaked out of the building itself.

Serbia begins EU membership talks in Brussels
Serbia has started formal accession talks with the EU with the goal of joining the 28-nation bloc. Serbian PM Ivica Dacic said the EU "is not only the goal, but also the means by which we will modernise our system". The membership negotiations are expected to take several years, as Serbia has to bring its laws and institutions into line with EU norms.

Turkey PM Erdogan gives new push to EU membership bid
Turkey's PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in Brussels for talks on his country's EU membership bid, amid EU concerns over a purge of senior Turkish officials. The negotiations are beset by problems. EU politicians have voiced concern about the state of Turkey's democracy, including the independence of its courts and media freedom.

Russia accuses Europe politicians of 'role' in Ukraine violence
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has blamed some European politicians for encouraging violent protests in Ukraine. Mr Lavrov warned the situation in the country was "getting out of control". There has been a second consecutive night of serious clashes in Kiev.

Thailand imposes state of emergency over unrest
The Thai government has imposed a 60-day state of emergency in the capital, Bangkok, and the surrounding provinces, from Wednesday, to cope with unrest. Anti-government protesters have been blocking parts of the capital to try to force PM Yingluck Shinawatra to resign. The measure allows for curfews to be imposed, for suspects to be held without charge and media censorship.

IDF observing Hamas strides to deter Gaza rocket fire
The IDF was seeing substantial Hamas attempts to cease rocket fire emanating from Gaza by smaller terrorist factions. Hamas has reportedly deployed hundreds of forces along the border fence with Israel in attempt to deter escalations and prevent further rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.

US, Russian forces hunt jihadist widow feared inside Olympic zone
U.S. counterterrorism operatives are helping Russian security agents in the hunt for four female potential terrorists, including a "white widow" -- the wife of a dead terrorist -- who could already be inside the massive security zone set up for next month's winter Olympics.

Iraq violence: Baghdad bomb blasts kill at least 26
At least 26 people have been killed in a series of bomb blasts across the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, police and medics say. Some 60 people may have also been wounded in the explosions, reports say. The deadliest single attack, in which seven people died, struck a busy market in the south of the city.

Syria accused of torture and 11,000 executions
There is clear evidence that Syria has systematically tortured and executed about 11,000 detainees since the start of the uprising, a report by three former war crimes prosecutors says. One of the authors told the BBC there was evidence of government involvement. Damascus has denied claims of abuse.

U.S. offers to send envoy to North Korea to free jailed missionary
The United States has offered to send a special envoy to North Korea to win the release of a jailed missionary, but signaled that any meaningful talks with Pyongyang will require it to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Fear Is Mounting On Wall Street That The Fed Will 'Fall Behind The Curve' Like In 1994
In 1994, the Fed began hiking interest rates under the leadership of Alan Greenspan. The bond market wasn't expecting it. There is growing concern on Wall Street that there may be less slack in the job market than the Federal Reserve perceives, leading to a scenario where the central bank finds itself "behind the curve" with regard to winding down unprecedented levels of extraordinary monetary stimulus as inflation returns.

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The Threat of the “Salafi Crescent”
There is a notion that a hegemonic Iran is attempting to dominate the crescent-shaped part of the Middle East where the majority population is Shiite or contains a strong Shiite minority, through an array of Shiite proxies: Iraq, Alawite-dominated Syria, and the powerful Shiite militia Hizballah in Lebanon.

New Zealand, South America and Alaska: Earthquakes 16-22 January 2014
The period of seismic quiescence which has been evident over the past several weeks continued this week.....

Anti-cartel vigilantes reject disarming in Mexico standoff
The unrest is in a region of Michoacan known as Tierra Caliente, a rich farming area that is a major producer of limes, avocados and mangos where vigilante groups have been trying to drive out the Knights Templar drug cartel. After a weekend of firefights, the government announced Monday that it would take on security duties in the area.

4.8 quake hits off Babuyan Islands
MANILA, Philippines—A 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Babuyan Islands at 9:59 a.m. Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.

Iran Sends Flotilla of Warships to Atlantic Ocean
The Iranian Navy dispatched its first fleet of warships to the Atlantic Ocean in a ceremony participated by Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari and his deputy Rear Admiral Seyed Mahmoud Moussavi in Southern Iran on Tuesday. The flotilla, which is the first dispatched to the Atlantic, but the 29th one dispatched to the international waters, consists of Khark logistic and helicopter-carrier warship and Sabalan destroyer. The warships should sail 25,000 nautical kilometers in the next three months.

Vatican confirms Obama will visit pope in March
Pope Francis will meet with U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican March 27, the White House announced and the Vatican confirmed. The spring meeting would be Obama's second visit to the Vatican as president, but his first with Pope Francis, who was elected March 13, 2013.

Pope Francis: appeal for peace in Syria
The Holy Father went on to say, “I hope for dear nation of Syria [that it undertake] with conviction the path of reconciliation, concord and reconstruction with the participation of all citizens, in which everyone can find in the other, not an enemy, not a rival, but a brother to welcome and embrace.”

The Muslim Waqf's All-New Holy Temple Denial Pamphlet
The Muslim Waqf, in whose able hands the government of Israel has placed the practical management of the Temple Mount, has this week begun distributing on the Mount a printed pamphlet entitled "Al Aqsa Mosque: Clarifications for Misconceptions," whose contents offer up a complete and utter denial that the Holy Temple ever existed on the site of the Temple Mount.

PA Minister: Jihad Should be Directed at Jerusalem, Not Syria
In the latest incident of Palestinian Authority (PA) incitement against Israel, a PA minister openly called for “Jihad” in Jerusalem. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has translated a televised address by the PA Minister of Religious Endowments, Mahmoud Habbash, who said that Jihad should be directed toward Jerusalem, not Syria.

Islamist party quits Libya's government
Libya's Justice and Construction Party, the second largest party in the interim administration, has announced it is quitting the government. The Islamist party said its five ministers would resign after it failed to win sufficient support for a motion to censure Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. Those affected include the ministers for oil, the economy and housing.

Major Byzantine-era church unearthed in southern Israel
The Israel Antiquities Authority recently unearthed a 1500 year old Byzantine era church complete with intricate mosaic floors in southern Israel. The discovery was made during salvage excavations prior to the construction of a new neighborhood in the village of Aluma which is east of Ashkelon. The church was part of a settlement located next to the main road running between Ashkelon on the sea coast to the west, and Beit Guvrin and Jerusalem to the east.

Mars mystery of the white rock leaves Nasa scientists puzzled
Scientists are stumped as to how a rock mysteriously appeared in images of the same spot taken two weeks apart by Nasa's Mars rover Opportunity. The rover, which landed in an area known as Meridiani Planum a decade ago, is exploring the rim of a crater for signs of past water. On January 8, while preparing to use its robotic arm for science investigation, Opportunity sent back a picture of its work area. It showed a bright white rock, about the size of a doughnut, where only barren bedrock had appeared in a picture it had sent back two weeks earlier.

Carthaginians sacrificed own children, archaeologists say
Graves holding tiny cremated bones confirm accounts dismissed as Greek or Roman black propaganda, study shows. Just as ancient Greek and Roman propagandists insisted, the Carthaginians did kill their own infant children,

NSA files: Snowden says 'I acted alone' and rubbishes Russian spy claims
In an interview the magazine said was conducted by encrypted means from Moscow, Snowden was quoted as saying: "This 'Russian spy' push is absurd." Snowden said he "clearly and unambiguously acted alone, with no help from anyone, much less a government".

White House Seeks to Bypass Congress on Iran Deal
The White House has been exploring ways to circumvent Congress and unilaterally lift sanctions on Iran once a final nuclear agreement is reached, according to sources with knowledge of White House conversations and congressional insiders familiar with its strategy.

Peres, Netanyahu, Livni, and Rouhani, head to Davos
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and Israel’s chief peace negotiator Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, will attend this week’s World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, one of the globe’s most prestigious gathering of political and business leaders, including senior officials from the Arab world.

Governor Cuomo: ‘Extreme Conservatives Have No Place In New York’
Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested on a public radio station on Friday that “extreme conservatives who are right-to-life, pro-assault—weapon, anti-gay…have no place in the State of New York” The NY Governor has set off a right-wing firestorm, standing accused of seeking to stifle free speech and political plurality.

Dictator Using The EPA To Steal State Lands
if the EPA can unilaterally take land away from a state, where will it stop?” Governor Matt Mead said. “I want to thank the Attorney General and his staff for acting with urgency and preparing a thorough review of the historical record. This analysis shows how flawed the EPA was in its legal justification for its decision.

BREAKING: New Climate Data Rigging Scandal Rocks US Government
Independent data analyst, Steven Goddard, today (January 19, 2014) released his telling study of the officially adjusted and “homogenized” US temperature records relied upon by NASA, NOAA, USHCN and scientists around the world to “prove” our climate has been warming dangerously.

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French Intervene Over On Going Islamic Violence
In little more than a year, France has intervened twice with military missions to counter Islamic violence in its former colonies in Africa. In January 2013 French forces were successful in beating back well-trained Islamist forces and al-Qaeda extremists who had captured part of Mali. In December 2013 France took the lead to try to end the violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) that had originally been started by Islamic armed groups.

The Ukraine: Between Two Empires
The nation of Ukraine lies in a very strategic location, being located on the edge of other key countries (Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Moldova). It is a nation that for most of its history has been conquered and occupied by its neighbors.

How Obama's 'Big Data' Panel Threatens Google, Facebook
Those remarks are the first sign that the White House is actively worried about how much information so-called "big data" companies collect, analyze and retain about hundreds of millions of people. Aside from Google and Facebook, other "big data" companies include such household names as Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, but also behind-the-scenes data aggregators such as Acxiom and Dataium, which collect, package and resell information about the online and offline shopping habits of millions of customers.

Six more US retailers attacked like Target, security firm says
The retailers have not been publicly named, but IntelCrawler is providing technical information related to the breaches to law enforcement, Clements said in a telephone interview Friday.

Russia throwing Iran lifeline: Negotiating big oil-for-goods deal
Iran and Russia are negotiating an oil-for-goods swap worth $1.5 billion a month that would let Iran lift oil exports substantially, in defiance of Western sanctions that helped force Tehran to agree a preliminary deal to end its nuclear program.

"Islamist Trojan Horse? - US Could Allow Up To 30,000 Syrians To Resettle In America
In a potentially dangerous move, the Obama Administration is working to secure the resettling of thousands of Syrian refugees within the United States. While liberals applaud the move as an essential humanitarian effort, conservatives remain skeptical, and there are several valid reasons for their skepticism.

At Jerusalem zoo, new lion to come roaring into Zion
The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo was preparing on Thursday to receive a new male lion, due to arrive in Israel on an evening cargo plane flight from Sweden.

Obama 'threatens Fox News reporter's career'
...the administration made an extensive effort to conceal what happened in Benghazi. She cited U.S. officials’ refusal to include the Fox News Channel in several Benghazi briefings along with a warning that her colleague’s career would be ruined if she persisted in her reporting on the attack. Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/fox-anchor-team-obama-threatened-benghazi-reporter/#QfUkGbQRiWv9dl2P.99

State Department’s Own Guards Attacked U.S. Benghazi Mission
The recently released Senate report on the Benghazi attack reveals that the Islamic militia hired to protect the fated U.S. special mission had “vandalized” and “attacked” the mission in the months prior to Sept. 11, 2012. The new detail raises the question of why the State Department, headed at the time by Hillary Clinton, would continue to employ the 17th of February Martyrs Brigade, an al-Qaida-linked organization, to provide external security to the U.S. facility.

Iran: We did not agree to dismantle anything
“We did not agree to dismantle anything,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told CNN in an interview on Wednesday, charging that the Obama administration had created a false impression in the language it used to describe the six-month agreement.

China's nuclear missile drill seen as warning to US not to meddle in region
Military mouthpiece releases photos of drills involving ICBM able to reach American West Coast after Pentagon upgrades forces in Japan.

Meet Woseribre-Senebkay: The unknown, 3,600-year-old researchers just unearthed in Egypt
A team of Philadelphia-based archaeologists made a startling discovery while working in Egypt: the 3,600-year-old, 60-ton tomb of a long-forgotten pharaoh.

2 earthquake strike near Guam; No tsunami alerts
The United States Geological Survey reported that the first quake, a magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale, occurred at just before 3 p.m. Thursday local time about 85 miles east of Hagatna, Guam. No tsunami alerts or warnings were issued.

Turkey continues with huge purge of judges and police
Turkey launched the biggest purge of the judiciary in the country's history on Wednesday, firing and reassigning senior judges and prosecutors, despite warnings that the actions are damaging the country's accession to the European Union. The move came as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was in Brussels promoting Turkey's EU membership bid...

Ceasefire in Ukraine: Barricades doused out, violence an inch from reigniting
The meeting with the president will focus on the opposition’s demands to cancel a package of laws, which they see as dictatorial and draconian, Klitschko said. He added he will be demanding the resignation of the cabinet of ministers and an early presidential election.

Govt retaining documents thought to detail unknown NSA programs
Officials from the US Justice Department have admitted that they have intentionally not provided documents related to NSA surveillance activity in response to a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union. Responding to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the ACLU, US attorney Preet Bharara from the southern district of New York told the ACLU on Friday that authorities would keep “certain other” records from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) court classified.

A 'tsunami' of store closings expected to hit retail
Get ready for the next era in retail—one that will be characterized by far fewer shops and smaller stores. On Tuesday, Sears said that it will shutter its flagship store in downtown Chicago in April. It's the latest of about 300 store closures in the U.S. that Sears has made since 2010. The news follows announcements earlier this month of multiple store closings from major department stores J.C. Penney and Macy's.

Syria Geneva II: UN to hold talks with rival groups
The UN mediator for Syrian peace talks, Lakhdar Brahimi, is to hold separate talks with rival delegations to assess their willingness to meet together. The behind-the-scenes negotiations follow the first day of a major peace conference in Switzerland which ended in bitter divisions. Mr Brahimi's initiative takes place before full talks resume on Friday.

Rouhani: Iran wants good relations 'with all countries we officially recognize'
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani addressed the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday, saying he wanted to have good relations "with all countries we officially recognize," in an apparent suggestion that Tehran does not have plans on seeking relations with Israel.

Special Report: Amid Syria's violence, Kurds carve out autonomy
In the northeast corner of Syria, a pocket of stability is emerging amid the country's civil war. Here the talk is of building, not bombing. The people now in control here are Kurds, an ethnic group that forms the majority of the population in parts of northern Syria, eastern Turkey, northern Iraq and western Iran.

Putin spokesman says Russia will not intervene in Ukraine protests
Russia will not intervene in the raging anti-government protests in Ukraine and believes its leadership will find a way out, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday.

Japan tells world to stand up to China or face consequences
Japan on Wednesday told the world it must stand up to an increasingly assertive China or risk a regional conflict with catastrophic economic consequences.

Israel says it foiled al-Qaida plot on U.S. Embassy
Israel on Wednesday said it had foiled an "advanced" al-Qaida plan to carry out a suicide bombing on the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and bomb other targets, in what analysts said was the first time the global terror network's leadership has been directly involved in plotting an attack inside Israel.


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Church entering 'new era' under Pope Francis, top papal adviser says
The cardinal said an October Synod of Bishops on the family would tackle new social issues such as surrogate parenthood, childless marriages and same-sex partnerships which were "not even visible on the horizon" at the last family synod in 1980.

These Are the 10 Most and Least ‘Bible-Minded’ Cities in America: Did Yours Make the List?
The American Bible Society and the Barna Group are back with an updated list showing where residents in 100 U.S. cities rank when it comes to Bible-mindedness. The top contender for the city most in tune with the holy book? Chattanooga, Tenn. The least? Providence, R.I., coming in the 100th slot as America’s least Bible-minded city.

Maker of Highly Successful Anti-Obama Documentary Indicted for Allegedly Violating U.S. Election Law
the charges are politically motivated. Just days before the indictment, Molen penned an op-ed on TheBlaze titled, “In Michael Moore’s America, Speaking Out Against the President Gets You a Visit From the Secret Service.”

1914 All Over Again? Japan's PM Abe Raises Ghost of WWI with China
The latest remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about China and Japan being in a "similar situation" to that of Britan and Germany ahead of World War One have exacerbated an already tense situation.

Syrian Electronic Army of hackers targets CNN
The Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility for hacking some of US broadcaster CNN’s social media accounts. The network said the compromised accounts included its main Facebook page, its Twitter page and blogs for “The Situation Room” and “Crossfire.”

IRS Targets Hollywood Conservatives
A conservative group in Hollywood, shrouded in secrecy for fear of a backlash from powerful movie industry liberals, is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service after applying for tax-exempt status. Friends of Abe has attempted to stay under the radar and is fiercely determined to protect the identity of its 1,500 members,

‘Annihilate Israel,’ Hamas leaders tell Gaza youth
Haniyeh and other senior Hamas officials exhorted the young graduates to not only annihilate Israel, but also to carry their fight across the globe, in a January 16 Al-Aqsa TV broadcast translated by MEMRI, the Middle East Media Research Institute.

CHANCE OF STORMS
NOAA forecasters estimate a 25% chance of polar geomagnetic storms on Jan. 23rd in response to a glancing blow from a CME. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for midnight auroras.

Obama worse than Bush on civil rights abuses
By all accounts, the domestic spying program under the current administration has gone much further than it ever did under Bush, though clearly both programs exist outside the confines of the Constitution. For one, in the years since Obama has been in office, the NSA's program has expanded to include American tech firms; companies like Yahoo!, Google and Cisco have been caught sharing users' personal metadata with the agency, though there was no probable cause and none of it was obtained via search warrant, as called for by the Fourth Amendment.

Quinnipiac Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Obama Incompetent, Dishonest, Untrustworthy
A new national poll compiled by the much respected Quinnipiac University finds that a majority of Americans view the Obama administration as incompetent, while more Americans also believe the president himself is not honest or trustworthy.

Smith & Wesson to End Most CA Sales Due to Microstamping Regulation
On January 22nd renowned gun maker Smith & Wesson joined Sturm, Ruger, & Co., by announcing it would cease California sales of its semi-automatic pistols due to microstamping requirements that went into effect last year. Ruger made the same announcement earlier this month. Microstamping is a requirement that each firearm be fitted with a special firing pin that leaves a fingerprint on a bullet casing which differs from the fingerprint of every other firearm. In other words--every one of the wildly popular Smith & Wesson M&P .45 semi-automatic handguns would have to be manufactured in such a way so that no two of them left the same mark on a shell casing.

Netanyahu's Remarks at the World Economic Forum at Davos 23/01/2014
You are joining us here in Davos at a time of deep transformations in the Middle East, as well as a time of significant shifts in the global economy. In both areas, Israel is a key stakeholder if we are to realize positive outcomes. Building on the foundations you yourself put in place already as Finance Minister, Israel has been remarkably resilient during the global economic crisis and has clearly shown the value of fiscal and monetary prudence. What is also remarkable is the resilience and ever-growing pace of Israel's hi-tech sector, an area I know you care particularly much about, which is a key contributor to your country's unique position in the global economy.

Ted Cruz: Obama's 'Consistent Pattern of Lawlessness' Is 'Extraordinarily Dangerous'
the most dangerous is this consistent pattern of lawlessness. We have never had a president who over and over again openly aggressively defies the law. If he doesn’t like the law, he refuses to enforce it or he simply proclaims it changed and this is something that ought to bother everyone.

Russia says EU tries to impose 'alien view' of homosexuality
The accusation is contained in a 153-page "Report on the human rights situation in the European Union", in which Moscow hits back at human rights criticism it regularly faces from the West by listing what it sees as rights failings in EU nations.

The Oldest Hebrew Inscription from Jerusalem has been deciphered
Prof. Galil said that the form yyn (“wine”) indicates that the language used in this inscription is Hebrew, written in the southern dialect: in Ugaritic, Old Canaanite, Phoenician, Ammonite, and even in Israelite Hebrew (attested in the Samaria Ostraca) wine was always written with only one yod; But in (southern) Hebrew the form is always yyn (Epigraphic Hebrew [Lachish, Arad and more], Biblical Hebrew [without any exception], Ben Sira, Qumran, and even in the Rabbinic sources). Prof. Galil published his findings in the Strata Bulletin of the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society.

Emerging market sell-off raises specter of contagion
A global flight from emerging market assets gathered pace on Friday, sending the Turkish lira to a record low and setting global shares on course for their worst week this year. The emerging market rout spread to developed countries in Europe as investors worried about the impact of slower growth in China, U.S. monetary policy and mounting political problems in Turkey, Argentina and Ukraine.

Holder: Feds to set rules for banks and pot money
The Obama administration will soon announce regulations to make it easier for banks to do business with legal marijuana sellers, Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday. ...While Holder spoke twice of new "regulations" that were being prepared, a Justice Department spokesman said later that the attorney general was referring to legal "guidance" for prosecutors and federal law enforcement.

Cuba quake unusual, but recent Caribbean activity fairly typical
From earthquake-ravaged Haiti to the quiet northern coast of Cuba, the ground is moving. Tremors moved across the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince early Monday morning, causing a brief scare nearly four years to the day that a 7.0 magnitude shock devastated the region. The quake came just days after a major tremor rocked Puerto Rico and less than two weeks after normally quiet fault lines shook north of Cuba, rattling parts of Florida where the ground rarely rumbles.

H7N9: Bird flu cases surge ahead of Chinese New Year
A surge in cases of the deadly new strain of bird flu has been reported in China at the beginning of 2014. Only a handful of people had been infected with H7N9 since June, but health officials have reported 73 cases so far this month. Influenza researchers argue the winter season and preparations for Chinese New Year may be driving the increase.

Syria threatens to quit Geneva talks
The Syrian government delegation has threatened to quit peace talks in Geneva if "serious" discussions do not begin by Saturday. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem issued the threat on Syrian state media after his team held talks with UN negotiator Lakhdar Brahimi. Mr Brahimi is due to meet the Syrian opposition separately later on Friday.

Somerset floods: 'Major incident' declared
A "major incident" has been declared in flooded areas in Somerset following warnings of further heavy rain. Many villagers are already cut off by floods and Sedgemoor District Council declared the major incident so it can mobilise extra support. The area's MP said there was a risk of catastrophic flooding unless action was taken and he asked for government help.

US defence chief Chuck Hagel calls for nuclear review
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered a wide-ranging review of the nation's nuclear forces following a series of high-profile scandals. The Pentagon chief has summoned senior leaders to meet in the coming weeks. The officials will then have 60 days to create a plan to identify and correct problems with the US nuclear force.

Germany clarifying long-standing policy against settlements
Germany is seeking to formally clarify its long-standing policy of not funding Israeli institutions and business over the pre-1967 lines into two existing agreements with Israel with regard to science and trade. The move to clarify the language in these two legal agreements with Israel comes amidst growing calls in Europe to take harsher measures against West Bank settlements.

Three bombs explode in central Cairo
A suicide car bomber blew himself up in the parking lot of a top security compound in central Cairo on Friday, killing at least four people in one of the most high-profile attacks on the state in months, security sources said. The early morning explosion damaged the Cairo Security Directorate, which includes police and state security, and sent smoke rising over the capital, raising concerns that an Islamist insurgency is gathering pace.

Snowden sees 'no chance' for fair trial in US
Fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden said Thursday he has no plans to return to the United States, because he would have "no chance" for a fair trial. "The hundred-year old law under which I´ve been charged... forbids a public interest defense," he said in a question-and-answer session on the "Free Snowden" website.

At least 4 killed as large explosion hits Cairo police headquarters
A car bomb struck the main Egyptian police headquarters Friday in the heart of Cairo, killing at least four people in a hugely symbolic attack on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Iran and Israel cross swords at Davos
Iran on Thursday stepped up attempts to normalise its relations with the West with a Davos charm offensive that was immediately attacked by Israel as a confidence trick.

Hacked CNN Reports "China Dumps All US Bonds"
It's one thing for the Comedy News Network formerly known as CNN to announce the opposite verdict on Obamacare as breaking news or that the TV studio formerly known as the NYSE is under 3 feet of water (based on what it saw on Twitter). It's something else entirely for it to report that China has declared semi-hot war on the US (unless of course CNN is merely reporting tomorrow's news today).

N. Korea pushes South on military drills
North Korea on Friday urged a sceptical South Korea to respond to a recent series of trust-building gestures and again called on Seoul to cancel upcoming military drills with the United States.

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6.5 Earthquake Hits Parts of Indonesia's Java Island
A magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck off Southwestern Yogyakarta in Java island at noon Saturday, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said.

4.2-magnitude quake reported close to Turkey’s Ipsala
The jolt was registered at 8:22 a.m. on the territory of East Thrace in Turkey.

U.S braces itself for coldest month of the century
America is set for the coldest month of the century as weather forecasters predict yet another freezing blast of Arctic air - putting Super Bowl Sunday in jeopardy. Temperatures have already hit record lows, at times making parts of the U.S. colder than the North Pole, and are expected to plunge in the coming days.

Kiev Truce Falls Apart, and Unrest Resurges
With President Viktor F. Yanukovych and antigovernment demonstrators at an impasse here, a cease-fire disintegrated on Friday night as the Ukrainian capital convulsed in renewed violence and fire bombs lit up the night sky. Civil unrest spread across the country earlier on Friday as protesters laid siege to government buildings in at least nine other cities — occupying some and thronging outside others.

Egyptian embassy staff 'seized'in Libya
At least four Egyptian embassy personnel have been kidnapped in the Libyan capital Tripoli, the Libyan foreign ministry says. Another embassy official was seized in the Libyan capital on Friday. Several kidnappings of officials in Libya recently have been blamed on militias. They are often paid by the government, but their allegiance and who controls them remain in doubt.

Argentina to ease foreign exchange controls after peso slump
Argentina is to relax its strict foreign exchange controls, a day after the peso suffered its steepest daily decline in 12 years. Cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich said the country would reduce the tax rate on dollar purchases and allow the purchase of dollars for savings accounts. The measures would take effect from Monday, he said.

6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake has struck close to Indonesia's main island of Java on Saturday afternoon. Local officials say there is no risk of a tsunami. The United States Geological Survey says the quake struck at 12:14 pm local time (0514 UTC), 39 kilometres south-southeast of the coastal town of Adipala in Central Java province at a depth of 83 kilometres.

US nuns can opt out of contraception clause: High Court
The US Supreme Court has said that religiously-affiliated groups could opt out of a provision in the new health care law that requires employers to provide insurance that includes contraception.

Syria foes 'to meet in same room' at Geneva II talks
Syria's opposition and government are expected to meet "in the same room" in Geneva after the first day of a peace conference ended with no direct talks. One of the government team told the BBC "ending terrorism and violence" should be the top priority but said opposition members harboured "personal hatreds".

Judge: Remove life support for pregnant woman
A judge on Friday ordered a Texas hospital to remove life support for a pregnant, brain-dead woman whose family had argued that she would not want to be kept in that condition.

Stephen Hawking says black holes don’t exist
Black holes are the source of endless fascination and speculation. Do they hold the secrets of the universe and perhaps even the key to time travel itself? We may never know the answers to those questions because famed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking says black holes don’t actually exist. At least not in the way we’ve been taught to think about them.

Airlines halt ticket sales in Venezuela
Tempers flared at airline offices in Caracas on Friday as Venezuelans reacted angrily to international carriers' refusal to sell tickets after the government devalued the bolivar for flights abroad. The offices of American Airlines, Delta, United and Panama's Copa were all either closed or had halted sales for several hours on Friday as the higher exchange rate took effect, adding to uncertainty as carriers try to collect $3.3 billion they say they're owed by the socialist government.

China warns foreign planes entering defense zone
China said Friday it has begun issuing warnings to foreign military planes entering its self-declared air defense zone over the East China Sea amid heightened tensions with its neighbors, especially Japan.

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Small Earthquake Reported Near Wetumka OK
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 3.2 magnitude earthquake was recorded at 12:38 a.m. Sunday. Its epicenter was located eight miles south, southeast of Wetumka, 26 miles west, northwest of McAlester, 35 miles south, southwest of Okmulgee, and 78 miles east, southeast of Oklahoma City.

Strong Earthquake in Western Greece (Cephalonia) – Felt in Athens
A strong quake with magnitude 5.7 shook the Greek island Cephalonia a few minutes ago. The shocks were also felt in Athens and as far away as Karditsa and Larissa. The epicenter is located in the western part of the island. People report the shaking also from distant countries, like Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Southern Italy.

Governor faces backlash for calling NY pro-lifers 'extreme'
Catholic and pro-life leaders have criticized New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo for suggesting that pro-life individuals are extremists who “have no place in the state of New York.” The cardinal, speaking on his Sirius Satellite radio show, said that extremists are in fact “those who want to radically expand abortion, are not happy with the way things are, resistant to the constitutionally legal restraints that have been reasonably placed on abortion,” CBS New York reports.

Lebanese report: IAF jets flying over Beirut
Hezbollah's Al-Manar network reported Sunday morning that Israeli Air Force aircrafts are flying intensively in Lebanese airspace in the western Lebanon Valley, Beirut, Baalbek and Hermel. Earlier Sunday it was reported by Voice of Lebanon radio station that IAF jets are scouring Lebanese airspace and hovering over the capital Beirut.

Pigs’ heads sent to Israel embassy, synagogue in Rome
Boxes containing pigs’ heads were sent to the Israeli embassy in Rome and the city’s synagogue, Italian media reported Saturday. The package mailed to the embassy in the wealthy Parioli area of the Italian capital was intercepted by police after other similar parcels were sent to the synagogue and the Jewish Museum of Rome, which is hosting an exhibit on the Holocaust.

Egypt clashes kill 49 on third anniversary of revolution
At least 49 people have been killed in clashes in Egypt as the country marks the anniversary of the 2011 uprising which overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, the health ministry says. Rival demonstrations of supporters and opponents of the military-backed government took place in Cairo. But police broke up anti-government protests, and arrests were reported in Cairo and Alexandria.

Senior PLO official: Kerry plan includes series of Israeli withdrawals
Israeli negotiators are discussing a series of limited withdrawals linked to progress by the Palestinian Authority in maintaining security, a senior Palestinian official said. The withdrawals are part of a plan for a peace agreement being brokered by US Secretary of State John Kerry, according to an interview with Yasser Abed Rabbo published in the London-based al-Hayat daily. Abed Rabbo said the concessions will include land in the Jordan Valley.

Ukraine crisis: Opposition rejects offer of PM post
Ukrainian opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk says protests will continue after he rejected President Viktor Yanukovych's offer to appoint him as prime minister of the country. Mr Yatsenyuk said the opposition was generally ready to accept leadership, but several key demands must be met, including new elections.

Noah's Ark: Was it really round?
It was a vast boat that saved two of each animal and a handful of humans from a catastrophic flood. But forget all those images of a long vessel with a pointy bow — the original Noah's Ark, new research suggests, was round.

Police disable devices found in Md. gunman's bag
A man carrying a shotgun opened fire at a busy shopping mall in suburban Baltimore on Saturday, killing two employees of a skate shop and then himself as panicked shoppers ran for cover, police said. Five others were injured.

Israelis pessimistic over peace process
An overwhelming majority of Israelis think current peace talks with the Palestinians will not lead to an agreement, according to a poll published on Saturday. A huge 87 percent of respondents answered "no" when asked if they thought the negotiations would result in a peace deal.

Lebanon jihadists say Hezbollah areas 'legitimate target'
A group suspected of links to Al-Qaeda warned Friday that all areas of Lebanon where the Shiite Hezbollah movement operates are "legitimate targets" for attack, telling Sunnis to avoid them.

Elders to visit Iran to promote dialogue with West
A group of former global leaders known as the Elders, tasked with encouraging dialogue between Iran and the international community, is due to arrive in Tehran Sunday, their website said.

Prove it: Bank blocking some customers from making large withdrawals without ‘evidence’ of spending need
If you bank at HSBC in England, don’t plan on making any large cash withdrawals. At least not without a good explanation. Or, maybe even a permission slip. That’s because a previously unannounced change in banking policy is blocking some customers from making large withdrawals without “evidence” explaining why they need the money from their accounts .

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Poll: 63% Don't Have Confidence in Obama to Make Right Decisions
On the eve of President Obama’s State of the Union Address, a new poll from Washington Post-ABC News shows that fully 63 percent of Americans have either little to no confidence Obama will make the right decisions. The public is evenly split on whether Obama is honest and trustworthy, with 49 percent of Americans answering in the affirmative, and 48 percent answering negatively.

Southern California Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes Near Hemet
A Southern California earthquake today 2014 has struck near Hemet. A series of light Southern California earthquakes today January 27, 2014 hit in the predawn morning hours. Damage assessment is pending.

Four big things to know about Egypt in 2014
Egypt will continue to make much news in the New Year — as it has since the 2011 revolution that brought down longtime U.S. ally President Hosni Mubarak amid scenes of blood and jubilation in Tahrir Square and beyond.

Russia won't talk with terrorists in Syria: Lavrov
“We refuse to have talks and do not recommend other parties to hold talks with them over principled considerations,” said Sergei Lavrov in an interview with Russia’s television network NTV on Sunday, in reference to the foreign-backed insurgents in Syria.

Two strong earthquakes shake up Greek island of Cephalonia
A pair of earthquakes, registering as magnitude 6.1 and 5.4, struck off the island of Cephalonia, in western Greece, on Sunday. There have been no reports of serious injuries, but many buildings on the island have suffered at least minor damage and the shaking was felt as far away as Athens, nearly 300 kilometres away.

D'Souza Producer: 'I Never Feared My Govt Until Now'
Gerald Molen, the producer of Dinesh D'Souza's documentary film "2016: Obama's America," says he never feared his government before he learned that D'Souza is under federal investigation for election fraud. According to an indictment made public Thursday, D'Souza is accused of contributing $20,000 to a political campaign in 2012, even though the legal limit is $5,000. D'Souza allegedly promised to reimburse others if they would contribute to a candidate widely believed to be Wendy Long of New York.

TBN Cuts Programming Again - Scared of End Times Prophecy, or Anti-Islamic Speech?
Why does the Trinity Broadcasting Network continue eliminating end times ministers on their network? Founder of EndTime Ministries and host of End of the Age, Irvin Baxter is yet another minister in the growing list who has been silenced by the largest Christian network on TV.

Syrian Regime to Allow Women and Children to Leave Homs
Syria's regime agreed at peace talks in Geneva on Sunday to allow women and children safe passage from rebel-held areas of the city of Homs where they have been under siege for months, AFP reports.

Obama's Approval Ratings Reach Lowest Level Yet
A new poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal this week found that US President Barack Obama's approval rating continues to be at its lowest yet. 54% disapprove of Obama's job as president, the highest that figure has ever been.

OLD SUNSPOT SET TO RETURN
The southeastern limb of the sun is crackling with C- and M-class solar flares. These explosions herald the return of old sunspot AR1944, which produced many strong flares earlier this month.

Dramatic rise in flu deaths reported by California health officials
"So far we have a much more severe season," said state epidemiologist Dr. Gil Chavez in a conference call with reporters Friday. He said that flu activity in California remained "widespread." In part, the gap between this year's deaths and the number of deaths at this time last year is because this year's season struck early, Chavez said.

WH spokesman Carney: Obamacare worth it, even if it loses Senate
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Sunday the U.S. healthcare reform law known as Obamacare was "worth it, no matter what happens politically."

Cabinet Communique
If Iran persists in saying this it means that the permanent agreement, which is the goal of any diplomatic process with Iran, cannot succeed. In effect, Iran is insisting on maintaining its ability to attain [enough] fissionable material for a bomb without any time constraints following the breakthrough. This means that many of the things which we have been saying will come true – are indeed coming true.

Minister Shalom: Talks may blow up if Kerry submits written paper
In a live interview broadcast on the noon news program of Israel Radio Reshet Bet, Infrastructure Minister Silvan Shalom (Likud) warned that if U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry submits a written proposal to the Israelis and Palestinians that this will cause the talks to blow up. Shalom suggested, in contrast, that if Kerry makes an oral presentation of his ideas to the parties that the talks could continue.

The Alaskan Winter That Never Was?
I had heard it was warm in Alaska, but holy moly, I didn’t know it was THIS warm. Above is an anomaly map showing the Drunken Arctic Air in central and eastern Canada and the US in contrast with the very (relatively) warm air over western Canada and Alaska. Remember, these are anomalies, not absolute temperatures. But still, it is warm enough in at least parts of Alaska that lakes that are normally well frozen by now are not frozen at all and may not even freeze this winter.

World Court Ruling in Peru-Chile Maritime Dispute
The International Court of Justice decision is expected to establish which country owns some 38,000 square kilometers (14,670 square miles) of ocean in a zone extending to the limit of each country’s territorial waters. Peru is seeking recognition of a maritime border perpendicular to the coast. Chile insists the border is on a line horizontal to the earth’s axis.

Israel mulls replacing al-Aqsa mosque
An Israeli official says the Tel Aviv regime is considering replacing the al-Aqsa Mosque in al-Quds (Jerusalem) with a temple. Minister of Housing and Construction Uri Ariel on Friday called for the construction of what he called "the Third Temple" to replace the holy site. Ariel says the first and the second temples were destroyed many years ago, so the third one needs to be built now.

Earthquake strikes southeast Iran; no injuries
A moderate earthquake has struck southeastern Iran, though there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9 struck at 6:16 a.m. local time Monday (0246 GMT, 9:46 p.m. EST), some 100 kilometers (62 miles) southwest of Zahedan, Iran. That area sits near Iran's eastern border with Pakistan.

Two minor earthquakes shake Longview
A 2.4 magnitude earthquake occurred at about 8:45 a.m. about 15 miles southeast of Longview, followed by a 3.0 magnitude aftershock at 9:30 a.m. about a half mile from the first, said John Vidale, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network in Seattle.

US strike 'targets al-Shabab chief' in Somalia
The US military has carried out a missile strike in Somalia against a suspected militant leader with ties to al-Qaeda and al-Shabab. Local residents told the BBC that an al-Shabab commander and four others were killed but US officials say this has not been confirmed. The strike was aimed at a vehicle in a remote area of southern Somalia, near the town of Barawe.

Texas hospital ends life support for pregnant Marlise Munoz
A brain-dead woman kept alive by a hospital in Texas because she was pregnant has been taken off life support. A court had ruled that John Peter Smith Hospital must stop life-saving measures for Marlise Munoz by Monday. Mrs Munoz, 33, was 14 weeks pregnant when she fell unconscious in November. It is believed she had a blood clot.

Ya'alon: Palestinians see destruction of Jews as realistic possibility
Israel will no longer tolerate Palestinian incitement and attempts to isolate it in international institutions, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said on Monday. Speaking at an event to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the defense minister lashed out at the Palestinian Authority for claiming to seek peace on one hand yet encouraging "efforts to boycott Israel."

Japan reports record annual trade deficit
Japan has reported a record annual trade deficit after the weak yen pushed up the cost of energy imports. Its deficit rose to 11.5 trillion yen ($112bn; £68bn) in 2013 - a 65% jump from a year ago. Japan has seen its energy imports rise in recent years after it shut all of its nuclear reactors in the aftermath of the tsunami and earthquake in 2011.

Syria talks: Delegates due to raise power transfer
The Syrian peace talks in Geneva are due to move on to wider political questions such as the divisive issue of transfer of power in the country. But discussions are also expected to continue on aid convoys reaching the besieged area of Homs. On Sunday, the Syrian government delegation said women and children may leave the city - but demanded a list of names of men who want to leave.

Ukraine justice minister in state of emergency warning
Ukraine's justice minister has warned anti-government protesters occupying her ministry she will call for a state of emergency if they do not leave. Olena Lukash told local media she would ask the National Security and Defence Council to introduce the measures.

Japan's Abe says China's prosperity rests on trust, not tensions
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said China's continued economic growth will require building trust, not tensions, with other countries, according to an interview broadcast on Sunday.

Is Barack Obama an imperial president?
President Obama’s use of executive action to get around congressional gridlock is unparalleled in modern times, some scholars say. But to liberal activists, he’s not going far enough.

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Small earthquake reported near NH-Vt state line
A small earthquake rattled some buildings — and some residents — near the New Hampshire-Vermont state line on Tuesday morning, just north of the town of Haverhill, N.H.

Is This Obama’s America?
Dinesh D’Souza, political commentator and author, is under fire this week from the Obama Administration. Federal prosecutors last week announced formal charges against D’Souza. Gerald Molen, Oscar-winning producer believes his colleague and conservative filmmaker is a target of the Obama Administration for D’Souza’s film 2016: Obama’s America

White House Petitioned to Have Muslim Holidays Recognized in School Year
there is a petition posted at the WhiteHouse.gov site calling for recognizing Muslim holidays during the school year by the government education system. According to the petition: With the growing population of Muslims in the United States of America (including first, second, third, and fourth generation) we believe it is high time that Muslim holidays are recognized by schools throughout this nation. Nothing about Islam has any place here in America. Nothing. It is the death-cult ideology of a totalitarian, demon-possessed, murdering, thieving pedophile.

Kim Jong Un Executed All of Uncle's Blood Relatives
North Korea’s sadistic leader Kim Jong Un not only executed his uncle, he put to death all of the man’s living blood relatives, including children and grandchildren, according to a new report.

Former NSA Agent Becomes Cyber-Privacy Guru
“Our mission is to make privacy and encryption practical for the public,” Will says. “The problem isn’t that people don’t care about privacy. It’s that they haven’t had the right tools to take action.” According to Popular Mechanics the Virtru tool is a free browser extension (currently compatible with Chrome and Mozilla Firefox) that integrates with popular email services such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook. In Gmail, for example, the extension attaches like a toggle switch, making your email secure with just a click. Once a user hits “send secure,” the email is then encrypted with a key generated on the sender’s browser. The email addresses and the browser-generated key are then sent to a key management server, which Virtru controls.

Historic Snow Storm for The Southeast to Carolina Region Expected Tuesday Into Tuesday Night
Areas with the highest snowfall amounts will be Northeast South Carolina to Eastern North Carolina. This is an unprecedented event and in my years of forecasting I’ve never seen snowfall number calculation on my grid being this high. Snowfall ratios will be similar to the storms of the New England region, thus upping the snowfall potential across the board.

Angry Birds and 'leaky' phone apps targeted by NSA and GCHQ for user data
The National Security Agency and its UK counterpart GCHQ have been developing capabilities to take advantage of "leaky" smartphone apps, such as the wildly popular Angry Birds game, that transmit users' private information across the internet, according to top secret documents.

A Real-Life Demon Possession Is Being Reported in Indiana – The Details Are Almost Too Horrifying to Believe
A terrified mother claims she watched in horror as her demon-possessed 9-year-old son walked backwards up a wall and ceiling. Her claims would be easy to dismiss if a child services case worker and a nurse weren’t reportedly there to witness it all. Strangely enough, the scary-sounding incident is outlined in official documents. Further, Gary police Capt. Charles Austin told the Star that he is a “believer” after making several visits to the home and interviewing witnesses.

Blood of Pope John Paul II stolen in possible 'satanic' theft
A religious reliquary containing blood from the late Pope John Paul II has been stolen from a remote mountain church in Italy, with speculation that a Satanic group could be behind the theft. A team of around 50 Carabinieri police officers with sniffer dogs were on Monday searching for any trace of the reliquary, which was stolen from the Church of St Peter of Ienca in the Abruzzo mountains at the weekend.

Earth's magnetic field is collapsing and it could affect the climate and wipe out power grids
...this magnetic field, so important to life on Earth, has weakened by 15 per cent over the last 200 years. And this, scientists claim, could be a sign that the Earth’s poles are about to flip.

Nazi-looted art recovered by Allies to be auctioned in NY
Paintings looted by the Nazis during World War II and retrieved by the Monuments Men, the Allied group tasked with returning masterpieces to their rightful owners, will be sold at auction on Thursday in New York.

Bypassing sanctions and with help from Iran, Syria steps up missile production
Syria is accelerating its production of missiles and rockets, effectively circumventing international sanctions imposed on it, according to the authoritative Jane’s Defence Weekly.

Washington Earthquake Today 2014 Strikes in Predawn Hours
A Washington earthquake today 2014 has struck in the predawn hours. The Washington earthquake today January 28, 2014 began moments ago east of Olympia. Damage assessment is pending.

TOO MANY FIRES BURNING: Why Emerging Markets Are Tanking
Around the world, emerging markets are tumbling. Their currencies are getting slammed and equity markets are selling off. There are a combination of factors behind the sell-off, including the slowdown in China, unwinding of carry trades, domestic political issues, and monetary policy of the world's biggest central banks.

Open Witchcraft And Satanism On Display At 2014 Grammys
Popular Christian gospel singer Natalie Grant walked out of the Grammys after witnessing a series of performances that even the mainstream entertainment media admitted were occult in nature. Grant, who was nominated for a Grammy in 2012, tweeted her excitement upon arriving at the event but soon made it clear that she left early because what she witnessed conflicted with her Christian beliefs, stating, “We left the Grammy’s early. I’ve many thoughts, most of which are probably better left inside my head. But I’ll say this: I’ve never been more honored to sing about Jesus and for Jesus. And I’ve never been more sure of the path I’ve chosen.”

Quake hits Yogyakarta
An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale rocked Yogyakarta on Monday night but there was no immediate report of casualties or material damage. The epicenter of the quake which struck at 11.14 p.m. local time was in the Indian Ocean 68 km southwest of Kebumen city in Central Java at a depth of 33 km, said Toni A Wijaya, head of the data and information section of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) office in Yogyakarta.

Tunisia assembly passes new constitution
Tunisia's parliament has adopted a new constitution - the first since the ousting of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali three years ago. The National Constituent Assembly passed the text by 200 votes from 216. Analysts say politicians hope it will send out a message of stability after months of deadlock between Islamist and secular forces.

Israel defence computers hit by hack attack
Israeli defence computers were compromised via a malicious email attachment, a computer security firm has revealed. The email was spoofed to look like it had been sent by Israel's Shin Bet secret service tricking several people into opening it, said Seculert. The attack left hackers temporarily in control of 15 computers that are part of Israel's defence forces.

Syria talks: 'Impasse' at Geneva on power transfer
The Syrian peace talks in Geneva are deadlocked over the divisive issue of transferring power to a transitional government. The sides cannot agree on the future role of President Bashar al-Assad. UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said there "was apparently the will" to continue talks but "we never expected any miracles".

H7N9 bird flu virus: Hong Kong culls 20,000 chickens
Hong Kong has begun culling 20,000 chickens after the H7N9 bird flu virus was found in poultry imported from mainland China. All chickens at the wholesale market where the positive test took place were to be destroyed, the government said. The government has also banned the import of live chickens from the mainland for three weeks.

Japan revises school manuals to set out territorial claims
Japan's Education Ministry says it is revising teaching manuals for schools to set out its ownership of disputed islands. Minister Hakubun Shimomura said Japan wanted to teach its children "about integral parts of its territory". The disputed territory includes islands in the East China Sea controlled by Japan but also claimed by China, and islands controlled by South Korea.

Nigeria 'Boko Haram' attacks leave scores dead
Suspected Islamist militants have attacked two villages in north-eastern Nigeria, leaving 74 people dead, say police and witnesses. Militants attacked Kawuri village in Borno state as a busy market was packing up on Sunday, setting off explosives and setting houses ablaze. Witnesses said 52 people were killed in that attack, while 22 died in an attack on a church service in Waga Chakawa village, Adamawa state, on Sunday.

Mexico Knights Templar leader 'Loya Plancarte captured'
Mexican forces have captured one of the country's most wanted drug lords, officials say. Dionicio Loya Plancarte, known as El Tio (The Uncle), was one of the leaders of the Knights Templar drug cartel in western Michoacan state, officials say. The government had a 30m-peso ($2.2m; £1.3m) bounty on his head for drug and money-laundering crimes.

US Congress secretly approves weapons flow to 'moderate' Syrian rebels
Light arms supplied by the United States are flowing to "moderate" Syrian rebel factions in the south of the country and US funding for months of further deliveries has been approved by Congress, according US and European security officials. The weapons, most of which are moving to non-Islamist Syrian rebels via Jordan, include a variety of small arms, as well as some more powerful weapons, such as anti-tank rockets.

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Israeli Minister Stirs Controversy After Calling For "3rd Temple"
He referred to the controversy with the Islamic mosque that is now situated on the site, saying that the "Al-Aqsa Mosque is currently in place of the temple, despite the temple being much holier than it. Al-Aqsa Mosque is only the third most holy mosque in Islam." "Now that Israel has once again become a Jewish sovereign state, there have been occasional calls to rebuild the Temple," he added.

Catherine Ashton cleanses Jews from Holocaust?
Around the world, she has name recognition. Many outside Europe consider her to be a major voice in Arab-Israel ‘peace’ efforts. People know who she is. The Palestinians want a Jew-free state. Put another way, they want a racist, Apartheid state. Ashton openly supports that goal. She is aggressive about her support. She has declared that if current Arab-Israel peace talks fail, she will be angry—at Israel. If those talks fail, the EU will boycott Israel.

'170,000 Rockets Aimed at Israel'
"Israel is surrounded by 360 degrees of actual enemies," Kohavi stated, in a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) quoted by Walla!. "We call this period in time the "Era of Fire", in light of the amount of missiles and rockets we face as a constant threat. There are about 170,000 rockets and missiles that threaten Israel,"

Persecution of Christians In Schools On The Rise
The majority of the persecution cases involve teachers or school administrators – these authority figures are denying children their Constitutional rights and targeting them for their faith in Christ. Very rarely do we see, at the elementary school level, students bullying other students for their beliefs.

Mag. 4.1 quake leads off two dozen earthquakes 37 miles from St. George
A swarm, or cluster, of 24 earthquakes have been recorded Tuesday, the first about 37 miles west-northwest of St. George in Nevada, and the others within about a 10-mile radius of the first...

Tennessee Bill Would Shut Down NSA Spy Center
“We have an out of control federal agency spying on pretty much everybody in the world. I don’t think the state of Tennessee should be helping the NSA violate the Constitution and the basic privacy rights of its citizens – and we don’t have to,” said State Sen. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville), who introduced the bill.

Spectacular Video Of The Sinabung Volcano Spitting Lava
Photovolcanica has captured a tremendous pyroclastic flow that happened last week at Mount Sinabung, Sumatra: “A close-up of the lava lobe is shown including the collapse of the lobe front leading to a pyroclastic flow.

'We have a Constitution': Boehner warns Obama on exec orders
House Speaker John Boehner issued a stern warning to President Obama ahead of Tuesday night's State of the Union address: "We have a Constitution. We abide by it. If he tries to ignore it, he's going to run into a brick wall."

First pre-birth genetic modification could be approved soon in the UK to correct faulty mitochondria
Dr Mitalipov, who headed the research, explained: “Using this process, we have shown that mutated DNA from the mitochondria can be replaced with healthy copies in human cells.” Indeed, by using 106 human eggs donated by healthy volunteers, the team demonstrated that although the ST-IVF grants chances of successful in vitro fertilization lower than the standard IVF (50% versus 75%), the viable embryos undergo normal development. More importantly, the rate of success is not impaired by use of cryo-preserved human eggs, a condition that will be critical for clinical applications of ST.

Not Atlantis, but significant nonetheless – Swedish divers find 11,000-year-old relics
Buried 16 metres below the surface, Nilsson uncovered wood, flint tools, animal horns and ropes. Among the most notable items found include a harpoon carving made from an animal bone, and the bones of an ancient animal called aurochs, the ancestor of domestic cattle, the last of which died off in the early 1600s.

Scientists decode 1,500-year-old plague and warn it could strike again
Scientists have, for the first time, achieved a complete reconstruction of the genome responsible for the bubonic plague, which struck the Eastern Roman Empire 1,500 years ago, and is said to have been responsible for between 25-50 million deaths worldwide. The new study published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, revealed that the pathogen is linked with the ‘Black Death’ pandemic that killed 50 million people in medieval Europe 800 years later, and warned that it could strike again. Scientists have previously analysed DNA samples taken from plague victims to determine that the bubonic plague, otherwise known as the ‘Plague of Justinian’, was likely caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis.

Christian persecution? No. Annihilation!
The first delegation of Syrian Christian church leaders to visit the U.S. since civil war broke out in March 2011 spoke Monday at the Heritage Foundation, issuing a stunning warning that the nation’s Christian population could vanish. “Today we are faced with a potential extinction of the church,” Patrick Sookhdeo, chairman of the Westminster Institute, warned. “Not just in Syria. We’ve seen it in Iraq. The church could fall in Lebanon.”

Peres to Georgian PM: Israel must not lose opportunity for peace
Peace is both our heritage and our strategy. We know it's not simple but we will continue to make major efforts to reach the right conclusion and bring peace to this part of the region. We must not let history gallop past and lose this opportunity.

Is Barack Obama an imperial president?
"We've got this Constitution, we've got this whole thing about separation of powers," Obama continued. "So there is no shortcut to politics, and there's no shortcut to democracy." The reality isn't so simple. Obama, a former constitutional law lecturer, was once skeptical of the aggressive use of presidential power. During the 2008 campaign, he accused President George W. Bush of regularly circumventing Congress.

Again! Massive fudging on global-warming temps
..the global warming activists are at it again. They’re manipulating the data. In this case, lowering the historical temperatures for years prior to 2000. Which makes the temperatures after that look like they’ve risen. Which makes it look like global warming. “A newly uncovered and monumental calculating error in official U.S. government climate data shows beyond doubt that climate scientists unjustifiably added a whopping one degree of phantom warming to the official ‘raw’ temperature record,” the report says.

Stunning Before and After Photos of California's Lakes Depleted by Extreme Drought
California's reservoirs are severely depleted due to the ongoing widespread drought conditions in the state. As of Jan. 21, 2014, 67 percent of California was in extreme drought, the second worst category possible on the U.S. Drought Monitor.

3.7 Quake Registered in Southern Bulgaria
The Geophysical Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) reports the jolt had been registered at around 7:04 am Wednesday morning. The epicenter was 132 km southeast of the capital Sofia and 27 km southwest of the second largest city of Plovdiv. It had a depth of 10 km.

New Research: When, Exactly, Will Hackers Strike?
University of Michigan researchers have developed new ways to analyze Internet security risks by creating a mathematical model that can predict when a cyberattack may be launched by hackers.

The return of De Gaulle?
Washington has not made an official response, but could have hardly been very pleased. Two days later, a Netanyahu aide called the foreign correspondents in Israel and provided a clarification. True, the PM is not going to remove any settlement, but that does not mean that all the settlements must remain under Israeli rule. “There should be an option to leave Jewish residents in the territory of a future Palestinian state. Why can’t Jews live in Palestine, just as Arabs live in Israel?” Indeed, why not?

Obama Has Made it Impossible for Israel to Strike Iran
I called a hardheaded realist, a Harvard trained PhD who has been watching the Middle East professionally for decades, to ask him about Obama's Iran deal. This is what he told me. It's done. Iran will get a bomb. They want a bomb and they will not be denied unless somebody stops them. Obama does not want to stop them. He does not want a friendly regime in Iran. He wants Iran as a counter force to America and Israel.

US Congress secretly approves sending small arms to ‘moderate’ Syrian rebels
Congressional lawmakers have quietly authorized sending small arms, an assorted variety of rockets, and financial backing to so-called “moderate” rebels fighting in Syria’s civil war, according to a new report. American and European security officials told Reuters that the US will provide anti-tank rockets, but nothing as deadly as shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles (known as MANPADs), which can be used to bring down military or civilian aircraft. Legislators voted in closed-door meetings...

State of the Union 2014: Obama calls for ‘year of action’
President Barack Obama outlined plans Tuesday to make 2014 his year of action — using his executive authorities wherever possible while encouraging Congress to go even further. Obama took on a more pragmatic tone than in previous State of the Union addresses, acknowledging that getting his agenda past House Republicans was unlikely and therefore he would use his power to do what he can on his own.

The Day Before the State of the Union Has Been Full of NSA Leaks
Rapid-fire reports revealing secret government surveillance programs hit the Internet Monday, just a day before Obama will deliver his annual State of the Union address before Congress. NBC News reported Monday afternoon that the British government can "tap into the cables carrying the world's Web traffic at will and spy on what people are doing on some of the world's most popular social-media sites, including YouTube, all without the knowledge or consent of the companies."

Bank Run Fears Escalate as Russian Lender Bans Cash Withdrawals
Fears of bank runs have escalated with the news that Russian lender ‘My Bank’ has banned all cash withdrawals until next week. ...While the Ruble has been losing ground rapidly recently, we suspect few have been expecting bank runs in Russia. Russia sovereign CDS had recently weakened to 4-month wides at 192bps,” reports Zero Hedge.

Nigerian bishop tells of church 'slaughter' in Adamawa
A senior cleric has spoken of how suspected Islamist militants "slaughtered" some 30 churchgoers in north-eastern Nigeria on Sunday. The Bishop of Yola told the BBC the insurgents had locked the church and "cut people's throats" in Waga Chakawa village, Adamawa state. On the same day, militants also attacked Kawuri village in neighbouring Borno state, killing 52 people.

UK set to take in 'hundreds' of Syria refugees
Some of the "most vulnerable" Syrian refugees will be temporarily resettled in the UK, Deputy PM Nick Clegg says. He said girls and women who had been victims of or were at risk of sexual violence, torture victims, and elderly and disabled people would get priority. This meant the coalition was ensuring Britain's "long and proud tradition of providing refuge" lived on, he said.

Deep South in winter storm emergency
The US Deep South, a region used to sultry weather and hurricane warnings, is preparing for a severe winter storm. States of emergency have been declared in the southern states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. As many as 50 million people across the region could be affected in a winter storm over the next two days.

The 'Kerry Plan': Palestinian capital in east Jerusalem, recognition of Jewish state
The "Kerry Plan" is likely to be unveiled soon, Thomas Friedman of The New York Times wrote on Tuesday in a column titled "Why Kerry is Scary." The “Kerry Plan,” writes Friedman, is expected to "call for an end to the conflict and all claims, following a phased Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank (based on the 1967 lines)." Friedman also said that there will be "unprecedented security arrangements in the strategic Jordan Valley."

UN inspectors in Iran to visit uranium mine
An Iranian official says a group of U.N. inspectors are on the way to visit a key uranium mine as part of a deal to allow expanded monitoring of the country's nuclear sites.

Man of the Year not enough? Pope Francis now SuperPope
It wasn't enough that Pope Francis was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" or that he fronted this week's Rolling Stone magazine. Now there's SuperPope graffiti sprouting up around the Vatican. The white caped crusader appeared on Tuesday on a wall just off Borgo Pio, a tiny cobble-stoned street near St. Peter's Square. In typical superhero fashion, Francis' right fist is thrust in the air, leading him in flight, while his left clutches his black satchel. "Valores," or values in Spanish, is written across it.

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MSNBC apologizes for smearing conservatives as racists
MSNBC took the coward’s way out and deleted the incredibly offensive Twitter message that touched off an online firestorm, but Twitchy preserved it for posterity. Leave it to MSNBC to turn this into a vicious and hateful attack on the “rightwing.” That’s what they do.

Yawning over the Latest Headline News from the Middle East
The Middle East does offer some signs of hope, such as the inspiring example of Israel, the metaphorical “villa in the jungle“; the bracing prospect of Islamists falling into disarray; and the emergence of an independent Kurdistan.

Did Obama Plagiarize Bush’s 2007 State Of The Union?
It turns out that, not only were portions of the speech probably written five years ago, but other parts—some of those with the Republican tinge—were written closer to seven years ago, for Bush’s 2007 State of the Union.

The Sumerian King List still puzzles historians after more than a century of research
What makes this artefact so unique is the fact that the list blends apparently mythical pre-dynastic rulers with historical rulers who are known to have existed. It lists rulers from the antediluvian (“before the flood”) dynasties to the fourteenth ruler of the Isin dynasty (ca. 1763–1753 BC)

Chris Grayling launches court battle over EU rights charter
Mr Grayling wants to reverse human rights legislation and is drawing up sweeping plans for reform, which could include Britain withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights entirely. However, senior judges have ruled in a series of recent cases that a separate EU “charter” of 54 “fundamental rights” has taken hold in Britain by stealth, and can trump the laws made by MPs.

Lapid: Israel faces economic crisis if peace talks fail
A boycott of Israeli products by European countries, in the event that peace talks fail, would constitute a dramatic blow to the Israeli economy, Finance Minister Yair Lapid warned on Wednesday, in an address at the Institute for National Security Studies conference.

Israel as ‘major strategic ally’ bill passes key House panel
It names Israel a “major strategic ally” of the United States — no other nation has the status — and includes measures that would encourage enhanced cooperation such as missile development, energy and homeland security.

Drone Farmer Arrest: Predator Provided Evidence in ND Standoff
It's not clear how long the drone was used to gather evidence but the sheriff's office arrested five Brossart family members....

Beware of the Disney Channel
Disney has decided it is “relevant” to introduce the two lesbian women to the show to force-feed their view of “inclusiveness and diversity.” Thus, it is quite clear to me that Disney no longer wants my granddaughters to view their channel with Good Luck Charlie — or any other show. If they feel it is their responsibility to force-feed that trash and perversion down my throat in their shows, then my only recourse is to boycott all Disney programming. No more movies. No more television channel.

Iran can now build and deliver nukes, US intel reports
Iran now has all the technical infrastructure to produce nuclear weapons should it make the political decision to do, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper wrote in a report to a Senate intelligence committee published Wednesday. However, he added, it could not break out to the bomb without being detected.

Knesset member implies Kerry guided by anti-Semitism
“The prime minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) is maneuvering under the obsessive and unprofessional pressures that might also bear an undertone of anti-Semitism on Kerry’s part,” MK Moti Yogev told Israel Radio. “He has an anti-Israel foundation in that he does not come to compromise, but instead comes with unequivocal answers about shrinking the Land of Israel and establishing a Palestinian state,”

First He Walks Out of the President’s Major Speech – Now He’s Thinking About Filing Articles of Impeachment
Just hours after he stormed out of President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday, Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) announced he’s considering filing articles of impeachment against the president. Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas), right, participates in a mock swearing-in ceremony with Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) (AP) “I’m considering filing Articles of Impeachment against Barack Obama,” Stockman announced on a website backing his senate run. “You see, I walked out of Obama’s State of the Union address last night,” Stockman’s announcement added. “Obama defiantly vowed not only to radically expand the reach of government from cradle to grave, but to smash the Constitution’s restrictions on government power while doing it.”

Putin: America Is Godless, Has Turned Away from Christian Values
Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the West, including the United States, for eschewing Christian values and opting instead for a “path to degradation.” In his State of the Nation speech last month, Putin asserted that, “Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away from their roots, including Christian values…

NSA spied on Copenhagen UN climate summit – Snowden leak
The US National Security Agency spied on the communications conducted by other governments before and during the 2009 United Nations climate negotiations conference held in Copenhagen, according to a report based on documents leaked by Edward Snowden.

Geological survey: 3.4 quake shakes Payne County
The U.S. Geological Survey reports a 3.4 magnitude earthquake occurred at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday, approximately six miles southeast of Perkins. - See more at: http://www.stwnewspress.com/breakingnews/x1768009925/Geological-survey-3-4-quake-shakes-Payne-County#sthash.PZDJhuVB.dpuf

Alarming Trend: Withdrawing Money Banned by Russian Bank
‘My Bank’ – one of Russia’s top 200 lenders by assets – has introduced a complete ban on cash withdrawals until next week. While the Ruble has been losing ground rapidly recently, we suspect few have been expecting bank runs in Russia. Russia sovereign CDS had recently weakned to 4-month wides at 192bps. Via Bloomberg,

Russia to Float Out Stealth Sub for Black Sea Fleet in May
A St. Petersburg shipyard said Wednesday it will float out in May the second of six Varshavyanka-class diesel-electric submarines to be delivered to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the next two years. The much anticipated delivery of the submarines, dubbed “black holes in the ocean” by the US Navy because they are nearly undetectable when submerged, is a key part of Russia’s naval strategy in the Mediterranean,

SOLAR WIND SPARKS SPECTACULAR AURORAS
Earth is entering a stream of solar wind blowing almost 500 km/s or 1.1 million mph. First contact on Jan. 28th sparked tall curtains of light around the Arctic Circle.

Large Magma Chamber Sits Below World’s Most Active Volcano
The new discovery is the first geophysical observation that large magma chambers exist in the deeper parts of Kilauea. For the study, the team analyzed the seismic waves that travel through the volcano. This methodology allowed them to look at the internal structure of the volcanic system, leading them to find the chamber about 5 to 6.8 miles below the Earth’s surface.

Director of National Intelligence Warns of an ‘Abiding Threat’
Mexican drug cartels and other organized crime syndicates in Latin America are a direct danger to the national security of the United States, the nation’s top intelligence chief told lawmakers Wednesday. The dangerous gangs threaten to dismantle fragile democracies throughout the world by creating a dangerous nexus with terrorist organizations who rely on illicit contraband for funding operations...

Graham Says World ‘Literally About to Blow Up’
“The world is literally about to blow up,” Graham said, saying he completely disagrees with Obama on Iran policy. Obama pledged to veto any additional sanctions legislation while negotiations over the Iranian nuclear program are ongoing. “The world as I know was not remotely described by the president. Syria is a contagion,” Graham said.

IAF chief: Israel will destroy Hezbollah bases in Lebanon, even ones in residential areas
Israel accused Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas on Wednesday of putting "thousands" of bases in residential buildings and said it would destroy these in a future conflict, even at the cost of civilian lives. The unusually explicit threat by air force chief Major-General Amir Eshel appeared to be part of an effort by Israeli officials to prepare world opinion for high civilian casualties in any new confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Turkish military strikes Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) convoy in Syria
Turkish army attacked a convoy that belongs to the al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in northern Syria, the Turkish military said in a statement on Wednesday.

Israel as ‘major strategic ally’ bill passes key House panel
The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a bill that would enhance the already close US-Israel defense relationship. The bill initiated by US Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (D-Fla.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), the top two members on the committee’s Middle East subcommittee, passed unanimously on Wednesday.

Experts: China Boosts Space Warfare Capabilities
China is developing anti-satellite missiles and other exotic weapons that can destroy or disrupt vital U.S. military and commercial communications... “The current and evolving counterpace threat posed by China to U.S. military operations in the Asia Pacific theater and outside is extremely serious,” said Ashley J. Tellis, a former State Department and National Security Council strategic specialist.

Report: Some Bay Area Communities Could Run Out Of Water Within 4 Months
As the drought in California continues, 17 communities throughout the state could run out of water within 60 to 120 days, state officials said. In some districts, the wells are running dry while other reservoirs are nearly empty. The state Health Department compiled a list after surveying the more than 3,000 water agencies in California last week.

Obama, Jordan's King Abdullah to meet in California
US President Barack Obama and Jordan's King Abdullah will discuss Syria and the Middle East at a February 14 summit to be held at a California retreat, the White House said on Wednesday. Obama met China's President Xi Jinping at the same location last June, the Sunnylands retreat in Rancho Mirage, California.

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