| 2. Israel - God's Timepiece Raised voices at Mubarak-Abbas meeting over Cairo's acceptance of two Palestinian states
The conversation Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas held at Sharm e-Sheikh Tuesday July 14 was more like a shouting match, DEBKAfile's Middle East sources disclose. They got together at the non-aligned summit to review the latest Egyptian proposals for laying to rest the feud between Abbas' Fatah and its rival Hamas, and so remove the biggest obstacle to peace talks with Israel and the Obama administration's Middle East plans............................. read more Pacific test will determine Arrow's ability to intercept Iranian missiles close to launch
In a few days, the Israeli anti-missile Arrow system will face the first real test, weather permitting, of its ability to knock out an Iranian Shehab-3 or Sejil II ballistic missile at the outset of its flight toward Israel, DEBKAfile's military sources report. The test will take place off central California's Pacific coast. Lieut. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly, director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, said Tuesday, July 14: “The test will allow Israel to measure its advanced Arrow 3 system against a target with a range of more than 620 miles (1,000 km), too long for previous Arrow test sites in the eastern Mediterranean.”........................... read more Solana calls for UN to impose deadline for Palestinian state
Jerusalem dismissed Sunday evening European Union Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana's call for the UN Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state by a certain deadline even if the Israelis and Palestinians have not reached agreement among themselves............................ read more Israeli warships rehearse for Iran attack in Red Sea
Israeli and Egyptian officials said two ships had sailed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. Media reports in Israel said the two Saar-class missile ships had been sent as a "message" to the Tehran government, which has repeatedly issued threats against Israel and is developing nuclear technology believed by the West to be intended for atomic weapons programme. . . ......................... read more Israel to sacrifice settlements for world support of Iran Op?
A deal taking shape between Israel and Western leaders will facilitate international support for an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in exchange for concessions in peace negotiations with the Palestinians and Arab neighbors, The Times reported Thursday. According to one British official quoted by the paper, such an understanding could allow an Israeli attack "within the year." The report in the UK paper quoted unnamed diplomats as saying Israel was prepared to offer concessions on the formation of a Palestinian state as well as on its settlement policy and "issues" with Arab neighbors, in exchange for international backing for an Israeli operation in Iran. "Israel has chosen to place the Iranian threat over its settlements," one senior European diplomat said.. . ......................... read more
3. A Revived Roman Empire? Brown backs Blair as British choice for President of Europe
Tony Blair was named for the first time as the Government's candidate for President of the European Council today. Confirming that Britain is pushing Mr Blair's case for a dramatic return to frontline politics, Baroness Kinnock, the Europe Minister, said that Mr Blair's "strength of character" made him the ideal person for the job created under the Lisbon Treaty. Mr Blair himself has avoided declaring his hand or openly campaigning ahead of the decision on the new high-profile post, which is expected to be made by heads of the EU governments at their summit in late October if the Lisbon Treaty passes a second referendum in Ireland on October 2. The former Prime Minister is currently working as a special envoy to the Middle East for the Quartet of the UN, US, EU and Russia. The new role, often shortened to President of Europe, is to organize and preside over regular meetings of the 27 EU leaders and has been referred to as the George Washington of Europe. . .. .......................... read more Iceland Prepares To Join EU
Parliament in Iceland has voted by a narrow majority to set in motion an application to join the European Union, after five days of exhaustive debate. Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir of the Social Democrats has also been pushing for the adoption of the euro as the Nordic country's currency. The bid must now be approved by the EU, after which Iceland's people will be asked to vote on it in a referendum. ........................... read more
4. The Gog/Magog War Iran speeds up mass production of long-range surface missiles
Iran is slowing down the manufacture of the Shehab-3 surface missile in favor of mass production of the more accurate two-stage 2,000-kilometer range Sejil II ballistic missile powered with solid fuel. More than 1,000 new Sejil IIs are projected to come off production lines in five years, at the rate of 200 a year. Liquid-fuel missiles like the Shehab take hours to prepare for firing, during which time they are exposed to oversight by US and Israel spy satellites, whereas the Sejil because it is powered by solid fuel has the huge advantage of stealth. It can only be detected by military satellites and early warning radar systems like the American FBX-T posted in the Israeli Negev after it is airborne and winging towards target.. .. .......................... read more
5. Apostate Christianity Episcopal Church ends gay bishops ban
The U.S. Episcopal Church put itself on a collision course with the rest of the Anglican Communion by formally approving Tuesday the ordination of gay bishops, defying warnings that the Church of England may respond by recognizing a rival Anglican church. The 2.1-million-member U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion also was preparing Wednesday to approve blessing ceremonies for same-sex unions, a further slap at the Archbishop of Canterbury, who warned the U.S. church last week not to act in ways that deepen the splits in the 77-million-member worldwide communion............................. read more
6. The Rise of Islam Saudis order buildup of religious police to enforce Islamic observance
The king of Saudi Arabia has approved an order for a nationwide crackdown on vice by the religious police. Officials said the force, reported to be expanding to 10,000 officers, would be deployed in Saudi cities to enforce Islamic observance. They said the decision by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice was approved by Saudi King Abdullah in an effort to maintain social order.. ........................... read more Islamic police flog Christian women for wearing pants
An international Christian ministry is condemning Sudanese Islamic officials for arresting, fining and flogging several Christian women for wearing pants. "Flogging women for wearing pants is both outrageous and against the dignity of the women," said Jonathan Racho, regional manager for Africa and the Middle East for International Christian Concern, in a statement today. David Choat, the congregational affairs officer of the mission of the government of South Sudan to the U.S., told ICC, "The flogging is an imposition of Islamic values on Christians and it's also a violation of religious freedom............................ read more
7. Increase in Knowledge/New Technologies Bluetooth "Big Brother" tracks festival-goers
Researchers are using Bluetooth technology to observe the meanderings of tens of thousands of festival-goers at a top European rock festival, hoping their findings will launch a new generation of tracking devices. The team from the University of Ghent in Belgium believes the research could yield new satellite navigation applications for the retail and security sectors. "We have installed 36 Bluetooth scanners across the site and along a few surrounding roads, as well as bus stops," the university's Nico Van de Weghe said on Friday of the project at the Werchter festival, northeast of Brussels this weekend. Within a radius of 30 meters, the scanners track mobile phones equipped with Bluetooth, a type of short-range wireless technology which allows different devices to connect with one another, often to transfer files.............................. read more India to issue all 1.2 billion citizens with biometric ID cards
It is surely the biggest Big Brother project yet conceived. India is to issue each of its 1.2 billion citizens, millions of whom live in remote villages and possess no documentary proof of existence, with cyber-age biometric identity cards. The Government in Delhi recently created the Unique Identification Authority, a new state department charged with the task of assigning every living Indian an exclusive number. It will also be responsible for gathering and electronically storing their personal details, at a predicted cost of at least £3 billion. A computer chip in each card will contain personal data and proof of identity, such as fingerprint or iris scans. Criminal records and credit histories may also be included ............................. read more Monkey Moves Robot Using Mind Control
A monkey fitted with a hi-tech brain chip has learned to move a complex robotic arm using mind control. The chip implant allows the monkey to manipulate the arm by thought. The animal can operate the robot with such dexterity that it can reach out to grab, and turn a handle. The mechanical arm has an arm, elbow, wrist and simple hand, which the monkey controls with the power of thought............................. read more Governments will soon have, for the first time in history, the means to identify, monitor and track citizens anywhere in the world in real time
Climbing into his Volvo, outfitted with a Matrics antenna and a Motorola reader he'd bought on eBay for $190, Chris Paget cruised the streets of San Francisco with this objective: To read the identity cards of strangers, wirelessly, without ever leaving his car.It took him 20 minutes to strike hacker's gold. Zipping past Fisherman's Wharf, his scanner detected, then downloaded to his laptop, the unique serial numbers of two pedestrians' electronic U.S. passport cards embedded with radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags. Within an hour, he'd "skimmed" the identifiers of four more of the new, microchipped PASS cards from a distance of 20 feet.............................. read more Welcome to Tiburon - Click - Every vehicle that crosses city limits to be recorded
Welcome to Tiburon - Click. Your presence has been noted. The posh and picturesque town that juts into San Francisco Bay is poised to do something unprecedented: use cameras to record the license plate number of every vehicle that crosses city limits. ............................. read more
8. Christian Worldview/Issues Christian Retailers, Publishers Concerned About Declining Christian Youth Audience
Ron and Carolyn Meyer see few young people at their local Christian bookstore. They're more likely to see moms and grandmothers come in to purchase devotionals that may help guide their children in their faith. Owners of Genesis Christian Bookstore in Montrose, Colo., the Meyers are among thousands attending the 2009 International Christian Retail Show, now in its 60th year. Independent and national Christian retailers and publishers have convened in the Mile High city to connect, learn the latest trends and tools to help grow their ministry’s impact, and to support each other – especially during economic hard times............................. read more Knowledge of Bible 'in decline'
Knowledge of the Bible is declining among people in the UK, according to academics from Durham University. The National Biblical Literacy Survey found that young people believe the Bible is old-fashioned and for people like EastEnders' character Dot Cotton. More than 900 people from faith and non-faith backgrounds were surveyed, with fewer than one in 20 able to name all of the Ten Commandments. The researchers said their findings showed the Church and politicians could no longer make assumptions about people's knowledge of the Bible, which in under 45s is in decline................... read more
9. Other Events To Watch Developing world calls for 'new world order'
More than 50 heads of state from the developing world met Wednesday in Egypt to tackle the fallout from the global economic meltdown, with calls for a "new world order" to prevent a repeat of the crisis. Cuban President Raul Castro said in a speech "We call for a new monetary and economic world order... we must restructure the world financial system to take into consideration the needs of developing countries." Global power dynamics also need to be addressed, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi said, demanding a restructuring of the UN Security Council which he branded a form of terrorism "monopolized by a few countries that are permanent members."............................ read more Signs in the Heavens - Longest eclipse of the century coming up on July 22
The moon will hide the face of the sun again this month (Wednesday, July 22, 2009) in the longest solar eclipse in this 21st century. "It will be a monster, with a totality lasting more than 6.6 minutes at maximum," say Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson, writers for Sky & Telescope magazine. You may recall that when we interviewed Mark Biltz for our May 2008 issue of Prophecy in the News magazine, we noted that he had discovered three solar eclipses that would occur on each of three annual calendar dates that introduce the Jewish month of Av for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010. The first eclipse occurred on August 1, 2008. The second solar eclipse is coming up this month — on July 22, 2009, and the third will happen on July 11, 2010. Though these dates vary in our Gregorian calendar, they occur on the same calendar date in the Jewish calendar — Av 1. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon travels across the face of the sun, thus blocking out its sunlight. ........................... read more UFOs: record number of sightings forecast for 2009
A record number of UFOs are expected to be spotted this year in Britain after hundreds of sightings were reported in the first six months of 2009. Strange floating orbs and unexplained hovering objects have all been recorded and reported to the Ministry of Defense in the last six months. A total of 231 sightings of unidentified flying objects have been passed on to the MoD so far this year, according to The Sun. This compares to 285 in 2008, 135 in 2007 and 97 in 2006. The number of sightings is thought to have increased because many more people now carry digital cameras and are able to photograph strange objects. ........................... read more | 
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