News and Prophecy Staff

Last Saturday, two powerful earthquakes struck Iran.  The first was 6.4 magnitude and the second 6.3 (ITV News, August 12, 2012).  They were both followed by many aftershocks.  At least six villages were completely destroyed and dozens more experienced great damage.  More than 50,000 have taken temporary shelter (Reuters, August 14, 2012).

In a recent “letter drop” in the east Auckland suburb of Botany, the National MP for the area, Mr. Jami-Lee Ross, issued a message to residents. The letter, titled “Same-Sex Marriage: What do you think?” explained that “Parliament will soon be voting on draft legislation to enable same-sex couples to marry. Members of Parliament will be given a [individual] conscience vote on this issue. To help me represent the Botany Electorate when I vote, I would appreciate knowing your views on same-sex marriage” (Jami-Lee Ross, National Party, Same-Sex Marriage Letter, 6th of August, 2012).

Last week, a seventeen-year-old Chinese young man killed nine people and injured five more with a knife, following an argument with his girlfriend (Daily Record, November 27, 2012). This event coincides with shootings in the U.S., and the murder of more than 70 people in ethnic clashes in India (Times of India, Aug

Italy’s and Spain’s economies are in dire straits, and the EU is seriously considering bailing them out with a major purchase of national bonds.  The all-important caveat may be that Italy and Spain will have to cede control of their fiscal policies to the EU! (Telegraph, August 2, 2012).

“Cattlemen are selling animals they can’t graze or afford to buy feed for… The number of cattle in the U.S. has been dropping for years.  The Agriculture Department says the nation’s cattle inventory is the smallest since the agency began a July count in 1973” (Associated Press, July 24, 2012).