Thursday, March 02, 2017

UN RIGHTS BODY TOLD TO END FOCUS ON ISRAEL AS US MULLS EXIT OF USELESS-ISRAEL HATER UNITED NATIONS.

JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)

UN rights body told to end focus on Israel as US mulls exit-[Associated Press]-FRANK JORDANS-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

BERLIN (AP) — The United States on Wednesday called on the U.N. Human Rights Council to drop its "obsession with Israel" amid reports that the Trump administration is considering quitting the body.In a speech before the Geneva-based council, U.S. envoy Erin Barclay said the United States' commitment to human rights "is stronger than ever.""Regrettably, too many of the actions of this council do not support these universal principles. Indeed, they contradict them," said Barclay, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs.She cited ongoing abuses in Syria and North Korea, and noted in particular the top U.N. human rights body's long-standing focus on Israel."The obsession with Israel...is the largest threat to this council's credibility," said Barclay, a career diplomat."When it comes to human rights no country should be free from scrutiny, but neither should any democratic country be regularly subjected to unfair, unbalanced and unfounded bias," she added.The council's annual rebuke of Israel has been a particular source of irritation for both Republican and Democratic U.S. administrations.The U.S. declined to seek a seat on the 47-member council when it was formed in 2006, citing skepticism about the membership of some authoritarian states. It joined the council in 2009, after Obama's election, and has played a key role rallying like-minded nations in condemning human rights abuses around the globe.Rohan said the United States is dedicated to protecting and promoting universal human rights, including freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech."As we consider our future engagements, my government will be considering the council's actions with an eye toward reform to more fully achieve the council's mission to protect and promote human rights," Barclay said.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

130 teens rescued from flooded campsites near Eilat-Sudden downpour and hail storm causes flash floods; Eliat Airport shut, major roads closed-By Times of Israel staff March 1, 2017, 9:46 am

Police on Wednesday rescued 130 teens who were trapped at two desert campsites near the southern city of Eilat after a sudden storm cause heavy flooding in the region.Heavy rain and large hail caused flash floods that shut down the Eilat Airport, the main road leading to the Dead Sea resort town and the neighboring Egyptian town of Taba, and a nearby air force base.The teens, 12th graders from the upper Galilee, were all in good health, said Shraga Green, the head of the police rescue unit in Eilat.“When the rain started at 4:30 a.m., we went out to check on the group at the campsite,” Green told Army Radio. They had been hiking in the area and spent the night at two campsites in the Nahal Netafim canyon.The rescue team found the high school students trapped due to the heavy rains and in need of extraction.“Forecasters had talked about light rain, so we were surprised from the large hailstorm and heavy rains that caused flooding,” he said.All 130 students were rescued by volunteers of the police rescue unit who used jeeps to reach the cut off area.“They were transferred to Eilat and are now safe and sound,” the Israeli Police tweeted later.None of the children were injured from the hail, and there have been no reports of hypothermia, Green said, adding that “they enjoyed the experience more than anything else.”The storm forced Eilat Airport to temporarily shut down this morning while the runways cleared from flooding. It is expected to shortly reopen at 10:00 a.m.Several roads, including parts of Israel’s longest highway, Route 90, were also shut.Temperatures are expected to remain chilly on Thursday with rains in the country’s north and center, but storms is expected to ease by the afternoon. Forecasters predict a more mild and warm weekend ahead.

Tornadoes, storms rip through U.S. Midwest, killing at least two-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

(Reuters) - Tornadoes and storms packed with baseball-size hail raked the U.S. Midwest on Tuesday, killing at least two people, destroying homes and leaving thousands without power, the National Weather Service and media reported.A tornado struck near Ottawa, a town of about 19,000 people, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Chicago, killing at least one person, meteorologist Amy Seeley said by telephone. She had no further details.Another person was killed near Perryville, a Missouri community of 8,000 people about 80 miles (130 km) south of St. Louis, where storms flipped over cars along an interstate and took down trees and power lines, media reported."Tough and tragic news tonight out of Perryville where there are confirmed reports of a tornado touching down," Missouri Governor Eric Greitens said in a statement on Facebook.News outlets in southern Illinois and eastern Missouri showed footage of rescue workers digging through destroyed homes and clearing debris from highways."Freaking out over tornado sirens in my basement with a 7 month old and three dogs," Kristie Foote in Jasper, Indiana, said on Twitter. "I guess we will be having a slumber party down here."More than 14,000 customers were without power in the region, according to information on electric company websites.The La Salle News Tribune reported power outages and heavy damage to a nursing home and other buildings. There were minor injuries in the nearby village of Naplate, a fire official told the newspaper.Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner activated the state's emergency operations center to assist with recovery efforts. Area emergency officials could not be reached for comment.Tornado spotters reported 23 twister sightings in Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Tennessee and Indiana on Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service said.Seeley said the storm front weakened as it moved east into Indiana after pounding the Ottawa area with baseball-sized hail and high winds.The February tornado was a rarity in Illinois, she said, although several January tornadoes had struck the area in 2008."It is unusual but it has happened before," Seeley added.(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Etna volcano erupts in fiery show of lava in eastern Sicily-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 28, 2017

ROME (AP) — Mount Etna has erupted in a fiery show of lava in eastern Sicily.The volcano's latest eruptions, which can last days and even weeks, began on Monday evening. The giant orange fountains of lava, spewing toward the sky, could be seen in the city of Catania and the resort town of Taormina.Although volcanic ash clouds can cause flight disruptions, the nearby Catania airport was operating normally Tuesday. Authorities reported no danger to the towns that dot the mountain's slopes.

EU bulldozes through carbon trade reforms By Aleksandra Eriksson-MAR 1,17-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:53-Environment ministers agreed on a reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) on Tuesday (28 February), in a bid to bring the bloc in line with its commitments under the Paris agreement on climate change."It's a big success," said EU climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete after the meeting. "A lot remains to be done but the spirit of Paris is with us."Only 19 of the 28 EU member states backed the ETS update despite the nice words.Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Hungary claimed throughout the day-long discussion that the overhaul would hurt their industries.Some kept protesting even after the Maltese presidency declared a majority behind a compromise deal, as proposed by the Czech Republic."We feel fooled," said Poland's minister of environment Jan Szyszko.ETS is the EU’s key policy for cutting emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030.The scheme involves a market-based cap and trade system forcing 11,000 power-intense companies to hand in a carbon permit for every tonne of CO2 they emit.The scheme was introduced in 2005 and initially worked well, but prices plummeted in the wake of the economic downturn, causing a glut of credits on the market.Tuesday's deal would double the number of permits stored in the Market Stability Reserve (MSR), a sort of pool for surplus credits, and automatically cancel a number of MSR permits if their total number reached a certain threshold.Such a solution was championed by France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden.However, ministers, under pressure from Germany, also said that well-performing industries could keep getting their carbon credits for free.The EU Council went further than the European Parliament, which voted its stance on ETS two weeks ago.The two institutions will now enter into negotiations, and hope to agree on a deal before the summer.NGOs said the reform was not far-reaching enough.Agnes Brandt, senior EU policy officer at Carbon Market Watch said: “Auctioning, not free handouts, is the default of a ‘polluter pays’ system. Companies have been using free pollution permits as a life support, thereby locking in emissions in Europe"."Only smart policies leading to a strong carbon price signal will push industry to innovate and modernise, and guarantee their long-term global competitiveness," she added.Brandt called on willing countries to implement complementary national measures to reduce emissions in Europe.

CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)

REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)

DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)

REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)

Bloody Islamic State video puts China in cross-hairs-Jihadi fighters from Uighur minority vow to return to country to ‘shed blood like rivers’-By Benjamin Carlson March 1, 2017, 10:47 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Islamic State terrorists from China’s Uighur ethnic minority have vowed to return home and “shed blood like rivers,” according to a jihadist-tracking firm, in what experts said marked the first IS threat against Chinese targets.The threat came in a half-hour video released Monday by a division of the Islamic State in western Iraq and featuring fighters from China’s Uighur ethnic group, said the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which analysed the footage.China has for years blamed exiled Uighur “separatists” for a series of violent attacks in its western Xinjiang region — the Uighur homeland — and warned of the potential for them to link up with global jihadist groups.In the video, a Uighur fighter issued the threat against China just before executing an alleged informant.“Oh, you Chinese who do not understand what people say! We are the soldiers of the Caliphate, and we will come to you to clarify to you with the tongues of our weapons, to shed blood like rivers and avenging the oppressed,” according to SITE’s translation.A traditionally Muslim group, many Uighurs complain of cultural and religious repression and discrimination by China.It appears to be the Islamic State’s “first direct threat” against China, Dr. Michael Clarke, an expert on Xinjiang at the National Security College of Australian National University, told AFP.“It is the first time that Uighur-speaking militants have claimed allegiance to IS,” he added.The video showed China is now “very firmly a target of jihadist rhetoric,” Clarke said, marking a shift from years past when it rarely figured in statements by global jihadist groups.But Clarke said it also could indicate a possible split among Uighur fighters, as it includes a warning to those fighting with the al-Qaeda aligned Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) in Syria.-Show of force-China maintains tight security in Xinjiang but a drumbeat of deadly unrest has continued. A knife attack last month left eight dead, including three attackers, police said.The video was released the same day that China held the latest in a series of mass rallies of military police in Xinjiang meant to indicate Chinese resolve in crushing security threats.More than 10,000 officers gathered Monday in the region’s capital Urumqi — the fourth such rally this year in Xinjiang.Chinese authorities have tightened controls in the region, beefing up police checkpoints.In one violence-wracked corner of Xinjiang, authorities are offering rewards of up to 5 million yuan ($730,000) to those who expose terror plots or “struggle, kill, wound, or subdue” any attackers.The Islamic State video showed fighters, including heavily armed children, giving speeches, praying, and killing other “informants.”It also featured images of Chinese riot police guarding mosques, patrolling Uighur markets, and arresting men in what appears to be western China. The Chinese flag is pictured engulfed in flames.Clarke said the hints of a Uighur split could “intensify the threat to China” as it indicates Uighur fighters may be able to tap into the capabilities of both the Islamic State and al-Qaeda.Overseas experts have up to now expressed doubts about the strength of Uighur militants, with some saying China exaggerates the threat to justify tough security measures.A US think tank said in July that tough Chinese religious restrictions on Muslims may have driven more than 100 to join the Islamic State.Authorities have banned or strictly controlled the observance of certain Muslim practices, such as growing beards, wearing headscarves, and fasting during Ramadan, saying they were symbols of “Islamic extremism.”

Latest-generation Chinese combat drone makes maiden flight-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

BEIJING (AP) — China's latest-generation combat drone has made its maiden flight in what its developer says is a sign that the country is catching up with industry leader the United States.The Wing Loong II that flew for the first time on Monday can carry up to 480 kilograms (1,058 pounds) of bombs and missiles, tucking six under each wing, according to information viewed Wednesday on the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's microblog.The drone has a wingspan of 20.5 meters (67-feet-3 inches), can stay airborne up to 20 hours and fly at a maximum altitude of 9,000 meters (29,500 feet), according to the company known as AVIC.The drone's successful test flight "allows China to follow the U.S. in producing a new generation of integrated surveillance and combat unmanned aerial vehicles," the company said in the microblog posting.State media say the drone should become a leading export item for China following the success of the original Wing Loong that has been sold to a number of countries, including several in the Middle East. Along with inexpensive fighter jets and navy patrol boats, drones are a high-tech standout item among China's substantial exports of more workaday weaponry such as assault rifles and rocket launchers.While both the Wing Loong II's advertised payload and cruising altitude fall well short compared with the MQ-9 Reaper in service with the U.S. military, it is expected to be highly competitive on price.While AVIC didn't provide the cost of a Wing Loong II, its predecessor, with a payload of only about 100 kilograms (220 pounds), reportedly sold for about $1 million each, a fraction of the Reaper's $14.75 million price tag.

South Korea, U.S. begin large-scale annual drills amid North Korea tension-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops began large-scale joint military exercise on Wednesday conducted annually to test their defense readiness against the threat from North Korea, which routinely characterizes the drills as preparation for war against it.The exercise, called Foal Eagle, comes amid heightened tension following the latest test launch of a ballistic missile by the North on Feb. 12 and in the past prompted threats by Pyongyang to launch military action in retaliation.South Korea's Defense Ministry and the U.S. military based in the South confirmed the start of the drills on Wednesday that will continue until the end of April but did not immediately provide further details.The exercise last year involved about 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo early on Wednesday by telephone and said the United States remains steadfast in its commitment to the defense of its ally.Mattis welcomed a deal signed by South Korea with the Lotte Group conglomerate this week to secure the land to station the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in the South, the two countries said.South Korea has said it and the United States aim to make the system, which the two countries decided last year to deploy in response to the North Korean missile threat, operational by the end of the year.Han said in the phone call with Mattis that this year's joint drills will be conducted at a similar scale as last year's, which the South's Defense Ministry had called the "largest-ever" exercises by the allies.North Korea's official KCNA news agency said earlier on Wednesday its leader Kim Jong Un inspected the headquarters of a major military unit and issued guidance on increasing combat readiness.(Reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park in Seoul and Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry)

Pakistan hosts 10-nation regional economic summit-[Associated Press]-ASIF SHAHZAD-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Participants in a regional economic summit agreed Wednesday to collectively fight the challenge of terrorism and push for greater collaboration in the areas of trade, energy and infrastructure development.Islamabad hosted the day-long 10-nation Economic Cooperation Organization summit to finalize a "Vision 2025" plan for expanding trade and prosperity among member nations."There has never been a more opportune time to realize our dreams of connectivity for regional prosperity," said Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz sharif, who was elected new chairman of the organization. "We can and should achieve even more by pooling together our individual efforts for greater synergy."Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are among the heads of state in attendance. Turkey, Iran and Pakistan founded ECO in 1985. Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Omar Zakhilwal, said that peace and stability in the region will play a greater role in achieving mutual economic goals."We can meet the challenges of poverty by implementing a joint strategy," he said.Sharif, later in the day, expressed the member nations' resolve to fight terrorism and extremism collectively."We are determined to collectively face challenges such as extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking in order to realize our vision of making the region a zone of peace and prosperity," he said in a televised press conference. "We have committed ourselves to working together for bringing progressive change to the lives of the people in our region, transforming it into a bastion of peace, progress and prosperity."The summit is taking place under tight security after a wave of recent suicide bombings by several different militant groups killed more than 125 people. All roads leading to the summit venue have been blocked and all offices, schools and most businesses in Islamabad have been closed.Pakistan's ongoing war with local and al-Qaida-linked foreign Islamic militants has killed tens of thousands of people. But Islamabad is using the ECO summit as a chance to show investors its potential as one of Asia's emerging markets."Our economic indicators are up," Sharif told the meeting.Government officials have also described the summit as an opportunity to show that Pakistan cannot be isolated from the international scene. Last year Pakistan had to cancel a key regional cooperation conference after neighboring India and Afghanistan refused to attend; both nations blame Pakistani-based militants for carrying out attacks in their countries, and tensions with India have been high over cross-border violence in the disputed Kashmir region.

China calls for calm on North Korea U.N. suspension call-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

BEIJING (Reuters) - China urged calm and restraint on Wednesday after South Korea called for the possible suspension of North Korea's seat at the United Nations to punish it for using chemical weapons to kill the half-brother of its leader.Malaysian police have said two women smeared VX nerve agent, a chemical on a U.N. list of banned weapons of mass destruction, on Kim Jong Nam's face in an assault captured on security cameras in the Malaysian capital's airport on Feb. 13.U.S. and South Korean officials believe Kim Jong Nam was the victim of an assassination orchestrated by North Korea.North Korea said on Tuesday it "categorically rejects" what it called "fictitious and preposterous assumptions".Speaking at the U.N.-backed Conference on Disarmament in Geneva on Tuesday, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said the use of chemical weapons was a "wake-up call" and the international community should act - including possibly suspending the isolated North's seat at the United Nations."What I need to say is that the situation at present on the Korean peninsula is complex and sensitive," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, when asked whether North Korea should be suspended from the United Nations."In this situation, we hope all sides can maintain calm and exercise restraint and not do anything to irritate each other or that may raise regional tensions," Geng told a daily news briefing, without elaborating.While China is North Korea's most important remaining international supporter, it has been angered by its repeated missile and nuclear tests and has supported tough U.N. sanctions.However, China has pushed for talks to resolve the stand-off, and this week is playing host to a senior North Korean diplomat, Vice Foreign Minister Ri Kil Song, the first such high-level visit since June.In a brief statement, China's Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Ri that China's consistent position is that it wants to consolidate the tradition of friendship between the two countries.Wang said all parties should "iron out challenges" and work hard for the denuclearization of the peninsula, the ministry added.There was no mention in the statement of the death of Kim Jong Nam.Under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons states parties can "in cases of particular gravity" bring an issue to the attention of the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. General Assembly.The U.N. Security Council can recommend to the 193-member General Assembly – likely through the adoption of a resolution - that a state be suspended or expelled. Such a move would need to be approved by two-thirds majority of the General Assembly.Kim Jong Nam had been living in exile, under Beijing's protection, in the Chinese territory of Macau, and had criticized the regime of his family and his half-brother, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Robert Birsel and Nick Macfie)

WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)

EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18

WORLD TERRORISM

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

26,000 Iraqis fled west Mosul in 10 days-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

Baghdad (AFP) - Twenty-six thousand Iraqis fled west Mosul in the 10 days since security forces launched a major push to retake it from jihadists, the minister of displacement and migration said Wednesday.Jassem Mohammed al-Jaff announced that field teams received "26,000 displaced people from (west) Mosul during the past 10 days," a statement from the ministry said.But the number who have fled is only a small fraction of the 750,000 people who are believed to have stayed on in west Mosul under Islamic State group rule.The drive to retake the west of Mosul began on February 19, after Iraqi troops retook the city's eastern side the previous month.IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since regained most of the territory they lost.The operation to retake Mosul -- the last IS-held city in the country -- was launched on October 17.

Migrant children endure horrors in Libya and Italy By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, 28. Feb, 10:32-The UN's children's fund, Unicef, has said minors face shocking abuse in Libya and risk vanishing into crime and prostitution in Europe.The Unicef report, out on Tuesday (28 February), said more and more children are arriving in Italy alone and required better protection to prevent them falling into the hands of criminals.In one harrowing case, Unicef's regional director Afshan Khan told reporters ahead of the report's release that a 14-year old girl was forced to work as a prostitute in Libya for two years.She then tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea with her mother, as part of a bigger group, but their boat overturned."Her mother didn't survive and she was clinging to her mother's body until the rescue team came," said Khan.Over 90 percent of the 29,000 children that arrived in Italy last year came without a parent or other adult guardian.Khan could not explain the increase in children travelling alone, but said that she met minors from Sierra Leone who had lost their parents to Ebola.Others had been orphaned by the militant extremist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, she said.Unicef noted that many children in Libya end up in one of its 34 detention centres, more than half of which are run by militia groups.Stories of killings, beatings, rape, and forced labour were commonplace and some children had been detained for years.Kamis, a nine-year old boy from Nigeria, said he spent five months at the Sabratha detention centre."They used to beat us every day. They beat babies, children, and adults," Kamis is cited as saying in the report.The EU is keen to improve detention conditions in Libya as part of a wider plan to discourage migrants from coming to Europe.But progress is being held back by instability, with the UN- and EU recognised government in Tripoli in limited control.Unicef has no access to detention centres that are run by local warlords and their militias.One official from Libya's interior ministry said some armed groups were so dangerous that police were afraid to approach their migrant camps."We have no power over these prisons. We cannot even get close because of risk of being killed," the Libyan official told researcher's behind the Unicef report.-EU plan runs into militias-The Libyan central authorities are also a problem.An internal European Commission report from January said women were afraid to report crimes to Libyan police in case the police murdered or raped them.The EU wants the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) to help people in the militia-controlled areas.But the UNHCR has refused to send ininternational staff for fear of abduction or worse.Unicef estimated that there were at least 23,000 migrant children in Libya.It said that not all of them wanted to reach the EU, but that those who did needed help to deal with psychological trauma.Its report said bureaucratic delays in Italy and fear of deportation prompted many of them to vanish.“There are about 8,000 kids in Italy who have fallen between the cracks and who are … out of the reach of protective services," said Khan.-Missing children turn to crime-Some have ended up working as prostitutes at Rome's central train station, she said.Khan said that without proper support, more of them will end up in the hands of criminals or turn to crime to survive."We are going to end up dragging kids into criminality,” she said.Unicef described the Central Mediterranean migrant route as a criminal enterprise that exploited women and children."The smugglers and traffickers are winning. This is what happens when there are no safe and legal alternatives [for claiming asylum in Europe],” Unicef's deputy executive director Justin Forsyth said.The problem of Europe’s missing children is much bigger than just Italy.The EU police agency in The Hague, Europol, already in early 2015 estimated that 10,000 children had vanished off the map.Italy said over 6,500 children went missing in the first 10 months of 2016. Germany said it had lost track of almost 9,000 minors.Recent data compiled by the NGO Missing Children Europe says that eight unaccompanied children are reported missing every week in Sweden alone.Slovenia estimates that 80 percent of its migrant children disappear.Belgian liberal MEP Hilde Vautmans is hoping to raise the issue in a plenary debate at the European Parliament.She said the Commission must be made to deliver on its promises of “action plans” to help Europe’s new and most vulnerable minority."We can't accept that children sleep in the streets and are pushed back into the hands of smugglers," she told this website last week.

Ethiopian schools linked to Turkish cleric are sold-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — A network of schools in Ethiopia linked to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Turkey of masterminding a failed coup attempt last year, is changing ownership.The sale of the Nejashi Ethio-Turkish International Schools follows pressure from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is urging countries that host institutions inspired by Gulen to close or take them over.Cecil Aydin, a coordinator at the schools in Ethiopia, this week described the sale of the school network to a group of German educators as a "business decision."Aydin did not identify the new owners. The German embassy has not commented.Ethiopia previously said the schools would be handed over to a foundation backed by the Turkish government.

Saudi king signs range of deals in Indonesia at start of visit-[Reuters]-By Darren Whiteside-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

BOGOR, Indonesia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's King Salman held talks with Indonesia's president on Wednesday and signed a range of cooperation agreements at the beginning of a 12-day visit to the world's largest Muslim-majority country.The royal visit is the first by a Saudi monarch in nearly five decades.The leaders oversaw, among 11 pacts, the signing of agreements to take down trade barriers and a new agreement between state energy companies Saudi Aramco and Pertamina, building on an existing $6 billion plan to expand Indonesia's biggest refinery.The octogenarian king arrived at a military air base in the capital, Jakarta, earlier on Wednesday and descended slowly from the plane on an escalator before being met by President Joko Widodo who escorted him along a red carpet flanked by guards to a limousine.King Salman is being accompanied by an entourage that Indonesian officials have said could number up to 1,500. His party is bringing 459 tons of luggage and equipment, including two luxury cars, according to media.The king was also greeted by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Jakarta's Christian governor, who is on trial for allegedly insulting the Koran. Purnama has denied wrongdoing but his blasphemy trial has inflamed religious tensions.The kingdom's ambassador to Indonesia told Reuters on Tuesday the two countries would cooperate in tackling terrorism and that military officers were training in each other's countries to counter Islamic State militants.Secular Indonesia has grown increasingly concerned about security, after several attacks over the past year blamed on supporters of Islamic State, and has deployed at least 9,000 police and military for the 12-day visit.Roads were closed to traffic and snipers stationed along the route the king's convoy took from the airport to the presidential palace in the town of Bogor.Hundreds of children holding Indonesian and Saudi flags welcomed the king.-'BEST PRACTICES'-King Salman held talks with Widodo as torrential rain lashed the palace grounds.He will also meet religious leaders, make a speech at parliament, and visit Southeast Asia's biggest mosque, Istiqlal, on Thursday before a brief trip to Brunei and then an extended break on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali.Indonesia hopes to attract billions of dollars of investment from the kingdom, though the trip will also focus on building cultural and religious ties and promoting education.Saudi Arabia aims to open more Islamic schools in Indonesia, which will teach religion using the Arabic language, and step up the number of scholarships for students.The king's visit to Indonesia comes as fringe Islamist groups grow in influence and Muslim leaders take an increasingly strict line on Islamic issues, which is at odds with Indonesia's traditional brand of moderate Islam."The two countries face the same challenge of rising radicalism and intolerance so cooperation in those areas will be beneficial," said Yenny Wahid, a moderate Indonesian Muslim figure and head of the Wahid Foundation."Saudi Arabia has been aggressive in de-radicalization and rehab programs for terrorists. We can learn best practices from each other."King Salman started his Asia trip in Malaysia and as well as the Brunei stop he will visit Japan, China, the Maldives and then Jordan.(Additional reporting by Jakarta bureau; Writing by Ed Davies and Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)

Barack, Michelle Obama sign bumper book deal-Bidding for publishing rights tops $60 million, a record sum for US presidential memoirs-By Thomas URBAIN March 1, 2017, 12:29 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

NEW YORK (AFP) — Barack and Michelle Obama have signed a deal to publish their memoirs with New York-based Penguin Random House, in a coveted contract reportedly worth tens of millions of dollars.America’s first African American president is already the author of two memoirs and a children’s book.He has frequently declared himself to have a “writer’s sensibility” and has said he does not want to write a conventional blow-by-blow account of his time in the White House.Michelle Obama’s memoir is likely to be just as eagerly anticipated.A descendant of slaves, she became the first African American first lady and garnered high approval ratings — to the point where she was arguably one of the country’s most respected and popular women.Penguin Random House said in a statement it has “acquired world publication rights for two books, to be written by president and Mrs. Obama respectively.”-Record sum-The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but bidding for the high-profile double book deal topped $60 million, a record sum for US presidential memoirs, according to the Financial Times.Until now, the record for a US presidential memoir was $15 million paid for Bill Clinton’s “My Life,” released in 2004. George W. Bush received $10 million for “Decision Points” in 2010.Hillary Clinton reportedly received a $14 million advance for “Hard Choices,” her account of her time as secretary of state under Obama.The Obama deal was negotiated by Washington super-lawyer Robert Barnett, who represented both the Clintons and Bush.As part of the agreement, the company will donate one million books in the Obama family’s name to First Book, a charity, Penguin said.“We are very much looking forward to working together with President and Mrs. Obama to make each of their books global publishing events of unprecedented scope and significance,” said Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle.The Obamas took a long vacation after Donald Trump was sworn in as president on January 20, and the former president has stuck by a pledge to keep a low public profile unless events threatening what he called America’s “core values” warranted that he speak out.He did just that in January, just days after Trump enacted his ban on travelers from seven mostly Muslim countries, and on all refugees. Obama expressed support for protests that sprang up nationwide against the now-suspended Trump travel ban.Whereas US presidents tend to leave town after leaving the White House, the Obamas are settling into a rented mansion in Washington’s posh Kalorama district until their younger daughter Sasha finishes high school. Their eldest daughter Malia will be attending Harvard in the fall.Another new neighbor in Kalorama is Trump’s daughter Ivanka, who has rented a house along with her husband Jared Kushner and their three children, near the Obamas.

Trump recommits to U.S. allies but says they must pay 'fair share'-[Reuters]-By Matt Spetalnick-YAHOONEWS-March 1, 2017

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed support for the United States' longstanding security alliances around the world but insisted that friends and partners from Europe to the Middle East to the Pacific must “pay their fair share of the cost.”In his first nationally televised speech to Congress since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump sought to reassure allies still uneasy over doubts he raised during the 2016 presidential campaign about his commitment to their defense and to maintaining a U.S. global leadership role.But he also made clear that he expects those countries to shoulder more of the burden of their own security needs, echoing a campaign message that some allies had taken advantage of Washington’s generosity in providing them a security umbrella.“Our foreign policy calls for a direct, robust and meaningful engagement with the world,” Trump told a joint session of Congress. “It is American leadership based on vital security interests that we share with our allies across the globe.”He specifically assured NATO allies of his new administration’s continued commitment to the decades-old alliance. However, he made no mention of one of the main sources of European concern: his friendly overtures during the campaign toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.“We strongly support NATO, an alliance forged through the bonds of two World Wars that dethroned fascism and a Cold War that defeated communism,” Trump said.“But our partners must meet their financial obligations,” he said. “And now, based on our very strong and frank discussions, they are beginning to do just that.”Then, deviating from his prepared remarks, Trump added: “In fact, I can tell you the money is pouring in. Very nice." But he offered no specifics.Some critics had accused Trump of failing to recognize the benefit that accrued to the United States of having strong democratic allies helping to stabilize volatile areas like the Middle East, Ukraine and South Asia.Trump’s remarks followed the deployment earlier this month of senior Cabinet members to Brussels, Bonn and Munich, Germany, aimed at calming European worries.The Europeans heard from Defense Secretary James Mattis that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization military alliance was not "obsolete" after all, despite Trump's suggestions to the contrary.Vice President Mike Pence told them that Russia would be "held accountable" for its actions in Ukraine.Mattis made his first foreign trip to South Korea and Japan, where he sought to ease concerns about what Trump's self-styled "America First" strategy means for U.S. foreign policy in Asia.While seeming to tackle some of the doubts of U.S. allies, Trump still made clear that he wanted them to do more.“We expect our partners, whether in NATO, in the Middle East, or the Pacific, to take a direct and meaningful role in both strategic and military operations, and pay their fair share of the cost,” he said.(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)

A FALSE PROPHET COMES FROM THE VATICAN ALSO AT THIS TIME.

ISAIAH 23:15-17
15  And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16  Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
17  And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.(COULD THIS BE 70 YEARS AFTER ISRAEL BECAME A NATION IN 1948)(IF SO THIS SATANIC ONE WORLD WHORE CHURCH WILL MINGLE TOGETHER BY 2018)(AND NOW ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY AND ALL RELIGIONS ARE MINGLING AS ONE PEACE-LOVE-JOY-GET ALONG RELIGION LEAD BY THE VATICAN RIGHT NOW 4 YEARS FROM THE 70 YEAR TIME WHEN ISRAEL BECAME A NATION).AND IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM.

REVELATION 13:11-18
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

REVELATION 17:1-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

MATTHEW 24:4-5,11,24-25
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many (MILLIONS) shall come in my name,(JESUS-I AM) saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.(MILLIONS)(THIS IS DEFINATELY THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT)
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.(CALIFORNIA THE NEW AGE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD-SO NO WONDER SAN FRANSICO IS THE SODOMITE RAINBOW GROUPERS CAPITAL OF THE EARTH ALSO).

1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,(NEW AGE MOVEMENT) and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;(NEW AGERS BELIEVE SATANS LIES OF NO SIN,POSSITIVE THINKING,PEACE,LOVE,JOY,UTOPIA)

The rise of Benin's devil-hunting female pastor-[AFP]-Josué MEHOUENOU with Célia LEBUR in Lagos-YAHOONEWS-February 28, 2017

Cotonou (AFP) - In the Very Holy Church of Jesus Christ of Baname, the 25-year-old founder calls herself God, her business partner is a self-styled Pope and devotees pledge to end the reign of the Devil.Its charismatic theology and clashes with other religions have caused it to be expelled from Benin's community of churches, and repeated scandals keep the sect in the public eye.The latest episode occurred in January, when five followers suffocated to death after they were told to lock themselves inside sealed rooms with burning incense and pray for deliverance.But it seems no amount of bad press can dent the Very Holy Church's soaring popularity, or eclipse the fire-and-brimstone appeal of its leader.On special Sundays, thousands of followers climb up a hill in the Zou district in Baname, 130 kilometres (about 80 miles) north of the commercial capital Cotonou, to witness one of the country's most seductive pastors.Vicentia Tadagbe Tchranvoukinni, who calls herself "Perfect" and "God's Holy Spirit", promises to "drive out demons".The round-faced young woman founded the church in 2009. Since then, her influence has grown rapidly across the country."Just by walking up this hill, you are delivered and cured of many ailments," she proclaims on her website, which shows videos of her in a cassock and her signature cherry-red cloche hat addressing cheering crowds.Her story is a take on immaculate conception: Tchranvoukinni claims she fell from the sky in northern Benin and was found by a Fulani shepherd in the bush.- Religious 'warriors' -West Africa is no stranger to larger-than-life pastors and mega-churches, and Benin itself is a tumultuous hub of mystical religions and animism.But despite her cherubic appearance, Tchranvoukinni stands apart for her vitriolic condemnation of other beliefs -- notably voodoo, which is an official religion here.Critics accuse her of fanning hatred between normally peaceful co-existing communities of different faiths.On January 8, violent clashes broke out between her followers and residents in the southern town of Djime, who said they "insulted and offended" traditional leaders during an "evangelisation mission", one local official said.Local media said two people were killed, several others were injured and a number of vehicles were torched.There was no official death toll but Benin's government said it regretted the "loss of life".According to daily newspaper La Nouvelle Tribune, the "warriors of the Church of Baname" came dressed in grey, armed with guns, machetes and clubs.It wasn't the first time church followers had turned violent.In 2014, clashes broke out at one of its rallies in Cotonou after youths from the Kpondehou area refused to leave their sports field. Several people were seriously injured.Violence broke out again the following year in the central town of Save between church devotees and Roman Catholics.- Expelled -Tchranvoukinni started the church after meeting a Catholic priest, Mathias Vigan, from the parish of Sainte-Odile-de-Baname in 2009."Perfect" was not yet 20 and had come to be exorcised. But it was the young woman who captivated the man of the cloth, whom she would later install as "Pope Christopher XVIII".The religious odd couple built up their own congregation and to the chagrin of the Catholic church, Vigan started wearing all-white outfits similar to papal regalia -- ornate mitre and all.Tchranvoukinni meanwhile called herself God.By 2013, the Episcopal Conference of Benin -- the country's assembly of bishops -- expelled Tchranvoukinni and Vigan, and condemned the new church as a cult."Of all the dioceses of our country, and even beyond... our uninformed faithful with a thirst for the sensational and illusion of the new come in large numbers to Baname," the conference said.In January 2014, the Benin government launched an investigation into the church after receiving what it said were "numerous complaints" from religious communities, political and traditional leaders.Benin's former president, Thomas Boni Yayi -- himself a member of a pentecostal church -- summoned "Perfect" for talks but it had little effect and no legal action was taken against her.- 'End the reign of Beelzebub' -The Church of Baname's spokesman, "cardinal" Cesaire Agossa, insists that Tchranvoukinni is a divine messenger."People do not understand that the Holy Spirit Creator of Heaven and Earth uses the body of Perfect as its temple," he told AFP.Her mission? "To end the reign of Beelzebub, to succeed in exterminating sorcery and all evil spirits that prevent mankind from developing," he said.Agossa, a former government advisor and the head of a media group, maintained the church had "never orchestrated violence" and its success had "aroused jealousy and hatred".In the meantime, Tchranvoukinni's sphere of influence keeps growing.She publicly endorsed President Patrice Talon, who was elected in March 2016. He has yet to say a word about the Church of Baname.

Was a Game Called 'Blue Whale' Responsible for Dozens of Suicides in Russia?-While certain groups on social media have been accused of promoting suicide, they have not been found to have directly caused an uptick in young people taking their own lives.SNOOPES-FEB 28,17

In February 2017, English-language web sites caught wind of a “suicide game” that had reportedly resulted in more than a hundred deaths in Russia. The general premise of the game, which goes by several names but is commonly referred to as the “blue whale” game, is as follows:The player signs up to play the game and agrees to follow instructions over the course of 50 days. An administrator assigns a series of tasks (anything from cutting yourself to listening to song) that the player must accomplish.The player wins when the complete the final task, committing suicide, on the 50th day.The claim that the “blue whale” suicide game (named after the way whales sometimes beach themselves, and then die) had resulted in a wave of suicides appears to have originated with a misinterpretation of a May 2016 story from a Russian outlet called Novaya Gazeta. The article reported that there had been dozens of suicides of children in Russia during a six-month span, and that some of the people who took their lives were part of the same online community on VK.com, a social media network based out of St. Petersburg, Russia:We counted 130 suicides of children that occurred in Russia from November 2015 to April 2016 (!) – Almost all of them were members of the same group on the Internet.Novaya Gazeta claimed that “at least” eighty of the suicides were linked to these “blue whale” games, but an investigation by Radio Free Europe found that no suicides had been definitively linked to these online communities:But while the Russian-language Internet is groaning with profiles of young people playing or seeking to play the game, shocking photographs of self-injury like cutting marked with the game’s hashtags, and purported links to teen suicides, not a single death in Russia or Central Asia has been definitively tied to Blue Whale.[…]-Over the last six months or so, dozens of suicides and attempted suicides in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan have been provisionally linked to the game, although on closer inspection none of them has been found to have a conclusive tie.Furthermore, the Novaya Gazeta report was highly criticized at the time of its publication. For instance, the web site Meduza noted that Noyaya Gazeta arrived at the conclusion that a social media game was causing teenagers to commit suicide because several teenagers from the same social media group had taken their own lives. However, Meduza argued, it is more reasonable to assume that depressed or suicidal teenagers are simply drawn to the same social media groups, and not that the groups were causing them to commit suicide:The author of the material in the “Novaya Gazeta” states that the community in the social network “VKontakte” bring children to suicide. As a confirmation of this it lists the following fact: a few dozen teenagers who committed suicide were in groups devoted to this topic. However, to reliably establish a causal link in this case is impossible, and it is quite possible to assume an inverse relationship – a teen becomes part of a group due to the fact that it is contains people who struggle with suicidal thoughts.The reasons teenagers commit suicide are well researched. According to data from the General Prosecutor’s Office, in Russia 62% of suicides among adolescents are associated with family conflicts and general distress, conflicts with teachers, classmates, friends, and also with the fear of violence by adults and callousness of others. From a report on the topic from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the increase in the number of suicides “occurs in times of economic crisis and sharp social change.” For example, in Russia there was an increase the number of suicides from 1987 to 1994, when the USSR collapsed. As soon as the company adapted to its new socio-economic conditions, the number of suicides stabilized.While these “Blue Whale” suicide groups have not been directly linked to hundreds of suicides in Russia, the groups do exist. They started shortly after the death of Rina Palenkova, a Russian teenager who purportedly took her own life shortly after posting a photograph of herself on VK.com. The image was widely circulated on social media, and Rina soon became the central figure of a strange cult-like group:Social media communities such as “Sea of Whales” and shock video sites shared photographs of Rina and spread a rumor that she was part of a suicide sect:These groups actively exploited the theme of suicide – continued the cult of Rina Palenkovoy and published shock content: psychedelic and sinister video recording suicides. The creators of the community filled it with strange characters – Hebrew inscriptions, numbers, codes, pictures and video with a strange logo (it turned out to have been borrowed from the logo of a brand of lingerie).[…]-Later, groups of creators began to promote them through an interactive quest, ARG, a game with augmented reality. They took the idea of a mysterious quest “Insider”, created in 2012 – few details exist of the original project, but you can get acquainted with its ominous promo video – and created on that basis a new ARG with the levels and tasks in the real world. Author of the new project “Insiders” Nosferatu by Alexander refused to communicate with Apparat. According to the testimony of other users, the project initially had no relation to suicide, but later it “stole” the administrators of destructive groups. One of the elements of the project was a timer on the site, counting down the 70 days prior to a certain date – according to the F57, until the day of the mass suicides.There is certainly a reason to be concerned about groups that venerate and promote suicide, but the creator of the “Sea of Whales” community said that he had no interest in encouraging people to take their own lives. Rather, the group’s creator says that they created the game and the surrounding lore to drive traffic to the page:It took just one day, however, for the news website Lenta.ru to get in touch with More Kitov, the creator of the Sea of Whales community (whales “commit suicide” by beaching themselves) – yet astonishingly, he claimed that the administrators of such groups had no interest in grooming minors to take their own lives but were merely interested in boosting their commercial profile.He said that Filip Lis, the administrator of the now-deleted community f57, just wanted to increase the number of subscribers to attract advertisers to his page – in Russia, the social network VKontakte is also a popular advertising market, and you can earn a lot of money from popular communities.Having come across this topic, which was trendy with teenagers, Lis launched the myth of the “sect” and used Rina Palenkova (a young girl who reportedly committed suicide) to promote it. He sold her cloned pages, reposts, videos and photos of her grave as well as screenshots of her correspondence. After VKontakte removed f57, he created similar groups.“I looked at all the fuss, got stunned by the hype and created my whales,” More Kitov told Lenta.ru. He insisted that his aim was to dissuade teenagers prone to suicidal thoughts, but first it was necessary to “become one of them.”Russia has a high baseline suicide rate among young people. In 2013, for instance, 461 minors took their own lives.

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