News for May 9, 2005

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Apocalypse Soon (May/June 2005) - Robert McNamara is worried. He knows how close we’ve come. His counsel helped the Kennedy administration avert nuclear catastrophe during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Today, he believes the United States must no longer rely on nuclear weapons as a foreign-policy tool. To do so is immoral, illegal, and dreadfully dangerous.

WHO: Flu Pandemic May Have Begun (May 5, 2005) - In Asia, there are hints that the virus is indeed changing. "Incomplete evidence suggests that there may be a shift in the epidemiology of the disease," says Stöhr. "More clusters are being seen than last year, older people are now coming down with the diseases, and more cases are milder." Taken together, these characteristics could indicate that the virus is becoming less virulent and more infectious, he says, which could signal the start of a pandemic.

Spate of Giant Earthquakes Feared (May 8, 2005) - The Indonesian earthquake behind the Boxing Day tsunami that killed 300,000 people could be the first of a series of giant quakes that will rock the world in the next 10 to 15 years, scientists have warned. The Mediterranean is among areas at high risk, particularly the coasts of Greece and Turkey, both popular tourist destinations. The scientists are urging the installation of a tsunami warning system there as a matter of urgency.

Zogby Poll: Americans Fed Up on Illegal Aliens (May 6, 2005) - A new opinion poll by Zogby International indicates Americans are hardly pleased with the Bush administration on the subject of illegal immigration. The poll, cited on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight" program yesterday, noted a huge majority – 81 percent – believes local and state police should help federal authorities enforce laws against illegal immigration. Only 14 percent disagreed. Voters were also asked, "Do you support or oppose the Bush administration's proposal to give millions of illegal aliens guest worker status and the opportunity to become citizens?" Only 35 percent gave their support, and 56 percent said no.

Magnitude-4.7 quake hits eastern Japan, no injuries (May 8, 2005) - A magnitude-4.7 earthquake struck eastern Japan on Sunday, shaking buildings in Tokyo, the Meteorological Agency said. There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Strong tremor hits Banda Aceh (May 8, 2005) - An earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale has shaken the capital of Indonesia's Aceh province, Banda Aceh. Inhabitants rushed out of their homes and offices and gathered in the streets as the earthquake hit at 8:30 am local time (11:30am AEST).

Quake Makes for a Shaky Start to Mother's Day in Solano County (May 8, 2005) - A magnitude 4.1 earthquake early Sunday morning shook up the communities of Fairfield and Vacaville but did little damage.

Earthquake rattles Tokyo, shaking residents awake (May 7, 2005) - An earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale shook residents of central Tokyo awake early on Saturday but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major damage.

Small earthquake shakes Kern County (May 5, 2005) - Kern County was rocked by a small earthquake Thursday night. A preliminary report from the US Geological Survey says the 4.1-magnitude quake struck at 7:29 pm Thursday night. It was centered 13 miles east of Maricopa and 24 miles south-southwest of Bakersfield.

Muslim populations fuel sharp rise in anti-Semitism (Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff)  (May 5, 2005) - Israel and the West are fond of saying "never again" when remembering the Holocaust, but a new study has rekindled concerns that Jew-hatred could again reach genocidal levels in the future. The study - conducted by Tel Aviv's Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism, the World Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation League - was published Wednesday, just one day before a two-minute siren brought the nation to a grinding halt as Israelis stood for a moment of silence Thursday morning in remembrance of the six million Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust. It showed global anti-Semitism in 2004 had reached its highest level since 1989. During 2004, some 480 severe cases of violence against Jews and 20 anti-Semitic terror attacks were recorded, Ynetnews reported. In 2003, there were 30 terror attacks and 330 cases of severe violence.

The Political Battle for America - To recognize the danger that the U.S. presently faces from within, one must understand the biggest and most secretly held "dirty little secret" about "true Islam" is that it is not merely a religion. The greatest deception being forced down the throat of each American is that Islam is simply a religion; thus, speaking against "true Islam" is to risk being branded as religiously intolerant and politically incorrect in America, which is quite an effective and ingenious method of defense against anyone speaking against it.

Atheist Has Conversion Experience, Becomes a Believer During the UK Reality TV Series The Monastery Aimee Herd, Davin Dahlgren reporting  (May 9, 2005) - Five men, including an atheist in the adult entertainment trade, who participated in the UK Television reality series The Monastery have had significant experiences that seem to have transformed their lives. According to the report in the London Telegraph, the five lent themselves to an experiment in "spiritual makeover," living with Catholic monks in Worth Abbey, West Sussex, for 40 days and 40 nights. The program, which aired on the BBC this month, was designed to reveal whether or not the monastic tradition still has relevance in the modern world.