Believer's Issues issues that affect our physical lives, our spiritual lives and ministries.

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DNA uncovers mystery migration to the Americas

[BBC News - July 22, 2015]
Two separate genetic analyses have found evidence for a surprising genetic link between the native populations of the Americas and Oceania.




Rescued Boko Haram Captives May No Longer Have a Home

[Voice of America - ‎April 29, 2015]
LAGOS—. Nearly 300 girls and women are now free from Boko Haram captivity after a raid by Nigeria's military. But some may have nowhere to go back to.




The Independent Nepal earthquake: Four-month-old baby is rescued after 22 hours trapped under

[The Independent - ‎April 29, 2015]
Incredible images have emerged of the moment a four-month old baby was rescued from the rubble of a building devastated by the Nepal earthquake, 22 hours after the disaster struck.




11 Get Life Sentences Over Guinea Ebola Worker Murder

[Voice of America - ‎April 22, 2015]
CONAKRY—. A court in Guinea has sentenced 11 people to life in prison for murdering a team educating locals about the risks of Ebola in a remote part of the West African country last year, a state prosecutor said on Wednesday




French Lawmakers Aim To Criminalize 'Excessive Thinness' In Advertising

[Huffington Post - ‎March 17, 2015]
PARIS (AP) - France's health minister says she supports plans to criminalize the use of advertising with anorexic models in France.




100,000 Infant Deaths Could Be Prevented Annually If Babies Were Washed With Clean Water: Report

[Reuters - ‎March 17, 2015]
Over a third of hospitals and clinics in developing countries have nowhere for staff or patients to wash with soap, and almost 40 percent have no source of water, according to a WHO-backed international review published on Tuesday.




Bloomberg Lessons From Africa's Hard-Won Victory Over Ebola

[Bloomberg - ‎February 3, 2015]
The world needs more aggressive action to deal with emerging infectious-disease threats. Here's what governments can do. Don't Miss Out-




Too much jogging 'as bad as no exercise at all'

[BBC News - ‎February 3, 2015]
Too much jogging may be as bad for you as not putting on your running shoes at all, a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says.




Distant exoplanet hosts giant ring system

[BBC News - ‎January 27, 2015]
Astronomers say they have discovered a planet with a gigantic ring system that is 200 times larger than that around Saturn. It is the first such structure detected around a planet beyond our Solar System.




1st Ebola Clinic For Pregnant Women Opens In Sierra Leone

[Huffington Post - ‎January 13, 2015]
A new clinic is giving some of the most vulnerable Ebola patients a better chance at surviving the virus. The facility -- located in a former boys' high school in the capital city of Freetown -- is the first care center created specifically for pregnant women since the




Woman fakes cancer; tricks friends, neighbors into donating thousands of dollars

[The Post-Standard - April 22, 2014]
Mindy Taylor (left) with a friend. This photo from her Facebook page contained the caption, "When you wear your #mindysarmy remember it's not just for me, but anyone with cancer, anyone that fights, stay positive & do the next best thing!




WHO: Ebola outbreak one of 'most challenging'

[CNN - April 9, 2014]
(CNN) -- The Ebola outbreak in coastal West Africa is still contained to Guinea and Liberia, the World Health Organization announced Tuesday, despite rumors of the virus spreading to other countries.




The Guardian See realtime coverage WHO: air pollution responsible for 1 in 8 global deaths

[Medical News - March 25, 2014]
According to a World Health Organization report released today, around 1 in 8 of total global deaths - 7 million deaths annually - are as a result of exposure to air pollution.




Death toll in northeast Nigeria attack rises to 85

[Reuter - January 28, 2014]
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - An attack by suspected Islamist Boko Haram insurgents on a northeast Nigerian village on Monday killed 85 people, up from 40 previously reported, officials said on Tuesday.




Gates says poor countries not doomed to stay poor

[The Seattle Times - January 21, 2014]
Philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates pitched an optimistic future for the world's poor and sick in their annual letter Tuesday, arguing passionately against three myths they say hurt efforts to bring people out of poverty, save lives and improve living conditions.




Battle to get rid of polio 'finally over'

[Metro - January 14, 2014]
Polio has been eradicated after a rigorous immunisation drive by millions of doctors and volunteers. The vaccine-preventable disease has not been detected in India since 2011 and the World Health Organisation looks set to declare it free of polio in March.




Honduras declares state of emergency over dengue fever

[BBC News - ‎July 31, 2013]
Honduras has declared a state of emergency after an outbreak of dengue fever which has killed 16 people so far this year. More than 12,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease, which causes high fever and joint pains.




Breast-feeding is best, so ban bottles, Venezuelan lawmaker proposes

[CNN International - ‎Jun 17, 2013]
Venezuelan lawmakers are weighing whether to ban the use of baby bottles as part of a push to promote breast-feeding, state media reported.




The Guardian UK: Public OK with creating babies from 3 people

[USA TODAY- ‎March 20, 2013]
U.K.: Public O.K. with creating babies from 3 people. Maria Cheng, Associated Press1:59p.m. EDT March 20, 2013. Britain's fertility regulator did not find evidence to suggest the techniques were unsafe.




Men and women see the world differently: research

[New Zealand Herald - ‎September 5, 2012‎]
By Paul Harper While men's eyes are more sensitive to fine detail and rapidly moving objects, women pick up differences in colours, researchers from the Brooklyn and Hunter Colleges of the City University of New York have found.




Sunshine vitamin 'may help treat tuberculosis'

[BBC News - ‎Sep 3, 2012‎]
By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News Vitamin D could help the body fight infections of deadly tuberculosis, according to doctors in London.




Cholera emergency declared in Sierra Leone

[Associated Press, August 21, 2012]
An outbreak of cholera in West Africa has infected more than 13,000 people and killed at least 258 people in Sierra Leone and Guinea, authorities said as they appealed




German court outlaws religious circumcision

[AFP, June 26, 2012]
Circumcising young boys on religious grounds causes grievous bodily harm, a German court ruled Tuesday in a landmark decision that the Jewish community said trampled on parents' religious rights.




Arm blood pressure differences 'predict death risk'

[BBC News, March 20, 2012]
By Helen Briggs Health editor, BBC News website A large difference between the blood pressure in each arm suggests a bigger risk of dying early, researchers claim. A study of 230 high blood pressure patients found those with big differences in systolic pressure were more likely to die from heart attack, stroke or other causes.




Report: Myanmar desperate for HIV and TB drugs

[San Francisco Chronicle, February 21, 2012]
Some 85000 HIV-infected people in Myanmar are not getting treatment due to a lack of funding, despite renewed international engagement with the government amid a wave of political reform, according to a report released Wednesday..




Pancreatic cancer: Trial drug MRK003 shows promise

[BBC, February 20, 2012]
Scientists say they may have found a new weapon against pancreatic cancer after promising early trial results of an experimental drug combination.




Protein that can knock out HIV identified: Study

[Times of India, February 14, 2012]
WASHINGTON: In a pioneering research, scientists claim to have identified a protein that can knock out HIV, which causes AIDS, by starving it of raw materials it needs to reproduce .




Scientists create multicellular life using gravity and pressure

[The State Column, January 18, 2012]
A team of scientists have reportedly performed an experiment which has led to the creation of a single-celled organism, brewer's yeast, to evolve into a multicellular cluster, mimicking one of the first stages of evolution on Earth.




Nigeria's government squeezed by subsidy protests, militant movements

[CNN, January 10, 2012]
(CNN) -- Nigeria's government is facing rising religious violence in the north, a long-simmering separatist movement in the oil-rich south and now a nationwide strike fueled by widespread anger over the end of fuel subsidies seen by many as one of the few benefits of living in the largely impoverished state.




After Nigeria's Church Bombings: The Advent of Christian-Muslim Conflict?

[TIME World, December 27, 2011]
By Monica Mark / Lagos Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011. On the blood-splattered front walls of the blasted church, somebody scrawled two messages using wood burnt into charcoal from the flames of the explosion: "Revolution now" and "No more peace in the country."




Malaria: World Health Organization Says Deaths Have Dropped 25 Percent in Last ...

[New York Times, December 26, 2011]
Malaria deaths have fallen by more than 25 percent in the last decade, thanks to a coordinated attack on the disease, but that progress remains fragile, the World Health Organization announced this month.




Security in Flu Study Was Paramount, Scientist Says

[New York Times, December 21, 2011]
The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, concerned about bioterrorism and a worldwide pandemic, has for the first time ever urged scientific journals to keep details out of reports that they intend to publish on a highly transmissible form of the bird flu called A(H5N1), which has a high death rate in people.




Global malaria death toll falling

[BBC News, December 13, 2011]
We all like reports of dramatic medical and scientific breakthroughs but the reality is that most developments are incremental. As a result, important issues can get overlooked.




Woman's life saved by fake breasts after husband stabs her in the heart

[USA Today, October 4, 2011]
By Daily Mail Reporter A Russian woman can thank her breast implants for a lot more than just her shapely figure. The Muscovite was the victim of an attempted stabbing by her husband - but her life was saved when the knife stuck in her silicone breast.




Canada unveils larger, graphic anti-smoking labels Reuters

[Reuters, September 27, 2011]
OTTAWA - Canada unveiled some of the world's largest and most graphic anti-smoking labels on Tuesday on the grounds that smokers were starting to ignore existing …




Parents' Refusal Of Kids' Polio Vaccine Might Mean Jail In Nigeria

[Medical News Today, August 3, 2011]
Officials in Nigeria's northern Kano state say parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated against polio may be prosecuted and could face jail time.




Desperate, sick Indonesians use railroad 'therapy'

[The Associated Press, August 2, 2011]
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Ignoring the red-and-white danger sign, Sri Mulyati walks slowly to the train tracks outside Indonesia's bustling capital, lies down and stretches her body across the rails.




Third of world's people infected with hepatitis: WHO

[Reuters, July 26, 2011]
GENEVA (Reuters) - Around one third of the global population, or 2 billion people, have been infected with the liver disease hepatitis which kills about a million victims …




Africans on HIV drugs can expect normal lifespan - study

[AFP, July 18, 2011]
Patients taking HIV drugs in Africa can expect to have a near-normal lifespan, although men are likelier to die far sooner than women, according to the biggest study …




First Double Leg Transplant Patient May Soon Walk

[ABC News, July 12, 2011]
Doctor Pedro Cavadas listens during a press conference in La Fe hospital in Valencia, Spain, July 12, 2011. A man who underwent the first-ever double leg transplant may be able to walk with ...




Millions will die if India stops AIDS drugs: U.N.

[Reuters, July 05, 2011]
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Millions of people dependent on life-saving generic drugs to treat HIV/AIDS will die if India stops producing cheap drugs for the disease due to its trade deal with the European Union …




World's first womb transplant planned

[Telegraph.co.uk, June 13, 2011]
A British based businesswoman is preparing to make history by becoming the first person in the world to have her womb transplanted into her daughter.




Donors pledge $4.3 billion for vaccines for poor

[Reuters, June 13, 2011]
International donors led by Britain and Bill Gates pledged $4.3 billion on Monday to buy vaccines to protect children in poor countries against potential killers such as diarrheal diseases and pneumonia.




EPA moves to ban the sale of some rat poisons

[CNN , June 7, 2011]
Washington (CNN) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that it would work to ban the sale of some mouse and rat poisons in a bid to better protect children and pets.




Dutchman Builds Noah's Ark a Second Time

[Christian Post , May 31, 2011]
A man in the Netherlands has almost completed building a replica of Noah’s ark, identical in size to the one in the Bible. Following the exact measurements recorded in the book of Genesis, the successful construction company owner, Johan Huibers, has been working on the ark for a few years now and he is set to finish by July, according to The New York Times.




Fire at Japan nuclear reactor heightens radiation threat

[Reuters, March 15, 2011]
TOKYO (Reuters) – Another fire broke out on Wednesday at an earthquake-crippled Japanese nuclear plant that has sent low levels of radiation wafting into Tokyo and triggered international alarm, suggesting that the crisis may be slipping out of control.




Potassium iodide and Geiger counter sales spike after Japan disaster

[Chicago Tribune, March 15, 2011]
- Ryan Haggerty- Sales of Geiger counters and potassium iodide supplements that can block some radiation have surged nationwide since Friday, fueled by concerns among some Americans that radiation released from Japanese nuclear plants




European Cereal Boxes Linked to Cancer Not a Danger for U.S. Consumers

[LiveScience.com, March 8, 2011]
Some recycled cardboard cereal boxes sold in Europe have been found to contain dangerous levels of mineral oils — types of petroleum hydrocarbons. The oils, which may be carcinogenic, are even leaching through the plastic bags inside the boxes and onto the cereal.




Dozens trapped by New Zealand quake that killed 65

[Associated Press, February 22, 2011]
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand - Office workers trapped under their collapsed buildings sent messages to the outside as rescuers with dogs scrambled to save them and dozens of others following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 65 in one of New Zealand's largest cities.




HIV patients out of drugs, harassed in Ukraine

[Associated Press, February 15, 2011]
KIEV, Ukraine – AIDS drugs turned Andrei from a sickly baby into an energetic toddler, who giggles as he goes sledding in his snow-covered backyard. But the health of the 2-year-old is again at risk — he is out of his medication.




UN says female circumcision should end

[Associated Press, February 7, 2011]
UNITED NATIONS - Top U.N. officials are calling for an end to female genital mutilation, saying it violates fundamental human rights and endangers the health of 3 million girls who undergo the practice annually.




S.Africa "whoonga" is new threat to HIV patients

[Reuters, January 13, 2011] JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Millions of South Africans with HIV face a new worry -- being robbed of life-prolonging medicine by drug gangs who use it to lace a highly addictive marijuana cocktail known to its smokers as 'whoonga.'




Malaria control programs produce substantial results: WHO

[Xinhua News, December 14, 2010] GENEVA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization released its 2010 world malaria report Tuesday at Geneva, stating that the massive scale-up in malaria control programs between 2008 and 2010 had resulted in substantial progress in bring down..




Haitian Village Trades Voodoo for Jesus

[The Christian Post, November 25, 2010] Haiti’s devastating earthquake in January has turned the world’s attention to the poverty-stricken country and its myriad of problems. But a small village up in the mountainous region of Haiti offers hope for the troubled country to experience remarkable transformation spiritually and economically.




Haiti water mission turns to cholera fight for Calgary aid worker

[The Calgary Herald, November 18, 2010] Arriving back in Calgary Wednesday after three weeks out of the country, Olivier Mills is unfazed by the cold weather and snow.




Global Pro-Family Gathering Opens

[The Christian Post, August 10, 2009]
Pro-family activists and leaders from 61 countries kicked off the 5th global conference supporting traditional family values on Monday in Amsterdam.
Over 1,000 leaders, activists, scholars and legislators are expected to attend the World Congress of Families (WCF) on Aug. 10-12. Organizers have hailed the event as truly the 'first worldwide congress of families' with delegates coming from 11 African states, and from as far away as Venezuela, South Africa, Moldova, Pakistan and Australia.




North Korea Executes Christian Woman for Distributing Bibles

[The Christian Post, July 24, 2009]
North Korea has publicly executed a Christian woman accused of distributing Bibles and 'spying' for foreign countries, South Korean activists said Friday.




Christian Doctor Loses Position over Gay Adoption View

[The Christian Post, July 21, 2009]
A Christian doctor in England was removed from an adoption panel because she refused to endorse applications by gay couples. Pediatrician Dr. Sheila Matthews had requested to abstain from voting in cases of same-sex couples, as she has done for the past five years. But the Northhamptonshire County Council said it decided to instead replace her on the panel because her view on gay adoption did not comply with England’s new Equality Law, as reported by U.K.’s the Daily Mail.




Christian Groups Press for Int'l Response to Honduras Crisis

[The Christian Post, July 7, 2009]
As Honduras continues to slide toward instability following last week’s military coup, international Christian organizations are pressing the governments of the Latin American region and the Organization of American States to take appropriate action.




Uganda to outlaw female circumcision

[AFP, July 3, 2009]
KAMPALA (AFP) – Uganda will pass a law banning female genital mutilation, which is rampant among pastoralist tribes in the country's eastern region, the president said in a statement Friday.




Christ Calls Us to Be Neighbors to Immigrants, Says WCC Chief

[The Christian Post, June 15, 2009]
LONDON – The head of the World Council of Churches has called upon Christians to live out the core message in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan and treat others as their neighbors.




Brazil Says Debris Found in Ocean Might Be From Plane

[nytimes.com, June 2, 2009]
Brazilian military planes sighted some wreckage floating in the Atlantic Ocean Tuesday morning that could be part of the missing Air France Flight 447, which disappeared Sunday night with 228 aboard, a Brazilian air force spokesman said in a televised address reported by news agencies.




U.K. Christians Challenged to Be Bold, Not Nice

The Christian Post, June 1, 2009]
LONDON – The convener of the Global Day of Prayer London has delivered a tough call to Christians in the United Kingdom to wake up and take an uncompromising stand for their faith. More than 10,000 Christians in London prayed in each of the capital's 33 boroughs as part of the Global Day of Prayer, which was observed in 219 countries on Pentecost Sunday.




Taliban Strikes Christians with a Vengeance

[The Christian Post, May 18, 2009]
The Taliban has turned on Christians with a vengeance for the ongoing army offensive against the Islamic militants in Pakistan. Furious over the U.S. and Pakistan's military operations in Swat Valley, the Taliban attacked a Christian colony, causing fear and panic among its members and forcing them to join 200,000 others fleeing the town.




God's Wild Child Becomes Armed Savior in Sudan

[The Christian Post, May 11, 2009]
To some he is known as the mzunga (white guy) preacher. To others he is a bad boy gone right. And still to others he is known as the machine gun-toting pastor. But to the little children of Southern Sudan who are at risk of death or slavery at the hands of the vicious rebel group Lord’s Resistance Army, he is simply a savior.




List of Nations with Worst Religious Tolerance Grows

[The Christian Post, May 3, 2009]
WASHINGTON – An annual list of countries that names the worst violators of religious freedom expanded to include two new countries – Iraq and Nigeria – announced a U.S. government body on Friday.




U.K. Christians Oppose New Sex Ed Proposals

[The Christian Post, April 28, 2009]
LONDON – Christians have spoken out against government plans to introduce new rules that would require schools to teach 11-year-old students about homosexuality and civil partnerships during compulsory sex education classes.




Rights Groups Confront Chinese Gov't in Unprecedented Letter

[The Christian Post, April 5, 2009]
Seven human rights groups in China have issued an unprecedented open letter challenging the Chinese government to account for its rights violations against Chinese citizens. Police in mainland China, the groups wrote in the letter Friday, have frequently used their power to 'summon Chinese citizens, search their residences, seize their computers, bank books, paper notebooks, draft of their writings, etc.'




Muslim-Majority Morocco Expels 5 Christian Missionaries

[The Christian Post, March 30, 2009]
The overwhelmingly Muslim, North African country of Morocco expelled five Christian missionaries for 'illegally' trying to convert Muslims, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.




'60 Minutes': What's next for the Conficker worm?

[CBS Interactive, March 29, 2009]
The Internet is infected. Malicious computer hackers have been creating more and more weapons that they plant on the Internet. They call their weapons viruses and worms--they're creepy, crawly toxic software that contaminate our computers without our ever knowing it. You can be infected by simply visiting your favorite Web site, or just by leaving your computer on, overnight while you're asleep




CBS 60 Minutes covers Conficker, malware epidemic

[CBS, March 29, 2009]
CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl reports on computer viruses that propagate on the Internet and infect PCs, which enable their creators — often called 'cyber gangs' — to learn the information they need to electronically rob bank accounts. Please Watch the episode:




Gay Couple Sues Christian Hotel Owners for Refusing Them Double Room

[The Christian Post, March 23, 2009]
LONDON – A Christian couple is being sued after they refused to let a homosexual couple stay together at their seaside hotel. Martyn Hall and his civil partner, Steven Paddy, are suing Peter and Hazelmary Bull, claiming they experienced 'direct discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation,' according to The Daily Mail.




Christian TV Host Attacked in 'Faith Hate' Crime

[The Christian Post, March 16, 2009]
LONDON – A Christian minister and TV show host was attacked Monday in what police are calling a 'faith hate' crime. The Pakistan-born Rev. Noble Samuel, 48, was driving to the studio for his Asian Gospel Show in North London, when another car with three Asian men pulled over in front of him. One of the men got out of the car and asked him for directions in Urdu. According to the minister, the man then 'put his hand into my window, which was half open, and grabbed my hair and opened the door. He started slapping my face and punching my neck. He was trying to smash my head on the steering wheel. Then he grabbed my cross and pulled it off and it fell on the floor. He was swearing. The other two men came from the car and took my laptop and Bible,'




Italy Returns Orthodox Church to Russia

[The Christian Post, March 2, 2009]
BARI, Italy (AP) – Italy on Sunday returned ownership to Russia of an Orthodox church named after St. Nicholas in a goodwill gesture toward Moscow and the Orthodox faithful.




Christians Turn to God Over Moral Crisis in UK

[The Christian Post, March 2, 2009]
LONDON – 'Your Kingdom come, Your will be done' was the prayer of hundreds of Christians who gathered at a central London church on Saturday to cry out to God over the moral and spiritual crisis in the United Kingdom.




Terminally Ill Celebrity Wants Sons to Know Jesus

[The Christian Post, February 24, 2009]
LONDON – British reality TV star Jade Goody says she’s 'ready to go to Heaven' after marrying boyfriend Jack Tweed and christening her sons this past Sunday. The 27-year-old celebrity, who was told earlier this month that her cervical cancer had spread to other parts of her body, has only months to live and said Sunday was the 'happiest day' of her life.
'Now I'm ready to go to Heaven,' she told OK! Magazine after the wedding service.




Italy Government Battles Over 'Right-to-Die' Case

[The Christian Post, February 8, 2009]
ROME – Italy's government issued an emergency decree Friday to prevent a woman who has been in a vegetative state for 17 years from having her feeding tubes disconnected, but the president said he wouldn't sign it.




Around the world, atheists hit road to knock down God

[The Associated Press, January 19, 2009]
LONDON – An atheist drive to persuade people that God doesn't exist is catching on in a surprising fashion -- on the sides of buses in a growing number of countries around the world.




Christian Refuses to Drive Buses with 'No God' Ads

[The Christian Post, January 17, 2009]
A Christian bus driver refused to drive buses carrying an advertisement that declares (There’s probably no God.) The ads have been put up by the British Humanist Association on buses across the United Kingdom with the support of prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins. They proclaim: 'There’s probably no God'.




Gays outraged by pope's 'homophobic attack'

[The Associated Press, December 23, 2008]
VATICAN CITY (AFP) – A suggestion by Pope Benedict XVI that homosexuality is as much of a threat to the survival of the human race as climate change sparked outrage among gay rights campaigners on Tuesday.




Roman battlefield discovered in northern Germany

[The Associated Press, December 15, 2008]
KALEFELD-OLDENRODE, Germany – Archaeologists say they have uncovered a third-century battlefield in northern Germany which could prove that Roman legions were fighting in the region much later than historians have long believed. Rome's most famous incursion into the north of modern Germany came in A.D. 9, when Roman soldiers were defeated by Germanic tribesman at the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest.




Ireland's food crisis spreads to beef

[Reuters, December 9, 2008]
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Three cattle herds in Ireland were contaminated with dioxins, authorities said on Tuesday, dragging the country's crucial beef industry into a scandal that has already sparked an international recall of Irish pork products.




Woman in China Won't Be Forced to Have Abortion

The Christian Post, November 24, 2008]
Chinese authorities succumbed to international pressure, especially from U.S. politicians, and will not force a six-month pregnant woman to undergo an abortion procedure.




Christian Leaders Urge Strong American Response to India Violence

The Christian Post, November 14, 2008]
WASHINGTON – A series of violent attacks on Christians in India calls for a 'strong and urgent American response,' a broad group of U.S. Christian leaders urged President Bush in a letter.




Christians Worldwide to Pray for Persecuted Church on Sunday

The Christian Post, November 9, 2008]
Christians worldwide will pray for the persecuted church on Sunday with special emphasis this year on Christians in India and Iraq. As part of the annual International Day of Prayer, the hundreds of thousands of Christians expected to participate will pray for God to give strength and protect believers in nations hostile to the Gospel.




China's Gov't-Approved Church Reaches Out to House Churches

The Christian Post, November 9, 2008]
The official church organization recognized by the Chinese government says it sympathizes with the country’s house churches and is willing to provide them with Bibles.




Archaeologists report finding oldest Hebrew text

[Reuters, October 30, 2008]
JERUSALEM - Archaeologists in Israel said on Thursday they had unearthed the oldest Hebrew text ever found, while excavating a fortress city overlooking a valley where the Bible says David slew Goliath.




South African officials say new virus is contained

[Reuters, October 29, 2008]
LONDON - A new virus that has killed four people and infected another in South Africa appears to have been contained, according to the most recent information posted by South African authorities on their website. The virus has been identified as a member of the arenavirus family, which also includes the germ that causes Lassa fever.




"New poor" in Italy line up for free food

[Reuters, October 29, 2008]
MILAN - An empty plastic bag in hand, Italian shop assistant Stefano G. stands in line with hundreds of others waiting to collect handouts of basic foods he says he can no longer afford. For the last seven months, the 43-year-old, who supports his pensioner parents and declined to give his full name because he did not want to be recognized, has been coming to the Pane Quotidiano (Daily Bread) charity in Milan to take home free bread, milk, fruit and vegetables and other produce.




Japan Goes Bananas For New Diet

[Time, October 17, 2008]
A customer beams during selection of bananas at an organic food market in Tokyo.
Keiko Akai is very annoyed. The attractive 21-year-old university student has been planning to do a banana diet for some time now, but she can't get started — and not for lack of trying. 'I keep going to OK Store, my local supermarket every single day,' she says. 'In fact, I've just been there. There are no bananas on the shelves, and it's been like that for a month.'




The Miracle of Our Return

[Israel National News.com, September 28, 2008]
We never imagined that we would have the privilege of bearing witness to the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel. Those dreams seemed to be unreachable; and yet, we have returned to the mountains of Jerusalem, to the ancient site of the City of David, to the path of our forefathers from Hevron to Shechem. 'We have returned to the mountains of Jerusalem'...




Britain's new biometric ID card

[Reuters, September 25, 2008]
LONDON - Home Secretary Jacqui Smith unveiled the country's new biometric ID card on Thursday which some foreign nationals will be issued with from November, before the scheme is rolled out to Britons from next year.
Bliss & Fire opinion: What on your mind? The Bible talk about one world government… be Vigilant! - Revelation 13:16-17




Scholar claims to find medieval Jewish capital

[Associated Press, September 20, 2008]
MOSCOW - A Russian archaeologist says he has found the lost capital of the Khazars, a powerful nation that adopted Judaism as its official religion more than 1,000 years ago, only to disappear leaving little trace of its culture.




It's Temple time

[The Jerusalem Post, September 15, 2008]
Built by King Solomon about 950 BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE because of flagrant sin in the nation, the Temple was rebuilt about 70 years later but razed by the Romans in 70 CE... this time, according to the Talmud, because of causeless hatred of one Jew for another. It's difficult for modern man to understand what the Temple was: A material dwelling place for the immaterial God, visible proof that God was with His people. It was a site suffused by the Holy Spirit, where, according to the Talmud, 10 standing miracles could be witnessed by all visitors, and to which all the nations are destined to flock in order to experience the divine. When the Second Temple was lost, the whole world was darkened...




Russia to Build World’s Largest Jewish Museum

[IsraelNationalNews.com, September 15, 2008]
This week it was announced that plans for the Russian-Jewish Museum of Tolerance, to be the world’s largest Jewish museum, were approved in Moscow. In a largely symbolic gesture of support, Vladimir Putin, as president in 2007, promised to donate one month’s worth of his salary as Russian president to the building of the museum. Putin made his pledge as a response to a request from Russia’s chief Rabbi Berl Lazar for the President to expedite the Jewish community’s long-delayed plans for such a museum..




Atheists abandon attempt to ban baptisms-'Americans should be aware such lawsuits may seem far-fetched, but are happening'

[WorldNetDaily.com, August 15, 2008]
An atheism-promoting organization has withdrawn its lawsuit demanding Christian baptisms of children be banned in Italy after a U.S.-based legal team took on the defense of a bishop and the Roman Catholic Church there.




Has 'Temple' author discovered location of lost Ark of Covenant?

[WorldNetDaily.com, August 17, 2008]
A new best-selling book on the hidden mysteries of the Jerusalem Temple Mount claims to have discovered the resting place of the lost Ark of the Covenant – the biblical refuge of the Ten Commandments handed down to Moses at Sinai.




Old Testament 'proof': Royal seal discovered-Archaeologists unearth ancient relic from prince mentioned in Jeremiah

[WorldNetDaily.com, August 3, 2008]
A team of archaeologists in Israel has unearthed what's believed to be the royal seal of an Old Testament prince who is said to have tossed the prophet Jeremiah down a well. The stamped engraving, known as a 'bulla,' was discovered earlier this year about 600 feet south of the Temple Mount, but is just now making headlines. How absolutely fantastic and special this find is can only be realized when you hold in your hand this magnificent one-centimeter piece of clay and know that it survived 2,600 years in the debris of the destruction, and came to us complete and in perfect condition, Mazar said. Gedaliah is mentioned by name in Jeremiah 38:1 as he served Judah's King Zedekiah in the final days before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon's King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.




United Nations Scheme to Make Christians Criminals

[ACLJ.org, July 12, 2008] Dozens of nations dominated by Islam are pressing the United Nations to adopt an anti-'defamation' plan that would make Christians criminals under international law, according to a United States organization that has launched a campaign to defend freedom of religion worldwide.
Bliss & Fire opinion:
The Bible says: 'For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.'- Romans 8:18-19 (ASV) God expect us to take our position as sons of God. But many believers(Christians) has allowed themselves to be bought by taken side with the people that do not believe in the Son of God, Please wake up from your slumber.




What's this? Now they claim a resurrection before Jesus 'Christians will find it shocking - a challenge to their theology'

[WorldNetDaily.com, July 6, 2008] A stone tablet written in Hebrew is generating debate as some scholars are saying its words point to a suffering messiah who was killed and rose again three days later decades before Jesus of Nazareth. Daniel Boyarin, a professor of Talmudic culture at the University of California at Berkeley told The International Herald Tribune, 'Some Christians will find it shocking – a challenge to the uniqueness of their theology – while others will be comforted by the idea of it being a traditional part of Judaism.'
Bliss & Fire opinion:
But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema. -Galatians 1:8-9 (ASV)




WHO urges countries to adopt smoking bans

[Reuters, June 30, 2008]LONDON (Reuters) - Smoking bans are an effective way of preventing heart disease, getting cigarette users to quit and protecting children from second-hand smoke, a World Health Organization (WHO) report issued on Monday said.




American Christians face hate crime for preaching gospel Police told pastors told they can't spread Christian message in Muslim area

[WorldNetDaily.com, June 01, 2008] Two American-born pastors handing out gospel leaflets in a predominantly Muslim area of Birmingham, England, were threatened with arrest and warned of being beaten for committing what an officer called a [hate crime.] Arthur Cunningham, 48, and Joseph Abraham, 65, were handing out the leaflets and talking with local youths when they were approached and questioned by a police community support officer, or PCSO. When the officer discovered the two Birmingham pastors were born in the U.S., he began a heated criticism of President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bliss & Fire opinion:
If this can happen in England, I believe it can happen in all western nations. Even in the US, where people take God’s word to be secondary… or less important.




Stealing millions from veterans' health care

[WorldNetDaily.com, May 27, 2008] Retired veterans deserve good health care, but that is not what they got from a Philippine company. Instead, Health Visions Corp., or HVC, a chain of clinics and hospitals in the Philippines, saw a thousand retired soldiers living in the Philippines as nothing more than a tool for cheating the U.S. military out of $100 million.




Six-year-olds sexually abused by UN peacekeepers

[telegraph.co.uk, May 27, 2008] Sexual abuse of children as young as six by aid workers and United Nations peacekeepers has continued unchecked despite repeated promises to stamp it out, according to a 12-month investigation. More than half of the children interviewed in three countries, Ivory Coast, South Sudan and Haiti, knew of cases of forced sex with aid staff or peacekeepers.




Election violence now threatens even children - Christians plead for prayers as power struggle yields chaos

[WorldNetDaily.com, May 16, 2008] Families are hiding their children and making plans to smuggle food across the border just so they can keep eating as the chaos leading up to the runoff election between Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe and challenger Morgan Tsvangirai escalates quickly, according to a U.S.-based Christian organization that is working there.
Bliss & Fire opinion:
Please remember all of them in your daily prayers




Ark of the Covenant altar found in Sheba's palace - Remains of animal sacrifices discovered at home of Ethiopian queen

[WorldNetDaily.com, May 11, 2008] The queen of Sheba's palace at Axum in Ethiopia, purported to once have been the home of the Ark of the Covenant, has been found, archaeologists from the University of Hamburg report. The Ethiopian queen was the friend and ally of King Solomon of Israel in the 10th century before the Christian era. According to the Bible, in 1 Kings 10, the Queen of Sheba journeyed to Jerusalem after hearing of King Solomon's wisdom to see if what she had heard was true. So impressed was she that she gave large quantities of gold, spices and precious stones to the king of Israel.
Bliss & Fire opinion:
Do you belief this?




Thousands Dead After Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Rocks Central China

[The Associated Press, May 12, 2008]CHONGQING, China — A massive earthquake struck central China on Monday and state media reported that as many as 5,000 people were killed in a single county while nearly 900 students were trapped under the rubble of their school.
Bliss & Fire opinion:
Please remember them in your prayers, we are praying for the nation and all the families affected.




Nigerian Rebels Call on Carter to Mediate

[ABCNews.com, April 24, 2008] The Nigerian rebel group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) solicited his help in mediating between it and the Nigerian government in a letter addressed to President Bush sent out earlier this week by the group's spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.




China ratchets up Christian persecution

[WorldNetDaily.com Inc., April 10, 2008] A Chinese man has been taken into custody and faces a possible sentence of death for charges alleging subversion of the national government and endangering national security. But several Christian organizations that monitor human rights activities in China say Alimujiang Yimiti could face the penalty simply because he is a Christian.
Bliss & Fire opinion: Please pray for the Christians in China, our brethren. May God's presence be with you all. -Amen.




The city on the hill

[The Jerusalem Post, Mar 24, 2008] The Canaanites who lived in Hazor during the biblical era were pretty smug. And for good reason: not only was Hazor a metropolis comparable in size to the biggest cities in powerful Babylonia and Egypt, but it towered above the Via Maris - the main trade route utilized in ancient times. They had other reasons to be complacent as well, for they knew that their military capabilities were formidable. Indeed, their fortifications were so daunting that they assumed any soldiers daring to try an attack would shiver with fear as they anticipated the burning tar, spears and arrows the defenders would throw down from the walls.




Girl sent to psych ward for homeschooling, parents billed

[WorldNetDaily.com Inc., March 30, 2008] The parents of Melissa Busekros, the German teen who was taken by police from her home and placed in a psychiatric ward because she was homeschooled, now are being billed by the government for the cost of her forced stay, according to attorneys who are working on her case.




Students jailed for reading Bible

[WorldNetDaily.com, March 28, 2008] A Christian ministry working with persecuted members of the church worldwide is launching a campaign seeking to have North Korean students who were caught reading the Bible freed from jail. Officials with the Voice of the Martyrs said the North Korean government should release immediately the 10 college students in Ham Kyung Book Do Chung. They were investigated and arrested, either for reading a Bible or watching a DVD about the Bible, the ministry said today.




Row over BBC drama which shows Jesus crucified in a foetal position

[The Associated Press, March 17, 2008] The BBC is facing accusations of rewriting the Easter story by claiming Christ was nailed to the cross in a foetal position. The corporation is accused of "misleading" the public by ditching the traditional image of Jesus with arms outstretched, legs straight and hands nailed. Makers of lavish new drama The Passion, which started last night, say they are challenging this image, because new historical evidence shows he probably did not die this way. They instead maintain he likely died with his arms above his head, nails through his arms and his knees bent, when killed by the Romans.




Muslim delegation visits Rome ahead of Forum

[Reuters, Mar 7, 2008] After much anticipation, a Muslim delegation representing the “Common Word” Muslim appeal for a theological dialogue between Christianity and Islam finally came to the Vatican. The five-member delegation held two days of meetings on March 4-5 with the Vatican’s Council for Inter-religious Dialogue to prepare the groundwork for the meeting of representatives a larger delegation.




Top secret disc turns up on eBay

[The Associated Press, February 29, 2008]Even at a time when we hear a lot about sensitive data showing up in places it shouldn't, this one should cause heads to shake. An encrypted disc from a key British government agency has been found hidden in a computer sold on eBay. A customer brought the laptop to a computer repair shop asking to get it fixed. When a technician opened it up to have a look, there was a CD that was buried under the keyboard in the computer's innards.
Bliss & Fire opinion: Watch out for this issue of national ID cards.




The Judean Desert

[The Jerusalem Post, Feb 27, 2008] Ancient springs, a monastery and a town named for a Biblical site, all lie within one hour's drive of Jerusalem in the Judean Wilderness. A beautiful observation point over Wadi kelt includes a shaded amphitheater designed with the landscape in mind Photo: Shmuel Bar-Am Most of the Judean Desert is a huge basin running from north to south, from the Judean hills to the cliffs above the Dead Sea. Cutting across the desert is a riverbed which is fed by three major springs - Ein Fawwar, Ein Fara and Ein Kelt - and by flash floods whose waters pour down the sides of the Judean hills. The Wadi Kelt riverbed stretches from north of Jerusalem to the Jordan Valley and drains into the Jordan River above the Dead Sea.




Palestinians burn Joseph's Tomb

[WorldNetDaily, February 12, 2008]Judaism's 3rd holiest site regarded as burial place of biblical patriarch. It marks the second time the Palestinians attempted to burn down the tomb, located near Nablus, the biblical city of Shechem. -Read detail




Israel Always: Has God abandoned Israel

[The Jerusalem Post, Jan. 31, 2008] Then in Exodus the Torah tells us emphatically that "the Hand of God" brought the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and brought them to the Promised Land. In Joshua we learn how "the Hand of God" drove the heathen nations out of Canaan, so the children of Israel could have their very own land and country.




Earthquakes hit Rwanda, Congo

[Cay Compass, Feb. 03, 2008] KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) – Two earthquakes struck hours apart in Rwanda and neighboring Congo on Sunday, killing at least 39 people – including some who were in church at the time – and injuring 380, officials said.




Pope worries about Christians abandoning ancient communities in Middle East

[The Jerusalem Post, Jan 18, 2008] Pope Benedict XVI urged his bishops Friday to support Christians seeking to remain in the Middle East despite violence and other problems, expressing worry that the ancient communities will become a mere "archaeological site" without Christian life.




The wonders of the Dead Sea

[The Jerusalem Post, Jan 13, 2008] The Great Salt Sea (The Dead Sea) is found in the center of Israel on the eastern border. Its Biblical connection occurred during the time of Abraham when God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. (Genesis 18-19)




Following the paths of Jesus

[The Jerusalem Post, Jan 13, 2008] During the time of the Patriarchs, Jacob's wife, Rachel, died during the birth of Benjamin, "and was buried in the way to Efrat, which is Bethlehem." (Genesis 25:19).