ISLAMIC-MUSLIM MURDERERS KILL ANOTHER 20 AT A UNIVERSITY IN PAKISTAN.AND THE POPE INVITED TO THE GREAT MOSQUE IN ROME.

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)

Israeli media savage Swedish minister By Andrew Rettman-JAN 20,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:28-Israeli media have highlighted fraud allegations against Sweden’s foreign minister, amid outrage over her criticism of Israeli killing of Palestinians.The minister, Margot Wallstroem, is to face a criminal investigation into how she rented a Stockholm flat owned by Kommunal, a trade union, in what looks like queue-jumping in the city, which has a housing shortage.The affair comes after she accused Israel in December of “extrajudicial” killing of Palestinians in the so-called Knife Intifada - an outbreak of knife and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians against Israelis.She also called last week for an inquiry into the death toll - more than 150 Palestinians in the past four months, compared with 26 Israelis.The Stockholm flat story made the news in leading Israeli media over the past few days, including: Arutz Sheva, Ynetnews, the Jerusalem Post, the Times of Israel, and Haaretz.The Times of Israel used the headline: “Sweden’s Israel-bashing FM named in Stockholm housing scandal.”Arutz Sheva used the sub-heading: “Outspokenly anti-Israel foreign minister, Margot Wallstroem, under investigation for illegally circumventing years-long housing wait list.”-Europe in decay-Most of the articles recalled Wallstroem’s remarks on the Palestinian killings and cited comments by Israeli ministers, who have variously described her as “outrageous and stupid” or “irresponsible and delusional”.The Jerusalem Post also ran a story saying that seven opposition MPs in Sweden have called for a parliamentary debate on Wallstroem’s remarks, alleging that they constitute incitement to violence.Dov Lipman from the World Zionist Organisation, who lobbied for the parliamentary hearing, said: “The fact … Wallstroem will have to answer these difficult questions in a public setting is a huge diplomatic success.”Barry Shaw, an expert at the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies, also wrote an op-ed in Arutz Sheva entitled: “European liberal left leaves Europe in decay, Wallstroem-style.”He said Wallstroem and other left-leaning European politicians who voice sympathy for Palestinians are letting in too many Muslim migrants.He said they have turned “homogeneous countries into dysfunctional societies”. He added: “Wallstroem-style compassion for terrorism will also find its limits in Sweden, it seems, only after it experiences murderous terrorism on its soil.”-Executions without trial-Haaretz, a government-critical newspaper, was more muted. It reprinted the housing affair story from the Reuters news agency.Gideon Levy, a Haaretz op-ed writer, defended Wallstroem.“Israel executes people without trial nearly every day. Any other description is a lie,” he said, adding: “In most cases, there was no need to shoot - and certainly not to kill … They shot to kill, to punish, to release their anger, and to take revenge."He cited as an example the killing last Saturday of Said Abu al-Wafa, a Palestinian father-of-four, by soldiers at a checkpoint who “suspected” he had a knife. They shot him 11 times.He also cited the killing of Ashrakat Qattanani, a 16-year old Palestinian who ran after an Israeli woman with a knife.“First a settler ran her over with his car, and when she was lying injured on the ground, soldiers and settlers shot her at least four times. Execution - what else?” Levy said.-US backs EU on labels-Israeli diplomats last week also lobbied EU states to water down a statement saying they'll “unequivocally and explicitly” differentiate between Israel and its West Bank settlements in bilateral accords.The statement came after the EU published a retail code for labels on settler exports, prompting Israeli accusations of a return to Nazi-era anti-Semitism.But the US State Department on Tuesday backed the EU policy.Spokesman John Kirby told the media in Washington: “We do not view labelling the origin of products as being from the settlements a boycott of Israel … We view Israeli settlement activity as illegitimate and counterproductive to the cause of peace.”More than half a million settlers have moved to the Israeli-occupied West Bank since 1967, a number which, in recent times, is growing by 16,000 a year.

Faced with EU and U.S. criticism, Israeli insults fly-Reuters By Luke Baker-JAN 20,16-YAHOO NEWS

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. and European criticism of Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank have drawn a furious response from Israel this week, including a former official dismissing the U.S. ambassador to Tel Aviv as a "little Jew boy".Although the concerns expressed by Israel's closest allies were partly cloaked in diplomatic language they struck a nerve in Israel, which is anxious to counter what it sees as growing attempts to isolate it over its policies toward Palestinians.Ambassador Dan Shapiro's supposed misstep was to observe in a speech to a security conference that Israel applies the law differently to Israelis and Palestinians living in the West Bank. "There seem to be two standards," he said.It is a point diplomats and human rights groups frequently make, identifying the fact that Palestinians are subject to Israeli military law as part of Israel's 49-year occupation, while Israeli settlers are subject to civil law.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately jumped into the fray, calling Shapiro's comments "unacceptable and wrong". He met with Shapiro, who is Jewish and is usually regarded by Israeli officials as a "close friend", to discuss it.There was no such attempt to paper over differences from Aviv Bushinsky, a former adviser to Netanyahu and a frequent commentator on Israeli TV. After viewing a clip of Shapiro's comments during a debate on Channel 2, Bushinsky said:"To put it bluntly, it was a statement typical of a little Jew boy," he said, using the derogatory Yiddish term "yehudoni" to describe the ambassador, who is in his mid-40s.The U.S. embassy declined to comment.The criticism heaped on Shapiro was not dissimilar to that aimed at Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, who last week called for an independent investigation into Israel's efforts to quell a surge in violence, saying that in some cases Palestinian assailants were being killed "extrajudicially". Netanyahu's energy minister called Wallstrom "anti-Semitic, whether consciously or not", and the prime minister did not back away from that characterization, saying of Wallstrom's suggestion: "it's outrageous, it's immoral and it's stupid."Appearing before the foreign media last week, Netanyahu was asked for his response to those who say Israel increasingly acts as if it is above criticism and cannot be reined in."Israel's not above criticism," he said, "but it should be held to the same standard that everyone else is being held to."I mean, people are defending themselves against assailants wielding knives who are about to stab them to death, and they shoot the people, and that's extrajudicial killings?"-U.S. AND EU ALLIED-At the event, Netanyahu played up Israel's strong ties with India, China, Japan and Russia, countries that rarely criticize. On the other hand, he acknowledged relations with the European Union, Israel's biggest trading partner, needed a "reset".The EU has been straightforward in opposing Israeli settlement growth in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a policy seen as illegal by most of the world.To draw clearer lines between Israel proper and the land it has occupied since the 1967 Middle East war, the EU has called on member states to put labels on imports from the settlements and is considering other ways of "differentiating" between Israel and land the Palestinians seek for their own state.That has enraged Israel, which says it is being boycotted. But in a sign that the EU's position is gaining support, the U.S. State Department gave it verbal backing on Tuesday."We view Israeli settlement activity as illegitimate and counterproductive to the cause of peace," spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "We do not view labeling the origin of products as being from the settlements a boycott of Israel."With less than a year of Barack Obama's presidency to run, and almost no prospect of a return to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, some analysts think the U.S. administration could step up its criticism of Israel over the coming months.When it comes to settlements, there is widespread frustration. In a report on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch called on businesses to stop operating in, financing and trading with Israeli settlements, calling it an ethical obligation. (https://www.hrw.org/node/285045/)-(Writing by Luke Baker; Editing by Dominic Evans)

FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN

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 13:11-13
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 (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) 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,

REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
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.
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.
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.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
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,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Pope officially invited to visit Great Mosque of Rome-At today’s General Audience Francis talked about the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: “God’s mercy, which works through Baptism, is stronger than our divisions”-Newsletter-20/01/2016-VATICAN INSIDER-iacopo scaramuzzi

vatican city-A small Muslim delegation has officially invited Pope Francis to visit the Great Mosque of Rome. The news about the invitation was announced a few days ago but was official presented to the Pope this morning, during a brief 10-minute audience in the Paul VI Hall study. The audience took place prior to the Pope’s meeting with a group of bishops from Sudan and South Sudan and before the weekly General Audience in the audience hall.The Vatican has not issued any further information as yet. According to information obtained from circles within the Islamic community, the five-member delegation included, amongst others, the Imam Yahya Pallavicini of COREIS (Islamic Religious Community), Abdellah Redouane, director of the Italian Islamic Cultural Centre, which runs the mosque, a representative of the Great Mosque’s administrative council and some ambassadors. The presumed date for the Pope’s visit is 27 January but this has not yet been confirmed. In this context, it is important to note that next week the Pope will be receiving Iran’s President Hassan Rohani in the Vatican.Bergoglio would be the first Pope to visit the Great Mosque of Rome, the construction of which began in 1974 with the approval of the city council. The project, which was directed by the architect Paolo Portoghesi, was inaugurated in 1995. Years later, Giulio Andreotti, a former Prime Minister of Italy, described some of the details surrounding the lengthy project: We talked about this initiative with King Faisal Saudi Arabia, when he came to visit in 1973 (I was at the end of my mandate). I was in a position to tell him straight away that there would be no hindrance from the State or the Church. And indeed there was none, both during Paul VI’s pontificate and under the current pontificate (John Paul II’s, Ed.). Muslims greatly appreciated a speech the latter gave in Casablanca, in which he talked about faith “in the same God” and identified a number of common values. This symbolises the efforts of all religious consciences to study and understand before judging and fighting. Through reciprocity is desirable, it cannot be a preliminary condition. Italy is a great example of enlightened freedom.” As a sign of respect for Rome’s skyline, the height of the mosque’s minaret – located in Rome’s Acqua Acetosa area – does not exceed that of St. Peter’s dome. The papal visit would take place in the context of the Jubilee, during which Francis intends to involve the other Abrahamic religions, focusing on the common value of mercy.In recent days, when the news about the Pope’s visit to the mosque spread, shortly after his visit to Rome’s Synagogue, the President of the Union of Islamic Communities and Organizations of Italy (UCOII), the Florentine Imam Izzedin ElZir, told Italian Catholic television network TV2000 and Catholic radio station Radio InBlu loud and clear that it would constitute “an important gesture”, “showing that religions engage in dialogue, discuss and visit their respective places of worship. Those who use the name of God as a pretext to kill their own brother have nothing to do with religion, only political and power interests lie behind such acts.” “It is no coincidence,” ElZir continued, that the Pope “chose the name Francis, which for us is representative of poverty as well as great dialogue with the Islamic world”.Today, the Pope continued his series of catecheses on mercy, dedicating today’s audience to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18-25 January). The meditations for this event have been prepared by an ecumenical group from Latvia. Francis mentioned this, recalling that the baptismal font in Riga’s 12th century cathedral, “is an eloquent sign of the origins of the faith recognised by all Latvian Christians, Catholics, Lutherans and Orthodox alike. Said origins are our common Baptism. The Second Vatican Council affirms that ‘Baptism therefore constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn’.”As such, “when we Christians state that we share in one Baptism, we confirm that we – Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox faithful – share the experience of being called from the harsh and alienating shadows to the meeting with the living and merciful God. Unfortunately, in fact, all of us experience the feeling of selfishness which sparks division, closed-mindedness and disdain. Starting afresh with the Baptism means finding the source of mercy, source of hope for everyone, because nobody is excluded from the mercy of God. By sharing this grace, we Christians form an indissoluble bond, so that thanks to the Baptism, we can truly consider ourselves brothers and sisters. We really are God’s holy people, despite the fact that due to our sins, we are not yet fully united among ourselves. God’s mercy, which woks through Baptism, is stronger than our divisions. It is stronger. Depending on the extent to which we embrace the gift of mercy, we increasingly fulfil our identity as God’s people and we also become able to proclaim his wonderful work to everyone, starting with a simple fraternal testimony of unity. We Christians can proclaim the power of the Gospel to everyone, striving to share the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. This is a concrete testimony of unity among us Christians: Protestants, Orthodox and Catholics alike.”

Jews and Christians, a special relationship is strengthened-newsletter-VATICAN INSIDER-17/01/2016-walter kasper*

Today, Pope Francis visits Rome’s Synagogue. After John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s, this will be the third papal visit to the Roman Jewish community. This gesture, perhaps like no other, shows the historic change that has taken place in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. While the Fourth Lateran Council 800 years ago confined Jews to a ghetto, today, the Popes visit the former Jewish ghetto to exchange the Biblical greeting of peace, “Shalom”, with the Jewish community.Fifty years ago, the Second Vatican Council issued the “Nostra Aetate” declaration, launching fraternal relations between Christians and Jews. The Pontifical Commission for religious Relations with the Jews published followed this up with an important document on 10 December 2015. It recalls the complex and often painful history of these relations, and importantly, importantly mentioning the Holocaust: the State-organised assassination of two thirds of Europe’s Jews during the National Socialist regime, an event which has left a deep wound among the Jewish people.The cause of this change in relations is mentioned in the title of this new document too. In his Letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul writes that God’s call to the Jewish people is definitive. The Jews were not therefore disowned as had often been claimed in the past. God’s alliance with them is still valid. The relationship between Jews and Christians in one of a kind. It is distinct from Christianity’s relations with any other religion. Jews and Christians share a common spiritual legacy in the writings of the Old Testament. Both are brothers and sisters who, in the Old Testament, have common fathers and mothers in the faith. Jesus himself, his mother Mary and all the apostles were Jews.The last Council rejected the discrimination of Jews in a decisive manner, denouncing past persecutions and severely condemning every form of anti-Semitism. Since then, wherever Jews and Christians live together, relations are cordial, there is dialogue and cooperation in practical humanitarian questions and common concern for peace in a Holy Land afflicted by bloody conflict. Provocations by die hard fanatics, who are a constant cause of unease, are condemned by Jews and Christians alike, who have a direct relationship in a dialogue that has been going on for decades.It is interesting that the recent document goes a step beyond what was achieved during the Second Vatican Council, addressing questions which are sensitive for Jews and linked to the mission towards the Jews. The question generated serious dismay in 2007, when Benedict XVI reintroduced the Old Rite in the Good Friday liturgy, in exceptional cases. The Rite involves a prayer “for the conversion of the Jews”, which no longer appears in this form in the post-conciliar liturgy, customary almost everywhere. This is a sensitive issue for Christians too as it is linked to the question of universal salvation in Jesus Christ, which is fundamental for the faith. The document presents the solution found back then, in agreement with the Pope: there is no specific institutional Christian missionary action towards the Jews; however, Christians must bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ, to the Jews; and they must do so with humility and sensitivity, showing respect for the Jewish faith.That a declaration by 25 orthodox Jewish rabbis was issued a week before this document was published is a special cause of joy. There was clearly a certain degree of agreement over both declarations and these are renewed testimonies of the relationship of trust that has developed.Together, these documents can be taken to say: at a time when violent conflicts that threaten peace in the world, are growing under the pretext of religion, Jews and Christians bear testimony to the fact that, despite their difficult history, friendly cooperation and a common commitment in favour of justice and peace in the world, are possible. Pope Francis’ visit to the Synagogue of Rome will take this common testimony in favour of Shalom - of world peace - further, boosting it.*Cardinal -BY NC ND

Skorka on Pope’s visit to Synagogue of Rome and how he is fostering Jewish-Christian relations-Interview with the Argentinian rabbi, a friend of Francis’: “Bergoglio had a very special bond with the Jewish community. His contribution is a call to build on dialogue through exegetical and theological study, while at the same time reinforcing the commitment towards a common effort in making the world a fairer and more just place”-newsletter-VATICAN INSIDER-15/01/2016-andrea tornielli

vatican city-Pope Francis is the first Pope in the Roman Catholic Church to have published a book containing lengthy conversations with a rabbi, before his election. Abraham Skorka, the 65-year-old rector of the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, became a great friend of the then archbishop Bergoglio. On Sunday 17 January the Pope will visit the Synagogue of Rome, the great Jewish temple that stands beyond the Tiber, a short distance from the Vatican. This will be the third time a Bishop of Rome enters the Synagogue, following John Paul II’s historic visit in 1986 and that of his successor Benedict XVI, in 2010.Rabbi Skorka, what was Archbishop Bergoglio’s relationship with Argentina’s Jewish community like? How did you come to write a book on your conversation together?-“The former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Bergoglio, had a very special bond with the Argentinian Jewish community, demonstrated in numerous gestures, with which he expressed a profound commitment to relations with it and through it with Judaism as a whole. He forged some very deep and fond relationships like the one between us. This friendship, which grew through various encounters, in the sense Buber usually attributed to this term, allowed us to speak freely, without euphemisms. And so we wrote a book of conversations together, offering a joint analysis of the issues that are of greatest concern to mankind today. We went on to produce 31 television programmes with Marcelo Figueroa.” What was the distinguishing feature – if any – in Francis’ approach to the dialogue with Jewish faithful? And what are the elements of continuity with his predecessors? - “On the one hand, Francis has continued the process of dialogue between Jews and Catholics begun by John XXIII and significantly furthered by John Paul II. At the same time, though, he left his own imprint on the development of this dialogue. If we take a close look at the Evangelii Gaudium chapter on relations with Judaism (247-249), we see that, just as John Paul II and Benedict XVI viewed the Jewish people as their “elder brothers” in the faith and the eternal validity of the Alliance between Israel and God, described in the Jewish Bible, so the current Pope reserves a special place for them in his apostolic exhortation. Despite the fact that the first articles in the aforementioned chapter emphasise only the teachings of his predecessors, the final paragraph mentions what Francis has to say on the subject. ‘God continues to act through the people of the Ancient Alliance and brings forth treasures of wisdom that derive from its encounter with the divine Word. As such the Church too is enriched by the values of Judaism… There is a rich complementarity that allows us to read the texts of the Jewish Bible and help each other to explore the Word’s riches’. In Buenos Aires we analysed verses from the Jewish Bible together on many occasions. It was a fundamental part of our dialogue. As Bergoglio was Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, the institution awarded me an honoris causa degree. The intention of this gesture was very clear: to honour and take into consideration the cultural and religious contribution of a rabbi in a majority Christian society. Francis’ contribution is his call to build on dialogue through exegetical and theological study while at the same time reinforcing the commitment towards a common effort in making the world a fairer and more just place. We are at the start of a journey that is taking us in this direction. This journey requires a great deal of reflection and intellectual and spiritual digging, as well as a compromise in the face of the big dramas affecting humanity at present.How do you interpret the history of Catholic-Jewish relations over the past 60years? Which was the path chosen by John XXIII? And what contribution did John Paul II make? “John XXIII could see very clearly that Europe and the world was entering a new phase after World War Two, which called for a response and a message from the religions. So he laid the foundations for the Second Vatican Council. Having witnessed the tragedy of the Holocaust first hand and having saved the lives of many Jews as an apostolic delegate in Constantinople, he strove to do something about the lack of dialogue – which frequently implies hatred – between Jews and Christians and reverse this situation. In the new world that was to be built, that stain of blood and death needed to be removed. The Nostra Aetate was the consequence of the great work he did in this field. This declaration acted as a catalyst for dialogue Jews and Christians engaged in on different levels. The process progressed through the subsequent declarations made by the Vatican commission for dialogue with Judaism. John Paul II was the second great advocate of the process’s continuity and development. His request for forgiveness for the mistakes the Church had made in relation to the Jewish people in the past, his historic visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome, the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the State of Israel, the prayers he said at the (Western, Ed.)Wall are all signs that will shed his light on Jewish-Christian relations forevermore .”John Paul II’s visit to the Great Synagogue of Rome in 1986 was a historic event. What recollection do you have of it? What can you say about Benedict XVI and his very deep theological reflections on the special relationship between Judaism and Christianity? “Both of the events you mentioned in your question were watershed moments in the history of the development of Jewish-Christian relations, for which the Nostra Aetate was a blueprint. John Paul II ended a painful chapter in the history of Rome because dialogue and respect had been lacking in relations between Rome’s Jews and the city’s bishop, the Pope. Walking at a normal pace, it takes about twenty minutes to get from the Vatican to the Great Temple of Rome. And yet it took centuries before a Pope made that journey. The embrace between John Paul II and Rabbi Elio Toaff at the start of the visit will remain imprinted in people’s minds as an sign of understanding and dialogue for Jews and Catholics and an example for all humanity. In the same way, Benedict XVI’s theological reflection on the special bond between Judaism and Christianity, repairs a historic rift, laying the foundations for closer relations and mutual recognition, in order to allow Jews and Christians to dig deeper into their origins and genuinely reinforce their identity, each doing their bit, together, to improve relations.”A new Vatican document published last month states that “the  Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews”, because its relationshipwith them is different than with any other faith. What is your take on this? “Ever since the approval of the conciliar declaration Nostra Aetate, dignitaries of the Church demonstrated on a number of occasions that the Church would not be carrying out any evangelical action or mission with the Jewish people as it had done on a dramatic scale in the past. But the document “The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable” made this clear officially. It was thus that a very painful chapter in Jewish-Christian relations was closed. Just a stone’s throw away from the square where Rome’s Jewish ghetto was – the square reminds its inhabitants that this is where the journey to the Nazi concentration camps began – there is a church with a frontispiece that quotes verse 65, 2 of the Book of Isaiah: "I have spread out My hands all day long to a rebellious people”. During the Middle Ages they would compulsively gather Jews in this church – I have been told this by experts on Jewish history in Rome – all of them ghetto inhabitants, to make them listen to the missionary preaching of Christian clerics. The Church’s latest document puts a definitive end to these stories that are part of a sad past.”

The future of the pan-Orthodox Council is to be decided at Chambésy-The meeting at Lake Geneva is an important litmus test for the unity of the quarrelsome Orthodox Churches. It finds a supporter like no other in Pope Francis with his respectful and “syntonic” approach to Orthodox synodality-newsletter-VATICAN INSIDER-20/01/2016-gianni valente

rome-The meeting is due to take place tomorrow in Chambésy. In the very midst of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, the Primates of the autocephalus Orthodox Churches are to meet at Lake Geneva, the Swiss outpost of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, to decide several things: whether the Great Holy Orthodox Council will indeed go ahead; whether it will really start next 19 June and whether the unprecedented global meeting of Orthodox Christianity will really take place in the Turkish city of Istanbul, in the patriarchal see on the Golden Horn or whether there will have to be a change of venue so as not to cause any problems for representatives of the Patriarchate of Moscow, whom Erdo?an sees as “unwelcome” guests following the tensions between Russia and Turkey, which reached breaking point.The Orthodox “synaxis” at Chambésy is a delicate step along Orthodoxy’s path. In the end, all Primates have confirmed their attendance except for those of Antioch and Poland - who are unable to make it for health reasons – and except for Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens who said he was not able to attend for “personal reasons” which he did not go further into (probably linked to a recent quarrel with the Patriarchate of Constantinople). There will be authorised legates representing these Churches too.The Great Orthodox Council has been in the incubator for decades. The Patriarchate of Constantinople took a prophetic risk and decided to speed things along, calling the meeting in order to address the problems that have been hounding the Orthodox Church today. According to the Metropolitan Pergamon, Ioannis Zizioulas, considered by many to be the greatest living Christian theologian, the whole of Orthodoxy risks becoming “introverted” and is in need of a wide-reaching synodal experience if it does not wish to retreat into the ghettos of its own self-exclusion. But in the run-up to this big ecclesial event, there are mounting signs of unrest and uncertainty regarding its actual reach and whether it will even go ahead.Russia’s Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate department for external church relations, informed that the Council’s preliminary phase is moving at a slow pace: of the eight preparatory documents put together for the summit, only three have been unanimously approved, while the one that addresses the delicate issue of autocephaly has been removed from the agenda for now. There is also disagreements over the procedures to be followed during the work of the assembly. Top it all off, there have recently been tensions that have complicated relations between two Churches, the Greek Orthodox Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. In recent days, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Bulgaria alluded that it may bail out of the meeting in Chambésy, pointing to the Orthodox Primate of the Czech Lands and Slovakia’s possible attendance at the meeting as a reason for the unease, because he is not recognised as such by other Orthodox Churches.The fragile organisational structure of the pan-Orthodox Council being prepared, exposes it to small and big pressures, fuelled by the traditionally tense relations between Orthodox Churches. Meanwhile, the most astute observers are adamant that no Church wants to be responsible for upsetting the applecart, sabotaging an event that has been awaited since time immemorial, just in order to settle old scores or to cast an even greater shadow over the primus inter pares role of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Problems could lead to delays or to the see of the Great Council being moved to Patmos, Thessaloniki or Chambésy. The Great Council may have to cut back on its demands and limit its goals to a common declaration of consensus on a few points (in this sense, any comparison with the Second Vatican Council seems inappropriate so it seems unlikely that far). For the time being, however, a complete failure of the great Orthodox synodal initiative seems unlikely. The heads of the Orthodox Churches, will, despite their fractious “way of doing things”, attempt in their own way to give a concrete demonstration of the communion of faith and doctrine that has kept them united for 2000 years, despite temporary suspensions of bilateral relations and any conflicts of a “jurisdictional” nature.One figure who is definitely all for a successful Holy and Great Orthodox Council, is the Bishop of Rome (former “Patriarch of the West”) and the Holy See as a whole. The Roman Catholic Church has been following and accompanying the process its sister Orthodox Churches are going through, in a spirit of friendship and fraternity. Pope Francis continues to weave a web of plural relationships with each and every one of them – including the smallest among them – as well as with their Primates, adopting an approach that is fully in tune with Orthodox synodal ecclesiology. The Successor of Peter’s steady relations with his “brother Bartholomew”, the Successor of Andrew, continue manifest themselves in striking ways. The contact maintained and the words exchanged with the Patriarchate of Moscow reveal an increasingly intense relationship between the Church of Rome and the largest of the Orthodox Churches. This relationship goes beyond the usual pleasantries of “ecumenist” etiquette, partly thanks to the fact that “Tsar” Putin seems to have taken a liking to Francis. In 2015, Metropolitan Hilarion, the Patriarchate of Moscow’s “number two” man, visited Rome four times, attending two long private audiences with Pope Francis. Last April, Patriarch Kirill praised the Holy See’s approach to the Ukrainian crisis, recognising that “Pope Francis and the Secretariat of State “have taken a considered position on the situation in Ukraine, avoiding unilateral assessments and calling for an end to the fratricidal war”.For its part, the Roman Catholic Church is not trying to take advantage of the chronic rivalry between the Patriarchate of Moscow and the “mother Church” of Constantinople: in this way too then, Rome also acts as a “fluidizer”, aiming to foster the unity of its Orthodox brothers. Pope Francis has shown that he does not want to narrow relations with Orthodoxy down to gestures of attention and accord aimed solely at the “big fish”, Kirill and Bartholomew. Neither does he seem to be a supporter of oligarchic structures, the kind of structure preferred by enthusiasts of “ecclesiastical politics”. Fraternal relations have recently been deepening with Romanian Patriarch Daniel. Meanwhile, Serbia’s Patriarch Irinej welcomed the Pope’s choice to create a mixed working group in charge of studying the history of relations between Croats and Serbians during World War II and the role held by Croatian cardinal Alojzije Stepinac in that context. Almost a year ago, Patriarch Irinej had expressed his reservations regarding the potential canonization of the Blessed Stepinac. According to the Dominican Hyacinthe Destivelle, who, in the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, is in charge of relations with Orthodox Slavs, the purpose of the study commission which has the Pope’s backing, is not to “interfere in a canonization process, which is internal Church issue, but to promote the purification of his historical memory, necessary for the reconciliation between churches and peoples”. Destivelle pointed out that it was partly thanks to a similar process of a common re-reading of history, that it was possible to remove the mutual excommunications of 1054 between the Roman Church and the Church of Constantinople, with a joint act sealed by the Blessed Pope Paul VI and the Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras on 7 December 1965. Last 16 January, a delegation representing the Orthodox Church of Serbia visited to Rome to present some proposals to do with the future composition of a mixed work group. One of the members of the delegation was Professor Darko Tanaskovic, a prominent scholar and until 2007 Serbia’s unforgettable ambassador to the Holy See.Thus, Pope Francis is willing to risk being misunderstood by Catholic circles in the Eastern Europe, just in order to suggest to the Orthodox Churches what the Second Vatican Council had pointed out and what the Bishop of Rome also reiterated in the letter he sent to the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on the occasion of the last Feast of St. Andrew: that Churches need to recognise the fact that “there is no longer any impediment to Eucharistic communion which cannot be overcome through prayer, the purification of hearts, dialogue and the affirmation of truth”. This realisation must be shared with all Orthodox Churches and acted upon.

Holy Land Coordination: “We have come to the Holy Land for the forgotten and refugees”-The Holy Land Coordination Bishops held a press conference at the Our lady of Peace Center on January 11th, attended by bishops from the United States of America, Canada, European countries, and South Africa. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said that this annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land is aimed at familiarizing bishops with the latest situation on the ground amongst other things-newsletter-VATICAN INSIDER-12/01/2016-munir bayouk

In his address at the conference, which was organized by the Catholic Center for Studies and Media in Jordan, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, said that the Holy Land Coordination Bishops’ visit to the Holy Land every year - at the invitation of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem - is designed to familiarize them with the prevailing situation and inform them of outstanding challenges. It is also intended as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to pray and encourage faithful to embark on pilgrimages there, as well as a chance to meet refugees and those who were forcibly displaced as a result of the unfair wars taking place in the region. He added that the Holy Land Coordination Bishops aim to get acquainted with prevailing conditions, as well as to convey the message of Jordan and the Church to governments, politicians and peoples of their respective countries so as to help them adopt suitable positions towards our fair humanitarian issues. He pointed out that the Holy Land Coordination Bishops had earlier visited the Gaza Strip and were briefed on the situation Christians were facing there, they visited the Cremisan Valley in Beit Jala where the separation barrier is being built and witnessed Israeli soldiers uprooting olive trees. For his part, the Bishop of Clifton, in the United Kingdom, Declan Lang, chairman of the Coordination of Bishops, said that the Coordination of Bishops’ visit to the Holy Land is at the invitation of Patriarch Twal. He added: “We have come to share with the local Churches their efforts in tackling the miseries which the people are going through in this region. We have familiarized ourselves with what is going on the area, as we had earlier visited the Gaza Strip and the Cremisan Valley in Beit Jala.” Bishop Lang pointed out that the purpose of the visit is to learn about the situation of the forgotten, the refugees, and the forcibly displaced people. He said: “We have come on a pilgrimage to pray. We will also encourage other pilgrims to come to the Holy Land, the birthplace of Lord Jesus Christ. We also consider Jordan a holy land, and we invite everyone to visit Jordan so as to be blessed with its holy waters.” He added: “We came as brothers, not as strangers, to help each other,” and concluded by saying: “The gift of peace comes from God.”Then, the bishops answered journalists’ questions, noting that they are concerned with the suffering peoples in this region. They also welcomed the homeless refugees in their respective countries and called for their integration in the societies where they come to live. They also pointed out that the Christian Iraqis would undoubtedly return to their country, stressing that Muslims themselves do not accept the violence being perpetrated there. The bishops also met with Caritas Jordan employees, and were briefed by its Director Wael Suleiman on the services being provided to forcibly displaced Iraqis and Syrians. Suleiman pointed out that Caritas has provided services to nearly half a million people, including housing, food and health services. Later, the bishops watched the ongoing campaign of providing aid to the needy which took place at the Our Lady of Peace Center, and met with officials in charge of institutions that provide aid to the displaced alongside Caritas, namely the Messengers of Peace Association and the Pontifical Mission. Then, the bishops and priests celebrated Mass, in the presence of displaced Iraqi and Syrian families, which was presided by the Latin Patriarchal Vicar for Jordan, Archbishop Maroun Lahham, and co-celebrated by Patriarch Fouad Twal. In his homily, Archbishop Lahham wished the displaced a happy new year. He urged them to remain steadfast in their faith, hoping that the Almighty God would bring about peace to the region after this spate of violence which is wreaking havoc in the region.The bishops who visit the Holy Land represent the Bishops’ Conferences in the United States of America, Canada, England and Wales, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, the Nordic Countries, South Africa and Switzerland, as well as CCEE from Europe. This year, they were accompanied by the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, Catholic aid organizations, Pax Christi and the Equestrian order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem who were represented by journalists from Vatican Radio, the Italian Bishops’ Conference Information Service (SIR), the BBC and other media organizations. The original article was published on the abouna.org website and appears here with permission. 

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)

Macedonia closes border with Greece-By EUOBSERVER-JAN 20,16

Today, 18:24-Macedonia closed its border with Greece Wednesday, saying closures in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia were preventing migrants from exiting the country and continuing their journey through the Balkans. Greek authorities said some 650 asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan were left stuck in a camp on the Macedonian border.

German president calls for refugee quotas-By EUOBSERVER-JAN 20,16

Today, 12:42-German president Joachim Gauck said on Wednesday that Germany should consider imposing quotas on refugee numbers. "A limitation strategy may be both morally and politically necessary in order to preserve the state’s ability to function,” he is quoted as saying at the Davos forum by the Financial Times.

Sweden lands deal with Morocco on rejected asylum minors-By EUOBSERVER-JAN 20,16

Today, 09:16-The Swedish government on Tuesday made a deal with Morocco on returning unaccompanied minors who don't qualify for asylum and often end up living on the streets in Stockholm and other cities. The announcement comes four days after Sweden decided not to recognise Western Sahara as an independent republic.

NGO: Bulgaria robs migrants before returning them to Turkey-By EUOBSERVER-JAN 20,16

Today, 09:16-Bulgarian law enforcement officials summarily return asylum seekers and migrants to Turkey, often after stealing their belongings and subjecting them to violence, according to Human Rights Watch interviews with refugees and migrants. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry has not yet responded to a complaint from the NGO over alleged abuses.

Dutch PM: EU needs to sharply reduce refugee numbers By Eszter Zalan-JAN 20,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 13:59-The number of refugees coming to Europe must be vastly reduced in the coming weeks, Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday (20 January), as he outlined the priorities for the Dutch presidency of the EU for the next six months.“We are running out of time. We need a sharp reduction in the coming six to eight weeks,” Rutte warned.He told MEPs that tackling the migration crisis would be top of his agenda, and urged states to implement agreements which have already been made.In particular, he said a deal with Turkey aimed at stemming the flow of migrants in exchange for €3 billion should enter into force, amid rumours of a dispute over the terms of the payment.He said states should ensure their borders are under control, especially in Greece, and that hotspots - migrant registration centres - should be quickly established in front-line countries, where refugees first enter the EU.“Sticking to agreements should be a new norm for Europe. A deal is a deal,” Rutte said.He warned that Europeans are, slowly but surely, growing more sceptical of the EU, which they increasingly regarded as irrelevant to their daily lives.-No grand visions-In typical Dutch style, he said his EU presidency will be pragmatic and realistic.“Europe doesn’t need grand visions, but results. The EU needs to deliver,” Rutte said.The prime minister, from the conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), said the EU isn’t making full use of its potential.He warned that “€1.25 trillion is being lost by not making full use of the single market”, adding that his presidency wants to facilitate cross-border online shopping and to tackle geo- blocking - national limitations on online services more broadly.On the renegotiation and referendum of the UK’s EU membership, Rutte warned that the UK “leaving the European Union would be bad for the UK and bad for the EU”.He didn’t mention the Dutch referendum on ratification of the EU’s association agreement with Ukraine, scheduled for April.The results will not be binding, but it would cause a political headache for the Dutch presidency.-'Cost of non-Schengen is huge'-Speaking after Rutte, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker warned about the possible cost of dismantling the Schengen passport-free travel zone.“Schengen is under threat because we have been in a cavalier manner with Schengen,” he told MEPs, saying Europeans have, belatedly, realised the real cost of closing borders.He said reintroducing border controls on the bridge between Sweden and Denmark, a decision taken earlier this month because of migrants, could cost €300 million. He did not specify in what time frame.He also said that if Schengen collapses, it will mean “no free movement of workers” and “no single market.”“Non-Schengen has a huge cost - if the single market began to suffer … then one day we'll [also] be wondering if we need a common currency,” Juncker said.He urged member states and MEPs to sign up to the commission’s proposal on joint control of the EU’s external borders.He also said the commission will agree a text on legal migration possibilities in the next weeks, helping asylum-seekers to avoid making the dangerous journey to Europe to file claims.

EU criminal database to include non-EU citizens By Nikolaj Nielsen-JAN 20,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:28-An EU-wide database on people who committed a crime will be expanded to include non-EU nationals.EU commissioner for justice Vera Jourova said in Strasbourg on Tuesday (19 January) the change would be introduced as part of a broader security response to the Paris attacks last November.“Judges, prosecutors or the police will be better equipped for EU-wide cooperation that will guarantee the security of all citizens throughout the EU,” she said.Jourova said the update would also include fingerprints to better identify suspects, who may use fraudulent documents.-Flawed system-The European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) was set up in 2012 to inform authorities in one member state if a suspect had also committed a crime in another.Without ECRIS, a judge would have to ask to receive the data from the other 27.ECRIS streamlines the operation by gathering all the relevant bits into a single database, highlighted through a simple search query.But the database only tracks the criminal history of EU nationals.It means non-EU citizens can more easily mask their criminal convictions by moving from one EU state to another.Aside from possibly overlooking broader links to things like organised crime or other syndicates, unknown previous convictions may also reduce the severity of the punishment in another jurisdiction.Authorities in Belgium, for instance, would not be easily alerted should their non-EU national suspect been previously convicted of rape or a sexual offence in Germany.-Robust cooperation needed-Figures suggest authorities often do not make the effort to uncover the full criminal past of a non-EU suspect.Data from 2014 shows 688,354 convictions involving non-EU nationals, yet only about 3% of those triggered bilateral requests for more information.In comparison, some 288,000 requests per year on previous criminal convictions of EU nationals are made every year in ECRIS.“The Paris attacks in November confirmed the urgent need for more robust and seamless judicial cooperation throughout the EU,” said Jourova.The ECRIS reforms will be proposed to EU justice and interior ministers on 26 January in Amsterdam and then further discussed among the EU co-legislatures.

At Least 20 Dead After Taliban Splinter Group Attacks Pakistani University-By MEGHAN KENEALLY-JAN 20,16-YAHOONEWS-Good Morning America

Twenty people were killed at a university in Pakistan today after a Taliban splinter group broke onto the grounds and opened fire.In addition to the 20 fatalities, provincial Gov. Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan said that at least 50 other people had been injured in the attack at Bacha Khan University. Pakistani Army spokesman Gen. Asim Bajwa said that 18 students and two professors were killed.Four shooters have also been killed, a Pakistani military source told ABC News.What We Know About the Shooting-The attackers took advantage of heavy fog, cutting through barbed wire and then scaling the back wall of the university. Witnesses said they saw the gunmen storm the rear entrance of the campus in Charsadda, Pakistan.They fired indiscriminately, killing students in classrooms and dormitories where they were hiding after the gunfire erupted, according to witnesses and officials.The local police chief reported that the attackers were wearing suicide vests and surviving students said the gunmen were using AK-47s.The Pakistani military was able to move in quickly, and Gov. Khan said they have now secured the university.- Who Were the Attackers-Omar Mansoor, the leader of a Pakistani Taliban splinter group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.-How Have Officials Responded-A spokesman for the main Taliban faction in Pakistan has condemned the attack, according to The Associated Press.Mohammad Khurasani, the spokesman, called the attack "un-Islamic" and insisted that the Pakistani Taliban was not responsible for the attack, the AP reported.Pakistani Prime Minister Mawaz Sharif is in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum at Davos and issued a statement to Pakistan's government media: "Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is deeply grieved over the sad incident of terrorists' attack on Bacha Khan University, Charsada, which has reportedly resulted into the loss of precious human lives and injured many others. Issuing necessary directions to the law enforcement agencies for the earliest elimination of the terrorists, the Prime Minister is personally monitoring the situation and he is continuously informed on the measures taken to combat the terrorists."-School Targeted by This Group in the Past-This same splinter group is believed to have been responsible for another attack on a school in the same region of northwest Pakistan in 2014.There were 130 people, mostly children, killed in that attack in Peshawar, making it the deadliest terror attack in Pakistan's history.ABC News' Emily Knapp, Mustafa Hameed and Kelly Stevenson contributed to this report.

Kerry, Lavrov try to settle differences over Syrian talks-Associated Press By MATTHEW LEE-JAN 20,16-YAHOONEWS

ZURICH (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on Wednesday in hopes of resolving differences over who is eligible to join U.N.-mediated peace talks for Syria due to begin next week. Those differences have threatened to delay the start of the negotiations.The State Department said the two men had discussed plans for the negotiations that the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hopes to convene in Geneva on Jan. 25 and "the importance of maintaining progress toward a diplomatic solution to the crisis." But, while both sides said they did not support a delay in the talks, it was not immediately clear if the differences had been resolved."We do not have any kind of thoughts about changing the beginning of the talks from January to February," Lavrov told reporters. "This is the position of Russia and the USA.""The political process will begin, we hope, in the nearest future, during January," he said. "Various dates have been named, but the final decision will be taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the advice and recommendations of his special envoy Staffan de Mistura."Lavrov added that the main topic of conversation with Kerry was "coordination," primarily about terrorist organization, which would be left out of the political process as well as a ceasefire that is envisioned to take effect once the negotiations begin.In the meeting, Kerry also called for Russia to use its influence with Syrian President Bashar Assad "to ensure immediate, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all Syrians in need," State Department spokesman John Kirby said, particularly in besieged communities like Madaya, where deaths from starvation have been reported.The negotiations between the Assad government and the opposition are to be the first step in a proposed 18-month political transition for Syria, which has been mired in civil war for four years.Differences over which Syrian opposition groups should be labeled terrorists and barred from the negotiations and the ceasefire have led to concerns that the talks may have to be postponed. Russia and Iran, which back Assad, have immense differences with Saudi Arabia, other Arab states, the United States and Europe over which opposition groups should be considered terrorists and therefore excluded from an 18-month political transition process the U.N. has endorsed.One dispute is over the groups Ahrar-as-Sham and Jaish al-Islam. Russia and Syria consider terrorists; Saudi Arabia, the United States and others view as legitimate opposition groups.On Monday, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon urged countries backing opposing sides in the Syrian conflict to redouble efforts to reach agreement on the eligible opposition groups. But, U.N. officials say they can't send out invitations until the key countries agree on an opposition list.Kerry will be visiting Saudi Arabia this weekend in order to pursue a consensus on the list.In Zurich, Kerry and Lavrov also discussed the situation in Ukraine and compared notes on how to speed up the full implementation of an agreement to end hostilities in the east, where government troops are continuing to battle Russia-backed separatists, Kirby said. The two also discussed possible responses to North Korea's latest nuclear test, he said.Kerry left the meeting in Zurich to participate in the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort town of Davos, where he will see a number of world leaders over the next two days, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iraq's prime minister.___Associated Press writer Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.

In Norway, asylum seekers take workshops on sexual violence-Reuters By Gwladys Fouche-JAN 20,16-YAHOONEWS

NAERBOE, Norway (Reuters) - A workshop that seeks to educate asylum-seekers in Norway about Western attitudes to sex and sexual assault will appeal to European neighbors struggling to cope with a wave of refugees, but not everyone who attends the course is a fan.Sitting with his arms crossed in a classroom with 21 other male Syrian asylum seekers, Issam Alhlabi is wondering why he has been compelled to attend."I know all this already from back home," the 52-year-old teacher from Aleppo told Reuters."Syria is like Norway ... In every country you have backward people with low education."The ultimate aim of the course is to discuss - and discourage - rape in the context of a Scandinavian society that is more sexually liberal than back home.But for at least a few of the attendees, it exposes implied preconceptions about the sexual mores of those in the class, not to mention their views on violent crimes like rape."It is unexpectedly interesting: that most people think we did not experience such things, because we are outsiders, foreigners," commercial airline pilot Muaz, 26, told Reuters."We go through them every single day in our country. I have two sisters and they could be harassed walking anywhere in the world," said Muaz, who declined to give his last name."We do experience such things. It is not like we come from a peaceful place."Norway initiated the program after a series of attacks on women at night in the streets of Stavanger, Norway's third-biggest city, in 2009. According to public broadcaster NRK, which reviewed court papers, 17 of the 20 men convicted in the cases were foreigners.The course will reverberate with European countries facing the worst migration crisis since World War Two, especially after mass sexual assaults on women in Cologne, Germany, on New Year's Eve were blamed on migrants.-WHAT SIGNALS?-Set in a rural community on Norway's west coast, the refugee camp is surrounded by snow-covered fields. The nearest neighbor is a cluster of World War Two German bunkers; the loudest noise comes from Atlantic Ocean waves crashing on the nearby beach.When a Reuters correspondent visited a one-day workshop on Tuesday, the teacher, Linda Hagen, was showing the classroom a picture of a Norwegian brunette in a short dress and high heels, and asking: "What signals is she giving?"The men broke into groups to discuss and report back to the class."It could be a very normal situation," said one. "It is not unusual," said another. "She could be in a cafe," said a third.No one said she looked sexy or that she was provocative.Hagen said the course aimed to address an awkward subject as sensitively as possible."This is a difficult subject. We have the best intentions in running this course but it is a tough thing to discuss. We don't know what people have experienced before," she told Reuters. Participants in the course are not addressed as potential perpetrators but as future members of Norwegian society who can make a positive contribution by helping prevent sexual assaults.One scenario features Hassan, "a helpful, good man who is well-liked" and who has been in Norway for more than a year. He goes out with Arne, a Norwegian, who says he wants to ply Stine, a Norwegian woman, with alcohol to "soften her up". What should Hassan do, asks the teacher? The consensus is that Hassan should try to stop Arne or make sure Stine gets home safely.The course also confronts hard questions that are being discussed around the Western world, including U.S. college campuses. In one case, the men watch a video showing a boy and girl talking at a party, dancing and laughing.The two go upstairs to a bedroom where he forces sex on her, despite her saying no."What do you think of the boy? What do you think of the girl?," asks Hagen."If I am the guy, I would say she was interested. She went up the stairs, she sat on the bed," says one man. Another says: "I blame him because he uses power. Both should be in agreement."Alhlabi is firm in his opinion: "To me it was clear from the beginning that this was rape."It was obvious she was afraid when she was going up the stairs. Kissing and hugging in Europe is not unusual."Alhlabi's comments aside, Hagen said she had seldom received negative feedback since she started teaching the course in 2011."If we can help avoid misunderstandings, it is very important."And some said the course was useful."I knew from before that girls here are freer than back home, but now I understand better how," said Hani Salloum, a 25-year-old Syrian student, who arrived four months ago.(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

Weak start for EU mutual defence clause By Eric Maurice-JAN 20,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Two months after the EU mutual defence clause was activated for the first time, its effects are limited and its implementation is lacking in clarity.In a debate at the European Parliament on Wednesday (20 January) and in a resolution on Thursday, MEPs will point out that no rules exist on how to use the clause and that EU institutions have no leverage over the process.EU member states granted military assistance to France in November in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks.President Francois Hollande asked for the use of article 42.7 of the EU treaty, which states that when "a member state is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, other member states shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power"."So far, almost all EU member states signalled their total support to France," the French ministry of defence said in an email to EUobserver.Member states "indicated that they are ready to examine propositions that will be addressed to them, according to their defence capacities", the ministry added, mentioning only a few EU countries.Germany and Britain, the other two big EU powers, decided to take part in operations against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria.-Limited resources-Britain started air strikes in December from its Akrotiri base in Cyprus, "with a maximum will to provide support in the Levant", the French ministry said.Germany, for its part, has decided to provide naval and air support to the French Charles-de-Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. It has also increased its support for the training of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in Iraq and sent 650 men to participate in the UN's Minusma mission that aims to stabilise the situation in Mali.Belgium has sent a frigate to support the Charles-de-Gaulle, which ended its mission early January. Sweden gave "a significant contribution in response to French demands for logistical support (munitions, planes, transport)", the French ministry said."Other countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia ...) contribute by sending several men as reinforcement in the theatre of operations", mainly in Africa, the ministry also said in its email."For the rest of European countries, the will to help is there but resources are limited or the arrangements take time," the ministry told EUobserver, in a veiled admission that EU assistance is not as important as expected.On Wednesday, France will host a meeting with defence ministers from the six other main contributors to the anti-IS operations in Syria: Germany, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.More support under the mutual defence clause is expected to be announced, especially from Italy.-'Not much visibility'-Although the assistance clause is an EU mechanism under the EU treaty, the institutions are not involved in discussions between France and its partners."All is bilateral. We don't have much visibility," an EU source told EUobserver.France however gave a state of play to the political and security committee of EU ambassadors (COPS) on 15 January and promised to do so again regularly, the source said.In the resolution they will vote on during a session on Thursday, MEPs will ask that the mechanism is reviewed to give a role to the EU.In its motion for the resolution, the centre-right EPP group said it regretted that "no analysis and no guidelines were available upon the activation of the mutual defence clause, with the result that ad-hoc measures, ad-hoc management and ad-hoc cooperation were required in the present case".The EPP "calls on member states to utilise the full potential of the European institutions; renews its calls on the VP/HR, the Council and the Commission to clarify the relevant Union means and procedures to that end".In their motion, the centre-left S&D group, the Green group, and the liberal Alde group expressed the same regret and demand.-European defence-All groups also stated that the activation of the clause should be used to develop EU defence initiatives and build up EU military capacities."The activation of the mutual assistance clause is a singular opportunity to establish the grounds for a strong and sustainable European Security and Defence Union," the Alde motion says."The current activation of Article 42(7) TEU should be the catalyst for unleashing the potential of all the security- and defence-related Treaty provisions that should follow suit," the S&D motion says.

Would Trump consider Palin as his running mate?-Dylan Stableford-Senior editor-January 20, 2016-YAHOONEWS

Donald Trump says Sarah Palin could play a role within his administration if he’s elected president — but doubts she’d want to be his running mate.“I don’t think it’s something that she would want to do,” Trump said on NBC’s “Today” show on Wednesday, a day after the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee endorsed the GOP frontrunner in Iowa. “She’s been through that.”“I haven’t discussed anything with her about what she’d do,” Trump said, “but she’s somebody I really like and I respect, and certainly she could play a position if she wanted to.”The real estate mogul and former “Celebrity Apprentice” host said Palin approached him about her endorsement — which irked Trump’s rivals, particularly Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, whom Palin endorsed when he was running for Senate in 2012.“Every candidate wanted Sarah. Everybody. They all respect her a lot,” Trump said Wednesday. “She never said, ‘Gee, I’d like to do this, I’d like to do that.’ She never made a deal, like so many people want to try to make deals. She just said, ‘I really like what’s going on. It’s an amazing thing. I’ve never seen anything like it in politics.’”Would @RealDonaldTrump consider @SarahPalinUSA as a running mate?  — TODAY (@TODAYshow)- January 20, 2016 -Campaigning in New Hampshire, Cruz dismissed the endorsement, but not her.“Regardless of what Sarah intends to do in 2016, I will remain a big, big fan of Sarah Palin,” Cruz said.After a day of Trump trumpeting a major, surprise endorsement, the conservative firebrand took the stage with him at Iowa State University on Tuesday with a stump speech not unlike his.“No more pussy-footing around,” Palin said. “What he has been able to do, which is really ticking people off, which I’m glad about — he’s going rogue left and right.”Palin, who rocketed to political stardom when she was tapped to run alongside Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the 2008 presidential race, has not held public office in more than six years and was dropped as a contributor by Fox News in June.But the 51-year-old has a huge following on Facebook and Twitter and remains an influential figure among tea party conservatives.Trump, she said, would be a commander in chief who would “let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS’s ass!”-After the event, Trump said, “We’re going to give ’em hell.”Palin is expected to join Trump at two campaign events Wednesday, including a rally in Tulsa, Okla.Back in Trump’s hometown of New York City, Palin’s endorsement was front-page news — though perhaps not in the way his campaign had hoped.It was in Alaska too, appearing above coverage of the arrest of Palin’s son, Track, who was charged with assault, interfering with the report of a domestic violence crime and possessing a weapon while intoxicated in an incident involving his girlfriend.In Iowa, where Trump is trying to woo evangelicals ahead of next month’s caucuses, Palin’s stump for Trump made headlines, but it remains to be seen if her stamp of approval will translate into votes.“I don’t think it’s going to be a detriment, but I don’t think it’s going to be a huge asset,” Stephen Freese, a 56-year-old construction worker from Burlington, Iowa, who attended the rally, told the Associated Press.Bruce Dodge, a 66-year-old retiree who lives in Ankeny, Iowa, agreed.“I don’t think she’s really credible anymore,” he said.