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)
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)
Barcelona protest over 'racist' European migrant approach-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 09:26-Several thousand protesters rallied in Barcelona on Saturday against what they say is Europe's "racist and uncaring" approach to migrants. The protests were organised by Stop Mare Mortum and Prou Racisme groups. Demonstrators carried banners saying "Refugees Welcome". Spokesman Toni Borrell said "we are ashamed of our governments".
Twenty EU countries 'will send migration experts to Greece'-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 13:23-Twenty EU member states have said they are ready to help Greece examine asylum claims and return irregular migrants to Turkey as part of the EU-Turkey plan agreed last Friday. They will send "asylum experts, return and readmission experts and police officers", a European Commission spokesman said.
Greece struggles to launch EU-Turkey plan By Nikolaj Nielsen-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30-Would-be asylum seekers have continued to arrive on the Greek islands from Turkey as the EU promises to support Greece in its efforts to send them back.About 875 of mostly Syrians and Iraqis arrived on four Greek Aegean islands over the weekend with Turkey stopping another 3,000.But outstanding issues remain on how an EU-Turkey deal launched on Sunday (20 March) will stem the flow.It is unclear how swift repatriation to Turkey will be carried out in practice, given Greece's patchy asylum system."[Migrants] will be returned after they have been swiftly processed. That is why we need the technical assistance," said Greece's deputy interior minister Yiannis Balafas.The European Commission estimated Greece would need 4,000 people, including migration officers and translators.Roughly 1,000 should be army and security staff, it said.The rest would be composed of a mix of asylum experts, interpreters, specialised judges, appeals committees, readmission officers, Greek police, and experts from the EU's border agency Frontex.Maarten Verwey, an EU commission official in Athens, has been appointed to help dispatch the 4,000 staff and get the plan operational.Six-month costs estimates for the operations hover around €300 million. Some €60 million will be reserved for return missions alone.Greece is expecting 2,300 European experts but none have yet arrived, according to a Greek government official.Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for the Greek government's Refugee Crisis Coordination Centre, told the Associated Press, that the plan's "practical implementation remains to be seen".Greek authorities, meanwhile, started ferrying migrants from Lesbos and other islands to temporary refugee camps on the Greek mainland.Greece is also struggling with a sprawling makeshift refugee camp in Idomeni and hosts some 50,000 stranded migrants throughout the country following border closures along the Western Balkan route.The broader plan agreed last Friday requires EU states to start resettling one Syrian refugee from Turkey for every one Syrian returned from Greece, as of 4 April, until a 72,000 threshold is hit.-German 'U-turn'-Issues on how to send back the unwilling to Turkey are likely to rouse tensions among people who have spent thousands to reach Greece in the first place.The forced return will be a double blow, especially for those who are likely to have also lost their homes and livelihoods in war-torn Syria.Once returned to Turkey, they will also be placed at the bottom of a resettlement list, further dimming any chance of reaching the EU.Turkey hosts an estimated 2.7 million Syrian refugees and has agreed to allow them to work.In exchange, Turkey may see some EU visa restrictions lifted in June.But politics around the deal, which was championed by Germany and the Netherlands, is never far behind.One of German chancellor Angela Merkel's most vocal critics says she has capitulated to domestic pressure to cease her open-door policy for refugees."The federal government has completely changed its refugee policy, even if it does not admit that," Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).In an interview with Bild am Sonntag, Seehofer says the "unconditional welcoming culture" among German politicians has ground to a near halt.Unlike Merkel, Seehofer wants to impose annual cap of some 200,000 asylum seekers. Germany received over 1 million asylum seekers last year.
EU-Turkey deal gets reality check By Eszter Zalan-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 19:37-The EU-Turkey deal, aiming to stop the flow of migrants into Europe via the Aegean Sea, came into effect on Sunday (20 March) but several outstanding legal issues and logistical challenges raise questions about how it would work in reality.The deal under which the EU intends to return everyone, including Syrians, who arrives in Greece via smugglers, and resettle Syrian refugees directly from Turkey on a one-for-one basis, has not deterred migrants so far.According to Greek authorities, 1,662 people had arrived on Greek islands by Monday morning, twice the official count from the day before, Reuters reported.Who will be returned? “All irregular migrants will be returned, all asylum seekers will be allowed to lodge their claim,” an European Commission spokesman said Monday.Everyone who has arrived on the Greek islands after Sunday, and does not apply for asylum in Greece or is not eligible for international protection, is considered an irregular migrant, and will be sent back.Those claiming asylum, including Syrians, will also be sent back to Turkey, once Greek legislation is in place to deem Turkey a safe third country, which means it complies with the standards of the Geneva Convention on refugees and provides protection for those fleeing war.When will returns and resettlement start? Decisions on the “inadmissibility” of asylum claims will start from 28 March, once Greece has amended its asylum law to make Turkey a safe third country.EU lawyers are on the ground in Athens to “help the government in drafting” the law, that would include appeal committees and appeal rights, officials have said.Once the Greek legislation is in place, asylum procedures are expected to be “fast and fair”.A commission spokesman, on Monday, did want to speculate on how fast the individual claims will be assessed but they are expected to take approximately one week.Turkish officials have suggested however that returns can only start once the resettlement part of the scheme kicks in on 4 April, whereby EU countries start to take in people directly from Turkey.-Turkish legal tweaks? Besides the revision of Greek asylum legislation, the EU is also counting on Turkey to make legal changes to ensure that the level of protection provided to nationalities other than Syrians is “equivalent in substance to that of the Geneva Convention” and that Syrians who are returned will get their rights back as refugees in Turkey.EU officials said there is clear political commitment from the Turkish side to do so but it is unclear how Ankara will set up those safeguards.EU officials also stressed that Kurds and other minorities, whose safety might be in danger in Turkey, will not be sent back.“We are not returning people who can’t get protection in Turkey,” an official said.Officials note that the EU will send people on the ground to monitor if international standards of protection for asylum seekers are being respected.-What will happen to those already in Greece? Greek authorities say over 50,000 migrants are stranded in the country. They can apply for asylum in Greece and then apply to be part of the relocation scheme, a program to distribute refugees among EU members proportionally. But relocation is not an option for those arriving after 20 March.How many people? The EU Commission on Monday (21 March) proposed that the 54,000 “unused” places in the relocation scheme should be made available for the resettlement of Syrian refugees from Turkey.In an effort to incentivise EU countries to participate in resettlement, member states that take in refugees from Turkey will be able to deduct those numbers from their relocation commitment, meaning they will not have to take in more people in total.Based on previous commitments by member states, with the 54,000 included, up to 72,000 people can be resettled within the EU-Turkey deal.EU officials are hoping the number of new arrivals will decrease quickly, and they will not need to use all 72,000 places.But they also highlight that outside of the EU-Turkey deal, under a voluntary resettlement program, member states will take in more refugees, beyond the 72,000.-Logistics-Around 4,000 staff is required to make the EU-Turkey deal work in economically battered Greece.Member states, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), and Frontex, the EU’s border agency will contribute half of this, with EU countries already pledging 1,300 personnel.Thirty judges will assist from other countries. 400 asylum experts and 400 interpreters will also be deployed.The commission said 20 member states have so far offered asylum experts and police to support Greece with the implementation of the EU-Turkey plan.The Greek army already provides food for migrants and is involved in setting up hotspots. Police officers will be in charge of security at reception centres.The cost of the operation is estimated to be around €280 million over the next six months, which will come from the EU budget.
11 days: EU leaders' near fallout over Turkey By Eric Maurice-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:57-A smiling photo Friday afternoon (18 March) sealed the reconciliation between EU leaders and signaled that internal divisions over a proposed EU-Turkey deal were over - at least temporarily.In the photo, posted on Twitter by his spokesman, Cypriot president Nikos Anastasiades stands next to German chancellor Angela Merkel. The comment above reads: "#EUCO about to start… Happy faces?"EUCO stands for European Council, the institutional name for the gathering of EU leaders.The Anastasiades-Merkel make-up cleared the way for an EU-Turkey deal to help reduce the flow of migrants.EU leaders proclaimed they had found a long-term solution to the refugee crisis that has rocked Europe since last summer.It was a symbolic end to an eleven-day saga that saw Anastasiades threatening to veto any deal and Merkel being accused of bullying fellow leaders and giving more importance to a non-EU country.On 7 March, in an acrimonious extraordinary EU summit, the two leaders fought over the Turkish demand, supported by Germany, to open five new chapters in Turkey's EU accession negotiations.The move would be part of a quid pro quo - Turkey would take back migrants and refugees from Greece, the EU would accelerate Turkey's EU bid and visa liberalisation process.The problem was that the chapters Turkey wanted to see opened were five of the six chapters blocked by Cyprus because Turkey, which occupies half of the island of Cyprus since 1974, does not recognise Cyprus' existence.Merkel, according to sources, pressured Anastasiades to relent on the chapters and give satisfaction to Turkey.A deal with Turkey to stem the flow of migrants to Europe was crucial for the German chancellor, who faced three regional elections the next Sunday.She was desperately in need of positive news, after the effective closure by Austria of the Western Balkan migrant route and other countries along the route. The decision, first taken without coordination with other countries or EU institutions, was a major setback for Merkel's open border policy.-Council short-circuited-What happened on Sunday 6 March and Monday 7 March is disputed between Germans and others.One thing is sure - there were what a top EU official called "deficiencies of the process" - namely a massive breach of trust between Merkel and most of her fellow leaders after she short-circuited the normal summit proceedings.First, on Monday morning, a few hours before the EU summit and a working lunch with Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Merkel said she would oppose a sentence in the draft conclusions stating that the Balkan route was "now closed".The draft has been agreed by all EU ambassadors the day before. Germany says its ambassador expressed his opposition to the sentence. Sources from other countries say that only concerns were expressed.The bombshell came during lunch when a new plan, to the surprise of many EU leaders, was put forward by Davutoglu. Only a handful had previous knowledge of the plan, and only a few moments before.It appeared that the plan - the quid pro quo mentioned above - has been discussed by Davutoglu, Merkel and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on Sunday evening at the Turkish EU mission in Brussels.A source close to Merkel now says that she discovered the plan at the meeting and only discussed it with Davutoglu and Rutte to make it workable. But for most of the participants who discovered it on Monday, she was the brain behind the Turkish paper."Stop saying it's a Turkish plan, they haven't written it," an angry official from a small member state told a group of journalists.Even the French president, historically the closest ally of the German chancellor, had been kept out of the loop.-Slap in the face-For Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, it was no less a slap in the face.The week before the summit, he had travelled five countries in three days to try to mend fences over the closure of the Western Balkan route and find a compromise to be endorsed by all leaders on 7 March.On Thursday (3 March), only three days before Davutoglu and Merkel worked on the plan, he had met Davutoglu and Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.They had agreed that Turkey would take back illegal migrants from Greece. But Turkish leaders did not say a word about the coming proposal.At the end of their summit in Brussels, EU and Turkish leaders only agreed on the main principles on the so-called Turkish plan and asked Tusk to "work out the details" before the next summit on 17-18 March."It was clear from the start that the Turkish proposal was not going to fly," an EU source said.The following days saw leaders settling scores and at the same trying to rebuild some kind of unity in order to make the controversial plan work.In Brussels, EU diplomats from a various countries told journalists how Merkel conducted herself poorly by bypassing her colleagues and unilaterally engaging Turkey with the hope that everyone else would abide.-'You cannot act like a child'-Tusk, who owed his post to Merkel, had been mortified but "he didn't take it personally," another EU source said, "because it was basically Merkel and Rutte against all the others".The European Council president nevertheless let his frustration with Merkel show on Twitter. On 9 March, two days after the summit, Tusk tweeted what could be interpreted as a rebuttal to Merkel's position:"Irregular flows of migrants along Western Balkans route have come to an end. Not a question of unilateral actions but common EU28 decision," one tweet said."I thank Western Balkan countries for implementing part of EU's comprehensive strategy to deal with migration crisis," a second tweet added.Later, he publicly spoke about the "Turkish proposal worked out together with Germany and the Netherlands," quashing Germany's claim that it had nothing to do with it at first.The proposal "still needs to be re-balanced," Tusk said, suggesting a German-Dutch bias in favour of Turkey.But Tusk and his cabinet started to work with member states to table an acceptable final plan, and EU sources later said that Turkey was consulted the entire way about what was being worked out in Brussels.Across the road from the Council, the European Commission was facing a situation it had not expected and was at pains to justify the plan to the press.The Commission had been called in at the last minute on Monday to find a legal basis to the Turkish plan.Its legal experts and civil servants were working towards a sound legal argument, while devising a plan to help Greece cope with the task of examining thousands of asylum claims."When these things happen you cannot act like a child, cross your arms and say: 'I don't play anymore'. You have to do your job," a third EU source told EUobserver.-'Anastasiades is the last chance'-The most visible part of the EU rift was Cyprus. In the Financial Times, Anastasiades asserted he would "never accept being forced"."I will never give my consent, because otherwise I have no other choice but to not return back home," he said.He would later say that he would be "ready to be shouted at again [by other leaders] but would still veto" the opening of the five chapters.In the following days, he gathered support of member states and Tusk, who went to visit him in Nicosia on 15 March and said that "Cyprus is as important as Germany, France, the Netherlands or any other member state"."No third country can ever be more important to me than any of our member states," Tusk added.Support for Cyprus was partly based on principles - first, the principle that one EU member should be supported when it comes to the recognition of its mere existence; secondly, the principle that it should be up to Turkey to meet its obligations first.But support was also based on geopolitical concerns, with talks well under way to find a political settlement and reunification of the island.A solution to the 41-year old conflict has never been so close since Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci shook hands at the economic forum in Davos in January and said they wanted to reach a settlement this year."Anastasiades is the last chance to make the process continue and reach a settlement," an EU source said."He's from the last generation to want a settlement. Impose [the opening of the chapters] on him would have wrecked him and destroyed the trust."Tusk flew from Cyprus to Ankara on 15 March, but had to make a detour and touch down in Athens. Even as the European Council president, he was not allowed to enter Turkey's airspace from Cyprus.When Tusk talked to Davutoglu that evening, the Turkish prime minister understood he would not get the five chapters he asked for.-'Rebuild unity'-On Wednesday (16 March), the day before the summit, EU ambassadors met to work on the draft EU-Turkey statement prepared by Tusk's cabinet.Cyprus was not happy at the wording, according to which "the EU, together with Turkey [would] prepare for the decision on the opening of new chapters".Alternative formulations soon circulated to alleviate Cyprus' concerns. An official from a member state said an agreement between the 28 EU leaders and with Turkey on that issue would be based on "constructive ambiguity".At that stage of the preparation for the summit, all parties involved pledged transparency, to avoid a new falling out between leaders. A German source admitted that his country would not act "the same way as last time".When EU leaders met again on Thursday (17 March) for a summit where they would first agree on their proposal to Turkey before meeting Davutoglu on Friday, "the key point was to rebuild unity," one of the EU sources said."We should not make possible for Turkey to play a group of member states against others," the source said. "The message to Turkey would be that whatever happened on 7 March, they would now be on one single track."As a result, no bilateral meeting with Davutoglu was authorised for Friday morning before Tusk could present to Davutoglu the proposal agreed by EU leaders on Thursday evening.-One chapter-Discussions between Tusk, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the Netherland's Rutte and Davutoglu were mainly on legal aspects of the deal, while aides worked on practical details, according to sources.The commission and several member states, including France, had made clear after 7 March that Turkey would have to fulfil all 72 requirements set out in a 2013 roadmap before getting visa liberalisation. The target date remained end of June, thus giving Davutoglu satisfaction.On the most sensitive issue of accession chapters, a compromise was found on a paragraph saying that "preparatory work for the opening of other chapters will continue at an accelerated pace without prejudice to member states' positions in accordance with the existing rules".The discussion was not difficult, a source said, as it was clear for Davutoglu that EU leaders would never agree on opening the five most sensitive chapters.France's Francois Hollande helped by unblocking a chapter previously blocked by his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. The EU was therefore able to grant Davutoglu a new chapter to be opened before the end of June.-Moral doubts-In the end, everyone said they were satisfied with the agreement. Merkel had a solution involving Turkey. Greece had a plan to relieve its islands overflowing with thousands of migrants. Bulgaria had Turkey's commitment to prevent migrant smuggling, using its border as an alternative route. Spain, bound by a parliamentary resolution, had guarantees that migrants would not be sent back to Turkey collectively. Hungary had a guarantee that it would not be obliged to receive refugees from Turkey. Turkey had political commitments on visa, accession talks and a further €3 billion for aiding refugees on its territory.The two main victims of the 7 March summit were vindicated. Cyprus' Anastasiades was able to return home with renewed support from his partners on the accession chapters issue. The European Council's Tusk had safely steered the negotiations and came out as the man-in-charge after being sidelined.The agreement is now in place, awaiting implementation. Hopefully, Greece would soon be able to process, accommodate and return the illegal migrants arriving on its territory. And hopefully, Turkey will pass the necessary laws and implement expected measures to address human rights concerns and compliance of the deal with international laws."Logistically, it is a huge task. Morally we might have doubts," a source said.But after six months of the refugee crisis and eleven days of EU internal drama, everyone needed an agreement and a new solution to present to the public.
Abdeslam's arrest raises terror fears By Eric Maurice-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:25-The arrest of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam in Brussels on Friday (18 March) has raised new concerns about the extent and readiness to act of jihadist networks in Europe.Belgium has maintained a level-three alert, the second highest, and France has reinforced checks at its border with Belgium."We fear that Abdeslam's arrest activates other terrorists cells," Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon told Bel RTL radio on Monday morning."The network remains active in Europe," he said, adding that there were more people involved in the network than had been thought previously.Jambon also confirmed suspicions that Abdeslam and accomplices may have been preparing an attack in Brussels when police found their hideout in Forest, a Brussels neighbourhood, last Tuesday.Heavy weapons and ammunition were found in the apartment where one man was killed after shooting at the police with an assault rifle. Two people escaped from the police and Abdeslam's fingerprints were found on a glass."When you have weapons and terrorists at the same place, that means an attack was being prepared," Jambon said. On Sunday, his foreign minister Didier Reynerds said terrorists had been "ready to do something again in Brussels".Mohamed Belkaid, the man killed in the Forest assault, is thought to have given logistical support to the militants who killed 130 people in Paris on 13 November.Abdeslam, who admitted after his arrest that he was in Paris that night, has been charged with "terrorist killings and participating in the activities of a terrorist group" and put in a high-security prison in Bruges.He is suspected of having driven a car that transported some of the attackers. It is also believed that he was supposed to kill himself during the attacks, but failed to detonate his explosive belt.According to French prosecutor Francois Molins, Abdeslam told investigators that he planned to commit a suicide bombing near the Stade de France, where three other terrorists blew themselves up, killing one person.-European warrant-This admission has not yet been confirmed by police, but his testimony could be crucial to understand how jihadist networks function in Europe.Abdeslam "is worth millions", his lawyer Sven Mary told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.“He collaborates, he communicates, he doesn't keep his right to silence,” he said.Abdeslam, a French national who grew in Belgium, "participated in the arrival of a number of terrorists in Europe", prosecutor Molins told a press conference on Saturday.According to Molins, the alleged terrorist rented cars last year to go to Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Netherlands and France.He is suspected to have travelled in these countries to recruit terrorists.He was checked in September at the Hungary-Austria border with two men who are thought to have participated in the organisation of the Paris attacks. One of them is thought to be Mohamed Belkaid, killed last week in Forest.The manhunt that led to Abdeslam's arrest in Molenbeek in Brussels was operated by Belgian police together with French police.France has asked for Abdeslam to be handed over by Belgium. This will be done under the European arrest warrant, a fast-track extradition procedure between EU member states.Abdeslam's lawyer said he would oppose extradition, but he is unlikely to be successful under the EU warrant system. Belgian judges will examine France's request and the suspect's appeals, but he should be sent to France within a maximum of 90 days.
Militants storm Somalia army base, claim many killed-AFP-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
Mogadishu (AFP) - Islamic insurgents stormed a Somali military base outside the capital Mogadishu early Monday, claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.The fighting broke out at Laanta-Buro military base about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south-west of Mogadishu soon after midnight with witnesses saying fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab overran the camp."Hundreds of Shebab fighters have stormed the base and there was very heavy fighting. The militants looted the army depots and set fire to the camp," said Ali Muktar, a resident of a nearby village.Somali military official Abdulahi Ibrahim confirmed the attack. "There was heavy fighting at Laanta-Buro last night but I cannot elaborate on casualties," he said.In a message broadcast on Shebab radio and published on sympathetic websites the Islamists claimed to have killed "73 government soldiers" and captured vehicles, weapons, ammunition and equipment including seven "technicals", the machine gun mounted battlewagons popular in Somalia."The Mujahedeen fighters have successfully stormed and destroyed Laanta-Buro military base, thanks to God," the Shebab said on its Radio Andalus station.However, the government disputed the claim saying that it had in fact fought off the assault."The violent elements attacked Laanta-Buro military base and the army repelled them, their dead bodies are strewn around here and the army is chasing them," said Ahmed Absuge Abdulle, a senior military commander.In the last year Shebab has stepped up its attacks on isolated military bases, overrunning camps manned by Ugandan, Burundian and Kenyan troops deployed as part of the African Union peace-enforcement mission, AMISOM, and killing scores of soldiers each time.The Shebab was ousted from Mogadishu in August 2011 and has since lost much of the territory it once held. Today, it concentrates on guerrilla attacks in the Somali countryside, bombings and suicide raids in towns and cities.Shebab attacks have increased in tempo recently, seen as an attempt to destabilise the internationally-backed government ahead of an election due later this year.
Merkel ally says Germany has changed course in refugee crisis-Reuters By Michelle Martin-March 20, 2016 10:19 AM-YAHOONEWS
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has done an about-turn on its refugee policy and has gradually shifted away from its welcoming culture, the leader of her Bavarian allies told a newspaper.Merkel opened Germany's borders to refugees last summer and at that time Germans applauded newcomers arriving at the train station in Munich but, as the mood toward migrants has shifted, she has stressed that the number coming needs to be reduced."The federal government has completely changed its refugee policy, even if it does not admit that," Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), told Bild am Sonntag."There has been a creeping withdrawal from the unconditional welcoming culture. Despite the images from the Greek-Macedonian border no German politician today says: 'The borders are open, let everyone come to Germany'," he added.Some 1.1 million refugees came to Germany in 2015.A senior member of the opposition Greens, Anton Hofreiter, also accused Merkel of changing tack, telling Rheinische Post newspaper the chancellor had "given up her humanitarian approach" by supporting a deal between the European Union and Turkey that aims to stop illegal migration flows to Europe.Bavarian premier Seehofer has insisted the country should cap the number of refugees it accepts at 200,000 per year - a demand Merkel has rejected as she bets instead on a European solution to the crisis.He said the fact the number of refugees coming to Germany had now fallen was solely due to other countries seeking to reduce the influx but that could not be the ultimate solution.Still, it would mean that his suggested cap of 200,000 probably would not even be reached this year, he added.Merkel's CDU, and the CSU, which takes a tougher line on immigration, have repeatedly clashed on how to tackle the migrant crisis and the conflict has escalated in recent days, with a senior CSU lawmaker causing upset by calling for all CDU members who sympathized with Merkel's refugee policies to leave her party and join the left-leaning Social Democrats and Greens.Bild cited sources within the conservative faction as saying senior members of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group would meet in the second week of April to consult on a joint strategy in the refugee crisis.Seehofer said the Bundestag lower house of parliament should be given the chance to vote on the EU-Turkey cooperation deal as well as on the government's refugee policy in general.A survey for magazine Der Spiegel showed around two-thirds of Germans were unhappy with Merkel's refugee policy.Deputy Finance Minister and senior CDU member Jens Spahn, a vocal critic of Merkel's refugee policy, told the same magazine his party had "perhaps put too much emphasis on the humanitarian approach".He said the policy of waving people across the borders had given the impression that all people had to do was board a boat to Europe and they would end up in Germany, Austria or Sweden, adding: "We should have said earlier: 'That's not how it works'."(Editing by Stephen Powell)
U.S. dismisses Russia call for urgent talks on Syria ceasefire-Reuters-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States on Monday rejected Russia's call for an urgent meeting over violations of Syria's three-week cessation of hostilities, saying that its concerns were already being handled in a constructive manner.Russia's general staff of the armed forces proposed on Monday to hold an urgent meeting with U.S. representatives to agree on the mechanism of controlling the ceasefire in Syria, saying it would act unilaterally starting from March 22 if it gets no response."We have seen the media reports on alleged Russian concerns over ceasefire violations. Whoever is making such statements must be misinformed, because these issues have been discussed at length already, and continue to be discussed, in a constructive manner," a U.S. official told Reuters in Geneva.(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Russian court says Ukrainian pilot guilty of deaths-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 12:37-A Russian court has judged Ukrainian pilot and national hero Nadyia Savchenko guilty of killing two Russian journalists in a decision likely to lead to a long sentence, Reuters reports. The EU has called six times on Russia to free her, saying she was denied a fair trial.
Report: Brexit could cost €128bn and 1m jobs-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 09:30-Quitting the EU could lead to 950,000 job losses in the UK and reduce average annual household incomes by €4,700 by 2020, a report commissioned by business lobby group CBI has warned. The report, by PricewaterhouseCoopers, said Brexit could cost the UK economy €128bn, or 5% of GDP, by 2020.
2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL - THE ACTUAL START OF WW3
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.
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)
China urges Indonesia to release crew as sea row escalates-AFP By Olivia Rondonuwu-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
China called on Indonesia Monday to release the crew of a Chinese fishing boat detained during a maritime confrontation, as Jakarta lodged a furious protest in the escalating row.The incident happened Saturday as Indonesian surveillance vessels tried to detain the trawler suspected of operating illegally near Indonesian islands in the South China Sea.After stopping the boat and removing eight crew members, the Indonesians were towing the vessel to shore when the Chinese coastguard appeared and rammed into the detained boat, helping to release it.However, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying insisted Monday that the area near Indonesia's Natuna Islands was a "traditional Chinese fishing ground", and that the Chinese boat had to be rescued by coastguards after facing harassment from an Indonesian vessel.The two nations normally enjoy good relations and the flare-up in tensions is rare.Indonesia does not have overlapping territorial claims with China in the South China Sea, unlike other Asian nations. But it objects to China's "nine-dash line" defining its claims since this overlaps Indonesia's exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.China's acting charge d'affaires in Jakarta, Sun Weide -- who was summoned by both the foreign ministry and fisheries ministry Monday to hear protests -- called for the release of the crew.But Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who is leading a tough campaign against illegal fishing in the vast archipelago, said the eight would face justice in Indonesia and dismissed as "baseless" Beijing's claim that the boat was operating in Chinese fishing grounds.- 'Peace efforts sabotaged' -"I want China to show goodwill and return the boat, which has broken the law by carrying out illegal fishing," said Pudjiastuti, adding that authorities were considering filing a case to an international tribunal over the incident."With what took place yesterday, we feel our years-long efforts and work to promote peace in the South China Sea were interrupted and sabotaged."Indonesia has in the past acted as a mediator in the region's disputes.Earlier, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi lodged a strong protest with Chinese embassy representatives, saying there had been a "violation by the Chinese coastguard of Indonesia's sovereign rights" and that Jakarta was seeking clarification about the incident.While Indonesia does not have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, Jakarta is nervous about Beijing's growing assertiveness, and the military had already dispatched extra resources to the Natunas.The navy said Monday it would double its patrols in the area.The Natunas are a string of islands rich in fish on the far northwest fringe of the archipelago.Indonesia in 2014 launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing which involves sinking foreign vessels caught fishing without a permit after impounding the boats and removing the crews.Beijing voiced concern last year after Indonesia destroyed an impounded Chinese fishing vessel.The nine-dash line is the demarcation Beijing uses on maps to demonstrate its claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea.
China says U.S.-Philippines base deal raises questions-Reuters-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Monday agreements like the one reached last week by the United States and the Philippines allowing for a U.S. military presence at five Philippine bases raised questions about militarization in the South China Sea.The United States is keen to boost the military capabilities of East Asian countries and its own regional presence in the face of China's assertive pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest trade routes.The United States and its regional allies have expressed concern that China is militarizing the South China Sea with moves to build airfields and other military facilities on the islands it occupies.Asked about the base deal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that U.S.-Philippine cooperation should not be targeted at any third party nor harm other nations' sovereignty or security interests."I also want to point out that recently the U.S. military likes to talk about the so-called militarization of the South China Sea," Hua told a daily news conference."Can they then explain, isn't this kind of continued strengthening of military deployments in the South China Sea and areas surrounding it considered militarization?"China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.The United States says it takes no sides in the disputes but wants to ensure free navigation through the sea. It has said it will increase what it calls freedom-of-navigation operations by its navy ships through the waters.U.S. allies Malaysia and Australia both reiterated on Monday calls for freedom of navigation through the South China Sea."We've been extremely consistent in saying that our activities will continue, that we will send our ships and our planes to that part of the world as we require, as it is necessary in accordance to international law," Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said after meeting her counterpart in Malaysia.Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that free movement in the air and waters should continue.China has never interfered with freedom of navigation and has stressed that some of the equipment it is installing on small islands and reefs will facilitate navigation.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, addtional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Nick Macfie, Robert Birsel)
North Korea Launches 15th 'Projectile' in 2 Weeks-by Alastair Jamieson and Stella Kim-mar 21,16-nbcnews
North Korea has fired several projectiles into the sea off its east coast, South Korean officials said Monday amid concerns that Kim Jong Un's regime is preparing to conduct another test of its nuclear weapons."We are confirming that North Korea has fired five short-range projectiles off its northeastern coast area into the East Sea," a South Korean military officer said. "North Korea has launched 15 different projectiles on four different dates since firing the long-range missile on Feb. 7."No further information was immediately available.The launches came as North Korea has condemned ongoing annual South Korean-U.S. military drills that it sees as an invasion rehearsal.The North conducted a nuclear test Jan. 6, followed in February by a satellite rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.South Korea's Unification Ministry, which is responsible for inter-Korean affairs, reportedly believes another nuclear test could be imminent."We believe that a fifth nuclear test can take place right away. The government is preparing for all possibilities," said ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee, according to AFP.
Seoul: North Korea fires 5 short-range projectiles-Associated Press By HYUNG-JIN KIM-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired five short-range projectiles into the sea on Monday, Seoul officials said, in a continuation of weapon launches it has carried out in apparent response to ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills it sees as a provocation.The projectiles launched from a site near the northeastern city of Hamhung flew about 200 kilometers (125 miles) before landing in waters off North Korea's east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The South Korean military was attempting to determine whether the projectiles were missiles, artillery shells or rockets.The firings came three days after Seoul said North Korea launched its first medium-range ballistic missile into the sea since early 2014, ignoring U.N. resolutions against such tests.The firings appear to be North Korea's response to annual springtime U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it says are a rehearsal for an invasion. In the past two weeks North Korea has fired several short-range missiles and artillery shells into the sea and threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul.This year's drills are the largest ever, and come after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year, leading the U.N. Security Council to impose its toughest sanctions on the country in two decades.The U.S. special representative for North Korean policy, Sung Kim, who is visiting Seoul, said Monday that North Korea "should refrain from all provocative actions, including missile tests, which are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions."On Sunday, North Korean state TV broadcast photos of leader Kim Jong Un supervising landing and defensive drills. The photos showed artillery blazing, navy ships landing as shells fell nearby, and soldiers running with the national flag. North Korea has a history of photo manipulation and there was no way to verify the authenticity of the photos.Last week, state media said Kim ordered tests of a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying such armaments. He issued the orders while overseeing what state media called a successful simulated test of a re-entry vehicle aimed at returning a nuclear warhead to the atmosphere from space so it could hit its intended target. The re-entry vehicle is considered one of the last major technologies North Korea must master to develop long-range missiles equipped with nuclear weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.Analysts in South Korea said the medium-range missile launch last Friday may have been a test of the re-entry technology. North Korean state media have not commented on the reported launch.South Korean defense officials say North Korea doesn't yet have functioning intercontinental ballistic missiles.___Associated Press video journalist Chang Yong-jun contributed to this report.
2 British ships arrive in Japan to carry plutonium to US-Associated Press By MARI YAMAGUCHI-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
TOKYO (AP) — Two British ships arrived in eastern Japan on Monday to transport a shipment of plutonium — enough to make dozens of atomic bombs — to the U.S. for storage under a bilateral agreement.The ships arrived at the coastal village of Tokai, northeast of Tokyo, home to the country's main nuclear research facility, the Japan Atomic and Energy Agency, according to Kyodo News and citizens' groups. It will take several hours to load the plutonium-filled casks onto the ships, both fitted with naval guns and other protection.The Pacific Egret and Pacific Heron, both operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd., will take the 331 kilograms (730 pounds) of plutonium to the Savannah River Site, a U.S. government facility in South Carolina under a pledge made by Japan in 2014. The plutonium, mostly from the U.S. and some from France originally, had been used for research purposes.Japanese officials refused to confirm details, citing security reasons.Japan's stockpile and its fuel-reprocessing ambitions to use plutonium as fuel for power generation have been a source of international security concerns.Japan has accumulated a massive stockpile of plutonium — 11 metric tons in Japan and another 36 tons that have been reprocessed in Britain and France and are waiting to be returned to Japan — enough to make nearly 6,000 atomic bombs.The latest shipment comes just ahead of a nuclear security summit in Washington later this month, and is seen as a step to showcase both countries' nuclear non-proliferation efforts.Washington has increasingly voiced concerns about the nuclear spent-fuel-reprocessing plans by Japan and China to produce plutonium for energy generation, a technology South Korea also wants to acquire, saying they pose security and proliferation risks.Japan began building a major reprocessing plant with French state-owned company Areva in the early 1990s. The trouble-plagued project has been delayed ever since, and in November its opening was postponed until 2018 to allow for more safety upgrades and inspections.Experts say launching the Rokkasho reprocessing plant would not ease the situation, because Japan has little hope of achieving a spent fuel recycling program.Japan's plutonium-burning fast breeder reactor Monju, suspended for more than 20 years, is now on the verge of being closed due to poor safety records and technical problems, while optional plans to burn uranium-plutonium mixtures of MOX fuel in conventional reactors have been delayed since the Fukushima crisis. Only two of Japan's 43 workable reactors are currently online.___Follow Mari Yamaguchi at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi-Also at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi
Trump names foreign policy team led by Alabama senator: report-Reuters By Mark Hosenball and Emily Flitter-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a partial list of his foreign policy advisers in an interview with the Washington Post, after saying last week that he mostly consults himself on international affairs.The advisory team includes terrorism expert Walid Phares, energy industry executive Carter Page, international energy lawyer George Papadopoulos, former Pentagon inspector general Joe Schmitz, and former Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Trump told the Post in an on-the-record editorial board meeting.He said he would soon name more people who are helping him shape his foreign policies as part of the team, led by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama who endorsed Trump last month.Most of those named by Trump are not well known in foreign policy academic or expert circles, and he eschewed the traditional candidate's practice of having his campaign issue a full list of his foreign policy team's members.Trump, the leader of the three remaining Republican presidential candidates, has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks to say who advises him on foreign and security matters.One hundred and twenty Republican national security experts who have served in past presidential administrations have signed a letter saying they cannot support Trump and will work to ensure he is not elected.Phares told Reuters he began advising Trump on Friday. He previously had served as a national security adviser to 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who has roundly criticized Trump.Phares said in an email he has not met Trump in person since last year.Others named by Trump could not be immediately reached to confirm their role with Trump's campaign.Schmitz was Pentagon inspector general under President George W. Bush and has worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a now-defunct private U.S. security firm whose personnel were involved in a deadly shooting that killed Iraqi civilians in 2007.Kellogg has considerable military experience, having served as the chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the U.S.-run provisional government imposed on Iraq after the U.S.-led 2003 invasion under Bush. He has worked at CACI International, a Virginia-based intelligence and information technology consulting firm.Trump has vigorously criticized the invasion. Asked at a news conference about his decision to choose Kellogg despite his role in Iraq, Trump said: "I don't have to agree with them but I have to hear different opinions."According to the Post, Papadopoulos previously advised Trump's former rival Ben Carson, who has now backed Trump. The London Center of International Law Practice's Center website lists him as the head of its Center for International Energy and Natural Resources Law & Security.Page serves as a managing partner of Global Energy Capital, a private energy services company, the Post said."I have not interacted with any of the team he named. On the positive side, none evokes negative reactions," said Doug Paal, a former White House staffer under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, who is now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "I am glad he has a team, and I hope he uses them to earn respect abroad."Sessions, who in February became the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump, is also not seen as an influential foreign policy or national security player in the Congress. He does not serve on the influential Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, although he is a member of the Armed Services Committee.Last week, Trump said in a television interview on MSNBC, which had been pressing him to name his foreign advisory team, that he relies on his own instinct."I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain," he told MSNBC. "I know what I'm doing. ... My primary consultant is myself."(Additional reporting by David Alexander, Susan Heavey, Jonathan Landay, Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom. Writing by Warren Strobel; Editing by Chris Reese, Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis)
Trump says he'll release list of judges to ease concerns-Associated Press By JILL COLVIN-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says he's planning to release a list of judges that he would select from to fill Supreme Court vacancies if he's elected president in an effort to ease concerns about his picks."I am going to give a list of either five or 10 judges that I will pick, 100 percent pick, that I will put in for nomination. Because some of the people that are against me say: 'We don't know if he's going to pick the right judge. Supposing he picks a liberal judge or supposing he picks a pro-choice judge,'" Trump told a local gathering of Republicans in Palm Beach, Florida Sunday night.He says the list would include judges "that everybody respects, likes and totally admires" — "great conservative judges, great intellects, the people that you want.""I will guarantee that those are going to be the first judges that I put up for nomination if I win. And that should solve that problem," he said.Trump aides did not immediately respond to questions about when he might release the names.But the vow marks a rare moment of acknowledgement by Trump that he could be doing more to appease the many leaders in his party who still oppose his candidacy. While Trump has been amassing delegates, he remains deeply unpopular with many establishment Republicans who question his electability in the general election as well as his conservative credentials.Trump, who has come under growing scrutiny for the violence that has become increasingly frequent at his rallies, also praised a supporter who kicked and punched a protester at a rally in Tucson Saturday, calling him "wonderful" and a "very fine guy."The protester, who had been a carrying a sign with an image of a Confederate flag over an image of Trump, was assaulted by an African-American man while being led out by security. Another protester being had been wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style sheet."Now we don't condone violence," said Trump, "but why aren't they showing the Klan outfit walking up the stairs. Why aren't they showing that?" he asked, taking issue with the way the incident had been portrayed by the press."All it showed was this wonderful — 'cause I hear he's a very, very fine guy — this wonderful African-American man, swinging, swinging, swinging, and nobody knows why he did it. And I think it's very, very unfair."Earlier Sunday, in a phone interview on ABC's "This Week," Trump accused the press of having a double standard when it comes to covering his events, criticizing supporters for committing violence while not holding protesters who block roads or hold signs with profanities to account."Let me just tell you, it's a very unfair double standard," he said.Trump also spoke about President Barack Obama's historic visit to Cuba, criticizing him because Cuban president Raúl Castro did not greet his plane at the airport."Honestly, Obama should have turned the plane around and left," said Trump. "He should have said, 'Bye bye!'"The billionaire businessman hosted the Palm Beach County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner in a glittering ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump's appearance ended with Trump and former rival Ben Carson on stage, swaying along to a rendition of "Stand by Me" by singer Beau Davidson.
On Hillary Clinton as ‘Congenital Liar,’ and Other Strains of the Campaign-The Atlantic-March 19, 2016 8:31 PM-YAHOONEWS
Again with minimal set-up, let’s go straight to reader views on why so many people can sound so angry about Hillary Clinton. In the previous installment, we heard from readers who said that the anti-HRC reaction boiled down mainly to sexism. Today, assenting and dissenting views.Let’s remember the history. A reader scolds me for amnesia:HRC as "congenital liar" is actually a quote from William Saffire. Surely you knew that: [From January 1996]-“Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady -- a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation -- is a congenital liar.”Ah, yes, it comes back to me now. On the other hand, to chafe the reader, I also remember that the influential-at-the-time Republican columnist for the NYT was actually William Safire.She’s too much of a moderate. From a female reader on the West Coast: I have been supporting Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Party’s nomination, but only in part because I share his Social Democratic policy proposals. Just as important to me are what I see as some ways in which Secretary Clinton in the past has acted or voted that are evidence of the weaknesses that political moderates can get lost in.The two prime examples for me are her talk about “super predators" in supporting the changes that led to mass incarceration, and her vote for the Iraq war. In both cases I think she did these partly as a way of influencing Reagan Democrats to come back to the Democratic Party fold. The “super predator” meme is a concession to implicit bias and the vote for the Iraq war to me represented giving in to the fear of being labeled soft on defense.
THESE CLIMATE ENVIROMENTAL CASES JUST WON:T SHUT UP ABOUT THEIR EARTH WORSHIP.
Climate changing at 'unprecedented' rate: UN-AFP By Nina Larson-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
Geneva (AFP) - January and February 2016 smashed temperature records, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday as it warned climate change was advancing at an "unprecedented" rate.Temperatures in the first two months of 2016 soared to new highs, following a year that broke "all previous records by a wide margin," the UN's weather agency said.The WMO pointed to record 2015 land and sea surface temperatures, unabated sea-level rise, shrinking sea ice and extreme weather events around the world."The alarming rate of change we are now witnessing in our climate as a result of greenhouse gas emissions is unprecedented in modern records," the WMO's new chief, Petteri Taalas, said in a statement.Dave Carlson, head of the WMO-co-sponsored World Climate Research Programme, said the rising temperatures this year were especially alarming, describing them as "a slap in the face."- 'Relentless trend upwards' -"There is a relentless trend upwards," he told reporters in Geneva, saying the "startlingly high temperatures so far in 2016 have sent shockwaves around the climate science community."WMO confirmed findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week.The US agency determined that last month was the warmest February since modern records began, with an average temperature that was 1.21 degrees Celsius (2.18 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th-century average.The hike in temperatures during the first two months of the year was especially felt in the far north, with the extent of sea ice in the Arctic at a satellite-record low in February, WMO said.That is "quite a dramatic indication of climate change. We have never seen such an event before," Taalas told reporters in Geneva.Carbon-dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere also crossed the threshold of 400 parts per million (ppm) during the first two months of the year, WMO said.In 2014, CO2 levels had already risen to 397.7 ppm, which was 143 percent of levels prior to 1750, considered the start of the industrial era.Monday's report came against a backdrop of the Paris climate talks in December. UN members enshrined a goal of limiting global warming to "well below" 2 C above pre-industrial levels, with a more ambitious target of 1.5 C if possible.But Taalas warned that the planet is already halfway to the 2 C milestone, with temperatures in recent months already nearly at 1.5 C."If you look at the number for the last couple of months, it is at 1.4 C," he said."Our planet is sending a powerful message to world leaders to sign and implement the Paris Agreement ... now before we pass the point of no return," he said."National climate change plans adopted so far may not be enough to avoid a temperature rise of 3 C," he said.He stressed though that "we can avert the worst-case scenarios with urgent and far-reaching measures to cut carbon dioxide emissions."The el-Nino climate phenomenon blamed in part for the soaring temperatures in 2015 and so far this year is meanwhile beginning to fade, Taalas said.But Carlson stressed to reporters that the phenomenon "puts a lot of heat into the atmosphere ... that heat affects the global climate for a year or more" after it has died away."Typically a year following an el-Nino is a very warm year," he said.But he said it would not be clear until October whether 2016 "will be warmer than 2015, whether it will be the record of all time."
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)
Barcelona protest over 'racist' European migrant approach-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 09:26-Several thousand protesters rallied in Barcelona on Saturday against what they say is Europe's "racist and uncaring" approach to migrants. The protests were organised by Stop Mare Mortum and Prou Racisme groups. Demonstrators carried banners saying "Refugees Welcome". Spokesman Toni Borrell said "we are ashamed of our governments".
Twenty EU countries 'will send migration experts to Greece'-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 13:23-Twenty EU member states have said they are ready to help Greece examine asylum claims and return irregular migrants to Turkey as part of the EU-Turkey plan agreed last Friday. They will send "asylum experts, return and readmission experts and police officers", a European Commission spokesman said.
Greece struggles to launch EU-Turkey plan By Nikolaj Nielsen-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:30-Would-be asylum seekers have continued to arrive on the Greek islands from Turkey as the EU promises to support Greece in its efforts to send them back.About 875 of mostly Syrians and Iraqis arrived on four Greek Aegean islands over the weekend with Turkey stopping another 3,000.But outstanding issues remain on how an EU-Turkey deal launched on Sunday (20 March) will stem the flow.It is unclear how swift repatriation to Turkey will be carried out in practice, given Greece's patchy asylum system."[Migrants] will be returned after they have been swiftly processed. That is why we need the technical assistance," said Greece's deputy interior minister Yiannis Balafas.The European Commission estimated Greece would need 4,000 people, including migration officers and translators.Roughly 1,000 should be army and security staff, it said.The rest would be composed of a mix of asylum experts, interpreters, specialised judges, appeals committees, readmission officers, Greek police, and experts from the EU's border agency Frontex.Maarten Verwey, an EU commission official in Athens, has been appointed to help dispatch the 4,000 staff and get the plan operational.Six-month costs estimates for the operations hover around €300 million. Some €60 million will be reserved for return missions alone.Greece is expecting 2,300 European experts but none have yet arrived, according to a Greek government official.Giorgos Kyritsis, a spokesman for the Greek government's Refugee Crisis Coordination Centre, told the Associated Press, that the plan's "practical implementation remains to be seen".Greek authorities, meanwhile, started ferrying migrants from Lesbos and other islands to temporary refugee camps on the Greek mainland.Greece is also struggling with a sprawling makeshift refugee camp in Idomeni and hosts some 50,000 stranded migrants throughout the country following border closures along the Western Balkan route.The broader plan agreed last Friday requires EU states to start resettling one Syrian refugee from Turkey for every one Syrian returned from Greece, as of 4 April, until a 72,000 threshold is hit.-German 'U-turn'-Issues on how to send back the unwilling to Turkey are likely to rouse tensions among people who have spent thousands to reach Greece in the first place.The forced return will be a double blow, especially for those who are likely to have also lost their homes and livelihoods in war-torn Syria.Once returned to Turkey, they will also be placed at the bottom of a resettlement list, further dimming any chance of reaching the EU.Turkey hosts an estimated 2.7 million Syrian refugees and has agreed to allow them to work.In exchange, Turkey may see some EU visa restrictions lifted in June.But politics around the deal, which was championed by Germany and the Netherlands, is never far behind.One of German chancellor Angela Merkel's most vocal critics says she has capitulated to domestic pressure to cease her open-door policy for refugees."The federal government has completely changed its refugee policy, even if it does not admit that," Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).In an interview with Bild am Sonntag, Seehofer says the "unconditional welcoming culture" among German politicians has ground to a near halt.Unlike Merkel, Seehofer wants to impose annual cap of some 200,000 asylum seekers. Germany received over 1 million asylum seekers last year.
EU-Turkey deal gets reality check By Eszter Zalan-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 19:37-The EU-Turkey deal, aiming to stop the flow of migrants into Europe via the Aegean Sea, came into effect on Sunday (20 March) but several outstanding legal issues and logistical challenges raise questions about how it would work in reality.The deal under which the EU intends to return everyone, including Syrians, who arrives in Greece via smugglers, and resettle Syrian refugees directly from Turkey on a one-for-one basis, has not deterred migrants so far.According to Greek authorities, 1,662 people had arrived on Greek islands by Monday morning, twice the official count from the day before, Reuters reported.Who will be returned? “All irregular migrants will be returned, all asylum seekers will be allowed to lodge their claim,” an European Commission spokesman said Monday.Everyone who has arrived on the Greek islands after Sunday, and does not apply for asylum in Greece or is not eligible for international protection, is considered an irregular migrant, and will be sent back.Those claiming asylum, including Syrians, will also be sent back to Turkey, once Greek legislation is in place to deem Turkey a safe third country, which means it complies with the standards of the Geneva Convention on refugees and provides protection for those fleeing war.When will returns and resettlement start? Decisions on the “inadmissibility” of asylum claims will start from 28 March, once Greece has amended its asylum law to make Turkey a safe third country.EU lawyers are on the ground in Athens to “help the government in drafting” the law, that would include appeal committees and appeal rights, officials have said.Once the Greek legislation is in place, asylum procedures are expected to be “fast and fair”.A commission spokesman, on Monday, did want to speculate on how fast the individual claims will be assessed but they are expected to take approximately one week.Turkish officials have suggested however that returns can only start once the resettlement part of the scheme kicks in on 4 April, whereby EU countries start to take in people directly from Turkey.-Turkish legal tweaks? Besides the revision of Greek asylum legislation, the EU is also counting on Turkey to make legal changes to ensure that the level of protection provided to nationalities other than Syrians is “equivalent in substance to that of the Geneva Convention” and that Syrians who are returned will get their rights back as refugees in Turkey.EU officials said there is clear political commitment from the Turkish side to do so but it is unclear how Ankara will set up those safeguards.EU officials also stressed that Kurds and other minorities, whose safety might be in danger in Turkey, will not be sent back.“We are not returning people who can’t get protection in Turkey,” an official said.Officials note that the EU will send people on the ground to monitor if international standards of protection for asylum seekers are being respected.-What will happen to those already in Greece? Greek authorities say over 50,000 migrants are stranded in the country. They can apply for asylum in Greece and then apply to be part of the relocation scheme, a program to distribute refugees among EU members proportionally. But relocation is not an option for those arriving after 20 March.How many people? The EU Commission on Monday (21 March) proposed that the 54,000 “unused” places in the relocation scheme should be made available for the resettlement of Syrian refugees from Turkey.In an effort to incentivise EU countries to participate in resettlement, member states that take in refugees from Turkey will be able to deduct those numbers from their relocation commitment, meaning they will not have to take in more people in total.Based on previous commitments by member states, with the 54,000 included, up to 72,000 people can be resettled within the EU-Turkey deal.EU officials are hoping the number of new arrivals will decrease quickly, and they will not need to use all 72,000 places.But they also highlight that outside of the EU-Turkey deal, under a voluntary resettlement program, member states will take in more refugees, beyond the 72,000.-Logistics-Around 4,000 staff is required to make the EU-Turkey deal work in economically battered Greece.Member states, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), and Frontex, the EU’s border agency will contribute half of this, with EU countries already pledging 1,300 personnel.Thirty judges will assist from other countries. 400 asylum experts and 400 interpreters will also be deployed.The commission said 20 member states have so far offered asylum experts and police to support Greece with the implementation of the EU-Turkey plan.The Greek army already provides food for migrants and is involved in setting up hotspots. Police officers will be in charge of security at reception centres.The cost of the operation is estimated to be around €280 million over the next six months, which will come from the EU budget.
11 days: EU leaders' near fallout over Turkey By Eric Maurice-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 18:57-A smiling photo Friday afternoon (18 March) sealed the reconciliation between EU leaders and signaled that internal divisions over a proposed EU-Turkey deal were over - at least temporarily.In the photo, posted on Twitter by his spokesman, Cypriot president Nikos Anastasiades stands next to German chancellor Angela Merkel. The comment above reads: "#EUCO about to start… Happy faces?"EUCO stands for European Council, the institutional name for the gathering of EU leaders.The Anastasiades-Merkel make-up cleared the way for an EU-Turkey deal to help reduce the flow of migrants.EU leaders proclaimed they had found a long-term solution to the refugee crisis that has rocked Europe since last summer.It was a symbolic end to an eleven-day saga that saw Anastasiades threatening to veto any deal and Merkel being accused of bullying fellow leaders and giving more importance to a non-EU country.On 7 March, in an acrimonious extraordinary EU summit, the two leaders fought over the Turkish demand, supported by Germany, to open five new chapters in Turkey's EU accession negotiations.The move would be part of a quid pro quo - Turkey would take back migrants and refugees from Greece, the EU would accelerate Turkey's EU bid and visa liberalisation process.The problem was that the chapters Turkey wanted to see opened were five of the six chapters blocked by Cyprus because Turkey, which occupies half of the island of Cyprus since 1974, does not recognise Cyprus' existence.Merkel, according to sources, pressured Anastasiades to relent on the chapters and give satisfaction to Turkey.A deal with Turkey to stem the flow of migrants to Europe was crucial for the German chancellor, who faced three regional elections the next Sunday.She was desperately in need of positive news, after the effective closure by Austria of the Western Balkan migrant route and other countries along the route. The decision, first taken without coordination with other countries or EU institutions, was a major setback for Merkel's open border policy.-Council short-circuited-What happened on Sunday 6 March and Monday 7 March is disputed between Germans and others.One thing is sure - there were what a top EU official called "deficiencies of the process" - namely a massive breach of trust between Merkel and most of her fellow leaders after she short-circuited the normal summit proceedings.First, on Monday morning, a few hours before the EU summit and a working lunch with Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Merkel said she would oppose a sentence in the draft conclusions stating that the Balkan route was "now closed".The draft has been agreed by all EU ambassadors the day before. Germany says its ambassador expressed his opposition to the sentence. Sources from other countries say that only concerns were expressed.The bombshell came during lunch when a new plan, to the surprise of many EU leaders, was put forward by Davutoglu. Only a handful had previous knowledge of the plan, and only a few moments before.It appeared that the plan - the quid pro quo mentioned above - has been discussed by Davutoglu, Merkel and Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on Sunday evening at the Turkish EU mission in Brussels.A source close to Merkel now says that she discovered the plan at the meeting and only discussed it with Davutoglu and Rutte to make it workable. But for most of the participants who discovered it on Monday, she was the brain behind the Turkish paper."Stop saying it's a Turkish plan, they haven't written it," an angry official from a small member state told a group of journalists.Even the French president, historically the closest ally of the German chancellor, had been kept out of the loop.-Slap in the face-For Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, it was no less a slap in the face.The week before the summit, he had travelled five countries in three days to try to mend fences over the closure of the Western Balkan route and find a compromise to be endorsed by all leaders on 7 March.On Thursday (3 March), only three days before Davutoglu and Merkel worked on the plan, he had met Davutoglu and Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.They had agreed that Turkey would take back illegal migrants from Greece. But Turkish leaders did not say a word about the coming proposal.At the end of their summit in Brussels, EU and Turkish leaders only agreed on the main principles on the so-called Turkish plan and asked Tusk to "work out the details" before the next summit on 17-18 March."It was clear from the start that the Turkish proposal was not going to fly," an EU source said.The following days saw leaders settling scores and at the same trying to rebuild some kind of unity in order to make the controversial plan work.In Brussels, EU diplomats from a various countries told journalists how Merkel conducted herself poorly by bypassing her colleagues and unilaterally engaging Turkey with the hope that everyone else would abide.-'You cannot act like a child'-Tusk, who owed his post to Merkel, had been mortified but "he didn't take it personally," another EU source said, "because it was basically Merkel and Rutte against all the others".The European Council president nevertheless let his frustration with Merkel show on Twitter. On 9 March, two days after the summit, Tusk tweeted what could be interpreted as a rebuttal to Merkel's position:"Irregular flows of migrants along Western Balkans route have come to an end. Not a question of unilateral actions but common EU28 decision," one tweet said."I thank Western Balkan countries for implementing part of EU's comprehensive strategy to deal with migration crisis," a second tweet added.Later, he publicly spoke about the "Turkish proposal worked out together with Germany and the Netherlands," quashing Germany's claim that it had nothing to do with it at first.The proposal "still needs to be re-balanced," Tusk said, suggesting a German-Dutch bias in favour of Turkey.But Tusk and his cabinet started to work with member states to table an acceptable final plan, and EU sources later said that Turkey was consulted the entire way about what was being worked out in Brussels.Across the road from the Council, the European Commission was facing a situation it had not expected and was at pains to justify the plan to the press.The Commission had been called in at the last minute on Monday to find a legal basis to the Turkish plan.Its legal experts and civil servants were working towards a sound legal argument, while devising a plan to help Greece cope with the task of examining thousands of asylum claims."When these things happen you cannot act like a child, cross your arms and say: 'I don't play anymore'. You have to do your job," a third EU source told EUobserver.-'Anastasiades is the last chance'-The most visible part of the EU rift was Cyprus. In the Financial Times, Anastasiades asserted he would "never accept being forced"."I will never give my consent, because otherwise I have no other choice but to not return back home," he said.He would later say that he would be "ready to be shouted at again [by other leaders] but would still veto" the opening of the five chapters.In the following days, he gathered support of member states and Tusk, who went to visit him in Nicosia on 15 March and said that "Cyprus is as important as Germany, France, the Netherlands or any other member state"."No third country can ever be more important to me than any of our member states," Tusk added.Support for Cyprus was partly based on principles - first, the principle that one EU member should be supported when it comes to the recognition of its mere existence; secondly, the principle that it should be up to Turkey to meet its obligations first.But support was also based on geopolitical concerns, with talks well under way to find a political settlement and reunification of the island.A solution to the 41-year old conflict has never been so close since Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci shook hands at the economic forum in Davos in January and said they wanted to reach a settlement this year."Anastasiades is the last chance to make the process continue and reach a settlement," an EU source said."He's from the last generation to want a settlement. Impose [the opening of the chapters] on him would have wrecked him and destroyed the trust."Tusk flew from Cyprus to Ankara on 15 March, but had to make a detour and touch down in Athens. Even as the European Council president, he was not allowed to enter Turkey's airspace from Cyprus.When Tusk talked to Davutoglu that evening, the Turkish prime minister understood he would not get the five chapters he asked for.-'Rebuild unity'-On Wednesday (16 March), the day before the summit, EU ambassadors met to work on the draft EU-Turkey statement prepared by Tusk's cabinet.Cyprus was not happy at the wording, according to which "the EU, together with Turkey [would] prepare for the decision on the opening of new chapters".Alternative formulations soon circulated to alleviate Cyprus' concerns. An official from a member state said an agreement between the 28 EU leaders and with Turkey on that issue would be based on "constructive ambiguity".At that stage of the preparation for the summit, all parties involved pledged transparency, to avoid a new falling out between leaders. A German source admitted that his country would not act "the same way as last time".When EU leaders met again on Thursday (17 March) for a summit where they would first agree on their proposal to Turkey before meeting Davutoglu on Friday, "the key point was to rebuild unity," one of the EU sources said."We should not make possible for Turkey to play a group of member states against others," the source said. "The message to Turkey would be that whatever happened on 7 March, they would now be on one single track."As a result, no bilateral meeting with Davutoglu was authorised for Friday morning before Tusk could present to Davutoglu the proposal agreed by EU leaders on Thursday evening.-One chapter-Discussions between Tusk, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the Netherland's Rutte and Davutoglu were mainly on legal aspects of the deal, while aides worked on practical details, according to sources.The commission and several member states, including France, had made clear after 7 March that Turkey would have to fulfil all 72 requirements set out in a 2013 roadmap before getting visa liberalisation. The target date remained end of June, thus giving Davutoglu satisfaction.On the most sensitive issue of accession chapters, a compromise was found on a paragraph saying that "preparatory work for the opening of other chapters will continue at an accelerated pace without prejudice to member states' positions in accordance with the existing rules".The discussion was not difficult, a source said, as it was clear for Davutoglu that EU leaders would never agree on opening the five most sensitive chapters.France's Francois Hollande helped by unblocking a chapter previously blocked by his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy. The EU was therefore able to grant Davutoglu a new chapter to be opened before the end of June.-Moral doubts-In the end, everyone said they were satisfied with the agreement. Merkel had a solution involving Turkey. Greece had a plan to relieve its islands overflowing with thousands of migrants. Bulgaria had Turkey's commitment to prevent migrant smuggling, using its border as an alternative route. Spain, bound by a parliamentary resolution, had guarantees that migrants would not be sent back to Turkey collectively. Hungary had a guarantee that it would not be obliged to receive refugees from Turkey. Turkey had political commitments on visa, accession talks and a further €3 billion for aiding refugees on its territory.The two main victims of the 7 March summit were vindicated. Cyprus' Anastasiades was able to return home with renewed support from his partners on the accession chapters issue. The European Council's Tusk had safely steered the negotiations and came out as the man-in-charge after being sidelined.The agreement is now in place, awaiting implementation. Hopefully, Greece would soon be able to process, accommodate and return the illegal migrants arriving on its territory. And hopefully, Turkey will pass the necessary laws and implement expected measures to address human rights concerns and compliance of the deal with international laws."Logistically, it is a huge task. Morally we might have doubts," a source said.But after six months of the refugee crisis and eleven days of EU internal drama, everyone needed an agreement and a new solution to present to the public.
Abdeslam's arrest raises terror fears By Eric Maurice-MAR 21,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:25-The arrest of Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam in Brussels on Friday (18 March) has raised new concerns about the extent and readiness to act of jihadist networks in Europe.Belgium has maintained a level-three alert, the second highest, and France has reinforced checks at its border with Belgium."We fear that Abdeslam's arrest activates other terrorists cells," Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon told Bel RTL radio on Monday morning."The network remains active in Europe," he said, adding that there were more people involved in the network than had been thought previously.Jambon also confirmed suspicions that Abdeslam and accomplices may have been preparing an attack in Brussels when police found their hideout in Forest, a Brussels neighbourhood, last Tuesday.Heavy weapons and ammunition were found in the apartment where one man was killed after shooting at the police with an assault rifle. Two people escaped from the police and Abdeslam's fingerprints were found on a glass."When you have weapons and terrorists at the same place, that means an attack was being prepared," Jambon said. On Sunday, his foreign minister Didier Reynerds said terrorists had been "ready to do something again in Brussels".Mohamed Belkaid, the man killed in the Forest assault, is thought to have given logistical support to the militants who killed 130 people in Paris on 13 November.Abdeslam, who admitted after his arrest that he was in Paris that night, has been charged with "terrorist killings and participating in the activities of a terrorist group" and put in a high-security prison in Bruges.He is suspected of having driven a car that transported some of the attackers. It is also believed that he was supposed to kill himself during the attacks, but failed to detonate his explosive belt.According to French prosecutor Francois Molins, Abdeslam told investigators that he planned to commit a suicide bombing near the Stade de France, where three other terrorists blew themselves up, killing one person.-European warrant-This admission has not yet been confirmed by police, but his testimony could be crucial to understand how jihadist networks function in Europe.Abdeslam "is worth millions", his lawyer Sven Mary told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.“He collaborates, he communicates, he doesn't keep his right to silence,” he said.Abdeslam, a French national who grew in Belgium, "participated in the arrival of a number of terrorists in Europe", prosecutor Molins told a press conference on Saturday.According to Molins, the alleged terrorist rented cars last year to go to Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Netherlands and France.He is suspected to have travelled in these countries to recruit terrorists.He was checked in September at the Hungary-Austria border with two men who are thought to have participated in the organisation of the Paris attacks. One of them is thought to be Mohamed Belkaid, killed last week in Forest.The manhunt that led to Abdeslam's arrest in Molenbeek in Brussels was operated by Belgian police together with French police.France has asked for Abdeslam to be handed over by Belgium. This will be done under the European arrest warrant, a fast-track extradition procedure between EU member states.Abdeslam's lawyer said he would oppose extradition, but he is unlikely to be successful under the EU warrant system. Belgian judges will examine France's request and the suspect's appeals, but he should be sent to France within a maximum of 90 days.
Militants storm Somalia army base, claim many killed-AFP-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
Mogadishu (AFP) - Islamic insurgents stormed a Somali military base outside the capital Mogadishu early Monday, claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.The fighting broke out at Laanta-Buro military base about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south-west of Mogadishu soon after midnight with witnesses saying fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab overran the camp."Hundreds of Shebab fighters have stormed the base and there was very heavy fighting. The militants looted the army depots and set fire to the camp," said Ali Muktar, a resident of a nearby village.Somali military official Abdulahi Ibrahim confirmed the attack. "There was heavy fighting at Laanta-Buro last night but I cannot elaborate on casualties," he said.In a message broadcast on Shebab radio and published on sympathetic websites the Islamists claimed to have killed "73 government soldiers" and captured vehicles, weapons, ammunition and equipment including seven "technicals", the machine gun mounted battlewagons popular in Somalia."The Mujahedeen fighters have successfully stormed and destroyed Laanta-Buro military base, thanks to God," the Shebab said on its Radio Andalus station.However, the government disputed the claim saying that it had in fact fought off the assault."The violent elements attacked Laanta-Buro military base and the army repelled them, their dead bodies are strewn around here and the army is chasing them," said Ahmed Absuge Abdulle, a senior military commander.In the last year Shebab has stepped up its attacks on isolated military bases, overrunning camps manned by Ugandan, Burundian and Kenyan troops deployed as part of the African Union peace-enforcement mission, AMISOM, and killing scores of soldiers each time.The Shebab was ousted from Mogadishu in August 2011 and has since lost much of the territory it once held. Today, it concentrates on guerrilla attacks in the Somali countryside, bombings and suicide raids in towns and cities.Shebab attacks have increased in tempo recently, seen as an attempt to destabilise the internationally-backed government ahead of an election due later this year.
Merkel ally says Germany has changed course in refugee crisis-Reuters By Michelle Martin-March 20, 2016 10:19 AM-YAHOONEWS
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has done an about-turn on its refugee policy and has gradually shifted away from its welcoming culture, the leader of her Bavarian allies told a newspaper.Merkel opened Germany's borders to refugees last summer and at that time Germans applauded newcomers arriving at the train station in Munich but, as the mood toward migrants has shifted, she has stressed that the number coming needs to be reduced."The federal government has completely changed its refugee policy, even if it does not admit that," Horst Seehofer, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), told Bild am Sonntag."There has been a creeping withdrawal from the unconditional welcoming culture. Despite the images from the Greek-Macedonian border no German politician today says: 'The borders are open, let everyone come to Germany'," he added.Some 1.1 million refugees came to Germany in 2015.A senior member of the opposition Greens, Anton Hofreiter, also accused Merkel of changing tack, telling Rheinische Post newspaper the chancellor had "given up her humanitarian approach" by supporting a deal between the European Union and Turkey that aims to stop illegal migration flows to Europe.Bavarian premier Seehofer has insisted the country should cap the number of refugees it accepts at 200,000 per year - a demand Merkel has rejected as she bets instead on a European solution to the crisis.He said the fact the number of refugees coming to Germany had now fallen was solely due to other countries seeking to reduce the influx but that could not be the ultimate solution.Still, it would mean that his suggested cap of 200,000 probably would not even be reached this year, he added.Merkel's CDU, and the CSU, which takes a tougher line on immigration, have repeatedly clashed on how to tackle the migrant crisis and the conflict has escalated in recent days, with a senior CSU lawmaker causing upset by calling for all CDU members who sympathized with Merkel's refugee policies to leave her party and join the left-leaning Social Democrats and Greens.Bild cited sources within the conservative faction as saying senior members of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group would meet in the second week of April to consult on a joint strategy in the refugee crisis.Seehofer said the Bundestag lower house of parliament should be given the chance to vote on the EU-Turkey cooperation deal as well as on the government's refugee policy in general.A survey for magazine Der Spiegel showed around two-thirds of Germans were unhappy with Merkel's refugee policy.Deputy Finance Minister and senior CDU member Jens Spahn, a vocal critic of Merkel's refugee policy, told the same magazine his party had "perhaps put too much emphasis on the humanitarian approach".He said the policy of waving people across the borders had given the impression that all people had to do was board a boat to Europe and they would end up in Germany, Austria or Sweden, adding: "We should have said earlier: 'That's not how it works'."(Editing by Stephen Powell)
U.S. dismisses Russia call for urgent talks on Syria ceasefire-Reuters-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States on Monday rejected Russia's call for an urgent meeting over violations of Syria's three-week cessation of hostilities, saying that its concerns were already being handled in a constructive manner.Russia's general staff of the armed forces proposed on Monday to hold an urgent meeting with U.S. representatives to agree on the mechanism of controlling the ceasefire in Syria, saying it would act unilaterally starting from March 22 if it gets no response."We have seen the media reports on alleged Russian concerns over ceasefire violations. Whoever is making such statements must be misinformed, because these issues have been discussed at length already, and continue to be discussed, in a constructive manner," a U.S. official told Reuters in Geneva.(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Russian court says Ukrainian pilot guilty of deaths-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 12:37-A Russian court has judged Ukrainian pilot and national hero Nadyia Savchenko guilty of killing two Russian journalists in a decision likely to lead to a long sentence, Reuters reports. The EU has called six times on Russia to free her, saying she was denied a fair trial.
Report: Brexit could cost €128bn and 1m jobs-By EUOBSERVER-MAR 21,16
Today, 09:30-Quitting the EU could lead to 950,000 job losses in the UK and reduce average annual household incomes by €4,700 by 2020, a report commissioned by business lobby group CBI has warned. The report, by PricewaterhouseCoopers, said Brexit could cost the UK economy €128bn, or 5% of GDP, by 2020.
2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL - THE ACTUAL START OF WW3
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.
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)
China urges Indonesia to release crew as sea row escalates-AFP By Olivia Rondonuwu-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
China called on Indonesia Monday to release the crew of a Chinese fishing boat detained during a maritime confrontation, as Jakarta lodged a furious protest in the escalating row.The incident happened Saturday as Indonesian surveillance vessels tried to detain the trawler suspected of operating illegally near Indonesian islands in the South China Sea.After stopping the boat and removing eight crew members, the Indonesians were towing the vessel to shore when the Chinese coastguard appeared and rammed into the detained boat, helping to release it.However, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying insisted Monday that the area near Indonesia's Natuna Islands was a "traditional Chinese fishing ground", and that the Chinese boat had to be rescued by coastguards after facing harassment from an Indonesian vessel.The two nations normally enjoy good relations and the flare-up in tensions is rare.Indonesia does not have overlapping territorial claims with China in the South China Sea, unlike other Asian nations. But it objects to China's "nine-dash line" defining its claims since this overlaps Indonesia's exclusive economic zone around the Natunas.China's acting charge d'affaires in Jakarta, Sun Weide -- who was summoned by both the foreign ministry and fisheries ministry Monday to hear protests -- called for the release of the crew.But Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti, who is leading a tough campaign against illegal fishing in the vast archipelago, said the eight would face justice in Indonesia and dismissed as "baseless" Beijing's claim that the boat was operating in Chinese fishing grounds.- 'Peace efforts sabotaged' -"I want China to show goodwill and return the boat, which has broken the law by carrying out illegal fishing," said Pudjiastuti, adding that authorities were considering filing a case to an international tribunal over the incident."With what took place yesterday, we feel our years-long efforts and work to promote peace in the South China Sea were interrupted and sabotaged."Indonesia has in the past acted as a mediator in the region's disputes.Earlier, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi lodged a strong protest with Chinese embassy representatives, saying there had been a "violation by the Chinese coastguard of Indonesia's sovereign rights" and that Jakarta was seeking clarification about the incident.While Indonesia does not have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, Jakarta is nervous about Beijing's growing assertiveness, and the military had already dispatched extra resources to the Natunas.The navy said Monday it would double its patrols in the area.The Natunas are a string of islands rich in fish on the far northwest fringe of the archipelago.Indonesia in 2014 launched a tough crackdown on illegal fishing which involves sinking foreign vessels caught fishing without a permit after impounding the boats and removing the crews.Beijing voiced concern last year after Indonesia destroyed an impounded Chinese fishing vessel.The nine-dash line is the demarcation Beijing uses on maps to demonstrate its claim to almost the whole of the South China Sea.
China says U.S.-Philippines base deal raises questions-Reuters-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Monday agreements like the one reached last week by the United States and the Philippines allowing for a U.S. military presence at five Philippine bases raised questions about militarization in the South China Sea.The United States is keen to boost the military capabilities of East Asian countries and its own regional presence in the face of China's assertive pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest trade routes.The United States and its regional allies have expressed concern that China is militarizing the South China Sea with moves to build airfields and other military facilities on the islands it occupies.Asked about the base deal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that U.S.-Philippine cooperation should not be targeted at any third party nor harm other nations' sovereignty or security interests."I also want to point out that recently the U.S. military likes to talk about the so-called militarization of the South China Sea," Hua told a daily news conference."Can they then explain, isn't this kind of continued strengthening of military deployments in the South China Sea and areas surrounding it considered militarization?"China claims most of the energy-rich waters through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. Neighbors Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.The United States says it takes no sides in the disputes but wants to ensure free navigation through the sea. It has said it will increase what it calls freedom-of-navigation operations by its navy ships through the waters.U.S. allies Malaysia and Australia both reiterated on Monday calls for freedom of navigation through the South China Sea."We've been extremely consistent in saying that our activities will continue, that we will send our ships and our planes to that part of the world as we require, as it is necessary in accordance to international law," Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said after meeting her counterpart in Malaysia.Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that free movement in the air and waters should continue.China has never interfered with freedom of navigation and has stressed that some of the equipment it is installing on small islands and reefs will facilitate navigation.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard, addtional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur; Editing by Nick Macfie, Robert Birsel)
North Korea Launches 15th 'Projectile' in 2 Weeks-by Alastair Jamieson and Stella Kim-mar 21,16-nbcnews
North Korea has fired several projectiles into the sea off its east coast, South Korean officials said Monday amid concerns that Kim Jong Un's regime is preparing to conduct another test of its nuclear weapons."We are confirming that North Korea has fired five short-range projectiles off its northeastern coast area into the East Sea," a South Korean military officer said. "North Korea has launched 15 different projectiles on four different dates since firing the long-range missile on Feb. 7."No further information was immediately available.The launches came as North Korea has condemned ongoing annual South Korean-U.S. military drills that it sees as an invasion rehearsal.The North conducted a nuclear test Jan. 6, followed in February by a satellite rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.South Korea's Unification Ministry, which is responsible for inter-Korean affairs, reportedly believes another nuclear test could be imminent."We believe that a fifth nuclear test can take place right away. The government is preparing for all possibilities," said ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee, according to AFP.
Seoul: North Korea fires 5 short-range projectiles-Associated Press By HYUNG-JIN KIM-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired five short-range projectiles into the sea on Monday, Seoul officials said, in a continuation of weapon launches it has carried out in apparent response to ongoing South Korea-U.S. military drills it sees as a provocation.The projectiles launched from a site near the northeastern city of Hamhung flew about 200 kilometers (125 miles) before landing in waters off North Korea's east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.The South Korean military was attempting to determine whether the projectiles were missiles, artillery shells or rockets.The firings came three days after Seoul said North Korea launched its first medium-range ballistic missile into the sea since early 2014, ignoring U.N. resolutions against such tests.The firings appear to be North Korea's response to annual springtime U.S.-South Korean military exercises that it says are a rehearsal for an invasion. In the past two weeks North Korea has fired several short-range missiles and artillery shells into the sea and threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes against Washington and Seoul.This year's drills are the largest ever, and come after North Korea conducted a nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch earlier this year, leading the U.N. Security Council to impose its toughest sanctions on the country in two decades.The U.S. special representative for North Korean policy, Sung Kim, who is visiting Seoul, said Monday that North Korea "should refrain from all provocative actions, including missile tests, which are clearly in violation of Security Council resolutions."On Sunday, North Korean state TV broadcast photos of leader Kim Jong Un supervising landing and defensive drills. The photos showed artillery blazing, navy ships landing as shells fell nearby, and soldiers running with the national flag. North Korea has a history of photo manipulation and there was no way to verify the authenticity of the photos.Last week, state media said Kim ordered tests of a nuclear warhead and ballistic missiles capable of carrying such armaments. He issued the orders while overseeing what state media called a successful simulated test of a re-entry vehicle aimed at returning a nuclear warhead to the atmosphere from space so it could hit its intended target. The re-entry vehicle is considered one of the last major technologies North Korea must master to develop long-range missiles equipped with nuclear weapons capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.Analysts in South Korea said the medium-range missile launch last Friday may have been a test of the re-entry technology. North Korean state media have not commented on the reported launch.South Korean defense officials say North Korea doesn't yet have functioning intercontinental ballistic missiles.___Associated Press video journalist Chang Yong-jun contributed to this report.
2 British ships arrive in Japan to carry plutonium to US-Associated Press By MARI YAMAGUCHI-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
TOKYO (AP) — Two British ships arrived in eastern Japan on Monday to transport a shipment of plutonium — enough to make dozens of atomic bombs — to the U.S. for storage under a bilateral agreement.The ships arrived at the coastal village of Tokai, northeast of Tokyo, home to the country's main nuclear research facility, the Japan Atomic and Energy Agency, according to Kyodo News and citizens' groups. It will take several hours to load the plutonium-filled casks onto the ships, both fitted with naval guns and other protection.The Pacific Egret and Pacific Heron, both operated by Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd., will take the 331 kilograms (730 pounds) of plutonium to the Savannah River Site, a U.S. government facility in South Carolina under a pledge made by Japan in 2014. The plutonium, mostly from the U.S. and some from France originally, had been used for research purposes.Japanese officials refused to confirm details, citing security reasons.Japan's stockpile and its fuel-reprocessing ambitions to use plutonium as fuel for power generation have been a source of international security concerns.Japan has accumulated a massive stockpile of plutonium — 11 metric tons in Japan and another 36 tons that have been reprocessed in Britain and France and are waiting to be returned to Japan — enough to make nearly 6,000 atomic bombs.The latest shipment comes just ahead of a nuclear security summit in Washington later this month, and is seen as a step to showcase both countries' nuclear non-proliferation efforts.Washington has increasingly voiced concerns about the nuclear spent-fuel-reprocessing plans by Japan and China to produce plutonium for energy generation, a technology South Korea also wants to acquire, saying they pose security and proliferation risks.Japan began building a major reprocessing plant with French state-owned company Areva in the early 1990s. The trouble-plagued project has been delayed ever since, and in November its opening was postponed until 2018 to allow for more safety upgrades and inspections.Experts say launching the Rokkasho reprocessing plant would not ease the situation, because Japan has little hope of achieving a spent fuel recycling program.Japan's plutonium-burning fast breeder reactor Monju, suspended for more than 20 years, is now on the verge of being closed due to poor safety records and technical problems, while optional plans to burn uranium-plutonium mixtures of MOX fuel in conventional reactors have been delayed since the Fukushima crisis. Only two of Japan's 43 workable reactors are currently online.___Follow Mari Yamaguchi at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi-Also at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi
Trump names foreign policy team led by Alabama senator: report-Reuters By Mark Hosenball and Emily Flitter-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Monday unveiled a partial list of his foreign policy advisers in an interview with the Washington Post, after saying last week that he mostly consults himself on international affairs.The advisory team includes terrorism expert Walid Phares, energy industry executive Carter Page, international energy lawyer George Papadopoulos, former Pentagon inspector general Joe Schmitz, and former Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Trump told the Post in an on-the-record editorial board meeting.He said he would soon name more people who are helping him shape his foreign policies as part of the team, led by U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama who endorsed Trump last month.Most of those named by Trump are not well known in foreign policy academic or expert circles, and he eschewed the traditional candidate's practice of having his campaign issue a full list of his foreign policy team's members.Trump, the leader of the three remaining Republican presidential candidates, has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks to say who advises him on foreign and security matters.One hundred and twenty Republican national security experts who have served in past presidential administrations have signed a letter saying they cannot support Trump and will work to ensure he is not elected.Phares told Reuters he began advising Trump on Friday. He previously had served as a national security adviser to 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who has roundly criticized Trump.Phares said in an email he has not met Trump in person since last year.Others named by Trump could not be immediately reached to confirm their role with Trump's campaign.Schmitz was Pentagon inspector general under President George W. Bush and has worked for Blackwater Worldwide, a now-defunct private U.S. security firm whose personnel were involved in a deadly shooting that killed Iraqi civilians in 2007.Kellogg has considerable military experience, having served as the chief operating officer of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the U.S.-run provisional government imposed on Iraq after the U.S.-led 2003 invasion under Bush. He has worked at CACI International, a Virginia-based intelligence and information technology consulting firm.Trump has vigorously criticized the invasion. Asked at a news conference about his decision to choose Kellogg despite his role in Iraq, Trump said: "I don't have to agree with them but I have to hear different opinions."According to the Post, Papadopoulos previously advised Trump's former rival Ben Carson, who has now backed Trump. The London Center of International Law Practice's Center website lists him as the head of its Center for International Energy and Natural Resources Law & Security.Page serves as a managing partner of Global Energy Capital, a private energy services company, the Post said."I have not interacted with any of the team he named. On the positive side, none evokes negative reactions," said Doug Paal, a former White House staffer under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, who is now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "I am glad he has a team, and I hope he uses them to earn respect abroad."Sessions, who in February became the first sitting U.S. senator to endorse Trump, is also not seen as an influential foreign policy or national security player in the Congress. He does not serve on the influential Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, although he is a member of the Armed Services Committee.Last week, Trump said in a television interview on MSNBC, which had been pressing him to name his foreign advisory team, that he relies on his own instinct."I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain," he told MSNBC. "I know what I'm doing. ... My primary consultant is myself."(Additional reporting by David Alexander, Susan Heavey, Jonathan Landay, Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom. Writing by Warren Strobel; Editing by Chris Reese, Grant McCool and Jonathan Oatis)
Trump says he'll release list of judges to ease concerns-Associated Press By JILL COLVIN-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says he's planning to release a list of judges that he would select from to fill Supreme Court vacancies if he's elected president in an effort to ease concerns about his picks."I am going to give a list of either five or 10 judges that I will pick, 100 percent pick, that I will put in for nomination. Because some of the people that are against me say: 'We don't know if he's going to pick the right judge. Supposing he picks a liberal judge or supposing he picks a pro-choice judge,'" Trump told a local gathering of Republicans in Palm Beach, Florida Sunday night.He says the list would include judges "that everybody respects, likes and totally admires" — "great conservative judges, great intellects, the people that you want.""I will guarantee that those are going to be the first judges that I put up for nomination if I win. And that should solve that problem," he said.Trump aides did not immediately respond to questions about when he might release the names.But the vow marks a rare moment of acknowledgement by Trump that he could be doing more to appease the many leaders in his party who still oppose his candidacy. While Trump has been amassing delegates, he remains deeply unpopular with many establishment Republicans who question his electability in the general election as well as his conservative credentials.Trump, who has come under growing scrutiny for the violence that has become increasingly frequent at his rallies, also praised a supporter who kicked and punched a protester at a rally in Tucson Saturday, calling him "wonderful" and a "very fine guy."The protester, who had been a carrying a sign with an image of a Confederate flag over an image of Trump, was assaulted by an African-American man while being led out by security. Another protester being had been wearing a Ku Klux Klan-style sheet."Now we don't condone violence," said Trump, "but why aren't they showing the Klan outfit walking up the stairs. Why aren't they showing that?" he asked, taking issue with the way the incident had been portrayed by the press."All it showed was this wonderful — 'cause I hear he's a very, very fine guy — this wonderful African-American man, swinging, swinging, swinging, and nobody knows why he did it. And I think it's very, very unfair."Earlier Sunday, in a phone interview on ABC's "This Week," Trump accused the press of having a double standard when it comes to covering his events, criticizing supporters for committing violence while not holding protesters who block roads or hold signs with profanities to account."Let me just tell you, it's a very unfair double standard," he said.Trump also spoke about President Barack Obama's historic visit to Cuba, criticizing him because Cuban president Raúl Castro did not greet his plane at the airport."Honestly, Obama should have turned the plane around and left," said Trump. "He should have said, 'Bye bye!'"The billionaire businessman hosted the Palm Beach County Republican Party's Lincoln Day dinner in a glittering ballroom at his Mar-a-Lago club. Trump's appearance ended with Trump and former rival Ben Carson on stage, swaying along to a rendition of "Stand by Me" by singer Beau Davidson.
On Hillary Clinton as ‘Congenital Liar,’ and Other Strains of the Campaign-The Atlantic-March 19, 2016 8:31 PM-YAHOONEWS
Again with minimal set-up, let’s go straight to reader views on why so many people can sound so angry about Hillary Clinton. In the previous installment, we heard from readers who said that the anti-HRC reaction boiled down mainly to sexism. Today, assenting and dissenting views.Let’s remember the history. A reader scolds me for amnesia:HRC as "congenital liar" is actually a quote from William Saffire. Surely you knew that: [From January 1996]-“Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady -- a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation -- is a congenital liar.”Ah, yes, it comes back to me now. On the other hand, to chafe the reader, I also remember that the influential-at-the-time Republican columnist for the NYT was actually William Safire.She’s too much of a moderate. From a female reader on the West Coast: I have been supporting Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Party’s nomination, but only in part because I share his Social Democratic policy proposals. Just as important to me are what I see as some ways in which Secretary Clinton in the past has acted or voted that are evidence of the weaknesses that political moderates can get lost in.The two prime examples for me are her talk about “super predators" in supporting the changes that led to mass incarceration, and her vote for the Iraq war. In both cases I think she did these partly as a way of influencing Reagan Democrats to come back to the Democratic Party fold. The “super predator” meme is a concession to implicit bias and the vote for the Iraq war to me represented giving in to the fear of being labeled soft on defense.
THESE CLIMATE ENVIROMENTAL CASES JUST WON:T SHUT UP ABOUT THEIR EARTH WORSHIP.
Climate changing at 'unprecedented' rate: UN-AFP By Nina Larson-MAR 21,16-YAHOONEWS
Geneva (AFP) - January and February 2016 smashed temperature records, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday as it warned climate change was advancing at an "unprecedented" rate.Temperatures in the first two months of 2016 soared to new highs, following a year that broke "all previous records by a wide margin," the UN's weather agency said.The WMO pointed to record 2015 land and sea surface temperatures, unabated sea-level rise, shrinking sea ice and extreme weather events around the world."The alarming rate of change we are now witnessing in our climate as a result of greenhouse gas emissions is unprecedented in modern records," the WMO's new chief, Petteri Taalas, said in a statement.Dave Carlson, head of the WMO-co-sponsored World Climate Research Programme, said the rising temperatures this year were especially alarming, describing them as "a slap in the face."- 'Relentless trend upwards' -"There is a relentless trend upwards," he told reporters in Geneva, saying the "startlingly high temperatures so far in 2016 have sent shockwaves around the climate science community."WMO confirmed findings by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) last week.The US agency determined that last month was the warmest February since modern records began, with an average temperature that was 1.21 degrees Celsius (2.18 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 20th-century average.The hike in temperatures during the first two months of the year was especially felt in the far north, with the extent of sea ice in the Arctic at a satellite-record low in February, WMO said.That is "quite a dramatic indication of climate change. We have never seen such an event before," Taalas told reporters in Geneva.Carbon-dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere also crossed the threshold of 400 parts per million (ppm) during the first two months of the year, WMO said.In 2014, CO2 levels had already risen to 397.7 ppm, which was 143 percent of levels prior to 1750, considered the start of the industrial era.Monday's report came against a backdrop of the Paris climate talks in December. UN members enshrined a goal of limiting global warming to "well below" 2 C above pre-industrial levels, with a more ambitious target of 1.5 C if possible.But Taalas warned that the planet is already halfway to the 2 C milestone, with temperatures in recent months already nearly at 1.5 C."If you look at the number for the last couple of months, it is at 1.4 C," he said."Our planet is sending a powerful message to world leaders to sign and implement the Paris Agreement ... now before we pass the point of no return," he said."National climate change plans adopted so far may not be enough to avoid a temperature rise of 3 C," he said.He stressed though that "we can avert the worst-case scenarios with urgent and far-reaching measures to cut carbon dioxide emissions."The el-Nino climate phenomenon blamed in part for the soaring temperatures in 2015 and so far this year is meanwhile beginning to fade, Taalas said.But Carlson stressed to reporters that the phenomenon "puts a lot of heat into the atmosphere ... that heat affects the global climate for a year or more" after it has died away."Typically a year following an el-Nino is a very warm year," he said.But he said it would not be clear until October whether 2016 "will be warmer than 2015, whether it will be the record of all time."
