I know you just got a journal a couple days ago, but I needed to get some news headlines out before they bury me under. Some of the stories can really disturb me, while others make me smile and I hope it does that for you. We need to know what's going on around the world, for it helps in our prayer lives. While other stories can provide a laugh or two.
Tomorrow the family has our doctor's appointments. I always feel a little sorry for our Doc, seeing Mona and I, plus my granddaughter and her two children in the same hour. Next time he tries to shove a sucker into my mouth I'm going to deck him. He gets somewhat confused with the varied age groups, but he is a good doc.
So, first off let's go to the news stories and I'll get back with you at the end. If I have time I'll hand-off some words from Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. I just finished the 10th Celebration Issue I got for Christmas and it was great. Some of the longer parts were quite in depth and answered some of the questions I've had on the subject. I sincerely recommend these issues for trivia knowledge, humor and things to think about.
NEWS: 1/20-24/2018
Official Disclaimer: Some of these reports may display propaganda in them, but I will leave it up to you. I know some of the propaganda gives access to real news and this is why I add them. I have seen that world news and even U.S. news stories are not making it into the big news services and not printed in todays newspapers. I will leave you to be the judge.
JERUSALEM ONLINE: Palestinian Authority urges the ICC in Hague to respond to alleged Israeli crimes on West Bank and Gaza. ALSO- Israel reportedly paid Jordan $5 million in reconciliation deal to compensate families of two Jordanian citizens killed by Israelis in 2014 and 2017. While Israel confirmed the deal, they did not state the amount of funds paid out, which was carried in an Arabic newspaper.
THOUGHTFUL MIND QUOTE: "Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail if they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is kind of death." Stated Anais Nin
GATESTONE INSTITUTE NEWS: "Young Afghans in Sweden" The "Young in Sweden" website describes them first begging for pity, due to their refugee status, trying to make a lasting home in Sweden. But this plea soon turns to demands." Last August, at one of their protests the members of this group attempted to murder a Stockholm policeman. Still, "Radio Sweden has described them as 'one of the most notable movements in the country right now'."
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: "The Department of Justice filed an 'AMICUS' Brief (last) Thursday in support of students claiming they were discriminated against after the State of Montana denied them placement in a tax credit scholarship program because their school they attended was a Christian one." Concerns a "Montana tax credit scholarship program which allows Montanans to deduct up to $150.00 of their contribution to privately run scholarship program. The State of Montana prohibited tax credits for contributions to schools owned or operated by a church, religious sect or denomination '." "DOJ contend in its brief that by simply extending extending the scholarship fund to all students, including religious ones, would not run afoul of the Constitution..." (A Lot more, but I ended it here.)
GERMANY NEWS: City of Cottbus 120 km SE of Berlin, Germany has imposed a temporary ban on refugees. This is due to the new surge of violence from refugees and right wing extremists (to include neo-Nazis). Population for the city is just over 100,000, and they have taken in 3,000 asylum seekers. Recently 100 neo-Nazis marched in an illegal protest.
BLAZE: A Malfunction sets off warning sirens near a North Carolina nuclear power plant. (I'm sure this terrorized a lot of local people).
TAIPEI TIMES: "India-Pakistan strain rises in Kashmire"- a "Volatile Frontier". ALSO- "Istanbul bans play about dictator by President Erdogan, a critic. ALSO-"Macedonians divided in row with Greece over country's name."
MANILA TIMES: "Rohingya Militants say Myanmar refugee return plan 'deceitful'." Saying, " It aims to trap Muslim Minority in long-term camps while their Ancestral lands are seized." by the government. ALSO: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on last Friday, "That America is facing 'growing threats' from China and Russia, and warned that the US military advantages have eroded in recent years."
GLOBAL TIMES: "China opens new freight train service to Budapest" ALSO- "Half a million Rohingya children at risk in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh with cyclone and monsoon season on the horizon." ALSO- India test-fired its nuclear-capable AGNI-V-Intercontinental Ballistic Missile." Which caused growing concerns in China. ALSO- "UN says 95-aid-workers killed in South Sudan in last 4-years.
JERUSALEM ONLINE: "Report Slovenia to recognize Palestinian State". ALSO- "Jordan's king states East Jerusalem must be capital for Palestinian State (Basically, this is place a foreign capital- an enemy state- inside Israel's borders, how would the US, Russia or even China desire this for their own countries. Russia, the United States and China won its territories through war, just as Israel has done. Why does the UN treat them differently,,,the majority of UN countries have done the same in their history?)
BLAZE: "Massive migration sweep expected in Northern California" "US Immigration sweep is expected to net more than 1,500 arrests sometime over the next several weeks in San Francisco and other Northern California cities" According to the San Francisco Chronicle, who reported this last Wednesday. "The plan is a move against so-called 'sanctuary cities' and reinforces President Trump's plan to tighten immigration." "Main concerns are people who have received their final deportation orders, undocumented immigrants with criminal records. (Also makes a nice warning for these people to go into hiding, even crossing into another state while this is going on.) ALSO- Turkish military strikes US-Backed Kurdish Militias in Northern Syria. (This could also mean US Military advisers came under this Turkish fires. Back in the old days this would be considered an act of WAR!).
GATESTONE: "215-million Christians persecuted, mostly by Muslims ". These "215 million experience high levels of persecution" around the world, according to Open Doors, a Human Rights Group. They have shown in the world's 50- worst nations, 3066 Christians have been killed, 1,252 abducted and another 1,020 raped or sexually harassed on account of their faith. 295 Christian churches were attacked or destroyed." The Islamic World had the lion's share of this persecution: 38 of the 50 worst nations are Muslim-majority. From Open Doors World Watch List for 2018, but did not identify the year or years these statistics came from. But, Without urgent action on the part of the United States, Christianity in Biblically historic lands, such as Iraq, Syria and Turkey, will be clinically dead before the year 2030."
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: "Illinois, New Jersey and New York are top states for outbound moves in 2017" (So, where are they moving too.)
THE INSIDER: An opinion piece- "With more than 2 billion followers, Facebook's now rivals that of Christianity, and exceeds that of Islam. It's target? U.S." "Facebook is a living breathing crime scene"
GERMANY NEWS- "German woman to become first European female executed in Iraq for belonging to ISIS."
TAIPEI NEWS: "Widespread food shortages fueling Venezuelan unrest." ALSO: A Third grader boy helped saved his grandfather's life. 63-year old grandfather, taking care of and living with his grandson in a shipping crate, wrote out a note and had the boy deliver it to his teacher, who promptly notified the police. The grandfather had lost his job, and his shipping crate and had grown too tired to manage his grandson's care. Police made a search and saved the grandfather mere seconds before he was about to jump off a bridge. Now the various agencies and the boy's teachers are stepping in to help. (Sometimes a nice story helps in our day. As a police officer, God provided the means for me to help others who were on the brink of suicide, it was a real nice feeling to know I had been used as the Lord's instrument.)
BRITISH NEWS: "Britain cannot keep up with Russian military advances (Technology), Head of Army warned as he makes his case for more funding." ALSO- New crime statistics expected to show burglary is soaring in parts of UK, as police reportedly give up on low-level offenses." ALSO- "British Army's Iron Maiden Team become first Antarctica Crossing using muscle power alone."
SPAIN NEWS: "Human traffickers targeting Spain to smuggle immigrants into Europe from Morocco", Reported by the "SUN" Newspaper.
ALSO- "Spain wants exiled ex-Catalan leader arrested if he travels to Denmark." ( He reportedly wants to run his new government from there). ALSO- Spanish court rules "Catalan Separatist Party funded itself illegally" ( but not further details as in how?). ALSO- Spanish Foreign Minister says the Catalan crisis had cost Spain 1 billion," in Spanish money. ALSO- A report that 22 North Korean athletes will compete in the upcoming Olympic Games. ALSO- Spain's jobless turn up their noses to 12,000 strawberry picker jobs. ( For those of you who might not be aware of who or what Catalan is, this is a section of Spain that wished to form its own country, seceding from Spain. Spain has fought this and continues to do so, but they appear to be losing. Makes one wonder what would happen if Alaska took the same action? )
FRANCE NEWS: "France Calls for UN Security Council Meeting Over Syria", to discuss "Humanitarian risks", as fighting escalates. ALSO- France urges end to Turkish offensive against Syrian Kurdish Militia (our ally). ALSO: "French cheese heist: 700 blocks of Saint-Nectaire was pilfered by thieves.
GERMAN NEWS: Nova Scotia town plays host to a 32-women protest, for their "small women march". Carrying protest signs in English, they resembled any American small town, except for the winter parkas and rosy red faces. (They were protesting woman's issues).
POLAND NEWS: A groups of 12-people, known now as the "Naked Auschwitz" Demonstrators, who chained themselves to the death camp's front gates back in March 2017 and arrested, were just now sentenced. Somewhere along their demonstration they had slain a sheep, this wasn't explained. But two men were given shorten sentences of just over a year and the rest were fined. (As to why they chose this location, this was never explained. But 1.1 million people were executed in this camp by the Nazis. ALSO: Poland desires an increase in U.S. Military presence in their country. ALSO- The infamous Warsaw Ghetto, where the Polish Jews held a gallant defense against the Nazis, is to be listed as a protected Archaeological Site. Because of their valiant fight, (Nazi troops had to be pulled in from outlining areas in an attempt to force the Jews out of their underground/basement fortifications. This greatly embarrassed the Nazis.)
ITALY NEWS: "Pope Francis calls for the Lord's Prayer to be changed as it implies God induces 'Temptation'." "Its Satan who leads us into Temptation, that's his department." "The prayer, also known as 'Our Father', asks God to 'Lead us not into Temptation", with Pope Francis saying it should be , "Do not let us fall into temptation. (This text is originally spoken by our Lord Jesus in Aramaic, later translated into Latin Vulgate, then into Greek and now for us into English.)
GREEK NEWS- "Greeks protest over neighbor's use of the name Macedonia", ALSO- Russian Alexander Vinnick, accused of laundering $4 billion through bitcoin crypto-currency exchange in the U.S., has petitioned the Greek Government for political asylum."
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: Medicaid expansion has enrolled twice as many able-bodied adults as projected. "Is crowding out resources for the truly needed. "12.7 million able-bodied adults dependent on Medicaid, with 650,000 adults on Medicaid waiting lists. ALSO- "Columbia University faculty boycott their bookstore after it apologizes for promoting Palestinian violence. Professors want the bookstore to rescind its apology." (This was over a children's book that praised Palestinian violence against Israel.)
MOSCOW TIMES: "Tanker with Russian gas headed for Boston makes a mid-Atlantic U-turn" (No other details, was there a boat problem or a snub to America?) ALSO "Saved by the Dance." "Half-naked videos swamp Russian Social Media." Apparently this is based upon videos taken of celebrating Russian pilots dancing topless (men), to the Rolling Stones song "Satisfaction", ( A great dance tune. But a bit behind times, from late 1960's) ALSO: Russia bands three groups promoting suicide on social networks. ALSO- a 6.3 earthquake hit South of Putre, Chile. (This was of course before ours here in Alaska.)
ASIA TIMES: Report- "Russia to install world's first floating nuke-power plant in one of its arctic towns." (Oh, that just makes feel all warm inside) . ALSO- "Abductions in Pakistan silence dissenting voices- activists are disappearing, or coming under fire, and many blame the Pakistani Security agencies and 'Deep State'." (I guess that is sort of like the old Russian KGB, maybe our CIA). ALSO- China's new high-speed trains will also provide launch platforms for Chinese missiles." ALSO- China pursuing missile defenses, very concerned with India's new nukes. ALSO: "China is eyes Philippines' strategic eastern shores." ALSO- Fears grow over Chinese investors snared in $11 Billion fraud probe. ALSO- Report- "India loses on average of 1,150 lives a day to tuberculosis." According to WHO. In 2016, over 430,000 lives were lost to this disease. ( I do not recommend India as a tourist stop for now.)
IRAN HERALD- Report, "21 countries affected in suspected Lebanese spying attack- Security researchers in California have unveiled the massive global spying operation." (Yes, the U.S. was listed.)
JERUSALEM ONLINE: Neo-Nazis celebrate Hitler's birthday in Poland with the burning of a large Swatiztica. ( My spelling didn't catch it. But you know what I'm talking about. Sort of like burning a Christian Cross on the front yard of a Black Family.) ALSO- Report "82% of Global Wealth belongs to 1% of population." ALSO- Palestinian's Prime Minister ABBAS reportedly wins support from the EU to have their capital in East Jerusalem."
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON- "State Department spending $592,500 to explore gender identities of boys and men in the Country of Kenya". (No wonder why our National Debt continues to rise, and why so many people are starving in these other countries. Was this study a priority over 5,000 people starving or not getting medication?)
LIBERTY PLANET: "Mainland China has set up Firewalls to prevent citizens from accessing popular western websites, such as YouTube, Facebook and Slide Share. It also sensors content in its own approved social media outlets- not allowing discussion with Taiwan, Tibet and treatment of minority religions."
GATESTONE: "Prisons in France: Terrorism and Islamism" Police and firefighters dealing with growing fears of working in French prisons, They fear being "being slaughtered, stripped, stabbed in the back", "All in the Name of Islam and ISIS." Reportedly French prison guards are on strike or going on strike after a number of guard were attacked, mainly by imprisoned terrorists.
THOUGHTFUL MIND QUOTE: "As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical pathway, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives." by Henry David Thoreau. ( I dedicate this to one of my children - who recently visited me).
WASHINGTON FREE BEACON: A recent poll showed that 4 out of 5 Americans want less immigration. ALSO- Feds spend $167,045 to fight fat shaming." (I'm not even sure I know what that means.)
PATRIOTIC NEWS/FOX NEWS: "NFL rejects veteran's groups Super Bowl ad, urging people to stand for the National Anthem." Requested by AMVETS.
GATESTONE: "Why do Western gays abandon their Islamic Brothers?", "LGBT activists and celebrities have never once promoted a boycott of the Islamic regimes that stone, jail and execute their homosexual citizens. Why do they not orchestrate a campaign a boycott Iranians, Indonesian, Palestinian and Turkish goods?" (Great question!!!!)
THOUGHTFUL MIND QUOTE: "The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." by Oscar Wilde.
I thought I'd finish the news with this quote. Give you something to think upon as your day goes by. I wish you all a grand day, that your able to pursue your goals, short or long. For you prayer warriors, I ask you to remember my household for physical and mental healing. I will try to remember all of yours, at least a few at a time. It is beginning to grow dark here now, but that is expect, but we make-up for it in the summer with 20-hours of daylight in June. I miss the summers in Fairbanks, when the sun just drops to the horizon at Solstice in June, and then pops right back up within minutes. Nearly 24 hours of daylight. For those of you who live outside, that have the semi-pro league, known as the Goldpanners, play their game over midnight and no lights are on. A yearly event.
I pray all is well with you and thanks for listening to my stories, news reports and quotes. God Bless, BILL