'You know who I am': Obama's presidential seal falls off podium during s...

he presidential seal fell off President Barack Obama's lectern and clattered to the stage as he delivered a speech to a women's conference.

"That's all right, all of you know who I am," the president joked to laughter from the audience when he realized what had happened.

"But I'm sure there's somebody back there that's really nervous right now, don't you think?" the president added, referring to whatever staffer had hung the seal on the front of his lectern so precariously.

"They're sweating bullets," he said, laughing. "Where were we," he then said, and returned to his remarks.

It happened about halfway through the president's speech to Fortune magazine's "Most Powerful Women Summit" Tuesday night at Carnegie Mellon Auditorium.

Bible Study Knowing God By J.I. Packer

Comments by Readers.


Profound book about the God of the Bible
First, I must admit that Knowing God is the first book by Packer that I have read. Luckily, I was not disappointed. Considered a modern Christian classic by many, Knowing God lives up to its reputation. In it Packer presents a balanced view of God - who He is, what He is like, what He has done for us, and what He expects from us in return. I had a pretty good understanding of some subjects before reading this book, but found myself learning a lot as Packer challenged me to dig deeper into the Bible, and apply my faith in order to get a clearer picture of God.

Luis Palau: Mass evangelism still works

Fifty years into proclaiming the Gospel, evangelist Luis Palau has not slowed down in telling the world who Jesus Christ is.

It may be a bit traditional or just plain simple, but he strongly believes that "the more we preach, the more the Gospel spreads".

At 75, the Argentina-born preacher continues the tradition of mass evangelism that he picked up from Billy Graham. And like Graham, he has had to face critics who doubt his method of preaching.

Luis Palau celebrates 50 years of ministry this year.

Andrew Palau preaches love in Uganda despite terrorist threats

More than 80,000 people turned out to hear Andrew Palau preach in Kampala over the weekend in spite of heavy security and fears of another terrorist attack.

The two-day Love Kampala Festival went ahead at the city’s Kololo Airstrip even after the local authorities ramped up security in the wake of another terrorist threat.

Just one week before the festival, a Somalian man was arrested on suspicion of terrorism onboard a Uganda-bound flight that was also carrying seven members of Palau’s team. The latest threat comes after a fatal attack on Kampala in July, when the al-Qaeda-linked Somalian terrorist group al-Shabab set off two bombs in the capital, killing 76 people.

Andrew Palau preached the Gospel to more than 80,000 people in Kampala, despite security concerns.

Are we just too afraid to ask people to church?

As more than 600,000 people across the United Kingdom are being invited to special church services for Back to Church Sunday this weekend, one of the founders of this movement is on a mission to mobilise long-term church growth.

Michael Harvey, who first helped to launch Back to Church Sunday back in 2004 in Manchester, England, has spent the last year travelling across the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, preparing churches to invite their friends back to church by running seminars called "The 12 Steps to Becoming an Inviting Church".

Harvey explains how he came up with this teaching series.

Opponents of women bishops establish new society in Church of England

The new Mission Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda has been met with consternation from supporters of women bishops.

Anglo-Catholics have established a new society as the Church of England moves closer to consecration of women bishops.

The Mission Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda was launched this week by nine Anglo-Catholic bishops, including the Bishop of Chichester and the Bishop of Gibraltar, as draft legislation on women in the episcopate was sent out for consideration to dioceses this week.

The new society has been founded as an alternative to leaving the Church of England and joining the Catholic Church under the auspices of an Ordinariate offered by Pope Benedict.

The Church of England's General Synod voted in July to send draft legislation on women in the episcopate out to dioceses for consideration

Muslim extremists suspected in death of Christian worker in India

Family members of a Christian worker who was found dead in a Muslim area in Jharkhand state a day after the Islamic Eid festival said they suspect he may have been murdered by local residents.

The body of Shravan Kumar, who had worked with the Gospel Echoing Missionary Society, was found lying in a well near the Idgah Mosque in Garhwa town in the wee hours of Sept. 13, a close relative of the deceased told Compass by phone.

Kumar, 31, lived in Pratapgarh district in neighboring Uttar Pradesh state. He left for Garhwa, 65 kilometers (40 miles) from his house, saying he wanted to see a colleague there on Sept 10.

“But neither did he visit the colleague, nor did he get back home,” said the relative.

On Sept. 15, a family member went to Garhwa looking for him. He found his picture in an advertisement police had placed in a local newspaper in an effort to identify the body.

“When Kumar’s body was handed over to the family, it was beyond recognition; it had swollen,” said the relative.

Ground Zero mosque may be moved further away from WTC site

An attorney for Hisham Elzanaty, the man who claims to be the majority stakeholder in the project, said he is considering building the Islamic community center at 30 Cliff Street, the location of an active mosque about seven blocks away from ground zero.

“It is nicely situated on a nice piece of property,” said Wolodymyr Starosolosky , Elzanaty’s attorney, according to Fox News New York. “It seems well attended. All sorts of people come there – white Americans, black Americans, people from the Middle East and so forth. It is very active.”

Starosolosky said he already met the imam of the 30 Cliff Street mosque and the people there “were very kind and very courteous.” He also clarified that his client is the ultimate decision maker in where the Park51 project will be built because he has the most money invested in it.

Coptic leader apologises for bishop's Koran remarks in Egypt - said Muslims are guests only.

The leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt has apologised for the "inappropriate" comments made by the church body’s second highest ranking cleric regarding the authenticity of some Koran verses.

Last week, Bishop Bishoy sparked outrage when he was quoted by the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper as saying that "Muslims are only guests" in the country. Bishoy was also quoted in the Egyptian media for wondering about the time frame for the revelation of the Koranic verses disputing the divine nature of Jesus Christ.

Muslim Mob Attacks Christians in Gujrat, Pakistan

A mob of Muslim extremists on Thursday (Sept. 23) shot at and beat dozens of Christians, including one cleared of “blasphemy” charges, in Punjab Province’s Gujrat district, Christian leaders said.

The attack on Tariq Gill, exonerated of charges of blaspheming the Quran on Sept. 3, 2009, and on his father Murad Gill, his mother and the other Christian residents was the latest of more than 10 such assaults on the Christian colony of Mohalla Kalupura, Gujrat city, since Sept. 8, the Rev. Suleman Nasri Khan and Bishop Shamas Pervaiz told Compass.

About 40 Islamists – some shooting Kalashnikovs and pistols at homes and individuals on the street, others brandishing axes and clubs – beat some of the Christians so badly that they left them for dead, Pastor Khan said. So far, 10 families have been targeted for the attacks.

Iran's Nuclear Agency Trying to Stop The destructive Stuxnet worm

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's nuclear agency is trying to combat a complex computer worm that has affected industrial sites throughout the country and is capable of taking over power plants, Iranian media reports said.

Experts from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran met this week to discuss how to remove the malicious computer code, or worm, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported Friday.

The computer worm, dubbed Stuxnet, can take over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants. Experts in Germany discovered the worm in July, and it has since shown up in a number of attacks - primarily in Iran, Indonesia, India and the U.S.

The ISNA report said the malware had spread throughout Iran, but did not name specific sites affected. Foreign media reports have speculated the worm was aimed at disrupting Iran's first nuclear power plant, which is to go online in October in the southern port city of Bushehr.

Iranian newspapers have reported on the computer worm hitting industries around the country in recent weeks, without giving details. Friday's report also did not mention Bushehr.

The Russian-built plant will be internationally supervised, but world powers remain concerned that Iran wants to use its civil nuclear power program as a cover for making weapons.

Iran denies such an aim and says its nuclear work is solely for peaceful purposes.

While there have been no reports of damage or disruption at any Iranian nuclear facilities, Tuesday's meeting signaled a high level of concern about the worm among Iran's nuclear officials.

The destructive Stuxnet worm has surprised experts because it is the first one specifically created to take over industrial control systems, rather than just steal or manipulate data.

The United States is also tracking the worm, and the Department of Homeland Security is building specialized teams that can respond quickly to cyber emergencies at industrial facilities across the country.

Paris Hilton Denies Entering japan

NARITA, Japan - Paris Hilton was denied entrance into Japan on Wednesday, two days after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge in Las Vegas.

Japan has strict immigration laws that bar entry to those convicted of drug offenses, although exceptio

ns are occasionally granted.

"I'm going back home, and I look forward to coming back to Japan in the future," a smiling Hilton said to reporters at Tokyo's airport.

The 29-year-old celebrity socialite was supposed to promote her fashion and fragrance lines at a news conference Wednesday morning in Tokyo. She arrived Tuesday evening but was stopped at the airport and spent the night at a hotel there after being questioned by officials.

Denied Entry after Questioning

A Japanese immigration official said she was denied entry Wednesday after a total of about six hours of questioning over the two days. The country has taken a tough line with famous figures in the past, although it also grants exceptions on occasion.

Soccer icon Diego Maradona was initially banned from entering the country during the 2002 World Cup finals for his past drug offenses, but was eventually given a 30-day visa as a "special delegate."

The Rolling Stones struggled for years to gain entry to the country but were eventually allowed in despite its members' drug convictions.

In January 1980, former Beatles member Paul McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession upon arrival at Narita airport. He was deported without carrying out a planned concert tour by his rock group Wings.

Tokyo was the first stop on Hilton's planned Asia tour, during which she planned to visit Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and open a new retail store in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Lawmakers Spotlight N.Korea Sex Trafficking

Members of the House Human Rights Commission hosted a congressional hearing this week, shining a spotlight on how China is ignoring the plight of North Korean refugees living in the country.

Lawmakers heard firsthand the horrors of three North Korean women who were sold into the sex trade.

"Ninety percent of the women who flee North Korea fall victims to traffickers, and the Chinese government does nothing about it," Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said. "In fact, it is the Chinese government's ruthless policy of repatriating North Koreans that makes them so vulnerable to the traffickers."

"Hopefully, when President Obama meets with the leader, particularly the leader of China later on this year, he will raise this issue. He will raise this," Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va, added.

"This administration has lost its voice. It is silent on these issues. And this aught to be on the forefront," Wolf said. "Nuclear issues are important, but human rights for the people of North Korea is particularly important too."

China also returns refugees to North Korea, where they face imprisonment and death.

Some recommended that China's status be upgraded on the State Department's human trafficking list. Doing so would allow the United States to place economic sanctions on the country.

Six arrested in Gateshead over 'Koran burning'

Officers detained two men on September 15 and four more yesterday and all six were bailed pending further inquiries, Northumbria Police said.

''The arrests followed the burning of what are believed to have been two Korans in Gateshead on September 11,'' the spokesman said.

The men hide their faces as they hold a copy of the Koran prior to setting fire to it

Second Church Threatened with Demolition in Malaysia

A second church in Orang Asli is slated for destruction even though the native parishoners don't know why.

The church, located in a forested area of Pos Pasik, is only accessibly by four-wheel drive.

"The community has always had bamboo churches which have to be replaced once every two years," said Moses Soo, bishop of all Orang Asli churches in Kelantan. "Two years ago, the government began providing brick houses for the villagers and this sparked the idea of a brick church too."

Cash for the church construction, which began in May, was raised by the community and aided by Soo.