One Air Asia ‘black box’ has been retrieved

Indonesian navy divers retrieved the black box flight data recorder from the wreck of an AirAsia passenger jet on Monday, a major step towards unraveling the cause of the crash that killed all 162 people on board.

But there was confusion about what happened in the final moments of Flight QZ8501, which crashed off the Indonesian coast on Dec. 28, with one official saying the plane probably exploded before hitting the water and another disputing that theory.

The Airbus A320-200 airliner lost contact with air traffic control in bad weather less than halfway into a two-hour flight from Indonesia’s second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore.

“At 7:11, we succeeded in lifting the part of the black box known as the flight data recorder,” Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters at a news conference.

The second so-called black box, containing the cockpit voice recorder, is located about 20 meters away from where the flight data recorder was found, but divers have not yet been able to get to it.

“(The cockpit voice recorder) seems to be under a wing, which is quite heavy,” said Supriyadi, operations coordinator for the search and rescue agency. “So we will use air bags to lift it. This will be done tomorrow.”

The black boxes contain a wealth of data that will be crucial for investigators piecing together the sequence of events that led to the airliner plunging into the sea.

Supriyadi said the wreckage indicated that the plane likely “experienced an explosion” before hitting the water due to a significant change in air pressure.

He said the left side of the plane seemed to have disintegrated, pointing to a change in pressure that could have caused an explosion.

“NO DATA” TO SUPPORT THEORY

Supporting this possibility, he added, was the fact that fishermen in the area had reported hearing an explosion and saw smoke above the water.

But another official disputed the likelihood of a blast.

“There is no data to support that kind of theory,” said Santoso Sayogo, an investigator at the National Transportation Safety Committee.

The flight data recorder was brought by helicopter to Pangkalan Bun, the southern Borneo town that has been the base for the search effort, and then flown to Jakarta for analysis.

The black box looked to be in good condition, said Tatang Kurniadi, the head of the transport safety committee.

Investigators may need up to a month to get a complete reading of the data.

“The download is easy, probably one day. But the reading is more difficult … could take two weeks to one month,” the NTSC’s head investigator, Mardjono Siswosuwarno, said.

Over the weekend, three vessels detected “pings” that were believed to be from the black boxes, but strong winds, powerful currents and high waves hampered search efforts.

Dozens of Indonesian navy divers took advantage of calmer weather on Monday to retrieve the flight recorder and search for the fuselage of the Airbus.

Forty-eight bodies have been retrieved from the Java Sea and brought to Surabaya for identification. Searchers believe more bodies will be found in the plane’s fuselage.

Relatives of the victims have urged authorities to make finding the remains of their loved ones the priority.

“I told our soldiers that the search isn’t over yet,” Armed Forces chief General Moeldoko told reporters. “I am sure the remaining victims are in the body of the plane. So we need to find those.”

Indonesia AirAsia, 49 percent owned by the Malaysia-based AirAsia budget group, has come under pressure from authorities in Jakarta since the crash.

The transport ministry has suspended the carrier’s Surabaya-Singapore licence for flying on a Sunday, for which it did not have permission. However, the ministry has said this had no bearing on the crash.

President Joko Widodo said the disaster exposed widespread problems in the management of air travel in Indonesia.

Source: Reuters

The Mayor of Atlanta Declares War on Freedom of Speech and Reigion

It was bad enough that Kasim Reed, the Mayor of Atlanta, declared open war on freedom of speech and religion by terminating the job of fire chief Kevin Cochran because of his views on homosexuality. But his reasons for doing so are even worse. Did Mayor Reed not even see the extraordinary irony of his words?

In 2013, Fire Chief Cochran, a committed Christian who is active in his local church, wrote and self-published a Bible-based, 160-page book that contained a few lines speaking against homosexual practice (along with other sexual sins) in very strong terms.

According to Cochran, he got verbal clearance to publish the book by the proper city authority and also gave a copy to the mayor personally, claiming that the mayor promised to read it.

But when word got out about the contents of the book, gay activists demanded that Mayor Reed dismiss Cochran. Instead, he suspended Cochran from his job for 30 days without pay – this alone boggles the mind – and required him to go to sensitivity training. (Apparently, it is forbidden even to believe what the Bible says about sexuality. You must be reprogrammed if you are to be a public servant.)

Then, earlier this week, once the suspension was over, Mayor Reed fired Cochran. And that is when the semantic circus began.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Reed said, “The city’s position is a very clear one. The city’s nondiscrimination policy, endorsed by my office and by the Atlanta City Council, unequivocally states that we will not negotiate. We will not discriminate on the basis of race or gender or religion or creed or sexual orientation or physical ability or gender identity.”

Take a moment to read that last sentence out loud slowly: “We will not discriminate on the basis of race or gender or religion or creed . . . .”

Mayor Reed, this is discrimination on the basis of religion.

These are Kevin Cochran’s deeply held religious beliefs, based on the Bible and 2,000 years of Church teaching, whether you agree with them or not.

That’s the whole reason that we have these protections in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Yet you have trampled on these very freedoms in the name of non-discrimination.

Continuing with the mayor’s comments, he said, “Any person that violates this conduct or creates an environment where we believe that that is a concern, will not be a part of our administration. Said another way, we have a strong nondiscrimination policy,” said the mayor as he engaged in an egregious act of religious discrimination.

And notice that, to my knowledge, no one has ever brought a charge against Cochran that he ever discriminated against anyone based on their sexual orientation or gender.

In fact, after his firing, Cochran explained to Todd Starnes that, “The LGBT members of our community have a right to be able to express their views and convictions about sexuality and deserve to be respected for their position without hate or discrimination. But Christians also have a right to express our belief regarding our faith and be respected for our position without hate and without discrimination. In the United States, no one should be vilified, hated or discriminated against for expressing their beliefs.”

How then could Mayor Reed say, “This is not about religious freedom, this is not about free speech. Judgment is the basis of the problem.”

He further stated, “I want everyone who works in the Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department to feel welcome,” everyone, it appears, other than those with conservative biblical beliefs about sexuality and marriage.

Mayor Reed said, “I appreciate Chief Cochran’s service as fire chief. His personal religious beliefs are not an issue at all, despite the number of comments and emails I have been receiving on a daily basis. The city and my administration stand firmly in support of the right of religious freedom, freedom of speech and the right to freely observe their faith.”

Come again? This would be similar to saying, “This has nothing to do with the color of a man’s skin, since we wholeheartedly oppose discrimination based on skin color. We are simply firing Mr. Cochran because he is black.”

Remarkably, the mayor continued to emphasize this same point: “Let’s stop trying to make this about ‘religious freedom,’ when it’s about making sure we have an environment in government where everyone, no matter who they love … can do their job and go home without fear of being discriminated against. That’s what this is about.”

To repeat: Everyone, other than born-again, Bible-based believers.

As for “everyone” feeling welcome, “no matter who they love,” what about those who love God and are convinced that homosexual practice is a sin?

And then there was this patently absurd argument: “Every single employee under the fire chief’s command deserves the certainty that he or she is a valued member of the team and that fairness and respect guide employment decisions. … If we had made the decision to retain Chief Cochran … folks in the first rescue department who may have been discriminated against in some future occasion would have had a valid case in my mind. But after the fire chief so clearly stated his position on a number of issues, I thought that it created a potential liability for the city.”

What? He fired Cochran because, in the future, he might one day discriminate against someone? That’s like arresting someone because one day, that person might commit a crime.

And how are gay activists responding to Cochran’s dismissal?

The statement of Alex Wan, the only openly gay member of Atlanta’s City Council, was representative of many others, not only applauding the mayor but also repeating his doubletalk: “I support the administration’s decision to terminate Kelvin Cochran’s employment with the City of Atlanta. This sends a strong message to employees about how much we value diversity and how we adhere to a non-discriminatory environment.”

Diversity? A non-discriminatory environment? Seriously?

Cochran, for his part, is praising God and standing strong, looking forward not backward.

Looking at the bigger picture, you can expect a strong backlash against the mayor’s actions and words. As I said earlier this week, I’m looking for 2015 to be the year of pushback.

Source: Charisma News

Martin Luther King’ Children fights over his Bible and Medal in Court

A bitter lawsuit is unravelling in court regarding the rights to Martin Luther King Jr’s Bible and Nobel Peace Prize medal.

King’s sons – Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King – run his estate, and want to sell the relics to a private buyer. It is thought the Bible could fetch between $200,000 and $1million, while the medal could go for more than $10million.

However, King’s daughter, Bernice, controls their mother’s estate and contests that King gave the medal to his wife as a gift and therefore belongs to her. She opposes the sale.

According to the Associated Press, Bernice gave an address in February at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where her father and grandfather both preached, in which she argued that the Bible and medal were cherished possessions of her father and “speak to the very core of who he was”.

She has also said that profiting from the sale of the medal would be “spiritually violent” and “outright morally reprehensible”.

“These items should never be sold to any person, as I say it, or any institution, because they’re sacred,” Bernice told a news conference. “I take this strong position for my father because Daddy is not here to say himself my Bible and medals are never to be sold.”

Dr Joseph Lowery, another key civil rights leader who marched with King, told African American news website theGrio last year that he supported Bernice’s decision. “I don’t even want to admit there’s a discussion about putting those items on the market,” he said.

“They are sacred items, not only are they sacred to the family but they’re sacred to the community. They represent Martin’s life work and commitment to justice and serving God.”

Reverend Timothy McDonald, assistant pastor of Ebenezer between 1978 and 1984 told AP: “You don’t sell Bibles and you don’t get but one Nobel peace prize. There are some items that you just don’t put a price on.”

As the lawsuit continues – the latest in a string between the warring siblings –the items are being held in a safe deposit box by a judge until the dispute is settled. A hearing is scheduled on January 13, but the case will go to trial if a decision is not made then.

Fulton County superior court judge Robert McBurney said it is likely the estate will win the case.

King’s children have in the past sold a collection of his papers and books for $32 million, and have been involved in a series of disputes regarding the use of their father’s image and belongings.

A dedicated pastor and leader in the Civil Rights Movement, King was assassinated in 1968. His Bible was last used by Barack Obama during his swearing in for a second term.

Source: Christian Today

Jewish Agency expects rise in migration of French jews to Isreal

Israel expects the number of French Jews moving there this year, which was already predicted to rise sharply from 2014′s record level, to accelerate further after the killings at a Paris kosher grocery, a senior official said on Sunday.

Natan Sharansky, head of the Jewish Agency promoting emigration to Israel, said his estimate for 2015 was 10,000 French immigrants, after 3,300 in 2013 and 7,000 last year.

“It will probably be much more than 10,000,” he told Reuters at a Jewish Agency meeting for French people considering emigration. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann, at his side, said about 700 Jews had attended the session during the day.

Both men flew to Paris with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a mass protest on Sunday that united world leaders – including Muslim and Jewish statesmen – with over a million French to honor 17 victims of Islamist militant attacks.

They later attended a memorial service for all the victims at the Paris Grand Synagogue with Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

The victims died in three days of violence that began with an attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday and ended with a hostage-taking at a kosher supermarket on Friday. Four were killed at the Jewish shop.

Roger Cukierman, head of the CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish organizations, said after meeting President Francois Hollande that he was promised army protection if needed for Jewish institutions in France.

“They told us that all schools and all synagogues will be protected in measures that, if necessary, extend beyond the police to the army,” he said.

The attacker who took hostages at the kosher supermarket said he was targeting the Jewish community. The gunman, Amedy Coulibaly, was killed as police broke the siege.

The two gunmen who attacked the weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing its editor-in-chief and leading cartoonists, were also killed in another shootout north of the capital. Police said all three belonged to the same Paris-based Islamist militant cell.

France has the largest Jewish population in Europe, having grown by nearly half since World War Two to total some 550,000 according to CRIF. Anti-Semitic threats and incidents more than doubled last year, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have long encouraged French Jewish emigration.

In a statement late on Saturday, Netanyahu said an Israeli governmental committee would convene in the coming week to find ways to boost Jewish immigration from France and other European countries “which are being hit by terrible anti-Semitism”.

Source: Christian Today

Dr. Ben Carson Apologizes for Plagiarism

Dr. Ben Carson, an accomplished neurosurgeon and conservative Christian who is contemplating a bid for 2016 presidential election, has apologized for plagiarizing portions of his book, America the Beautiful, published by Zondervan, and assured that he will “rectify the situation.”

“I apologize, and I am working with my editors to rectify the situation,” BuzzFeed writer Andrew Kaczynski, who was among the first to report on the plagiarism, tweeted Carson’s statement about the book, America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great.

Carson cites the works that he plagiarizes in endnotes but without any indication that the words have also been taken from different authors, BuzzFeed said, pointing out that he plagiarizes from Socialismsucks.net as well as conservative historians Cleon Skousen and Bill Federer.

Dr. Ben Carson helps us learn from our past in order to chart a better course for our future, the publisher says about the book.

“From his personal ascent from inner-city poverty to international medical and humanitarian acclaim, Carson shares experiential insights that help us understand … what is good about America … where we have gone astray … which fundamental beliefs have guided America from her founding into…preeminence among nations,” the description says.

“Written by a man who has experienced America’s best and worst firsthand, America the Beautiful is at once alarming, convicting, and inspiring,” it adds. “You’ll gain new perspectives on our nation’s origins, our Judeo-Christian heritage, our educational system, capitalism versus socialism, our moral fabric, healthcare, and much more.”

Carson recently told David Brody of Christian Broadcasting Network that there’s a “good chance” he will run for president as he can feel “God’s fingers” touching him gently for the 2016 race.

In the interview, Brody asked, “How is that conversation going with God about this potential presidential run? Has He grabbed you by the collar yet? I read an article about that.”

“I feel fingers,” Carson replied. “But it’s mostly me. I have to be sure and it’s part of my personality that says always look before you leap but don’t leap before you have to.”

Brody then said, “I do cover the presidential campaign trail,” and asked, “May I potentially see you there soon?”

“I think there is a good chance you might,” Carson responded.

“He [Carson] and his wife Candy are dedicated followers of Jesus,” Brody remarked in a posting on the CBN’s website after the interview. “They don’t hide their faith. They can’t. It’s at the core of who they are as people. Evangelical Christians will be attracted to how he doesn’t shy away from proclaiming Jesus as Lord.”

Source: Christian Post

France Tightens Security due to activation of Sleeper Cells by Terror group

France has told law enforcement officers to remain alert and armed all the time, as terror groups have allegedly activated sleeper cells in the country. The gunman involved in a deadly standoff at a kosher market in eastern Paris is also believed to have told hostages before being killed that “more and more” militants are now going to come.

Authorities have asked French officers to remove their social media presence and be ready with weapons due to the activation of sleeper cells over the last 24 hours in the country, according to CNN.

Hostages at the kosher market also heard gunman Ahmedy Coulibaly – before he was killed by forces Friday – speaking on phone with unknown people discussing targeting of police officers in France, says another report by the news channel.

Coulibaly had also told hostages that “militants are going to come. There are going to be more and more.”

French Radio station RTL claims to have recording of arguments between hostages and the gunman, who said they were responsible for their country’s operations against Muslim militants abroad because they pay taxes to the government.

“They (France) need to stop. They need to stop attacking ISIS,” the man believed to be Coulibaly was quoted as saying. “They need to stop asking our women to remove the hijab,” he added, referring to the ban on the burqa in France.

The gunman killed four hostages soon after he stormed the kosher market Friday, the day police ended two hostage standoffs, one of which involved brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi, the two alleged gunmen in the Wednesday’s Charlie Hebdo attack in which 12 people were killed.

The brothers were engaged in a standoff just outside Paris and had taken a woman hostage before being killed by officials. The brothers had previously told authorities that they wanted to “die as martyrs” for Islam. The hostage was released and reported safe by officials.

Police are now frantically looking for Coulibaly’s girlfriend, Hayat Boumeddiene, who was described as “dangerous and armed.” However, Turkish authorities have told The Associated Press that she could have fled to Syria.

Before his death, Cherif Kouachi told French channel BFM-TV on phone that he was financed by al Qaeda preacher Anwar al Awlaki in Yemen, an international recruiter who was killed in September 2011 in a drone strike.

“I was sent, me, Cherif Kouachi, by Al Qaeda of Yemen. I went over there and it was Anwar al Awlaki who financed me,” he said.

Coulibaly also separately called BFM-TV, and said he wanted to defend Palestinians and target Jews. He also said he is linked to Islamic State, or ISIS, and alleged he had jointly planned the attacks with the Kouachi brothers.

The Kouachi brothers were known to the intelligence agencies having tipped off by U.S. intelligence agencies.

French authorities placed Said Kouachi under surveillance from November 2011 to June 2014, and his brother Cherif until the end of 2013.

Source: Christian Post

Catholic Priest annouced he is gay during Mass

A Catholic priest from Ireland made an unexpected move during a Saturday night Mass by coming out to his congregation.

Father Martin Dolan of the Church of St Nicholas of Myra in Francis Street in Dublin announced “I’m gay myself” while he was asking his congregation to back gay marriage in the forthcoming Irish referendum, according to the Irish Central.

The cleric, who has served in the parish for 15 years, also admitted his homosexuality during the Sunday morning liturgy.

Churchgoers met his revelation with a standing ovation.

Community youth worker Liz O’Connor told the Irish Sun, “We are all very proud of Father Martin. Because he has admitted that he is gay, he doesn’t change the person that he was before it.”

The Guardian reports that gay equality groups in Ireland also applauded Dolan’s decision to come out and take a stand.

Meanwhile, Dolan’s support of gay union is not echoed by the Catholic Church as it remains firmly opposed to same sex marriage.

Former Pope Benedict XVI said gay marriage denies God and devalues human dignity.

Current head of the Roman Catholic Church Pope Francis, though calling the clergy and the faithful to help parents with gay sons or daughters “stand by” their children, maintains that homosexual marriage is still something that “has not crossed our minds.”

In December, Bishop Liam MacDaid said during a news conference, “To put any other view of unions on the same level as Christian marriage would be disservice to society rather than a service.”

“In a same sex union, children would be deprived of what a man and woman can give to children in a stable marriage,” he added.

The Irish referendum on same sex marriage is scheduled at the end of May. According to a recent poll, 20 per cent of Ireland’s population are opposed to gay marriage, 67 per cent are for it. Enda Kenny, the country’s prime minister, is among those who have voiced support for same sex union.

Source: Christian Today

Westboro Baptist targets Gay Christian Network in anti-gay protest

Westboro Baptist Church, which mounts aggressive protests in its campaigns against homosexuality, targeted the Gay Christian Network conference in Portland, Oregon yesterday.

Among the participants was author and worship leader Vicky Beeching, who said on Facebook: “I made sure I said hello to them, told them God loved them & so did I, and that the Gay Christian Network conference had nothing but love and grace to extend to them.”

Elswhere she wrote, “Was a pretty unpleasant environment to walk through, right before I spoke, but thankfully these loud angry people are not representative of most Christians.”

Other Christians from Portland formed a protective screen for the participants, numbering around 1,300 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Christians.

OregonLive quoted Tony Kriz, an evangelical author, as saying: “I’m not comfortable with hate of any kind in my city. It has nothing to do with what you believe morally. Everybody needs to know they are loved.”

In her address to the conference Beeching said that “Christianity is less of a fixed, concrete faith and more about a relationship with a God who is alive and living” and “Our theology has become so systematised, so categorised, it can feel less like a living thing and more like … taxidermy.”

She also said, “I love Jesus as much as I ever have. And I’m gay. Deal with it.”

Source: Christian Today

Matthew Ashimolowo: The Lord showed me who will win Nigeria’s forthcoming election

Matthew Ashimolowo, the Nigerian-born senior pastor of London’s giant Kingsway International Christian Centre (KICC) has claimed to know the results of Nigeria’s forthcoming election.

Interviewed by Nigeria’s Sunday Sun newspaper, Ashimolowo warned of a “shaking of the world” in 2015. He said: “For Nigeria, the Lord showed me who will win the election. I will not men­tion his name, because I have to be politically neutral.”

He said that in spite of the deep divisions within the country, the country would remain united. “For us to have many nations that make up Nigeria, it was God that made it happen. And that prophetic mandate still remains on Nigeria. Anyone who incites people to di­vide this nation will lose his chance. Nigeria will remain one.”

He also claimed to know of a future leader who would transform the country, saying: “I see a man who will one day rise, but I don’t know when … He will turn the fortunes of Ni­geria round. Nigeria will look like one of these advancing nations like United Arab Emirates, India, and China. That is how Nigeria will be.”

Ashimolowo also warned of the power of the Boko Haram insurgency. “Boko Haram is a snake with many heads,” he said. “We are cutting one head, which is why the other head shows up. ”

He called for a “robust approach”, saying: “We need to deal with fifth columnists in the sys­tem who are empowering them.” Supporters within the country itself were “selling Nigeria to them, giving them petrol, money and ammunition”. He said: “Our prayer should be that our government will be bold enough to indict the fifth columnists, either inside the system or outside the system.”

Ashimolowo, 62, was born in northern Nigeria, came to England 31 years ago and started KICC 23 years ago. He was in Nigeria hosting the ninth annual event the church has run for widows in his home town of Odeomu in Osun State; around 4,000 will benefit from a distribution of clothing, food and financial assistance.

KICC also supports college students through providing scholarships and has received Nigerian government permission to found a university.

The claims to have worshippers from 46 nations and has acquired a 24-acre site in Chatham as its new headquarters. It has twice been investigated by the Charity Commission over financial irregularities.

Source: Christian Today

Boko Haram strapped explosives to 10-year-old girl, 16 killed, more than 20 injured

A bomb strapped to a girl aged around 10 years old exploded in a busy market place in the Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Saturday, killing at least 16 people and injuring more than 20, security sources said.

“The explosive devices were wrapped around her body and the girl looked no more than 10 years old,” a police source said.

Maiduguri, the capital of northern Borno state, lies in the heartland of an insurgency by Islamist militant group Boko Haram, and is often hit by bomb attacks.

A Nigerian security source said the bomb went off at 12:15 pm. The girl was killed and the bodies of at least 16 victims were counted in one hospital by mid-afternoon, civilian joint task force member Zakariya Mohammed told Reuters.

“Right now, there are 27 injured people in Borno Medical Hospital, while more were taken to other hospitals,” he said.

The northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa are bearing the brunt of a five-year-old insurgency by Boko Haram, which wants to revive a mediaeval caliphate in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and its biggest energy producer.

Last year more than 10,000 people died in the violence, according to an estimate by the Council on Foreign Relations.

About 130 km (80 miles) away in the Yobe state capital Damaturu, the army subdued an Islamist militant attack on Friday evening, but not before militants had torched several buildings, a Reuters reporter in the city and witnesses said.

The Reuters witness saw a number of burnt buildings, including a police station and a mosque in the Abacha market, along with several shops.

Defence spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said that five soldiers were wounded defending the city and the number of civilian casualties was still being determined.

Damaturu was last attacked in early December when air strikes called in to halt advancing militants.

Olukolade said the military would regroup before mounting an effort to retake the town of Baga in Borno state raided twice by Boko Haram in the last week. The insurgents also took over a nearby military base on the edge of Lake Chad.

He said 14 soldiers had been killed in the first attack at last weekend. On Friday, the government said it had launched ground action backed by airstrikes to reclaim the area.

On Saturday afternoon, a bomb exploded at the main police station in the town of Potiskum in Yobe state after a man was arrested and brought to the station with his car, the state police commissioner said.

“We took the suspect to the station and the car…exploded and killed one of my men and a driver. The suspect did not die…he is still in our custody,” Marcus Danladi told Reuters.

Residents who witnessed the scene said earlier two people had been arrested with the vehicle and blew themselves up once inside station.

The Boko Haram revolt is seen as the gravest security threat facing Nigeria, a country of 170 million people, and a serious challenge for President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking re-election in a national election set for February 14.

Source: Christian Today