Tuesday, October 4, 2011

In the news:

It is hard to know what this development may mean - we'll have to wait and see:

Mosque Set on Fire in Northern Israel

A mosque in an Arab village in northern Israel was set on fire early Monday in what the police called an arson attack, and an outside wall was defaced with Hebrew graffiti.

The attack followed a series of similar assaults on mosques in the West Bank by arsonists suspected of being radical settlers as part of a campaign known as “price tag,” which seeks to exact a price from local Palestinians for violence against settlers or from Israeli security forces for taking action against illegal construction in Jewish outposts in the West Bank.

The defense minister, Ehud Barak, said that the “criminals” involved wanted to upset Jewish-Arab relations.


Israel Police on high alert as clashes ensue following mosque arson

Several dozen youths clashed with police overnight in a Bedouin village in northern Israel, hours after a local mosque was vandalized allegedly by Jewish extremists, officials said Tuesday.

The Bedouin protesters blocked roads with rocks, set fire to tires and threw stones at the police. Angry youth also torched the local council building, the local community center and a health clinic.

Police are concerned that Israeli Arabs will carry out revenge attacks in the wake of the arson, and also fear acts by Jewish extremists will spark further agitation and violence during the upcoming holidays, particularly in cities with mixed Jewish-Arab populations.


Iranian Pastor Increasingly Likely to Face Death Penalty Under New Charges

Imprisoned Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, originally sentenced to death for apostasy and refusing to renounce Christianity, is now in even greater danger of being put to death in light of reports in state-run media of other charges, including being a Zionist and a threat to national security.

"The charge of being a Zionist and thus a traitor is among the most serious accusations that can be made in Iran," said Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice, or ACLJ. "Unfortunately, we know that this is the charge Iran levies to justify executing people who were actually arrested, imprisoned and tried on completely different charges."

In a ruling from the Iranian Supreme Court obtained by FoxNews.com, Nadarkhani was sentenced to execution by hanging for breaking Islamic law by conducting Christian worship and baptizing himself and others.


Putin says he wants to build 'Eurasian Union'

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he wants to bring ex-Soviet states into a "Eurasian Union" in an article which outlined his first foreign policy initiative as he prepares to return to the Kremlin as the country's next president.

Putin said the new union would build on an existing Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan which from next year will remove all barriers to trade, capital and labour movement between the three countries.

"We are not going to stop there and are setting an ambitious goal -- to achieve an even higher integration level in the Eurasian Union," Putin wrote in an article which will be published in Izvestia newspaper on Oct. 4.

Putin said he saw the new union as a supra-national body which would coordinate "economic and currency policy" between its members. It would also be open to new members.


And below, we see a very interesting comment, particularly for those who believe that the biblical "10 kings" will consist of 10 world unions:

Putin wrote that he saw the way out of the global crisis through a regional integration, mentioning the European Union, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as examples.

"These 'bricks' can assemble into a more stable global economy," Putin wrote.


Also see:

Putin To Reassemble The Soviet Union

Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said he wants to bring ex-Soviet states into a “Eurasian Union” in an article which outlined his first foreign policy initiative as he prepares to return to the Kremlin as the country’s next president.

Putin said the new union would build on an existing Customs Union with Belarus and Kazakhstan which from next year will remove all barriers to trade, capital and labor movement between the three countries.

“We are not going to stop there and are setting an ambitious goal — to achieve an even higher integration level in the Eurasian Union,” Putin wrote in an article which will be published in Izvestia newspaper on October 4.

Putin said he saw the new union as a supra-national body which would coordinate “economic and currency policy” between its members. It would also be open to new members.

11 comments:

Alice said...

Sooooo interesting that Putin would use the brick analogy...

Caver said...

Agree Alice....but then Putin is a most interesting character himself...right type personality, right background, right country, right alliances, right position...maybe even the right ambitions.

Interesting indeed!

gearedup2go said...

Pastor Youcef's life hangs in the balance now more than ever. ACLJ lost communication in Iran for 4 hours on Friday and didn't know if the pastor was still alive. He is allowed only 1 visitor a week and his attorney, a muslim, has received threats and concluding the trial will be disbarred, won't be able to teach law and will be sentenced to prison for 9 years.

It's interesting to note that Pastor Youcef was given 3 opportunities to recant his Christian belief. He has 3 judges presiding over his case. He is a 32 year old father of two and pastors the Church of Iran with 400 members. His wife stood trial last year and was sentenced to life in prison but later was released. Other noted Christian evangelists in that region are receiving death threats as well.

ACLJ will be approaching the UN with their case as Iran continues to violate UN human rights charter. Please consider sharing the the latest updates of pastor Youcef with your friends and family. Word is getting out to the Iranians and ACLJ feels that because of the media attention, Pastor Youcef is alive. Go here for the latest updates.

gearedup2go said...

Mexico City lawmakers are considering short-term marriage contracts where couples can sign on the dotted line for 2 year marriage contracts. This could only happen in an upside down world.

gearedup2go said...

Breaking on WND..... Syria threatens to set Middle East on fire

Syrian President Bashar Assad reportedly warned,"If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv," he stated in Iran's state-run Fars new agency.

Furthermore, Assad insisted that Damascus and Hezbollah will unite to launch rockets and missiles on Israel.

Expected Imminently said...

Hello Scott

For the past 12 days or so we have had the most incredible weather - not complaining mind, but we have had the hottest September for 100 years and have never known October to be so warm - nay, tis hot!

I have been away for a rest but I had little excercise as I don't cope with the heat too well, so spent most days cooped up in the shade.

My Viburnum shrub is in full bloom while in full leaf. It normally flowers on bare branches in the cold, short days of winter.

Weird; very nice, but definitely weird.

MARANATHA!

God bless
Sue
x

Scott said...

Sue
Does that mean you have switched to "Iced Tea", like here in the States (southern states to be specific) - from hot tea?

That may be a criminal act in the UK so if you don't want to admit to it, I'll understand :)

Expected Imminently said...

ICED TEA!!! 8-O

Not bloomin'likely. A nice hot cuppa cools ya down - don't seem right, but tis true. :-D

(hug)

Scott said...

Sue
If you ever make it here over to the states, I'll treat you to the best iced tea imaginable.....You know it'll be served at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb, so you may as well get used to it now :)

DrNofog said...

There yar EI!!

After 2 weeks of no EI, and just when we were worried that maybe she had fallen casualty on 1 of her many covert '007' missions into the postie & RT encampments, or had been captured and taken to a 're-education' facility by the Emergent/Ecumenical PC police...
Guess who show up!

And now admitting she shirked her duties and had only 'fallen casualty' to the "D^mn the current ME events torpedoes, full vacationing speed ahead" syndrome!!
;)

Scott said...

Thats just a cover...I still suspect that she was on a covert operation - probably deep in the middle east...just a theory - I have no proof of course :)