CHRISTMAS TIME JUMP IN CHURCH ATTENDANCE SHOWS FAITH MATTERS TO CANADIANS-EXPERT SAYS.

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)

Christmastime jump in church attendance shows faith matters to Canadians, expert says-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

At Christmastime the pews of Canada's Catholic churches fill up with people celebrating the holiday season.Church attendance triples — from 25 to 65 per cent — across the country at Christmas and Board of Governors Research Chair in Sociology at the University of Lethbridge Reginald Bibby says it shows that faith matters.In the new analysis The Christmas Clue to Catholicism, co-written with Bibby and Angus Reid of the Angus Reid Institute, it shows that while most of the 12 million Canadians who identify as Catholic might not head into the halls of the local cathedral or church each week, they don't consider themselves less Catholic.In the 1960s, about 80 per cent of Catholics were weekly churchgoers but today it's only about 15 per cent. However, about six million Catholics are expected to take part in the Christmastime celebrations, according to Bibby's analysis."I go to church because I want to. It's too kind of further my relationship with God, going to church grounds me," Josette Caumartin said Sunday.The Winnipegger said she goes to mass each Saturday evening but thinks it's a personal choice whether Catholics join in the weekly attendance."It's a personal choice for me. I go because I want to. It's to work at my relationship with Christ. For others I feel that's their choice as well," she said. "I don't judge anyone. God doesn't so I try to work at being more like him."That such large numbers of Catholics make a point of showing up at Christmas is a reminder that many continue to value their faith, according to Bibby's anaylsis.While they may not be in church, 72 per cent of Catholics say they have spiritual needs. Just over 40 per cent pray privately at least once a week and 50 per cent said they see God as an important factor in determining what happens in their lives.Cheryl Smith was raised and still identifies as Catholic, but said she doesn't regularly go to church. The Winnipegger is not alone — Bibby's research shows that 80 per cent of people raised in Catholic homes continue to identify as Catholic."I'm living it every day regardless if I go to church or not, hoping that I am a good person to people around me. I think that's more important for me than going to church on Sunday," she said.According to canon law, Catholics must confess grave sins and receive communion at least once each year — on Easter.Information from the analysis was gathered from a 2014 Christmas Survey and a 2015 Religion Survey.

Turkish school says warns German teachers over Christian content-[Reuters]-By Tuvan Gumrukcu-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

ANKARA (Reuters) - The administrators of a prestigious Istanbul high school have warned teachers over Christian and Christmas-related content in German language classes, the school said on Monday, setting the stage for another diplomatic row between Ankara and Berlin.Relations between Germany and Turkey, a candidate to join the European Union, have been strained following a failed coup in July as Turkish authorities have detained, suspended or arrested more than 100,000 people, leading to widespread concern in Europe about the rule of law in Turkey.The Istanbul Lisesi, a state-run high school that offers a curriculum in both German and Turkish, said in a statement that administrators had met the head of the German department over concerns that teachers were devoting too much time teaching about Christmas and Christianity."When we received information that German teachers were teaching increasingly more texts on Christmas and Christianity in a manner that is outside the curriculum ... our administration arranged a meeting with the German department and requested information," the school said."It is out of the question to have any approach inside of the school that limits the most natural right of freedom of belief of German and Turkish teachers, students and personnel."A largely Muslim country, Turkey is constitutionally secular, though President Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling AK Party he founded have their roots in political Islam and have tried to restore the role of religion in public life.German media had widely reported that the school had banned its annual Christmas concert and some German politicians urged the government to summon the Turkish ambassador to complain.However, a spokesman for the German foreign ministry said Berlin was hopeful the issue would be resolved after talks between German and Turkish staff at the school. He said the school had never imposed a ban on celebrating Christmas.The school said in its statement that the concert had been canceled by the German teachers themselves for unknown reasons.However, one senior AKP lawmaker equated the teachers with "missionaries" and said Germany was attempting to subject Turkish children to propaganda."Being a missionary is not allowed in public school," Mustafa Sentop said on Twitter. "The religious/political propaganda of the German state to this nation's children is not allowed in public schools," he said.(Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones)

North Carolina governor-elect says deal could repeal transgender bathroom law-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

(Reuters) - North Carolina's governor-elect said on Monday that a deal was in the works to repeal a law limiting bathroom access for transgender people after the legislation led to economic boycotts and criticism from rights groups.Incoming governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said Republican leaders of the state legislature planned to call a special session on Tuesday to repeal the law, known as HB 2.Under the law enacted in March, North Carolina is the only U.S. state to require that transgender people use bathrooms in publicly owned buildings that correspond with the sex listed on their birth certificates."I hope they will keep their word to me," Cooper said in a statement. "Full repeal will help to bring jobs, sports and entertainment events back and will provide the opportunity for strong LGBT protections in our state."(Reporting by Letitia Stein; Editing by W Simon and Lisa Von Ahn)

Happy New Year, Albertans: Here's your carbon tax bill-[CBC]-YAHOOONEWS-December 19, 2016

The new year will ring in a whole new era in Canada's energy capital, as Alberta will become the second province to adopt a carbon tax.Starting Jan. 1, 2017, carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels will be taxed at a rate of $20 per tonne.That's set to increase to $30 per tonne in 2018, and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has said she'll respect the federal mandate to boost the price to $50 per tonne by 2022. - How much will the tax cost you? Use our Carbon Tax Calculator to find out.Even before that mandate, though, the province's NDP government has argued the carbon tax is necessary in order to gain the social licence needed to have major pipeline projects approved, securing better prices for Alberta's oil by getting it to tidewater and elusive new markets in Asia.Albertans aren't exactly embracing the grand bargain, and large protests against the carbon tax have been held across the province.New taxes are never an easy sell, but a tax on carbon — in oil country, during a downturn — has proven especially difficult for the government.-Perception vs. reality-Dwayne Bartley certainly isn't sold on the carbon tax.The retired rancher and Baptist minister lives in Airdrie, Alta., with his wife, who works in nearby Calgary. Between her commute and his diesel truck, they burn a lot of fuel and worry about the impact a carbon tax will have on their bottom line. So much so, that the couple has considered relocating to Mexico to avoid paying the new tax."It won't be because we want to, it will be because we have to," he said. "We will be forced out of the country."Bartley said he and his wife have already started cutting back on steak and other luxury items to prepare for the dramatic increase they expect the new tax will have on their budget.But the reality of the increases they face is somewhat less dramatic. The new tax will mean the couple will spend about $550 more next year on fuel to run their two vehicles and to heat their home.Assuming a 1.5 per cent increase in grocery prices due to the carbon tax — an estimate on the high end of what some economists have projected — the Bartleys can also expect to pay about $120 more for food.But the couple will receive $300 in carbon tax rebates from the province, which means their net cost will work out to about $330 per year, or less than $30 a month.That's a lot less than Bartley thought he'd have to pay — and an amount he said won't actually force him to leave."That wouldn't change my lifestyle at all," he said. "That isn't what I understood — and I've listened to everything that's on the news."-Confusion is common-That confusion is a common theme across Alberta as residents brace for the impact of the new tax.The government has said six in 10 Albertans will get rebates to cover the average fuel costs of the carbon tax. But it's a message many haven't received.In her basement suite in Calgary, Angela Nurse admits she hasn't spent a lot of time thinking about the new carbon tax and she isn't clear on how it will impact her finances.Turns out it won't have much of an impact at all.Nurse is frugal with her spending on food and fuel, so her related costs are likely to amount to $150 next year, offset by a $300 rebate, making the carbon tax a net gain for her household.Despite the windfall, Nurse feels for her friends and neighbours who don't qualify for the rebates, which start to phase out for individuals with net incomes above $47,500 and families above $95,000."You get the people that are just a little bit above the threshold but they are living paycheque to paycheque, too," Nurse said.Still, she's happy to see the government taking action on climate change — for the sake of her son."He's going to be here long after I'm gone, so he's got to have somewhere to live," she said. "And at the rate we're going right now, we need to rein it in or bear the consequences."Emission reduction or revenue generation? Of course, not everyone agrees.Mike Scott runs a successful home care business in Calgary and isn't sure Alberta's carbon tax has much to do with reducing greenhouse gas emissions."I am convinced it is more a general revenue for the government to be used for whatever they need to use it for in their mind and [that] may not have anything to do with the environment," he said.Scott's carbon tax bill will be about $215 in 2017 and he can expect another $90 or so in indirect grocery costs. He makes too much to qualify for rebates.Scott said he can afford the extra cost — but he still doesn't like the tax as a policy.The sense that Alberta's newest tax has more to do with cash than carbon is a common one. It's not hard to see why.The province says the new tax will bring in $9.6 billion in revenue over five years — money that will be spent on everything from green energy projects and public transit, to the billions of dollars in rebates it's handing out to low- and middle-income Albertans.The province claims the policy will see Alberta's emissions peak in 2020 and then decline by 50 megatonnes by 2030.Nic Rivers, an economics professor at the University of Ottawa and the Canada Research Chair in Climate and Energy Policy, said that's plausible based on what's happened in other jurisdictions with carbon taxes, like British Columbia."We can look at the experience of those other taxes, and based on that kind of experience, we might expect to see a five or 10 per cent reduction in Alberta's gasoline consumption due to this tax, as it ramps up to $30 to $50 per tonne," he said.Rivers also expects emissions reductions as individuals and businesses work to curb their coal and natural gas use as well.-Rising costs-Stephen Davidson, however, worries that the financial impact on ordinary Albertans will continue to rise.His family of five will pay about $40 per month more for food and fuel next year, and they don't qualify for rebates.The Calgary-based IT consultant describes the initial tax as a "foot in the door" — suggesting it's a door the government could one day swing wide open."You want more revenue this month? You raise the price," he said. "When these things come into place and get locked in, that lever is very tempting to adjust."Davidson said he can manage the cost increase in 2017 but if it continues to rise year after year, some tough decisions will loom for his family and others in Alberta."Do you stop family holidays? Do you stop gymnastics? Do you stop hockey? Like, what do you stop?"-'A different political outlook'-For some Albertans, though, it's not about the money.Like many retirees, Honora Thubron will benefit slightly from the new tax — coming out about $60 ahead next year, when her rebate is factored in. But like the rest of the women around the knitting circle at Airdrie's Woodside Seniors Club, Thubron is no fan of the tax."I think that many of us that are older have kind of lived with a different political outlook for a long while and maybe are somewhat skeptical," she said.Despite the scientific evidence, Thubron isn't sold on the connection between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. Even if the connection is real, she said Albertans shouldn't take the lead on addressing the problem."We are not the only people in the world that are, you know, shooting off the carbon," she said. "Let's look at China. Let's look at Saudi [Arabia]. What are they doing?"-Climate concerns-That's a harder sell among some younger Albertans, like Kayla Zahorouski.The single mother of three worries about climate change and supports policies aimed at curbing Alberta's greenhouse gas emissions."Weather is definitely changing and to me that is definitely scary," she said. "What's it going to be like tomorrow? Or next week or next month? It's very unpredictable."Zahorouski's carbon tax costs will amount to roughly $270 next year but her income and the fact she has three children means she'll receive $360 in rebates.But she'd be willing to pay — up to a point — if it helped curb emissions.Even if the net cost to her was $20 or $25 a month, she said she'd support the policy. Anything past $30 would be too onerous for her household, she figures.That's more in line with the view that the NDP government hopes will take hold, once Albertans get used to their new tax.It's an enormous political gamble.In addition to combating climate change, Notley has argued the carbon tax is the price that had to be paid in order to get pipelines built and to finally turn Alberta's sagging economy around.But whether her government has paid too steep a price won't be clear until the next provincial election, set for 2019.

Scientists get antimatter excited, see first light-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

BERLIN (AP) — Scientists have used a laser to tickle atoms of antimatter and make them shine, a key step toward answering one of the great riddles of the universe.Researchers at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, spent decades figuring out how to create an antimatter version of the most basic atom — hydrogen — and trap it for long enough to perform tests.In a paper published online Monday by the journal Nature, they reported that when antihydrogen is stimulated with a laser it produces light on the same ultraviolet frequency as hydrogen.Scientists are ultimately hoping to understand the subtle difference that explains why the universe is made of matter, even though the Big Bang produced an equal amount of antimatter and the two cancel each other out.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

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

Blanket of wet snow creates commuter woes across Metro Vancouver-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

VANCOUVER — An early morning snowfall paralyzed the commute around Greater Vancouver today.Snow that fell Sunday was expected to shift to rain overnight, but instead the region was surprised by a soggy white blanket at least five centimetres deep, although the Environment Canada website was calling for rain by midday.Downed branches cut power to more than 28,000 BC Hydro customers from Vancouver east to Mission and as far north as Pemberton.Transit officials say buses were challenged by impassable roads, while snow on the SkyTrain tracks triggered alarms, slowing down the system.Crews maintaining the Port Mann Bridge over the Fraser River, east of Vancouver, warn temporary closures might be required as teams worked to keep bridge cables free of ice that could fall on passing vehicles.The University of British Columbia cancelled exams slated for 8:30 a.m., and students due to write exams later in the day were advised to check the university website for further updates.The Canadian Press.

IMF chief found guilty of negligence by French court-By EUOBSERVER-DEC 19,16

Today, 15:58-Christine Lagarde, the director of the International Monetary Fund, was found guilty of negligence by a court in Paris but will not be sentenced. The Court of Juctice of the Republic, composed of judges and MPs, ruled that Lagarde, when she was finance minister in 2008, failed to overturn an undue decision to pay €285 million of public money to a businessman, Bernard Tapie, in an arbitration case.

DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS

1 PET 5:8
8 Be sober,(NOT DRUGED UP OR ALCOHOLICED) be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.

REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders,(KILLING) nor of their sorceries (DRUG ADDICTS AND DRUG PUSHERS), nor of their fornication,(SEX OUTSIDE MARRIAGE OR PROSTITUTION FOR MONEY) nor of their thefts.(STEALING)

US women increasingly use pot during pregnancy, study finds-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

CHICAGO — U.S. women are increasingly using pot during pregnancy, sometimes for morning sickness. That's according to an analysis of annual U.S. government drug surveys.Though the actual numbers are small, researchers and others say the trend raises concerns because of evidence linking the drug with low birth weights and other problems.In 2014, almost 4 per cent of pregnant women said they'd recently used marijuana. That's up from 2.4 per cent in 2002.The study was published online Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.A separate study in the same journal found that almost 10 per cent of adult marijuana users in the United States have used it at least partly for medical reasons; 20 per cent of these users live in states where medical marijuana isn't legal.Lindsey Tanner, The Associated Press.

3 men charged in connection with drug trafficking at Brampton bar and grill-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-December 18, 2016

Peel Regional Police have laid multiple charges against three Brampton men after an investigation into illicit drug activity at a bar and grill in the Queen Street East and Dixie Road area.In a release Sunday night, police said they arrested the men Thursday while acting on a drug warrant at All Stars Classic Bar and Grill on Lisa Street following "several community complaints." The major drugs and vice unit, as well as the street crime gang unit, were involved in the investigation, police say."This location and the activity associated to it have impacted on the quality of life for area residents," the release said.In May, a 24-year-old Kadeem Bascombe, was fatally shot in the parking lot in front of the same establishment. The Mississauga man was found in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest before being rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead.A 31-year-old man has been charged with eight counts of trafficking in cocaine, two counts of possession for the purposes of trafficking and proceeds of crime.A 33-year-old has been charged with trafficking in cocaine and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.Another 33-year-old has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and proceeds of crime.

Forty-one die in Siberia after drinking bath oil for alcoholic kicks-[Reuters]-By Andrew Osborn and Peter Hobson-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

MOSCOW (Reuters) - At least 41 residents of the Siberian city of Irkutsk have died after drinking scented bath oil in a desperate search for an alcoholic high in one of the deadliest cases of its kind in years, Russian investigators said on Monday.Use of counterfeit or surrogate alcohol is rife in Russia's regions, where two years of economic pain have pushed more people below the poverty line. Russian media reported that the victims were poor residents of Irkutsk, a hard scrabble city around 2,600 miles (4,000 km) east of Moscow.The case underlines how hard up a large swath of the population is despite Moscow's growing profile and clout on the global stage."It is a terrible tragedy," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "This type of problem is well known and the president has been informed. Measures must be taken."Russia's Investigative Committee sent a group of experienced investigators from Moscow, while Russian news agencies said the mayor of Irkutsk had declared a state of emergency and temporarily banned the sale of all liquids containing spirits not meant for human consumption."According to our latest data 41 of 57 people who were hosptialised after drinking the liquid have died," investigators said in a statement. "More than 2,000 units of the liquid have been confiscated with an overall volume of 500 litres."Among liquids that have been used as a substitute for alcoholic drinks are perfume, after-shave, anti-freeze and window cleaner.-'DEADLIER THAN TERRORISM'-Alexei Navalny, a Kremlin critic who wants to challenge Vladimir Putin for the presidency in 2018, said the case had garnered wide attention because so many people had died at the same time. Hundreds of people, he said, died unremarked every day in unrelated cases for the same reason."The problem .... for Russia and its national security is roughly a thousand times more important than Syria, Aleppo, Ukraine and Trump put together," said Navalny, blaming poverty and corruption for the sale of such toxic surrogates."Every year ... (such concoctions) kill more people than have been killed in terrorist attacks in Russia's entire history."Investigators, who opened a criminal case into the poisonings, said they had detained two people suspected of distributing the deadly bath oil. The product carried a warning saying it should not be swallowed, but investigators said people had ignored that and consumed it as if it was alcohol.The bath oil contained methylated spirit, they said, a toxic substance found in cleaning materials and paint stripper.Police said they had found the workshop where the bath oil, called Hawthorn, was being produced alongside bootleg vodka.Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said he wanted to look at banning products that could cause so many deaths and that the country's criminal code was being amended to toughen the punishment for people caught selling them.Alcohol market expert Vadim Drobiz says up to 12 million Russians, or about one twelfth of the population, drink cheap surrogate alcohol.(Additional reporting by Masha Tsvetkova and Elena Fabrichnaya in Moscow; Editing by Ralph Boulton)

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

Texas city lifts tap water ban after chemical spill fear-[Reuters]-By Laila Kearney-YAHOONEWS-December 18, 2016

(Reuters) - Tap water in Corpus Christi is safe to drink, the mayor of the Texas city said on Sunday, lifting a four-day ban after a chemical spill that forced most of the Texas city's residents to rely on bottled water while tests were underway.Residents of the Gulf of Mexico city were told on Wednesday to stop using tap water for drinking, food preparation and bathing. About 85 percent of Corpus Christi, with a population of about 320,000, was under the restrictions.An investigation of the leak of up to 24 gallons (91 liters) of an asphalt emulsifier determined the water was safe to use again, Mayor Dan McQueen said at a news conference.It was not clear if the water supply was ever contaminated by the spill.The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the city investigated."The entire city of Corpus Christi water system is in full use," McQueen said.Federal and state environmental agencies tested 30 water samples taken from the city on Saturday and found no traces of harmful chemicals, McQueen said.Even so, a "plume of contaminate" may still exist somewhere in the water system, so the agencies will run more tests, McQueen said.The chemical, called Indulin AA-86, can cause eye and skin burns, respiratory tract irritation and damage to the digestive systems. But it is not known to be carcinogenic, according to safety data.The city has said the chemical may have entered Corpus Christi water in what was described as a "back-flow incident" in the city's industrial district.Valero Energy Corp , which operates an asphalt terminal in the area, said it believed the backflow came from third-party operations near its facility.(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Alan Crosby and Grant McCool)

FALSE POPE FROM THE VATICAN

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

REVELATION 13:11-13
11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth;(FALSE VATICAN POPE) and he had two horns like a lamb,(JESUS IS THE LAMB OF GOD) and he spake as a dragon.(HES SATANICALLY INSPIRED,HES A CHRISTIAN DEFECTOR FROM THE FAITH)
12 And he (FALSE RELIGIOUS LEADER) exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him,(WORLD DICTATOR) and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.(THE WORLD DICTATOR CREATES A FALSE RESURRECTION AND IS CROWNED LEADER OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER).
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

REVELATION 17:1-5,9,15-18
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication,(VATICAN IN POLITICS) and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman (FALSE CHURCH) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour,(VATICAN COLOURS)(ANOTHER REASON WE KNOW THE FALSE POPE COMES FROM THE VATICAN) and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.(VATICAN-CATHOLICS ALL AROUND THE WORLD OVER 1 BILLION)
16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.(BOMB OR NUKE THE VATICAN)
17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,(VATICAN) which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Vatican trial finds three El Salvadoran priests guilty of sex abuse-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 18, 2016

SAN SALVADOR (Reuters) - Three El Salvadoran priests have been found guilty of sexual abuse against minors at a Vatican ecclesiastical trial and suspended from their priestly duties, San Salvador's Catholic Church announced Sunday.Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar of San Salvador said Francisco Galvez, Antonio Molina and Jesus Delgado, the biographer and former secretary of murdered Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, were expelled after a criminal trial held at the Vatican found them responsible for sex crimes committed between 1980 and 2000.No criminal charges have been brought against the three men by the Salvadoran government.Pope Francis has said sexual violence against children will not be tolerated and has vowed to root out sexual abuse in the Church.(Reporting by Nelson Renteria; Writing by Natalie Schachar; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM

EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17  And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18  Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19  And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20  Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21  And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22  So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

Russia, Iran and Turkey to hold Syria talks in Moscow on Tuesday-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

ANKARA/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The foreign and defense ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey will discuss the future of Syria and the city of Aleppo at talks in Moscow on Tuesday, Turkish and Russian officials said."(The meeting) will be to understand the views of all three sides, laying out where we all stand and discuss where we go from here," an official from Turkey's foreign ministry told international media in Istanbul on Monday."It is not a miracle meeting, but will give all sides a chance to listen to each other," the official said.All three countries have emerged as important players in Syria, with Iran and Russia strongly backing President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey, a NATO member, would like to see him step down.Turkey's main priority however, is to ensure that Kurdish militias are unable to gain further territory in Syria along its borders.The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement Tuesday's meeting would focus on how the multi-year conflict in Syria could be resolved and on fulfilling U.N. Security Council resolutions.The RIA news agency cited Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as telling reporters:"We hope to speak in detail and concrete terms with those who can really bring about an improvement in the situation on the ground, while our Western partners are busier with rhetoric and propaganda and aren’t influencing those who listen to them."(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Turkey and Alexander Winning in Moscow; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by David Dolan/Andrew Osborn)

Putin tells Rouhani he wants Syria conflict resolved soon - Kremlin-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in a phone call on Monday he hoped the two could work together to get a resolution for the Syria crisis as soon as possible, the Kremlin said in a statement.The call, which the Kremlin said was at Iran's initiative, came on the eve of a meeting in Moscow of the foreign and defence ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey on Syria.Putin wants to see new Syrian peace talks involving the Syrian government and the opposition get underway in Kazakhstan and is trying to build support for them.(Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

NATO, Russia remain at loggerheads over Ukraine-[Associated Press]-LORNE COOK-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO and Russia remain at loggerheads over Ukraine, the alliance's top official said Monday, after their ambassadors met in a fresh attempt to improve their acrimonious relations.NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the 28-nation military alliance and Russia "have profound disagreements on the crisis" in Ukraine.He said NATO allies "reiterated their strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," and insisted that they would never "recognize Russia's illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea."Stoltenberg's remarks came after the NATO-Russia Council, their main forum for dialogue, met in Brussels Monday for more than three hours. There was no immediate comment from the Russian side.It was the third time this year that diplomats have tried to resolve some of their differences.The meeting also included talks on ways to avoid incidents and accidents between Russian and NATO forces.Russia has annoyed NATO with snap war games or by buzzing the alliance's ships and aircraft with fighter jets, as well as what NATO sees as aggressive use of propaganda.Douglas Lute, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told ABC news on Sunday that "I don't believe that anyone in Russia today intends to attack NATO."But Lute said "I worry about attempts by Russia ... to influence political campaigns, flooding allied capitals, the news media with misinformation or disinformation and all these with an attempt to fragment internally our societies, perhaps distort our political processes and to sow discontent and a lack of cohesion across the allies."NATO suspended NATO-Russia Council meetings, and other cooperation with Russia in April 2014 over Moscow's role in Ukraine. The NATO-Russia talks resumed in April this year.

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)

Molenbeek mosque hosts Christmas meal By Nikolaj Nielsen-DEC 19,16-EUOBSERVER

BRUSSELS, Today, 14:01-The terrorist attacks in Paris last November may have boosted populist movements across Europe and given rise to a feeling of insecurity.But in Molenbeek, a working-class district in Brussels, the EU capital, where the perpetrators grew up, a traumatised community is also making efforts to bridge divides.Earlier this year, Belgian police arrested one of the Paris attackers, Salah Abdeslam, whose actions had led to the deaths of 130 people.The 27-year old, Belgian-born French national, who was a petty criminal prior to the Paris attacks, had for months evaded capture until he was caught near a Molenbeek mosque, which, on Saturday (17 December), hosted a Christmas meal for Christians, Jews and atheists."A mosque that opens its doors for a Christmas meal is a message of solidarity and peace," Sarah Turine, a local councillor in the Molenbeek district, and one of the organisers of the meal, told EUobserver."I think that for some, it is the first time they've entered this building, which is an annex. We are not in the prayer hall but we are in Brussels largest mosque," she said.Among the several hundred people who attended the meal was Marc Neiger, a rabbi at the Beth Hillel synagogue in Brussels. Neiger walked into Al Khalil mosque carrying a golden, seven-candle menorah and was greeted warmly.He was seated alongside imam Mustafa Kastit and father Aurelian Saneko, a priest at the Church of St John the Baptist. Each of them took a turn to address the crowd."The Jewish community, at least our Jewish community, wants to be a part of inter-religious dialogue," Neiger told EUobserver."What we can do is just get to know one another, especially since, many people, many non-Jews, whatever their religion, probably haven't met a Jew," he said.The official invitation included a call for atheists, local residents in general, and people of other faiths, to also dine at the meal, prepared by three local mosques."Our respective traditions lead to a common value, which is grounded in the sense of sharing, in love and the desire for the well-being of others," said Kastit, the imam.Such efforts are not unique in Molenbeek and picked up pace since an earlier attack in France - the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris in January last year.Efforts to dispel prejudice and to change Molenbeek's image as a hotbed of Islamist terrorism are part of a broader initiative launched almost two years ago.The predominately Moroccan neighbourhood of Molenbeek is home to 135 nationalities in total, but has been linked to a series of terror attacks.Amedy Coulibaly, who gunned down the Charlie Hebdo staff in Paris, had bought his weapons in Molenbeek.But it is a reputation that local officials and residents are keen to shake off."We are rebuilding through events like tonight," said Molenbeek's mayor Francoise Schepmans.Armed patrols of Belgian soldiers are now a common sight in much of Brussels city centre amid fears that other attacks could be carried out.Some populist politicians have also used Molenbeek as a platform to launch anti-immigrant tirades, but the communities that make up the municipality are making efforts to reach out to one another.Molenbeek is culturally rich, relaxed, and also home to an emerging art scene.The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art, a contemporary art museum, opened its doors in the neighbourhood with a burlesque show in April.The municipality also launched a working group to bridge cultural divides in autumn 2014.Composed of local religious leaders, a women's centre, and youth organisations, among others, it started setting up meetings throughout the neighbourhood to address a range of issues from violence to prejudice."For each initiative done, there are new associations that want to join and help," said Turine, the Molenbeek council official.Next March, they are organising a joint festival between Jews and Muslims to highlight their historical and cultural backgrounds.They also aim to hold a separate event on secularism.

Blast kills at least 52 outside Yemen military camp-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-December 18, 2016

SANAA, Yemen — A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 52 soldiers, a security official said. The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.Abdel-Rahman al-Naqeeb gave told The Associated Press that 63 people were also injured in the blast. Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest. The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that it claimed killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.The bombing was the latest to underscore how militants have been able to exploit Yemen's conflict to stage large-scale attacks and expand their reach, particularly in the south.Sunday's blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on Dec. 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.In August, another IS-claimed suicide bombing in Aden left 72 people killed when the attacker detonated his pick-up truck among dozens of pro-government recruits.In addition to IS, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups. They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen. Aden serves as the temporary capital for the internationally-recognized government.The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the Houthis and their allies.Sunday's bombing came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi King Salman and others to discuss the war in Yemen.Ahmed Al-Haj, The Associated Press.

Suicide bomber kills seven in Libyan city of Benghazi: officials-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-December 18, 2016

BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed and eight wounded when a suicide bomber targeted forces loyal to Libya's eastern government in Benghazi on Sunday, medical and security officials said.Islamic State said it carried out the bombing, in the besieged district of Ganfouda. The area is one of the last pockets of resistance holding out against the Libyan National Army (LNA), a self-styled force loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar.Haftar has been waging a military campaign in Benghazi for more than two years against Islamists and other opponents. The fighting is part of a broader, low-intensity conflict in Libya, which splintered into multiple political and armed factions after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.This year the LNA has made major gains in Benghazi, though fighting and attacks have continued in parts of the city.All those killed in Sunday's bombing were from the LNA, a medical source from Benghazi's main hospital said.The attack came after the latest advance on Saturday by the LNA, which said following heavy clashes that it had taken control of buildings along the seafront west of Ganfouda, encircling its opponents.At least three LNA troops were killed in Saturday's fighting, security and medical officials said. An LNA spokesman, Ahmed al-Masmari, said 13 fighters from "terrorist groups" had also been killed.Recently there have been efforts to evacuate civilians trapped by the fighting in Ganfouda but only small numbers of women and children and foreign workers have left the area. Masmari said on Sunday that about 120 families remained inside Ganfouda.Those fighting the LNA in Benghazi include the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), a coalition of Islamists and self-proclaimed revolutionaries, as well as militants loyal to Islamic State.(Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

U.N. Security Council calls for Aleppo evacuation monitoring-[Reuters]-By Michelle Nichols-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously called for U.N. officials and others to observe the evacuation of people from the last rebel-held enclave in Aleppo and monitor the safety of civilians who remain in the Syrian city.The 15-member council overcame long-held divisions - that have pitted Syrian ally Russia and China against western powers over the Syrian conflict - to adopt a French-drafted resolution calling for U.N. officials and others "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring and direct observation on evacuations."The recapture of Aleppo - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's biggest victory in the nearly six-year-old war - has left thousands of people stuck in the last rebel bastion in the city's east amid accusations by the United Nations and western powers of atrocities against civilians by pro-government forces.Thousands of people were evacuated from eastern Aleppo on Monday.The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said it was hoped the presence of monitors would deter crimes against civilians as they leave Aleppo or against those who choose to stay in the city."Of course the Syrian government doesn't want more monitors," Power said. "If you're doing bad things you don't want monitors around to watch you doing them."The United Nations had 113 people ready to monitor, alongside officials from the International Committee for the Red Cross, Power said. She said of the U.N. resolution: "Until it's implemented, it's just a piece of paper."The Security Council reached consensus on a text Sunday after several hours of negotiations. Russia had planned to veto the original French draft over concerns about sending U.N. monitors unprepared into "the ruins of eastern Aleppo," U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said.Russia wanted U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to arrange security for U.N. monitors to enter eastern Aleppo "in coordination" with interested parties, meaning the Syrian government. The council agreed that such arrangements would be made "in consultation" with interested parties."We keep contact with out Syrian colleagues here all the time ... they did not raise any serious objections to what we delivered," Churkin told reporters ahead of the vote.Syrian U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said the adopted resolution was already "part of our continued daily efforts," but he also described it as "just another part of the continued propaganda against Syria and its fight against terrorists" - a term it uses for all groups fighting Assad."The last terrorists in some districts of the eastern part of Aleppo are evacuating their strongholds and Aleppo this evening will be clean," he told reporters.Russia, which has provided military backing to Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions.Monday's resolution "demands all parties to provide these monitors with safe, immediate and unimpeded access."Unlike previous heated Security Council meetings on Syria, no members spoke in the council chamber after the vote.Despite the government's recapture of Aleppo, the fighting in Syria is by no means over, with large tracts of the country still under the control of insurgent and Islamist groups.A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed.(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Frances Kerry)

Thousands evacuated from Aleppo after deal over besieged villages-[Reuters]-By Angus McDowall and Ellen Francis-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands were evacuated from the last rebel-held enclave of the Aleppo on Monday after a deal was reached to allow people to leave two besieged pro-government villages in nearby Idlib province.In bitter winter weather, convoys of buses from eastern Aleppo reached rebel-held areas to the west of the city, and more buses left the Shi'ite Muslim villages of al-Foua and Kefraya for government lines, according to a U.N. official and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.The United Nations Security Council agreed a resolution calling for U.N. officials and others to be allowed to monitor evacuations from east Aleppo and the safety of civilians still there.The Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Ja'afari, denounced the resolution as propaganda, saying the last of the rebels were leaving and Aleppo would be "clean" by Monday evening.The recapture of Aleppo is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's biggest victory so far in the nearly six-year-old war, but the fighting is not over with large parts of the country still controlled by insurgent and Islamist groups.Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said 20,000 civilians had been evacuated from Aleppo so far.Nearly 50 children, some critically injured, were rescued from eastern Aleppo, where they had been trapped in an orphanage, the United Nations said.The evacuation of civilians from the two villages had been demanded by the Syrian army and its allies before they would allow fighters and civilians trapped in Aleppo to depart. The stand-off halted the Aleppo evacuation over the weekend."Complex evacuations from East Aleppo and Foua & Kefraya now in full swing. More than 900 buses needed to evacuate all. We must not fail," Jan Egeland, who chairs the United Nations aid task force in Syria, tweeted.-INTENSE COLD, LONG WAIT-Ahmad al-Dbis, a medical aid worker heading a team evacuating patients from Aleppo, said 89 buses had left the city. "Some evacuees told us that a few children died from the long wait and the intense cold while they were waiting to evacuate," he told Reuters.For those still in rebel-held Aleppo, conditions were grim, according to Aref al-Aref, a nurse and photographer there."I'm still in Aleppo. I'm waiting for them to evacuate the children and women first. It's very cold and there's hunger. It's a long wait," he told Reuters. "People are burning wood and clothes to keep warm in the streets."Photographs of people evacuated from Aleppo showed large groups of people standing or crouching with their belongings or loading sacks onto trucks.Children in winter clothes carried small backpacks or played with kittens. One older man, in traditional Arab robes and headdress, sat holding a stick.-BUSES BURNED-On Sunday, some of the buses sent to al-Foua and Kefraya to carry evacuees out were attacked and torched by armed men.That incident threatened to derail the evacuations, the result of intense negotiations between Russia - Assad's main supporter - and Turkey, which backs some large rebel groups.The foreign and defence ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey will hold talks in Moscow on Tuesday aimed at giving fresh impetus for a solution in Aleppo.At stake is the fate of thousands of people still stuck in the last rebel bastion in Aleppo after a series of sudden advances by the Syrian army and allied Shi'ite militias under an intense bombardment that pulverised large sections of the city.They have been waiting for the chance to leave Aleppo since the ceasefire and evacuation deal was agreed late last Tuesday, but have been prevented from doing so during days of hold-ups.In the square in Aleppo's Sukari district, organisers gave every family a number to allow them access to buses."Everyone is waiting until they are evacuated. They just want to escape," said Salah al Attar, a former teacher with his five children, wife and mother.-CAMP IN TURKEY-Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under the ceasefire deal that ends fighting in the city where violence erupted in 2012, a year after the start of conflict in other parts of Syria.They were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo. Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed in Syria near the Turkish border to the north.For four years the city was split between a rebel-held eastern sector and the government-held western districts. During the summer, the army and its allies besieged the rebel sector before using intense bombardment and ground assaults to retake it in recent months.A Reuters reporter who visited recaptured districts of Aleppo in recent days saw large swathes reduced to ruins, with rubble everywhere and sections of the famous Old City all but destroyed.Traders began to return to their stores in the Old City to see if they could be fixed up.One merchant, Jamal Deeb, said: "We are all here to see what the situation is like, and to consider reconstructing the stores. We do not want to leave things as they are, hand in hand we want to rebuild everything once again."Assad is backed in the war by Russian air power and Shi'ite militias including Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and Iraq's Harakat al-Nujaba. The mostly Sunni rebels include groups supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies.East of Aleppo, several villages held by Islamic State have been captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of militias backed by the United States that includes a strong Kurdish contingent, the Observatory said.The advance is part of a campaign backed by an international coalition to drive Islamic State from its Syrian capital of Raqqa.(Reporting by Angus McDowall, Humeyra Pamuk, Stephanie Nebehay, writing by Giles Elgood, editing by Peter Millership)

Turkey's purge cuts military by a third: Council of Europe-[Reuters]-By Robin Emmott-YAHOONEWS-December 19, 2016

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Turkey's purge of its military since a botched coup in July has cut its armed forces by a third, the Council of Europe said on Monday, after NATO raised concerns that Turkey's response to the failed coup has worryingly thinned its forces.The council, Europe's leading human rights organization with 47 member states including Turkey, said that over 125,000 people across Turkish society had been dismissed from jobs, as of Dec. 9, and almost 40,000 people had been arrested.The study listed the arrest of 140 journalists and the closure of 177 media outlets, although 11 of those were subsequently reopened. More than 2,000 schools, universities and dormitories have been shut down.The data, which counts all military dismissals from July to October, indicated that almost half of all Turkey's generals have been fired while the number of new, low-ranking privates contracted had jumped by a fifth."The dismissal of a number of members of the Turkish armed forces resulted in a decrease, by one third, of military personnel," the Council's Parliamentary Assembly said in its study.Turkish officials roundly reject any suggestion that NATO's second-largest army has been weakened. They say the military has become more loyal and effective with the removal of rogue officers, some of whom commandeered tanks, jets and helicopters in their attempt to seize power on July 15.Since the coup attempt, Turkey has launched a military incursion into Syria to clear Islamic State militants from its border, and stepped up its campaign against Kurdish militants in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq.That is evidence, the officials say, of the military's abilities to maintain its commitments to both NATO and Turkey. They also say that the scale of the crackdown was justified by the gravity of the attempted coup.NATO's top commander said this month said he had raised concerns with Turkey about the impact of the purge on its armed forces. Last month a sacked Turkish general assigned to NATO in Germany told Reuters the crackdown was inflicting deep, long-term damage on the Turkish military.The study by the Council of Europe, whose legal experts have said the scale of the purge is unconstitutional, showed that overall, the Turkish armed forces saw its numbers drop to 355,212 in October from 518,166 before the coup bid.The military counted 201 generals in October, down from 358 on July 1. However, a 20 percent surge in the number of newly contracted privates had offset some of the fall. Turkey's defense ministry also announced plans in November to hire 30,000 new personnel from military and naval academy students.The Turkish military has previously confirmed that its forces, excluding coastguard and gendarmes, totaled 391,695 as of Sept. 8. That includes 206 generals and admirals. Last month, the armed forces said it employed nearly 360,000.(Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul; editing by Mark Heinrich)