Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Ukrainian President Signs Law Allowing NATO Membership Bid
Dec 30th, 2014
Daily NewsRadio Free Europe
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law abandoning Ukraine's neutral "non-bloc" status, and said Ukrainians will decide whether the country should seek NATO membership once it meets the standards of the Western military alliance.

Poroshenko predicted that moment would come in five or six years.

He signed the law on December 29 during an end-of-year news conference in Kyiv.

"When Ukraine meets the appropriate standards -- I think that will be done within five-six years in the framework of Strategy 2020 -- then the people of Ukraine will determine whether the country will join NATO," Poroshenko said, suggesting a referendum would be held on the issue.

The new law scraps 2010 legislation that barred Ukraine from seeking to join any military alliance.

Ukraine's parliament passed the law on December 23, drawing vocal criticism from Russia.

Poroshenko told lawmakers that day that Russian "aggression against Ukraine" created the need for "more effective guarantees of independence, sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity."

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March in a move denounced as illegal by Kyiv and the West, which have also accused Moscow of providing direct military support to separatist rebels whose war against government forces has killed more than 4,700 people in eastern Ukraine since April.

Deadly fighting has continued despite a September 5 agreement on a cease-fire and steps toward peace.

On December 29, each side accused the other of committing fresh cease-fire violations.

Poroshenko said three Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting over the Donetsk airport, the site of some of the heaviest combat since the September 5 cease-fire.

"Donetsk airport remains under our full control," Poroshenko said at the press conference, adding that fighting there had ended just minutes before he spoke. "Unfortunately, the information about three dead has been confirmed."

The fighting has lessened in recent weeks, however, and Poroshenko said the cease-fire was "slowly working" but must be strengthened.

He said he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and French President Francois Hollande on January 15 to discuss peace efforts.

The meeting will take place in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan -- a Central Asian country whose president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, met both Poroshenko and Putin last week and called for Russia and Ukraine to seek a compromise.

Poroshenko and Putin have held several four-way conversations with Merkel and Hollande as part of efforts to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The European Union and the United States have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Ukraine and support for the separatists.

On December 28, Merkel called on Russia to use its influence on the separatists, who control parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to do more to end the conflict.

The latest peace talks, held in December 24 in Minsk, ended without a breakthrough, and a follow-up meeting expected on December 26 did not take place.

On December 26, Kyiv exchanged about 220 people for some 145 captured Ukrainian soldiers as agreed during the Minsk meeting.

Petrobras Deadline Prompts Some Bondholders to Push for Default
Dec 30th, 2014
Daily NewsCNBC
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Vanderlei Almeida | AFP | Getty Images

Petrobras, Brazil's state-run oil company, could be declared in technical default on some of its foreign debt as early as Tuesday if bondholders pursue efforts to force it to speed up its assessment of losses in a giant corruption scandal.

The push, led by New York-based Aurelius Capital, applies to $54 billion of Petrobras bonds governed by U.S. law in New York state. Aurelius, a "distressed debt" fund, is asking investors to put the company into default as "a precautionary step," according to a Dec. 29 letter from the firm reviewed by Reuters.

Under the terms of those bonds, Petrobras is required to provide third-quarter financial statements within 90 days of the end of a quarter, in this case by Monday, Dec. 29. Petrobras has not published those accounts because allegations of contract-fixing and bribery at the company have raised doubts about the true value of its assets.

For the default declaration to take effect on any of the more than 20 U.S. law bonds outstanding, investors holding at least 25 percent of any one series must request the action, Aurelius said in the letter to fellow bondholders.

Aurelius was a leading member of a group of investors that refused to accept a debt restructuring with Argentina, taking the country to court.

<p>Brazilian diplomat on Petrobras corruption probe </p> <p>Roberto Jaguaribe, Brazilian ambassador to the UK, says the investigation into corruption allegations at Petrobras will not stop investment in the country's energy sector.</p>

Petrobras, which first planned to release results in early November, has extended the deadline to Jan. 31 as new corruption allegations came to light, saying it had a waiver from investors but not giving any details.

Petrobras did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We believe bondholders should immediately take the prudent precaution of giving formal notice of default," Aurelius managing director Eleanor Chan wrote.

"While mere notice of default should not itself cause a crisis, bondholders cannot avoid a crisis merely by sticking their heads in the sand and accepting Petrobras' assurances as a certainty."

Distressed debt funds specialize in buying the debt of companies or countries at risk of default. Such hedge funds, also known as vulture funds, often use top flight lawyers to gain favorable terms in any bankruptcy.

Few have suggested Petrobras will be unable to pay its debts in the short or medium term. It has huge oil resources and the backing of the Brazilian government, whose officials have said they will backstop the company.

Petrobras, though, is already frozen out of capital markets because of the scandal and is in danger of losing its investment-grade debt rating, a situation that would reduce the pool of potential investors and raise its borrowing costs.

A notice of default will require Petrobras to provide financial statements by early March or face calls for early repayment of debt.

Even if matters do not reach that stage, the declaration will increase pressure on Petrobras executives to negotiate with bondholders and provide a credible accounting of the costs of the corruption scandal, a reckoning that Petrobras' chief executive said could take months.

"If Petrobras releases its third-quarter financial statements by the beginning of March, the default will be cured," Aurelius said. "If Petrobras still has not released its third-quarter financials by early March, the underlying causes of the delay may be considerably worse than is understood today."

Let the Headlines Speak
Dec 30th, 2014
Daily NewsFrom the internet
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

One Word Changes Everything; Can You Handle The Truth?
There is a significant shift in the church today to avoid controversial truths, such as sin and repentance. if a pastor avoids difficult truths they are not a pastor; they are a motivational speaker, or a false prophet offering false hope (cf. Jeremiah 23). The cross only makes sense in light of the consequences of sin.  

Rivlin: Retaliation against persecution of Christians in the Middle East is a war against extremism
Over the past months, he said, “we have been greatly concerned by the on-going religious persecution and restrictions on freedom of worship for minorities in the Middle East. Because of their faith hundreds of thousands are being exiled, forcibly converted, attacked and brutally murdered,” he said.  

Obama Wants to Make Iran ‘Regional Power
In an interview with National Public Radio published Monday, President Barack Obama offered Iran the prospect of becoming a “regional power” in exchange for a nuclear deal.  

Gohmert: GOP Leadership Not ‘on Board’ With Defunding Exec Amnesty
Louie Gohmert (R-TX) declared that Republican leaders in Congress “need to get on board” with defunding the president’s executive action on immigration on Monday’s “Hannity” on the Fox News Channel.  

Islamic State claims killing of Iranian military adviser Brigadier General Hamid Taghavi in Iraq
The Islamic State (IS) group has claimed the killing of a senior Iranian officer advising Iraqi forces in their fight against the jihadists, in posts on jihadist internet forums.  

Ebola case numbers top 20,000, deaths approach 8,000: WHO
The number of people infected by Ebola in the three countries worst affected by the outbreak has passed 20,000, with more than 7,842 deaths in the epidemic so far, the World Health Organization said on Monday.  

Oil hits five-and-a-half-year low below $57 on supply glut
Brent crude oil fell to a 5-1/2-year low of less than $57 a barrel on Tuesday as a global supply glut outweighed concerns of lost supply from Libya where battling militias have closed ports.  

Minor earthquakes reported in central Utah
The U.S. Geological Survey says two minor earthquakes of 3.7 magnitude and 3.2 magnitude hit central Utah late Sunday night about eight miles southwest of Nephi.  

Earthquakes Hit Geysir Area and North Iceland
Yesterday evening at 11:18 an earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was detected in the ocean approximately 20 km (13 miles) north of Kolbeinsey island near the inhabited island of Grímsey and some smaller followed.  

Iran's Bushehr Province Hit by 5.3-Magnitude Earthquake:
A 5.3-magnitude earthquake has hit the country's southern Bushehr Province near the country's nuclear power plant, Iranian news agency IRNA reported Tuesday.  

IDF to withdraw from Gaza border communities
The IDF announced on Sunday that it will withdraw its troops from communities bordering the Gaza Strip starting from Thursday, and said that soldiers will remain on guard at only three communities adjacent to the border. The decision was met by outrage among southern residents, as the government has yet to deliver on its promise made during Operation Protective Edge, according to which an advanced security fence would be build along the border.  

CDC says nation at epidemic threshold
Illinois is reporting high flu activity and the CDC says the U.S. has hit the flu epidemic threshold nationwide. According to the CDC, the proportion of deaths reported in 122 U.S. cities from pneumonia and influenza surpassed the seasonal baseline and currently stands at the epidemic threshold of 6.8 percent. The number of states reporting high flu activity has also increased from 13 to 22.  

Whooping cough proteins evolving 'unusually' fast
Whooping cough may be evolving to outsmart the currently used vaccine, say researchers. Analysis of strains from 2012 shows the parts of the pertussis bacterium that the vaccine primes the immune system to recognise are changing. It may have "serious consequences" in future outbreaks, UK researchers state in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.  

Afghanistan conflict: Taliban declares 'defeat' of Nato
Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have declared the "defeat" of the US and its allies, a day after the coalition officially ended its combat mission. A Taliban statement said the US-led force had "rolled up its flag" without having achieved "anything substantial". Nato formally ended its 13-year mission on Sunday, but about 13,000 troops will stay to train the Afghan army.  

US air strike in Somalia targets al-Shabab leader
The US says it has conducted an air strike against the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab in Somalia. Its target was a "senior leader" in the area of Saakow, according to a statement by the US defence department. "At this time, we do not assess there to be any civilian or bystander casualties," it said.  

USA Russia: Obama suggests Putin 'not so smart'
President Barack Obama has said Vladimir Putin made a "strategic mistake" when he annexed Crimea, in a move that was "not so smart". Those thinking his Russian counterpart was a "genius" had been proven wrong by Russia's economic crisis, he said. International sanctions had made Russia's economy particularly vulnerable to changes in oil price, Mr Obama said.  

Indonesia finds bodies, debris in search for missing jet: official
JAKARTA - Indonesian rescuers saw bodies and luggage off the coast of Borneo island on Tuesday and officials said they were "95 percent sure" debris spotted in the sea was from a missing AirAsia plane with 162 people on board.  

Why the US will power the world economy in 2015
WASHINGTON — The United States is back, and ready to drive global growth in 2015. After long struggling to claw its way out of the Great Recession, the world's biggest economy is on an extended win streak that is edging it closer to full health. But the new year doesn't look quite so bright in other major countries.  

US Oil Rigs Are Shutting Down Like Crazy
The latest Baker Hughes rig count data showed that the total number of US rigs in operation — which includes both oil and gas rigs — fell by 35 last week, to 1,840 from 1,875. This report is usually released on Friday afternoons, but was released on Monday due to last week's Christmas holiday.  

Rare Snow to Blanket Las Vegas, Desert Southwest on New Year's Eve
As cold air continues to plunge southward in the West, a storm will produce rare New Year's Eve and New Year's Day snow for Las Vegas, the Mojave Desert and the mountains in the region. Pack some warm clothes and perhaps winter boots if you are heading to the Southwest for the New Year's holiday. Motorists heading over the mountains should expect delays due to snow-covered roads.  

Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei accuses US police of 'oppressing' black community
Iran's supreme leader has baited America over its race relations record, accusing its police of oppressing the country's black community and likening their suffering to that of Jesus.  

Russians Rage Against America
Enduring Sanctions, Anger Turns to Hate: Racist Names for Obama and Putin Disses Coca-Cola. If you talk to a Russian about the international political situation, sooner or later you will be informed that there is a country in North America that you’ve never heard of. Its name is ‘Pindosia,’ ‘Pindostan’ or, more officially, ‘United States of Pindostan,’ and you will be told that one part of it, called Alaska, used to belong to Russia. Part of the word—‘stan’—stands for underdeveloped state, as in ‘ Pakistan,’ ‘Kazakhstan,’ or ‘Uzbekistan.’ The citizens of this country in plural form are called ‘pindoses,’ in singular—‘pindos.’  

China, U.S. Join the Search for AirAsia QZ8501 in Waters Near Borneo
Chinese and U.S. military ships are heading to seas south and west of Borneo where a AirAsia Bhd. (AIRA) passenger jet is suspected of crashing as the search enters its third day.  

Leaving Afghanistan, Repeating Iraq
You don’t have to be a soldier or diplomat to ask whether President Obama’s withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan on December 31 is a good idea or not. Consider what happened when he withdrew our troops from Iraq in 2011. The answer to that is the Islamic State which filled the vacuum left behind.  

Jimmy Carter: From Nobel Prize to 'Terrorist' Ties
The image is iconic. On March 26, 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat clasped hands at the White House in Washington after signing an agreement that would end 31 years of war between the countries.Standing between the leaders was President Jimmy Carter, who brokered the deal after a tense 13-day summit at Camp David in Maryland in which both parties threatened to walk out daily.  

Why aren’t progressives putting the run to Commies organizing street protests
It’s time for Mayor Bill de Blasio, the 2008 endorser of his New York City Public Defender candidacy opportunist/ activist Al Sharpton; President Barack Obama, the lawless Eric Holder et al to send an eardrum-splitting message to their protegé protesters: “Stop the hatred bringing on the Cop Killers!”  

Escalation on the Northern Front: Background and Significance - Security-Political Simulation
Common to all the parties in the simulation was the desire to avoid being dragged into escalation. All the parties tried to contain the event and confine it to a short round of strikes. Among the restraining factors were the challenge posed by the Islamic State and the weakening of the Shiite axis in the region, Hizbollah’s involvement in Syria, and the dialogue between Tehran and Washington – on both the nuclear question and in dealing with the Islamic State, their common enemy.  

Joel Hemphills Denial of Jesus Deity
Dec 30th, 2014
Daily Newsfbns@wayoflife.org. - David Cloud
Categories: False Doctrine

Joel Hemphill has been a popular Southern Gospel singer and songwriter since the 1960s, having penned more than 350 songs. Many of these are considered "Gospel classics," such as "Jesus Saves," "I Claim the Blood," "He's Still Working on Me," and "Master of the Wind." His first songs were recorded by the Happy Goodman Family to whom he is related on his wife's side. He and his family have received eight Dove Awards. The Hemphills have appeared regularly on the Gaither Homecoming videos. In 2007, Hemphill was inducted in the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame. 

Hemphill denies the Trinity. At one time he was Jesus Only, believing that only Jesus is God, but he says that he had a divine revelation in 2005 teaching him that Jesus is not God but rather a sinless created being, and that only the Father is God. He presented this heresy in his book To God Be the Glory: Exalting the Bible View of God. In a letter responding to criticism of the book, he said:

"The focus of my book isn't what Jesus is not, but rather who God the Father is. GOD IS IMMORTAL - JESUS WAS NOT. He was appointed to death Heb. 9:27. God is omnipresent - Jesus was not. He said at Lazarus' tomb, 'I am glad for your sakes that I was not there' John 11:15. GOD IS OMNIPOTENT - JESUS WAS NOT. ... Hebrews teaches, and I believe that Jesus did not come in the God family (there is only one God), or the angel family, but in the human family (Heb. 2:7, 9). He is perfect, sinless man, but man nevertheless! … A GOD-MAN COULD NOT REDEEM US. It took a sinless man, the Lamb of God, with righteous blood untainted by the sin of Adam, to redeem mankind. HE IS THE SECOND ADAM, NOT THE FIRST GOD-MAN… If the disciples who had just seen Jesus ascend to heaven in Acts chapter one, did not pray to him in Acts chapter four, then HE IS NOT GOD!… The incarnation as taught by modern Christianity is a fable" (Hemphill, "Response to 'To God Be the Glory,’ “

Greece Comes Back to Haunt Eurozone As Anti - Troika Rebels Scent Power
Dec 30th, 2014
Daily NewsThe Telegraph
Categories: Today's Headlines;Contemporary Issues

Eurozone’s long-simmering crisis has returned with a vengeance as snap elections in Greece open the way for an anti-austerity government