MORE CHURCHES ATTACKED IN MALAYSIA

WERE REALLY GETTING CLOSE NOW TO IMPLANTED MICROCHIPS UNDER THE SKIN BY FORCE OR CONCENT.TRUE CHRISTIANS GET READY THE RAPTURE CAN OCCURR AT ANY SECOND,PRAY JESUS COMES TO GET US SO WE DON'T GO THROUGH THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH.

Security Upgrades at Ben Gurion International Airport
by Hana Levi Julian JAN 10,10

(IsraelNN.com) Israel has upgraded its international travel security with a new biometric screening system that was launched last week in the wake of the recent failed Northwest Airlines terror attack in Detroit. The hi-tech system is expected to significantly speed up security processing and check-ins at the airport, Israel Airports Authority officials said.The Unipass Airport Management System scans passports through a machine at the registration desk, where fingerprints and facial imaging samples are also recorded in order to create a biometric signature. A personal smart card created from the one-time process is then issued to the passenger.The information stored on the Unipass computers will be fully secure and will not be accessible to outsiders, according to an IAA official.Each time a passenger travels through the airport, they will be asked to swipe their card and passport through a machine, which will then confirm the biometric match. A companion touch screen panel will present a series of questions that will confirm the passenger’s identity and security status, a process that until now was carried out by human security personnel.

Human staff members will be standing by to assist in case passengers run into difficulties with the machines – or in case they fail the test. An IAA spokesperson said that in such cases, passengers will be taken aside by a guard for an in-depth check before being allowed to proceed.Passengers who pass the initial security check will proceed as usual to luggage security, where they will once again swipe their Unipass card, and send their bags through the X-ray machine. The third layer of security to be faced by the passenger will come at the check-in counter, where once again the Unipass will be swiped in a machine. At this point, the passenger will have passed all initial security checks, hand luggage will be accepted for scanning, and travelers will swipe the Unipass for their fourth and final screening before heading for the duty-free shopping area, border control and the terminal gates.

Eventually, Unipass machines are expected to replace human passport inspectors at the border control area altogether; at present, biometric fingerprint scanners are available only for frequent flyers. IAA officials added that Unipass holders will soon be able to bypass the luggage X-ray security step and take their luggage directly to check-in. From there, the suitcases will be passed through comprehensive security before being loaded on to the plane, said an IAA official. The system has been in the planning stages for some time. The fact that its launch date has come on the heels of an attempted attack by the Al-Qaeda terrorist group was purely coincidental, officials said.The Unipass will initially be limited to El Al Matmid frequent flyer club members, and only gradually be expanded to include other travelers within the next two years, according to the IAA.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Cold stuns Floridians, causes deaths elsewhere By BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer – Sun Jan 10, 4:41 am ET

ORLANDO, Fla. – Mark and Barbara Willard were at home in Wickford, England two weeks ago checking the weather forecast on the Internet before packing for their trip to Orlando — sunny and 70 degrees.On Saturday afternoon they had the hoods on their brand new coats pulled tight around their heads as the walked down the International Drive tourist strip. The weather: 35 degrees and cloudy with a chance of icy rain or even snow.The good news is two days after we go home we're off to Jamaica, said Mark Willard.The bad news is they paid in advance for theme park tickets and instead spent more time at shopping malls buying winter clothing — a few hundred dollars worth, he said.Across Florida, the weather was freakishly cold for a state that's a winter respite for so many. There were snow flurries spotted in several parts of the state, as far south as Naples on the gulf coast. In Miami, the temperature was forecast to drop just below freezing overnight and threatened to break the record for low temperatures in the city.In suburban Atlanta, which has seen an unusually long stretch of low temperatures, two teens died Saturday after falling through the ice on a partially frozen pond. The surviving teen was in fair condition at Gwinnett Medical Center, said hospital spokeswoman Andrea Wehrmann.

The two boys who died were in the frigid water for nearly an hour before rescuers could reach them, said Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services Capt. Tommy Rutledge. He said the three, ages 13 to 15, were playing and sliding on the semi-frozen pond when the ice broke.Just the day before, Rutledge said the department issued a warning that that local ponds, lakes and streams might look more icy than normal, but they still aren't solid enough to be safe. Even though it looks inviting, it's a very dangerous thing, he said.In other parts of the country, the weather was less unusual for winter, but still harsh.In Vermont, state police said a snowmobiling accident on a partially frozen lake killed three people Saturday, including a 3-year-old girl.Police say three snowmobiles carrying a total of six people went through ice on Lake Dunmore near Salisbury at around noon Saturday. Killed were: 50-year-old Kevin Flynn, of Whiting; 24-year-old Carrie Flynn, of Whiting; and 3-year-old Bryanna Popp.An ice jam along the Mississippi River prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood warning for southwest Illinois and northeast Missouri. The weather service said the river was near the 16-foot flood stage in Hannibal, Mo., on Saturday.And the ferry that serves as the only connection between western Kentucky and eastern Missouri was shut down Saturday afternoon because of ice in the harbor and Mississippi River. Kentucky Department of Transportation spokesman Keith Todd said with temperatures expected to remain below freezing, operations for the Dorena-Hickman Ferry would be evaluated daily to decide when the crossing can resume.

Amtrak said some trains between Chicago and Denver and between St. Paul, Minn., and Seattle wouldn't operate Saturday and Sunday because of cold, high winds and drifting snow.As the arctic cold began to ease in some parts of the nation, residents in northern Florida were under a hard freeze warning with temperatures expected to drop to 20 or below overnight.In the Florida Keys, a tropical paradise where people usually pay attention to the heat index, a term more often reserved for Northerners was being used: wind chill. Gusts were predicted to make the air feel like the upper 20s.For Alfonso Idiaquez, the weather brought back flashbacks to the life he left behind in Cleveland seven years ago.It feels like we're living in Ohio, said Idiaquez, 43, of Kissimmee.My son was laughing. He said,We need to buy shovels for the snow.Marion White was not laughing. She was shivering uncontrollably from head to toe as she and her family walked down Orlando's International Drive. It ruined our holiday, said White, 46, of Dublin, Ireland.It's absolutely dreadful.
Associated Press writer Suzette Laboy in Miami contributed to this report.

Snow strands hundreds overnight on German highway By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, Associated Press Writer – JAN 10,10

BERLIN – Heavy snowfall trapped more than 160 people overnight on a frozen highway in northeastern Germany. The drivers survived by running their engines until police rescued them Sunday morning.Police in the town of Altentreptow said that 148 adults and 19 children were stuck in cars, a bus and trucks on highway A20 along the Baltic Coast.At least the firefighters were able to bring them hot beverages and food while they were waiting, said Jens Apelt, a spokesman for the Altentreptow highway police.

They were rescued after officers and rescue personnel used snow plows and heavy machinery to push through 6.5-foot (2-meter) drifts.The drivers were brought to tents provided by local aid organizations.Several parts of the highway are still blocked by snow drifts, but we're trying to free all cars from the snow so that the drivers can get back to their vehicles back and take a different road instead, said Apelt.In southern Poland, about 80,000 people were left without electricity on Sunday after snow-ladden tree branches cracked, damaging several power lines, the news agency PAP reported.Fraffic also came to a standstill in other parts of northeastern Germany, which was suffering from a second day of heavy snowfall and gusty winds, especially along the Baltic Coast.Two men were killed in an accident on the coast in Nordvorpommern when their car slid off a snow-covered road and hit a tree.In Anklam, near the Polish border, rescue team had to free a regional train with 14 passengers that was stuck in drifts, the German news agency DAPD reported.

German railways reported that many trains in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania were not running because railroad tracks across were blocked by snow.The state government said Sunday that the county of Ostvorpommern declared a state of emergency to react to the severe weather conditions and the chaotic traffic situation. It also asked residents to stay at home and avoid traveling by car, train or ferry.Several towns along the coast and on the islands were also cut off from electricity and continuing snowfall in many parts of Germany led to traffic accidents and flight cancelations in several cities.At Frankfurt airport, 61 flights were canceled and more than 400 persons spent the night at the airport.

Along the Baltic Coast, ferry service to Scandinavia was canceled.In the cities of Flensburg and Luebeck, several streets were flooded by rough swell and in the village of Dahmeshoeved the levees were threatening to break. Rescue teams were busy repairing the damage, DAPD reported.

Europe freeze strands travellers, cuts power by Simon Sturdee – JAN 10,10

BERLIN (AFP) – The Arctic freeze that has stricken Europe left hundreds of people stuck in vehicles in deep snow or stranded at airports with scores more flights cancelled and power cuts to thousands of homes Sunday.The treacherous conditions cut off villages in northern Germany and the Baltic islands, and disrupted rail traffic with the troubled Eurostar still only able to run two out of three trains under the English Channel.The weather, which forecasters said was caused by a rare depression they have called Daisy, unleashed blizzards in northern Germany that left motorways, other roads and railways in impassable at certain points.Hundreds of people were stuck in their cars and lorries in snow, or in trains, overnight and on Sunday morning, authorities said.At least when it comes to the north, the situation is dramatic,Maxi Hartung from the German Automobile Association said. On the A20 motorway, people have been stuck for hours.The whole country was blanketed with snow and buffeted by gale force winds in places. Leipzig in the east was shivering under 29 centimetres (11 inches), the capital Berlin under 27 cm while Hamburg in the north-west had 12 cm.

Dozens of villages in rural Schleswig-Holstein and on Baltic Sea islands were completely cut off, while over a thousand car accidents had been reported across Germany in recent days, including several that were fatal.Air travel were also hit, with 63 flights cancelled since midnight (2300 GMT) as of midday at Frankfurt airport, Europe's third busiest, after 255 flights were scrapped on Saturday, a spokesman told AFP.Britain -- in the grip of its coldest weather in 30 years -- had less fresh snow that feared overnight to Sunday but forecasters warned that it could be back with a vengeance later in the day and overnight.After 50 cancellations at London Heathrow on Saturday, more were scrapped at British airports on Sunday.Rail traffic was running as normal but Eurostar was only running two out of three trains under the English Channel.An alert by authorities about gas shortages due to high demand was lifted on Sunday after additional supplies arrived. The weather has killed at least 26 people, according to British media.In London, the Serpentine swimming lake in Hyde Park was closed for the first time in about 140 years. Seven English Premier League football matches were also snowed off, as well as all but one Premiership rugby union fixture.

The unusually harsh conditions are caused by a rare combination of relatively warm humid air from the Mediterranean meeting cold air from the north and east, meteorologist Michel Daloz from Meteo France said.In France, fresh snow and freezing rain made for another day of disruption, with 800 people -- including 500 British tourists on their way to a skiing break in the French Alps -- forced to spend the night at Lyon airport.Around 3,000 homes in southeastern France were without power for a second day, while icy conditions caused numerous accidents on roads around Paris, prompting the authorities to close sections of motorway and to ban lorries. In Poland, around 80,000 households were left without power after tree branches weighed down by snow fell on electricity cables, while freezing rain caused major problems on busy rail links between Warsaw and Cracow. Heavy rain and melting snow have meanwhile led to flooding in parts of Croatia and neighbouring Bosnia, with an emergency declared in the central Croatian district of Lika and 100 homes evacuated.
The Dutch weather service warned of slippery conditions and snowdrifts on roads, with temperatures on Sunday around freezing point with strong winds.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

6.5 quake shakes buildings on California coast By DON THOMPSON, Associated Press Writers – JAN 10,10

EUREKA, Calif. – A powerful offshore earthquake rattled communities in far northern California, cutting power to thousands of customers, causing minor damage to homes and businesses and forcing many people to seek treatment for cuts and bruises from falling debris.The 6.5 magnitude temblor hit at about 4:27 p.m. PST Saturday and was centered in the Pacific about 22 miles west of Ferndale, but was felt as far south as Capitola in central California and as far north as central Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey said.In Eureka, about 240 miles north of San Francisco, residents of an apartment building were evacuated, and an office building and two other commercial structures in the town of about 26,000 people were declared unsafe for occupancy, according to Humboldt County spokesman Phil Smith-Hanes.Our initial reports were that, though this was a pretty decent quake, we survived it well, Smith-Hanes said, adding that damage assessments would continue on Sunday across the county.More than a dozen aftershocks, some with magnitudes as powerful as 4.5, rumbled for several hours after the initial quake, which had a depth of nearly 10 miles.Authorities said no major injuries have been reported. But several people received minor cuts and scrapes from broken glass at the Bayshore Mall in Eureka, and an elderly person fell and broke a hip, authorities said.We're mostly getting reports of bumps, bruises and hits on the head, said Laurie Watson Stone, a spokeswoman for St. Joseph Hospital, a 146-bed hospital in Eureka.The emergency room is busy, but we haven't heard of any major injuries.Amanda Nichols, a dispatcher for Eureka Police Department, said she received a report that an infant was struck in the head with some flying debris at the mall.Pacific Gas & Electric Co. spokesman J.D. Guidi said power outages were widespread across most of Humboldt County, affecting about 25,000 customers.

Nearly 10,000 remained without power some five hours after the quake, and some could remain without power through Sunday, said PG&E spokeswoman Janna Morris.No damage was done to the company's former nuclear power plant outside Eureka, Morris said.
Several traffic lights fell and numerous residents reported water, gas and sewer leaks, Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services spokeswoman Jo Wattle said.
People have chimneys down, and we're hearing about minor property damage and lots of glassware broken,Wattle said.People are really shaken up. It was shaking pretty good, then it had a big jolt to it at the end.Police in Ferndale, a town of about 1,500 residents several miles south of Eureka, said the earthquake caused stucco to fall off City Hall and broke shop windows, strewing the historic downtown streets with glass shards.I thought a tire had blown off my truck because it was so hard to keep control of the vehicle," Officer Lindsey Frank said. Power lines were swaying, and I could see people in the fields trying to keep their balance.Eureka city spokesman Gary Bird said because the earthquake hit shortly before dark, only the city's old town received thorough surveys for damage. Authorities there found fallen bricks and parapets that had fallen off old structures, causing damage to adjacent buildings, he said.There are some frayed nerves, but I think we've come through this pretty well for the magnitude of earthquake we've had, Bird said.Televisions tumbled and objects were knocked off walls in Arcata, a small town that's home to Humboldt State University, one resident said. The whole town is kind of freaked out right now, said Judd Starks, the kitchen manager at a bar and restaurant known as The Alibi.All the power is out, people are out walking around.It struck in an area where earthquakes ranging from 7.0 to 7.3 have struck periodically since the 1800s, causing damage and injuries. California is one of the world's most seismically active regions. More than 300 faults crisscross the state, which sits atop two of Earth's major tectonic plates, the Pacific and North American plates. About 10,000 quakes each year rattle Southern California alone, although most of them are too small to be felt. The damage created by an earthquake depends greatly on where it hits. A 7.1 quake — much stronger than Saturday's 6.5 temblor — hit the Mojave Desert in 1999 but caused only a few injuries and no deaths. By contrast the 1994 Northridge earthquake under Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley was magnitude 6.7. It killed 72 people, injured more than 9,000 and caused $25 billion in damage in the metropolitan area. And the magnitude-7.1 quake in October 1989 struck just before the third game of the World Series at Candlestick Park. The quake, centered in the Santa Cruz Mountains on the San Andreas fault, caused nearly $3 billion in damage.

Dan Bowermaster of San Francisco was with relatives in Eureka when Saturday's quake hit, moving the refrigerator in his cousins' home about 3 feet. He said he had been in several moderate and large quakes throughout California but had never felt anything as strong as this one. It was extremely unsettling, it was shaking in kind of a circular way,he said. Sandra Hall, owner of Antiques and Goodies in Eureka, said furniture fell over, nearly all her lamps broke and the handful of customers in her store got a big scare. She said it was the most dramatic quake in the 30 years the store has been open. We'll be having a sale on broken china for those who like to do mosaics,she said. Associated Press writers Tim Reiterman in San Francisco, Garance Burke in Fresno, Calif., Andrew Dalton and Alicia Chang in Los Angeles and Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this story.

PERSECUSSION,BEHEADINGS

JESUS PERSECUTED BIGTIME

PSALMS 14:1
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

ISAIAH 53:4
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

MATTHEW 9:34
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

JOHN 8:41
41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

JOHN 10:20
20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

PHILIPPIANS 2:10-11(JESUS GETS REVENGE)
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST AND FOR SINNERS, THE GREAT WHITE THRONE FINAL JUDGEMENT).

WE ARE CHRISTIANS WE WILL BE TREATED THE SAME.

2 TIMOTHY 3:1-5 (WHY WE ARE PERSECUTED BY THE WORLD)
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

MATTHEW 5:10-12
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

MATTHEW 24:9
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

JOHN 15:18-20
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me (JESUS) before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

REVELATION 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain(BEHEADED) for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

4 more churches attacked in Malaysia in Allah feud By EILEEN NG, Associated Press Writer – JAN 10,10

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Firebombs were thrown at three more churches in Malaysia on Sunday and another was splashed with black paint, the latest in a series of assaults on Christian houses of worship following a court decision allowing non-Muslims to use Allah to refer to God.Despite the attacks, thousands of Christians nationwide attended Sunday services and prayed for national unity and an end to the violence.

The unprecedented attacks have set off a wave of disquiet among Malaysia's minority Christians and strained their ties with the majority Malay Muslims. About 9 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people are Christian, most of whom are ethnic Chinese or Indian. Muslims make up 60 percent of the population and most of them are ethnic Malays.Religious minorities have often complained about what they say is institutionalized religious discrimination here.On Sunday, a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the All Saints Church in Taiping town in central Perak state early in the morning before it opened, said state police chief Zulkifli Abdullah. He told The Associated Press police found burn marks on the wall but there was no damage to the building.A broken kerosene bottle with an unlit wick was found early Sunday inside the compound of the St. Louis Catholic church, also in Taiping, said the Rev. David Lourdes. He said it appeared to be a failed attack.In southern Malacca state, the outer wall of the Malacca Baptist Church was splashed with black paint, police said.

Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said a church in Miri town in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo island also reported an arson attempt.The situation is under control and the people should not be worried, he was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency. An aide confirmed his comments but couldn't give further details.Four churches were hit by gasoline bombs on Friday and Saturday. No one was hurt and all suffered little damage, except the Metro Tabernacle Church. Parishioners there moved services after fire gutted the first floor. The other churches held regular services Sunday.The dispute is over a Dec. 31 High Court decision that overturned a government order banning non-Muslims from using the word Allah in their prayers and literature. The court was ruling on a petition by Malaysia's Roman Catholic Church, whose main publication, the Herald, uses the word Allah in its Malay-language edition. The government has appealed the verdict.On Sunday, men, women and children from the Metro Tabernacle parish assembled in the cavernous, 1,800-seat meeting hall of the Malaysian Chinese Association party for the service. They lifted their hands and sang We put all our faith in you,and You are the God of love and peace.My wife was worried, but we want to be here to support the church, said Michael Chew, 40, who came with two children, aged 1 and 6.

Rev. Hermen Shastri, general secretary of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, said Christians won't be intimidated by the attacks, describing them as the work of an extremist minority among Muslims.We all have to stand together to stamp out terror perpetuated by these extremist groups, he said.The government contends that making Allah synonymous with God may confuse Muslims and ultimately mislead them into converting to Christianity.Still, government leaders and many Muslims have condemned the firebombings, saying it is un-Islamic to attack places of worship.Prime Minister Najib Razak visited the Metro Tabernacle church late Saturday and announced a grant of 500,000 ringgit ($147,000) for rebuilding it at a new location, a major concession in a country where permission is rarely given for building new churches or temples. The Allah ban is unusual in the Muslim world. The Arabic word is commonly used by Christians to describe God in such countries as Egypt, Syria and Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation.

Malaysian Christians fearful as church attacks rise By Niluksi Koswanage – SUN JAN 10,10

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Would-be arsonists in mostly Muslim Malaysia struck at a convent school and a sixth church on Sunday while church and government leaders called for calm in a row over Christians' use of the word Allah to refer to God.The attacks threaten Prime Minister Najib Razak's plan to win back non-Muslim support before elections due by 2013 and may prevent investors from returning to Malaysia that has trailed Thailand and Indonesia for foreign investment.The row, over a court ruling that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use Allah in its Malay-language editions, had prompted Muslims to protest at mosques and sparked arson attacks on a string of churches that saw a Pentecostalist church gutted.The situation is under control and the people should not be worried, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein was quoted as saying by state news agency Bernama.The attacks appear to have spread to other Malaysian states. Police said a petrol bomb was thrown at a guard house of a Catholic convent school in the sleepy town of Taiping, around 300 km (185 miles) from the capital Kuala Lumpur. It did not explode.

Several broken bottles and paint thinners were found at the Saint Louis church next to the convent and one of the country's oldest Anglican churches, All Saints, also in Taiping.Police and church officials said attackers also hurled bricks and stones at glass windows of the Good Shepherd Catholic church in Miri -- a major logging and oil town in Sarawak state.Sarawak and neighboring Sabah state are a key vote bank for Najib's National Front Party and home to a majority of Malaysia's Christians that account for 9.1 percent of the country's 28 million population. Many are non-English speaking adherents who have used the word Allah for decades.On Sunday, Malaysians packed churches to listen to sermons of reaching out in friendship to all, including Muslims and keeping the peace in multi-religious Malaysia but many felt their religious rights were being trampled.There are extremists in this country and the government seems unable to do anything, said Wilson Matayun, a salesman who attended Mass at St Anthony's Church in Kuala Lumpur.I am losing faith in our government. I pray it does not get worse.Matayun is from Borneo island where the Catholic Herald says it has to use the word Allah to describe the Christian God in order to serve Christians who can only speak Malay.The government has appealed against the ruling, a marked contrast to countries like Indonesia, Egypt and Syria where Christian minorities freely use the Arabic word to refer to God.Some Malaysian Muslims say that the paper wants to use to word to confuse and convert Muslims and by midday Sunday 178,392 people has signed up for a Facebook group that opposes Christians using Allah.Malaysia is mainly Muslim and Malay but there are sizable ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who mainly practice Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism.They handed the government its biggest losses in 2008 state and national elections in part due to feelings of religious marginalization and growing disillusionment with corruption.Najib's handling of the issue will determine whether he can keep the support of the Malays and win back ethnic Chinese and Indian voters to solidify his grip on power after taking control of the government last year.
(Editing by Dominic Evans)

Pope condemns murder of Coptic Christians in Egypt
JAN 10,10

VATICAN CITY (AFP) – Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday condemned the murder of six Coptic Christians in a January 6 attack in Egypt, and denounced violence against Christians.

The violence against Christians in certain countries has caused indignation among many people, among other reasons because it has manifested itself during the holiest days of the Christian tradition,the pope told pilgrims in St Peter's Square.The drive-by shooting happened in the southern Egyptian town of Nagaa Hammadi as Copts celebrated their Christmas Eve along with other Orthodox communities.There can be no violence in the name of God, Benedict said.

Israel: Palestinians to blame for impasse in talks By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer – JAN 10,10

JERUSALEM – Israel's prime minister on Sunday accused the Palestinians of holding up the Mideast peace process, after Washington's Mideast envoy suggested the U.S. might impose sanctions on Israel to press it to make additional concessions.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments appeared to reflect concern that Israel is being perceived as the reason for the yearlong deadlock. U.S. envoy George Mitchell is expected in the region later this month in his latest attempt to bring the sides back to the negotiating table.Mitchell alarmed Israeli officials by suggesting last week that the U.S. could use financial pressure to extract new concessions from the Israelis.Under American law, the United States can withhold support on loan guarantees to Israel, Mitchell told PBS interviewer Charlie Rose, noting that the previous administration of George W. Bush had done so. But he quickly added that he preferred persuasion to sanctions.Under the Bush administration, Israel received billions of dollars in guarantees, which are U.S.-backed loans with favorable interest rates. In 2003, the U.S. whittled down the guarantees because Israel built part of its separation barrier inside the West Bank, rather than completely along it on the Israeli side.The threat dominated Israeli newscasts and prompted Netanyahu's office to issue a statement pinning the blame for the negotiations logjam on the Palestinians.Everyone realizes that the Palestinian Authority refuses to renew peace talks, while Israel took significant steps to advance the process, the statement said.The Palestinians have refused to restart negotiations with Israel until Netanyahu freezes all settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, areas they claim for an independent state. Israel captured both areas in the 1967 Mideast war.

Netanyahu has imposed a 10-month slowdown on new construction in the West Bank in a bid to draw the Palestinians back to negotiations. But the order does not include east Jerusalem, the Palestinians' would-be capital. Israel claims all of Jerusalem as its capital, and Netanyahu has said he would not agree to divide the holy city.
In later comments, Netanyahu also accused the Palestinians of harming peace prospects by encouraging incitement. He cited a decision by municipal authorities in the West Bank city of Ramallah to name a square after the female mastermind of a 1978bus hijacking in Israel that killed 37 people.This is not the way to make peace, Netanyahu told his Cabinet.Peace is made by educating reconciliation, by encouraging good neighborly relations and by fostering respect.Leila Ghannam, the acting governor of Ramallah, confirmed the plan to name the square after Dalal Mughrabi, but said the national Palestinian leadership had nothing to do with the decision.
Dalal Mughrabi was a Palestinian freedom fighter who sacrificed herself for the Palestinian cause, she said.It is our duty as Palestinians to honor our martyrs.On Friday, the Obama administration laid out a major shift in its Mideast peace strategy, suggesting both sides move past their impasse by tackling defining borders for a Palestinian state and the status of Jerusalem.Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that dealing with those matters first would eliminate Palestinian concerns about continued construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The initiative appears to be getting a cool reception on both sides.

While Netanyahu has not reacted specifically to the proposal, he has said he is willing to discuss all issues in negotiations. However, officials said he indicated in recent days that it is premature to discuss borders and he has reiterated his opposition to sharing sovereignty over Jerusalem. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing closed discussions.The Palestinians, meanwhile, have stuck to their demand for a complete construction freeze. If President Mahmoud Abbas retreats now from his demand, that could further hurt his standing among Palestinians who are increasingly skeptical about peace efforts. They also are disappointed with the U.S. failure to wrest a full settlement freeze out of Israel and have questioned Washington's ability to force Israel to make future concessions.

Croatians vote for president to lead EU entry by Lajla Veselica – Sun Jan 10, 6:24 am ET

ZAGREB (AFP) – Croatians are voting Sunday in a presidential run-off pitting a left-wing professor against the populist mayor of Zagreb, with the winner hoping to lead the former Yugoslav republic into the European Union.Surveys show a solid lead for Ivo Josipovic, of the opposition Social Democrats (SDP) against his rival, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, who is standing as an independent.Josipovic won the December 27 first round with 33.4 percent of the vote, more than double the support for Bandic. But last month's vote was marred by a record low turnout of 44 percent, and analysts say Bandic is likely to be the main beneficiary if there is a a higher participation in the run-off.Polls opened at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) but voting stations were largely empty in the early morning.In a Zagreb polling station, 27-year-old teacher Tihana Colak said she had voted for Josipovic as he had the credibility to represent Croatia in the world as a civilized and decent country.He is an educated man and he's clear of corruption, she told AFP.Josipovic a 52-year-old lecturer in criminal law and classical music composer, has vowed to wage an uncompromising fight against corruption,a key criteria for Zagreb's EU bid.Croatia, which joined the NATO military alliance in 2009, hopes to become the bloc's 28th member by 2012.

The fight against corruption is also a major domestic issue as the authorities have recently launched several probes into state-run firms over allegations of graft. More than a dozen officials have been detained.Bandic, a veteran SDP member expelled from the party when he announced his candidacy for the presidency last November, called on the electorate to vote for a man and not for a party and touted his experience as Zagreb's mayor.Bandic has a heart, experience in politics, said bank clerk Darko Pavlek, as he cast his ballot in Zagreb.The results of his energy and willingness are concrete and can be seen in Zagreb, the 46-year-old added.Since Bandic first become Zagreb mayor a decade ago, the capital has enjoyed a construction boom and a major overhaul of its creaking transport infrastructure,
During the campaign the two contenders pledged a similar agenda -- Croatia's EU entry during their mandate, stepping up the fight against corruption and reviving the economy in the recession-hit country.Croatia, where unemployment is running at around 16 percent, is forecasting a contraction of up to 6.0 percent in its economy for 2009. Its external debt has now risen to nearly 94 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), official figures show.Both candidates have been criticised for having few concrete proposals to tackle unemployment and the debt. The day-to-day running of the country is largely the preserve of the conservative government headed by Prime Minister Jaderanka Kosor.

Despite a similar platform, Bandic and Josipovic project vastly different images.

Observers say it led to polarisation between a civil left or a nationalism playing with right-wing sentiments, modern or a conservative Croatia.Josipovic has a reputation as a competent politician untarnished by corruption, but analysts say with his bookish professorial looks he has failed to connect strongly with voters. By contrast the energetic and outspoken Bandic, who insists that his leading virtues as patriotism, philanthropy and love of God, has styled himself a fighter for the common man. However, observers warn that suspected links with a series of corruption affairs in capital could work against him. In a bid to bridge the gap with his rival Bandic has also moved to the right, trying to pick up voters from the ruling conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, whose candidate failed to make the run-off. He also enjoys the backing of Croatia's powerful Roman Catholic Church.

A total of 4.4 million Croatians are entitled to vote. Polling stations will close at 7 pm with exit polls to be releases shortly after. The first official results will be released by midnight.

China urges US to halt arms sales to Taiwan
Sun Jan 10, 3:13 am ET

BEIJING – China has reiterated its opposition to American arms sales to Taiwan, calling them an interference in Beijing's internal affairs that could undermine relations with the United States.Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei's comments — the sixth official announcement in a week against the arms sales, according to the state-run news agency — underscore Beijing's sensitivity to the idea Washington may be conferring legitimacy on the island's government while boosting its defenses.

Communist-ruled China split with Taiwan amid civil war in 1949 and continues to regard the self-governing democracy as part of its territory, triggering frequent diplomatic spats with the United States, which pledged to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself in 1979.In the most recent announcement Saturday, He said China expressed its strong dissatisfaction to recent moves by the U.S. government to award contracts for Taiwan-bound weapons to Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin Corp., according to the Xinhua News Agency.On Friday, Defense Ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the arms sales undermined mutual trust between the two militaries and that China reserved the right to take further actions.China responded to the last U.S. arms offer by rejecting Hong Kong port calls by the USS Kitty Hawk and other American ships in November 2007.In recent weeks, the United States awarded a $969 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the provision of 263 PAC-3 air defense missiles to Taiwan and a $1.1 billion contract to Raytheon Co. for production of the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for Taiwan.Weapon sales were approved in the first term of former President George W. Bush, but have encountered a series of delays.These sales are driven by threats from China to use force to bring the island under its control, backed up by an estimated 1,300 Chinese ballistic missiles positioned along the Taiwan Strait.

CDC: Swine flu now widespread only in 1 state
Fri Jan 8, 12:17 pm ET

ATLANTA – Swine flu infections continue to drop and only one state — Alabama — was reporting widespread cases last week.Four states had widespread cases the previous week. The number has been dropping since late October, when nearly all states had widespread flu reports.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported Friday that there are no signs of seasonal flu right now, only the swine variety. But CDC officials noted there is still more flu around than normally seen at this time of year, and illnesses could increase as kids return to school after the holiday break.On the Net:The CDC report: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm

Netanyahu: We’ll Respond Strongly to Every Rocket
by Hillel Fendel JAN 10,10

(IsraelNN.com) Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s remarks before today’s Cabinet meeting focused on the recent rocket attacks from Gaza: Twenty rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza last week… The IDF responded immediately, attacking rocket-manufacturing facilities and tunnels through which Iran smuggles rockets to Gaza. Our policy is clear: Every missile or other attack will be met with a strong response.Last week’s rockets landed near Ashkelon and Netivot, in addition to the closer and more frequent targets in the western Negev. No one was hurt in the attacks.Ex-Commanding Officer of the IDF Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiya says another clash between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is inevitable. Netanyahu did not restrict his strong remarks to Hamas, and lashed out at Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah as well: Not only rockets endanger our security, but also words. Those who name a Ramallah square after a terrorist who murdered tens of Israelis [38] on the Coastal Highway [in 1978] are encouraging terrorism.Hamas blames the IDF for the reported death or wounding of three Gazan Arabs over the past two days. The IDF denies any involvement.A former Commanding Officer of the IDF Southern Command, Maj.-Gen. Yom Tov Samiya, says that another clash between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is inevitable.

We are now facing another round [of fighting] in Gaza,Samiya told Army Radio on Sunday morning. I don’t believe that Hamas will surrender or change its ways without having been made to suffer a much stronger attack than that which we gave them last year in Operation Cast Lead. It must be a more focused blow, with longer -range consequences, and a take-over of certain areas in Gaza. Hamas must be made to understand that it loses territory as a result of provoking us.