In the news:

Major earthquake strikes off the northern coast of Japan

A major earthquake struck off Japan's northeastern coast Sunday, prompting tsunami advisories that were later canceled, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 10:57 a.m. at the epicenter, about 130 miles east of Sendai.
The earthquake was more than 20 miles deep and had a magnitude of 7.0, the USGS said.

The JMA measured the magnitude of the quake at 7.1.

Tremors from Sunday's quake were felt as far away as Tokyo.

Pro-Palestinian plan week of protests in W. Bank

Pro-Palestinian activists plan to hold protest events across the West Bank this week, starting in the Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem on Sunday and ending in Jerusalem on Friday.

It’s the second phase of the “Welcome to Palestine” campaign, in which foreign activists flew to Ben-Gurion Airport on Friday from across Europe, in an event dubbed the “flightilla.”

Two Rocket Attacks South of Ashkelon; IDF Bombs Tunnel

Terrorists in Hamas-controlled Gaza attacked south of Ashkelon Saturday with two rockets, and the Air Force retaliated by bombing a terror tunnel.

No damage or injuries were reported in the missile attacks, and the IDF said the retaliatory bombing scored a direct hit on the tunnel. As in the past, the Defense Ministry did not explain why the terror tunnels, designed to help terrorists infiltrate and carry out kidnappings, are bombed only after missile strikes on Israelis.

The Hamas and allied terrorists have escalated attacks on Israel the past two weeks after a lull of more than two months.

Energy War? Lebanon Warns Israel 'Playing with Fire' Offshore

Lebanon has warned Israel it is “playing with fire” by staking out energy claims in the Mediterranean Sea, where Beirut says Israel’s discoveries are in its territory.

The Israeli Cabinet, heading off another dispute similar to the Sheba Farms land dispute at the northern border, approved a “marine economic zone proposal” Sunday after Lebanon presented maps to the United Nations, marking maritime borders that would include part of the giant Leviathan and Tamar fields. The United Nations previously has refused to take repsonsiblity for marking the maritime borders.

The Lebanese daily As-Safir, in an article under the headline “War of Oil: Another Phase of Israeli Offense,” reported that Lebanese Minister of Energy and Water Joubran Bassil said Israel “is playing with fire “by violating Lebanon’s maritime border and oil rights.”

Israeli firms discovered the gas fields, which also are believed to hold large commercially viable oil deposits, two years ago. Afterwards, Lebanon said the discoveries are in its territory, and it recently has announced that a Norwegian company will start a seismic research offshore.

Hizbullah, with its eyes on the rich reserves, previously has threatened that Israel is risking war by planning to “steal” its offshore energy reserves.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman charged that Lebanon is “under pressure from Hizbullah” and “is looking for friction.” He added that there are "very strong arguments under international law" that back Israel’s claims.

Netanyahu: Maritime borders proposed by Lebanon encroach upon Israel territory

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday to a recent dispute on Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon, saying at a cabinet meeting that the lines delineated in a Lebanese proposal are significantly further south than those recognized by Israel and determined in previous deals.

“The lines declared by Lebanon contradict both the maritime border agreement signed by Israel and Cyprus, as well as the border agreement signed between Lebanon itself and Cyprus,” Netanyahu said at the meeting, adding that Israel is actively working to clarify the border based on international maritime law.

The cabinet meeting was convened days before Israel plans to submit coordinates to the United Nations its take on where its maritime economic border with Lebanon should be, as the two countries scramble for gas reserves estimated to be worth billions of dollars.

Israel has become even more concerned about the positioning of the border after learning recently that a Norwegian company has begun searching for gas in the area. The search is due to be completed within months, and the Lebanese government hopes to use the findings to license international energy companies to probe areas that could be in Israel's exclusive economic zone.

Israeli warplane strikes Gaza in response to rocket fire

An Israeli Air Force aircraft on early Sunday morning targeted an underground tunnel in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed.

An IDF spokesperson said it carried out the bombing in response to three military-use projectiles fired from Gaza at Israel on Saturday. They landed in southern Israel without causing damage or casualties.

"The IDF will not allow southern Israeli communities to live under constant threat of rocket fire, and will continue to respond with determination in any attempt to use terror against the citizens of Israel," the IDF spokesperson warned. "The IDF holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip."

This next story is being put up for one reason only. I personally believe that the whole UFO story, which seems to be increasing recently (movies, articles, books, etc.) is some kind of conditioning, and will ultimately be used for the antichrist's purposes, possibly in attempts to disprove the Holy Bible.

The reasons are obvious.

First, the story really began just a few months prior to 1948, with the so-called "Roswell Incident", and since then, the story has grown too big to ignore. Secondly, the story is just too inviting for the purposes of serving as an "explanation" on how humans got to earth and why there have been so many sightings over the past 60-70 years. Thirdly, I have always found it highly interesting that the so-called "alien abductions" and subsequent descriptions of "aliens" have been very consistent with historical accounts of demons.

Ultimately, I believe that the whole alien story will be part of the antichrist's plan for deception - how and why remains unknown, and this is total speculation on my part.

In this context, we take a look at the story below. Additionally, I post this under the heading of "this is what is 'out there' in the news". I don't believe this story is true, but I do believe it could be possibly used as an explanation for events to come:

Top US Space Expert Issues Catastrophic Warning On Comet Elenin

A grim warning was issued this past week by the former NASA consultant and noted US space expert Richard C. Hoagland that the newly discovered comet named Elenin, designated C/2010 X1, that is fast approaching our Sun is under “intelligent control” and heralds a warning to all humanity of a great Global catastrophe soon to come.

Let me stop right here and notify that many other scientists would dispute the quote that Richard Hoagland as a "US space expert". He is certainly controversial with his views and would probably not be considered as "mainstream".

Most interesting to note about Comet Elenin is its being trailed by 2 distinct rows comprised of 8 smaller circular shaped “objects” that Chinese scientists had previously stated were UFO’s belonging to an as yet unidentified “extraterrestrial civilization.”

Hoagland further asserts in his report that is “beyond coincidence” that Comet Elenin is scheduled make its closest approach to the Sun on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, 11 September 2011, and that on 11 November 2011 (11-11-11) its orbit will carry it into a “grand alignment” between itself, the Earth and other planets in our Solar System.

To the many still as yet unexplained anomalies surrounding Comet Elenin, and when coupled with Hoagland’s report, one would think it wise to pay close attention during the coming months to this most strange visitor to our Solar System.

The point of posting this article is simply to reveal what is being said in the media - and how events that are in the news can be twisted into various forms of deception. Such deception can also be used to promote and extend agendas right here on earth. It would be anticipated that the UFO story is going to become more and more a part of daily news. We're already seeing stories that the whole UFO "cover-up" is finally being unveiled for the world to see:

Is the UFO Cover-up Over?

UFO Cover-up:
Two-Page Summary of the Book Disclosure
Government & Military Witnesses Testify on Major UFO Cover-up

We can expect to see more and more of these types of stories as we approach the Tribulation and the rise of the antichrist.