James Asquith’s News Tips
NORTH AMERICA
US Police on nationwide alert — City police departments and union leaders around the country are warning the rank and file to wear bulletproof vests and avoid making inflammatory posts on social media in the days after a man ambushed two officers and shot them to death inside their patrol car
NBC
NBC
Man who shot NYC cops dead posted Koran’s command to "strike terror into enemies of Allah" — The gunman who snuffed out the lives of two New York City police officers on Saturday in a revenge killing for the incidents in Ferguson and New York had posted texts from the Koran calling for terror upon the enemies of Allah
CHRISTIAN NEWS
CHRISTIAN NEWS
FBI issues warning that black prison gang are targeting white police officers — The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s field office in Baltimore, Maryland issued a warning Friday that the Black Guerilla Family gang was plotting to attack white police officers in the state
IW
IW
The New America:
Common Core standards include Islamic vocabulary — Parents in Farmville, North Carolina, want to know why their children were given a Common Core vocabulary assignment in an English class that promoted the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith (I’ll have a go at answering that one: Perhaps its because there’s "someone" in the current US administration promoting an ardently pro-Islamic agenda! There now, that wasn’t so difficult was it?)
CHRISTIAN POST
Common Core standards include Islamic vocabulary — Parents in Farmville, North Carolina, want to know why their children were given a Common Core vocabulary assignment in an English class that promoted the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith (I’ll have a go at answering that one: Perhaps its because there’s "someone" in the current US administration promoting an ardently pro-Islamic agenda! There now, that wasn’t so difficult was it?)
CHRISTIAN POST
North Korea threatens to ‘blow up’ White House
after claiming to find "clear evidence" US government was behind controversial Sony film "The Interview"
DAILY MAIL
Obama says US will "figure out" how to deal with North Korean Sony hack
GOSPEL HERALD
GOSPEL HERALD
Sony executives change their mind and WILL now release "The Interview" after being shamed by backlash accusing them of weakness
DAILY MAIL
DAILY MAIL
The New America:
Haunting new photos of Detroit’s abandoned Silverdome reveal how one of the country’s most famous stadiums is now just an empty shell left to rot
DAILY MAIL
Haunting new photos of Detroit’s abandoned Silverdome reveal how one of the country’s most famous stadiums is now just an empty shell left to rot
DAILY MAIL
Atheist Sam Harris attacks accomplished NIH Scientist Dr. Francis Collins
—
for being Christian
CHRISTIAN POST
—
for being Christian
CHRISTIAN POST
Officers shoot Canadian man holding handgun replica on US border bridge — US officers have shot a Canadian man who walked toward a border inspection booth waving what they said looked like a handgun early Sunday
CNN
CNN
The New America:
San Francisco Police officer caught choking sleeping hospital patient, then falsely arresting him — A San Francisco sheriff’s deputy is facing four felony charges after he randomly assaulted a sleeping patient at San Francisco General Hospital and then denied his actions. Thankfully his gross misconduct was caught on CCTV
IW
San Francisco Police officer caught choking sleeping hospital patient, then falsely arresting him — A San Francisco sheriff’s deputy is facing four felony charges after he randomly assaulted a sleeping patient at San Francisco General Hospital and then denied his actions. Thankfully his gross misconduct was caught on CCTV
IW
Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, a former US Army chaplain who served a tour with the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam from 1971 to 1972, and who is now grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, has visited with paratroopers of the brigade and their families in Italy
HE
HE
VATICAN CITY
Pope Francis names new Camerlengo
— The Pontiff has named French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran as his new Camerlengo. Tauran, 71, will replace Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, former Vatican secretary of state
CHRISTIAN TIMES
— The Pontiff has named French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran as his new Camerlengo. Tauran, 71, will replace Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, former Vatican secretary of state
CHRISTIAN TIMES
"Don’t miss God’s knock at the door this Christmas"
— Pope Francis
ALETEIA
Archbishop of Seoul prays for reconciliation with North — The South Korean Archbishop of Seoul, Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung, has prayed for reunification with North Korea so that “through trust and reconciliation, may we become one family again”
CATHOLIC HERALD
CATHOLIC HERALD
"There are promising prospects for China-Holy See relations" — Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State
VATICAN INSIDER
VATICAN INSIDER
Man protests on roof of St. Peter’s — An Italian man evaded Vatican security for the fifth time to reach a high ledge on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica to protest against laws he says caused him to lose his business
CHRISTIAN TODAY
CHRISTIAN TODAY
The Vatican and Lutherans will mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 with “common liturgical material” in a move hailed as an “epoch-making turning point” in Catholic-Lutheran relations
LUTHERAN WORLD
LUTHERAN WORLD
"Proposal to allow Communion for those in irregular unions attacks the very foundations of Christian life" — Cardinal Velasio De Paolis
LIFE SITE
LIFE SITE
New Ambassador of Netherlands presents credentials to Pope — The Ambassador said of his meeting with Pope Francis that they spoke at length (in Spanish) about peace and the latest developments regarding Cuba
RADIO VATICANA
RADIO VATICANA
How Pope Francis became the world’s BFF — The first Jesuit Pope has endeared himself to people not so much through his religion, but through his humane politics, which were forged in repressive Argentina
TDB
TDB
LATIN AMERICA
Cuban-Americans denounce Pope Francis:
"I am a Catholic Without a Pope"
—
Many Catholics worldwide have expressed pride in seeing Francis stirring hopes of progress in communist Cuba, but some Cuban-Americans say their spiritual leader betrayed them
THE BLAZE
"I am a Catholic Without a Pope"
—
Many Catholics worldwide have expressed pride in seeing Francis stirring hopes of progress in communist Cuba, but some Cuban-Americans say their spiritual leader betrayed them
THE BLAZE
Iran cites US-Cuba thaw as proof that sanctions do not work — Tehran says "defense of Cuban government of their revolutionary ideals shows that isolation policies and sanctions against independent nations are ineffective"
YNET
YNET
ISRAEL
Liberman: Gaza rockets are response to EU decision to remove Hamas from terror blacklist
— Friday’s mortar attack from Gaza was the terrorist organizations’ answer to the EU High Court of Justice’s decision last week to take Hamas off the EU’s list of terrorist organizations
JERUSALEM POST
— Friday’s mortar attack from Gaza was the terrorist organizations’ answer to the EU High Court of Justice’s decision last week to take Hamas off the EU’s list of terrorist organizations
JERUSALEM POST
Woman found stabbed in Rishon Lezion — A woman in her fifties was found stabbed to death in an apartment on Arnon street in Rishon Lezion south of Tel Aviv on Monday morning
JERUSALEM POST
JERUSALEM POST
Netanyahu in Europe to resist Palestinian statehood plans
BIN
BIN
Hanukkah candle lighting at Joseph’s tomb
BIN
BIN
"One in three children in Israel is poor" says new report by NGO
JERUSALEM POST
JERUSALEM POST
Palestinian cleric says husbands must know password for wives’ Facebook accounts — Sheikh Khaled al-Maghrabi said that for a woman to have an internet account that is blocked with a password unknown to her husband constitutes a violation of Islamic law. Muslim women who wish to maintain an account on social media must grant access to those accounts to their husbands, a Palestinian cleric has told worshipers at the Al-Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM POST
JERUSALEM POST
RUSSIA
Belarusian independent news sites blocked — Several independent news websites have been blocked in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, where the government exerts close control of news media
CBN
CBN
Facebook’s politics:
Facebook accused of bowing to Putin as site shuts down page supporting president’s rival because of pressure from the Kremlin
DAILY MAIL
Facebook accused of bowing to Putin as site shuts down page supporting president’s rival because of pressure from the Kremlin
DAILY MAIL
RECOMMENDED ON ALETEIA
Brian Fraga addressed the matter of
"Jihadist Attacks on the West" stating, "[Many] attacks [by Muslims] have been portrayed as "lone wolf" incidents perpetrated by violent and mentally-unstable individuals who are usually estranged from society. However, Turzanski said ‘there are too many commonalities to ignore the broader threat of domestic jihad. It is very much their ideology,’ Turzanski said. ‘You start putting all this together and the first thing that’s obvious is that people who intend to do us harm lack the capacity for mass-casualty attacks. If ISIS and Al Qaeda had the capacity for mass-casualty attacks against us, they would do it. This shows they have changed their mindset."
ALETEIA
"Jihadist Attacks on the West" stating, "[Many] attacks [by Muslims] have been portrayed as "lone wolf" incidents perpetrated by violent and mentally-unstable individuals who are usually estranged from society. However, Turzanski said ‘there are too many commonalities to ignore the broader threat of domestic jihad. It is very much their ideology,’ Turzanski said. ‘You start putting all this together and the first thing that’s obvious is that people who intend to do us harm lack the capacity for mass-casualty attacks. If ISIS and Al Qaeda had the capacity for mass-casualty attacks against us, they would do it. This shows they have changed their mindset."
ALETEIA
The Canonry of St. Leopold’s message
"Any Day Now" reflects on the need for us to take stock of the loads we carry (especially at this time of year) and encourages us to embrace Christ even as Mary embraced the calling upon her life, "We too are asked every day of our lives, and in a special way as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, if we are able and willing to accept [the Christ child] and all that comes with Him into our own arms and into our own lives."
ALETEIA
"Any Day Now" reflects on the need for us to take stock of the loads we carry (especially at this time of year) and encourages us to embrace Christ even as Mary embraced the calling upon her life, "We too are asked every day of our lives, and in a special way as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, if we are able and willing to accept [the Christ child] and all that comes with Him into our own arms and into our own lives."
ALETEIA
BRITAIN & IRELAND
The New Britain:
"Heartless" council threatens to take Violet, 100, to court on Christmas Eve over nursing home fees
DAILY MAIL
"Heartless" council threatens to take Violet, 100, to court on Christmas Eve over nursing home fees
DAILY MAIL
Justin Welby: "The only certainty in life is Christ" — (Lol, well it had to happen one day. Since Welby came to office there hasn’t been much about his Archbishopric that I have agreed with, but, his most recent comment is something with which I concur! Indeed I often say something similar with the phrase
"The only consistency in our lives, is the love of God." So, today Welby and I are on the same page
— and it is in acknowledging Christ that we find this unity — just as it should be!)
CHRISTIAN TODAY
"The only consistency in our lives, is the love of God." So, today Welby and I are on the same page
— and it is in acknowledging Christ that we find this unity — just as it should be!)
CHRISTIAN TODAY
ISIS The Next Generation:
"God willing" says jihadist widow in London as she posts photo of 4 year old posing with ISIS flag
DAILY MAIL
"God willing" says jihadist widow in London as she posts photo of 4 year old posing with ISIS flag
DAILY MAIL
Britons behaving badly: Looking like a character out of Michael Jackson’s "Thriller" video, socialite
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson is arrested by eight armed police officers at Heathrow after throwing tantrum because she was refused access to first-class lounge
DAILY MAIL
Tara Palmer-Tomkinson is arrested by eight armed police officers at Heathrow after throwing tantrum because she was refused access to first-class lounge
DAILY MAIL
UK university pays North Korean students £56,000 to learn the secrets of computer hacking
DAILY MAIL
DAILY MAIL
Britons in poverty:
Poorest families in Britian more heavily taxed than wealthy — (As one reads Scripture it becomes clear how such injustices deeply offend our Lord)
THE INDEPENDENT
Poorest families in Britian more heavily taxed than wealthy — (As one reads Scripture it becomes clear how such injustices deeply offend our Lord)
THE INDEPENDENT
Former Archbishop of Canterbury installed as Endellion church prebend
BBC
BBC
Christmas is cancelled for boy, 11, as his single mother scrapes together cash needed for private school’s annual fees
DAILY MAIL
DAILY MAIL
First arrest in forex scandal: Former RBS trader held on suspicion of rigging £3.5trillion foreign exchange market — (Financial analysts as well as those intimately acquainted with trading practices on both sides of the Atlantic speculate that 2015 could witness the greatest fiscal fracture in recent modern history!)
DAILY MAIL
DAILY MAIL
Britons behaving badly:
Scotland Yard is probing five VIP pedophile rings after Labour MP hands in dossier naming six serving politicians and Lords
DAILY MAIL
Scotland Yard is probing five VIP pedophile rings after Labour MP hands in dossier naming six serving politicians and Lords
DAILY MAIL
Christmas message from the Bishop of Elphin in western Ireland
ICBC
ICBC
Christmas message from the Moderator of the Church of Scotland
COS
COS
EUROPE
Arsonist sought in fire at Turkish Bible distribution center — Turkish authorities are searching for a suspected arsonist in connection with a fire that destroyed thousands of New Testaments and other Christian books (As I’ve mentioned many-a-time, watch out for the continuing militant "Islamification" of Turkey)
CHRISTIAN NEWS
CHRISTIAN NEWS
Islam in France:
Islamic convert, 40, facing terrorism charges after he mows down 11 people in his car while shouting "God is great" in Arabic
DAILY MAIL
Islamic convert, 40, facing terrorism charges after he mows down 11 people in his car while shouting "God is great" in Arabic
DAILY MAIL
AFRICA
Horrific new Boko Haram video shows extremists killing civilian "infidels" — A new video from Nigeria’s home-grown Boko Haram extremists shows gunmen mowing down civilians lying face down in a dormitory while the Boko Haram leader explains they are being killed because they are "infidels" or non-believers. "We have made sure the floor of this hall is turned red with blood, and this is how it is going to be in all future attacks and arrests of infidels"
NYDN
NYDN
42 killed in Yemeni revenge attack — Dozens of Houthi rebels have been killed in central Yemen in a suspected revenge attack after at least 40 people from a rival tribe were kidnapped by the Shia group
ALJAZEERA
ALJAZEERA
Kenyan women with HIV being sterilized by force
KELIN
KELIN
Bill Gates’ human experimentation with GM bananas in Africa condemned by scientists — At least 124 food and outreach organizations, as well as 26 individual scientists, have signed a letter sent to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation protesting ongoing human trials of genetically modified (GM), beta-carotene-enriched bananas intended for Africa — (Unsatisfied with the numbers likely to be killed in Africa through their push for a new "lethal" contraceptive drug, the Gates Foundation now wants to use Africans us ‘human guinea pigs" for unproven science)
GLOBAL RESEARCH
GLOBAL RESEARCH
Muslims trying to drive Christians out of northern Kenya
MNN
MNN
MIDDLE EAST
Christian politicians must abide by "Biblical values" — Lebanon Maronite Patriarch. The absence of a president exacerbates Lebanon’s already tense situation, Maronite
Patriarch Bechara Rai said Sunday, reiterating calls for Christians to stay in Lebanon and urging Christian leaders not to lose their "biblical values."
THE LEBANON DAILY STAR
Patriarch Bechara Rai said Sunday, reiterating calls for Christians to stay in Lebanon and urging Christian leaders not to lose their "biblical values."
THE LEBANON DAILY STAR
20 ISIS militants killed in failed airport attack — At least 20 Islamic State group members were killed in the second failed jihadist bid in a month to take over an air base in eastern Syria
YAHOO NEWS
YAHOO NEWS
"American church is addicted to personal peace, comfort, and affluence," says US pastor in Iraq hoping to engage Islamic State
CHRISTIAN POST
CHRISTIAN POST
ISIS reality TV show —
Victims confront terrorists on controversial Iraqi TV show. The confessions of convicted terrorists are being broadcast on an Iraqi reality TV show in which they are also forced to face the relatives of victims. "In the Grip of the Law"
— produced by the state-run Al Iraqiya channel in cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, is part of a concerted media effort to attack the Islamic extremist group ISIS and garner public support for the Iraqi forces that were humiliated by them
THE INDEPENDENT
Victims confront terrorists on controversial Iraqi TV show. The confessions of convicted terrorists are being broadcast on an Iraqi reality TV show in which they are also forced to face the relatives of victims. "In the Grip of the Law"
— produced by the state-run Al Iraqiya channel in cooperation with the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, is part of a concerted media effort to attack the Islamic extremist group ISIS and garner public support for the Iraqi forces that were humiliated by them
THE INDEPENDENT
ASIA, PACIFIC & AUSTRALIA
Hindu leader vows to continue conversions of Muslims and Christians — The head of India’s most powerful Hindu group has vowed to press ahead in defiance of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism
CHRISTIAN TODAY
CHRISTIAN TODAY
30 Christians converted by Vishva Hindu Parishad in Kerala: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed to have converted at least 30 Christians on Sunday in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, adding that 150 more families would be returned into the Hindu fold in the run-up to Christmas. This is the first time Kerala has reported such a case of conversion. The incident comes just one day after the VHP claimed to have converted 225 tribal Christians in south Gujarat in a similar conversion drive
HINDUSTAN TIMES
HINDUSTAN TIMES
Christmas celebrations cancelled in Peshawar after school attack — "How can we celebrate and host parties when our city has been so devastated?" — Bishop Peters
ACNS
ACNS
Papuan bishop makes emergency appeal amid severe food shortage — Bishop Rolando Santos has launched an appeal during a severe food shortage following a cyclone engulfing the Catholic diocese
CNA
CNA
The touching moment a Muslim bride takes a detour on her big day to lay her wedding bouquet at the shrine for Sydney siege victims — and hundreds of stunned onlookers break into applause
DAILY MAIL
DAILY MAIL
ADDITIONAL
When the Holidays Hurt
CHARISMA
CHARISMA
HuffPo catches-up with Aleteia’s reporting from last week: Pope Francis wrote a book in 1998 titled "Dialogues between John Paul II and Fidel Castro"
HUFFINGTON POST
HUFFINGTON POST