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)
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
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.
I SAY TO IRAN-RUSSIANS-MUSLIMS. CAN YOU SAY 5/6TH OF ISRAELS ENEMIES NUKED. THEN EATEN BY ISRAELIS MIGRATING 500 MILLION BIRDS. THEN THEY GET THEIR OWN BURIAL SITE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY. IT WILL TAKE EVERY AVAILABLE ISRAELI 7 MONTHS TO BURY ALL THESE ISRAEL HATERS. AND AT LEAST 300 MILLION ISRAEL HATERS DIE IN THIS GOG-MAGOG WAR.
Iran's leader calls Israel a 'fake' nation, 'dirty chapter'-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday used the podium of a pro-Palestinian gathering in Tehran to lash out at Israel, calling the Jewish state a "fake" nation in a "dirty chapter" of history.The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were some of his most vitriolic against Israel, Iran's archenemy. Every four years since the early 1990s, Tehran has hosted a similar conference in support of the Palestinian cause, assembling foreign guests and those who oppose Israel.Speaking to the gathering, Khamenei said Israel was created by bringing Jews from other parts of the world to the Mideast region to settle in the land of the Palestinians to replace its "true entity."The creation of Israel is "one of the dirty chapters of history that will be closed, with the grace of God," he added. Khamenei's speech lasted 33 minutes.The supreme leader, who has final say on all state matters in Iran, also urged all Muslims to support the Palestinians and "resistance" movements — a reference to anti-Israeli militant groups such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Shite Hezbollah militants. Iran has always been their staunch ally.The "resistance movements should have all necessary instruments," Khamenei added and praised those who are part of it in allegedly succeeding in "preventing the domination of the Zionist regime in the entire region."But he did not appear to endorse an all-our war on Israel, saying instead that it's a "cancerous tumour " that requires a "step by step" treatment. In 2015, Khamenei predicted that Israel would not exist after 25 years.Some 80 delegations, mainly from Islamic countries as well as pro-Palestinian activists, attended the two-day meeting. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and several government officials also attended the conference.The venue was decorated with a large map of Israel and the Palestinian territories covered in the colours of the Palestinian flag.Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ousted the pro-western Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought the Islamists to power, Iran has not recognized Israel and has supported anti-Israeli groups.Israel, which seas a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, has opposed the 2015 landmark deal between Iran and world powers that capped Iran's nuclear activities in return for lifting sanctions.Nasser Karimi, The Associated Press.
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
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)
Warm weather woes: Truck goes through Red River ice near Lockport-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
The warm weather has wreaked havoc on the hopes of people fishing on the ice, and safety on the ice is becoming an issue, says a longtime Red River outfitter and guide.Stuart McKay has seen the ice through thick and thin in his 30-year career, but he said this year's melt is unique."We are into a scenario where we are [in the] third week of February; we've not seen temperatures like this," he said."We have late March temperatures right now, not latter February."RCMP say on Monday night, a truck went through the ice on the east side of the Red River near Lockport, Man. There were no reports of injuries."The ice is deteriorating, obviously, with all this warm weather," McKay said.The Manitoba Conservation Officers Association posted a photo of the truck on its Facebook page and warned people to stay off the river.While avid anglers may still be taking to the ice at the popular fishing spot, McKay said "safety will become an issue, as this truck basically is proving."
Floods inundate thousands of homes in Indonesian capital-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Torrential rains in the Indonesian capital have overwhelmed drains and flooded roads and thousands of homes.The disaster mitigation agency said Tuesday that more than 50 areas are flooded in Jakarta, with waters up to 1.5 metres (5 feet) high in East Jakarta.It said the city's drains couldn't accommodate the runoff and rivers also overflowed. Local media reported that a worker for the city government died and one person drowned in Bekasi, a Jakarta satellite city.Floods in 2013 killed more than two dozen people in Jakarta and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.The city, which has about 30 million people in its greater metropolitan area, says it has reduced the number of flood-prone areas since then by dredging rubbish-filled rivers and other measures.Floods and deadly landslides are a fact of life for Indonesians during the wet season, with other major cities suffering repeated flooding.Earlier this month, up to 40,000 people were caught in severe flooding following days of torrential rain in central Indonesia and 13 people were killed in landslides on the resort island of Bali.The Associated Press.
US vice-president on goodwill mission in Brussels By Eric Maurice-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 20. Feb, 15:51-[UPDATED at 19.00 on Monday 20 February] The US vice-president Mike Pence gave Europeans what they wanted to hear during a visit to Brussels on Monday (20 February), but disagreements are likely to remain."Today it is my privilege on behalf of president Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union," Pence said after meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk.Despite Trump's strong criticism of the EU and support of Brexit, the US commitment remains "steadfast and enduring", the vice-president said in a press conference with Tusk.He added that the EU and the US "share the same heritage, the same values and above all the same purpose: to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy and rule of law".Meeting European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker moments later, Pence also insisted on "the determination of the United States to continue to build on cooperation and partnership with the European community and with the European Union".The US vice-president, who is usually seen as more moderate than Trump, also reassured the EU on three issues raised by Tusk during their meeting - the international order, security and the attitude of the new American administration towards the EU."In reply to these three matters, I heard today from vice-president Pence three times 'yes'," Tusk said, after a meeting that, according to an EU source, was "cordial and constructive" and lasted longer than expected.In particular, Tusk said, Pence assured him that the EU could count on "the United States' wholehearted and unequivocal, let me repeat, unequivocal support for the idea of a united Europe.""After such a positive declaration, both Europeans and Americans must simply practice what they preach," Tusk further added, suggesting that Pence's goodwill message was not enough yet to dispel all concerns and disagreements.The European Council chief noted that "too much has happened over the past months … for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be".A week after the US defense secretary James Mattis warned Nato members that “no longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defence of western values." Security was one of the main topics discussed in Brussels."Let us discuss everything, starting with financial commitments - but only to strengthen our solidarity, never to weaken it," Tusk said in response to Mattis.He said that defense of a world order "based on the rules of international law" was in the West's interest and that it could "only be enforced through a common, mutually supportive and decisive policy of the whole of the Western community."Before his meeting with Pence, Juncker pointed out that the EU was ready to step up its defense effort, but "in a broad understanding of what stability in the world means".As he did last week, Juncker suggested that US views were narrow and insisted that for the EU, security not only included defence expenditures, but also humanitarian and development aid.Referring to a comment made by Trump last month, Tusk insisted that "the idea of Nato is not obsolete, just like the values which lay at its foundation are not obsolete."-Hold Russia accountable-In a nod to EU eastern countries, Pence said that the US and EU must "stand strong in defence of sovereignty and integrity of nations in Europe" and cited Nato's effort to support Poland and the Baltic states.Later in the day, at a visit to Nato's headquarters, Pence was more blunt, saying that "European defense requires European commitment as much as ours" and that Trump "expects real progress by the end of 2017".Pence also tried to reassure Europeans by saying that, regarding Ukraine, the US would "continue to hold Russia accountable". He did not mention any intention to suspend sanctions towards Russia, but called on both Ukraine and Russia to respect the Minsk peace agreement.Without elaborating, he added that the US would "also search in new ways for new common ground with Russia, which president Trump believes can be found".Divergences over the new US administration's trade policy are also likely to remain, with the TTIP trade agreement now "frozen", according to the EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem.Commercial relations between the EU and the US were discussed in talks between Juncker and Pence, which a commission spokesman called "a good meeting""The US economy depends more than some in the US think on the exchanges, the trade volumes - including with Indiana - between the US and the EU," Juncker said, referring to the US state where Pence was governor until last year.Pence "reaffirmed" the US "commitment to free, fair and flourishing economies that undergird our success and cooperation on achieving that".-'Hard choices'-But he went on to warn of "hard but necessary choices" ahead to maintain prosperity and insisted that "renewed growth means improved peace and prosperity for all", suggesting that trade relations would depend on the level of cooperation on security.The US vice-president called on "greater coordination and intelligence sharing" between his country and its EU partners, adding that their "safety and security… depends on increased cooperation".For EU leaders, however, Pence's visit was an opportunity to ease tensions and start relations on a personal level. "After today's talks it will be easier," Tusk noted."I don't think the moment has come to divide the United States and the European Union," Juncker assured. "We are partners for so many years."
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)
Sanctuary city movement grows in Canada, but could bring tension with police, immigration officials-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
The uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policies has prompted a number of Canadian cities to declare themselves sanctuaries for undocumented migrants.But as cities move to protect migrants from deportation orders, it is creating the prospect for tensions between municipal governments, law enforcement and federal immigration officials.Montreal's city council voted unanimously on Monday to approve a motion that seeks to ensure non-status migrants are able to obtain municipal services without fear of being deported.London, Ont., passed a similar motion last month — also unanimously — just days after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced its travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven predominately Muslim countries.City councillors in Regina and Saskatoon have raised the possibility of passing their own versions of a sanctuary motion. Winnipeg, too, is considering following suit.A municipal committee in Ottawa will hear from the public next month about whether to give itself the sanctuary city designation.In 2013, Toronto was the first sanctuary city in Canada. Its city council passed a motion in January reaffirming its commitment to services and protection to undocumented migrants."No one should be made afraid because of who they are or where they come from," Mayor John Tory said at the time, criticizing the Trump travel ban.Until Trump announced his plans for the sweeping ban, Hamilton (in 2014) and Vancouver (2016) were the only other cities to enact sanctuary provisions.-Co-operation of the police? The immediate goal of these sanctuary motions is to allow migrants to obtain such municipal services as housing, libraries and food banks without being questioned about their immigration status.More controversial, though, are stipulations that municipal law enforcement agencies limit their co-operation with federal immigration officials.It is standard practice for many police forces in the country to share personal information, including immigration status, with the Canada Border Services Agency.That means minor infractions, such as a traffic violation, can lead to deportation.Advocates for non-status migrants say this discourages their clients from coming forward when they are witnesses or victims of a crime. As a result, some police forces have adopted "don't ask" policies. Police in Toronto, for instance, are trained to provide services without asking witnesses or victims about their immigration status.Montreal's sanctuary motion calls for city and police officials to work out a policy that would achieve the same result.-More than symbolism-But these "don't ask" policies have been met with resistance from law enforcement and the federal government in the past.When Vancouver's transit police announced in 2015 they would adopt a don't ask policy, then immigration and citizenship minister Chris Alexander criticized the decision."Canadians have told us that they have no tolerance for those who use fraudulent means to enter Canada, and abuse Canadian generosity," Alexander said in a statement at the time.A recent study of Toronto's sanctuary provisions found police applied the "don't ask" policy unevenly.And when the city reaffirmed its commitment to being a sanctuary city last month, Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong was conspicuously absent for the vote. He later tweeted.But for those who advocate for non-status migrants, co-operation by the police is essential if sanctuary motions are to be more than mere political symbolism."A lot of things are not clear about how it would work," said Jenny Jeanes, a co-ordinator with the refugee advocate group Action Réfugiés Montréal, about the motion passed by Montreal's city council."For it to be actually meaningful the police somehow have to be involved."CBC News was not able to reach a representative of the Liberal government for comment on Monday.The Canada Border Services Agency did not respond to a request for information about its relationship with Montreal police. Montreal police also did not respond to a request for comment.
Refugees Welcome' banner unfurled at Statue of Liberty-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
NEW YORK — The National Park Service is trying to figure out who unfurled a giant banner at the Statue of Liberty saying "Refugees Welcome."Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says the 3-by-20-foot banner was hung from the public observation deck at the top of the statue's pedestal Tuesday afternoon. The banner was taken down more than an hour later.Willis says regulations prohibit anything fixed to the statue.The stunt happened the day the Department of Homeland Security announced expanded immigration enforcement policies.The Associated Press.
Paris visitor numbers hit in 2016 after attacks-Katia DOLMADJIAN-Agence France-Presse•February 21, 2017
Paris (AFP) - Paris saw a drop of 1.5 million tourists in 2016 as fears linked to terror attacks scared off visitors, especially from China and Japan, figures showed Tuesday.However, tourist numbers picked up towards the end of the year, suggesting the slump could be easing, regional tourism authority CRT said.The number of international visitors to the French capital fell almost nine percent in 2016, with numbers from Japan plummeting more than 40 percent and Chinese visitors down by more than 20 percent.Tourism from European countries was also hit with visitors from Italy and Russia declining by around a quarter despite the city hosting several matches of the Euro 2016 football championships, including the final.The visitor figures are based on hotel arrivals.Major tourist attractions such as the Louvre museum, the Musee d'Orsay and Disneyland Paris saw visits drop between nine and 13 percent.Visitors from the United States seemed however to be less affected by security concerns with a drop of just under five percent compared with 2015, representing around 100,000 visitors.The shortfall cost Paris about 1.3 billion euros ($1 billion), the CRT said.The body's president Frederic Valletoux said however that an uplift in bookings in November and December "makes us think that things could improve in 2017, even if they are rather weak signs at the moment".In November 2015, 130 people were killed in Paris when gunmen and suicide bombers from the Islamic State jihadist group attacked bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France national stadium.That attack came 10 months after two jihadist gunmen shot dead cartoonists and journalists at the Paris offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.Earlier this month, a soldier shot and wounded a machete-wielding Egyptian man who lunged at him outside the Louvre in Paris while shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest).Officials said the attacks had not been the only factor in discouraging visitors to Paris.Valletoux said aside from the "exceptional security context", tourists were also put off by a wave of strikes and protests against the Socialist government's labour market reforms and heavy flooding that hit Paris and surrounding areas in May and June.Valletoux said despite the global growth of room-sharing services such as Airbnb, their effect on hotel stays had been "marginal".Figures revealed this month showed that despite fears linked to attacks, the nation as a whole retained its position as the world's number one tourist destination last year with between 82.5 million and 83 million foreign visitors.
Ontario PC leader says he'll support anti-Islamophobia motion-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown says he will support an anti-Islamophobia motion that a Liberal MPP plans to introduce in the provincial legislature on Thursday.Brown said Tuesday that Islamophobia has no place in Ontario."Whether it's hate against any faith, it's wrong. I will always stand in opposition to any form of hate," Brown told reporters at Queen's Park.He said he is going to encourage members of the Ontario PC caucus to support the motion as well. The caucus is scheduled to meet on Tuesday."I think it's pretty straightforward to condemn any form of hate. In terms of Islamophobia, it is real," Brown said.Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers, who represents Ottawa-Vanier, has said she will introduce a motion this week calling on the legislature to condemn all forms of Islamophobia.Des Rosiers sent a letter to other MPPs on Friday asking if they will support her motion.Amira Elghawaby, communications director for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, told CBC Toronto that the council is pleased that Brown will support the Ontario motion."I welcome his support and I am happy to say I am not surprised. He has shown a willingness to address these issues head on," she said in an interview from Ottawa."It's very important that our political leaders do show the way forward as we confront the various forms of hate that are out there. Islamophobia is a growing concern in Canada."Elghawaby noted that the Quebec legislature passed a similar motion in October 2015, after an incident in Montreal in which a pregnant Muslim woman was approached by a group of young people who knocked her to the ground and removed her veil.The Quebec motion passed unanimously.She said such motions are symbolic but important because Muslim communities are feeling targeted.In her letter to MPPs last week, Des Rosiers said the reaction to a debate in the House of Commons on the same issue prompted her to ask the government House leader to allow her to make a motion in the legislature.Mississauga-Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid has tabled private member's motion M-103, calling on the federal government to eliminate "Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination."Des Rosiers said she felt compelled to take a stand in Ontario given "troubling comments" about the federal motion from the Conservative Party of Canada."I believe that hate crimes have no place in Canadian society," Des Rosiers writes."Islamophobia needs to be addressed head on as we have seen too many acts of hatred and violence, most recently the mass shooting at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City, where six Canadians of Muslim faith were killed and 19 injured."Islamophobia is defined as an irrational fear of Islam and a hatred or extreme dislike of Muslims.
Police: Suspects in N. Korean death coated hands with poison-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The women suspected of fatally poisoning a scion of North Korea's ruling family were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals then wipe them on his face, police said Wednesday, announcing they were now seeking a North Korean diplomat in connection with the attack.Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that authorities are searching for two new North Korean suspects, including the second secretary of North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur and an employee of North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo."We hope that the Korean embassy will co-operate with us, allow us to interview them and interview them quickly," he said. "If not, we will compel them to come to us."Khalid said the women knew they were handling poisonous materials during the attack, which occurred in a departure area of Kuala Lumpur's budget airport, and had practiced the attack multiple times."We strongly believe it is a planned thing and that they have been trained to do that. This is not just like shooting a movie," he told reporters.Khalid couldn't confirm whether North Korea's government was behind the Feb. 13 death of Kim Jong Nam, the long-estranged half brother of North Korea's ruler, but added, "What is clear is that those involved are North Koreans."Police have already arrested four people in connection with the attack, including the two women. At least one of the women has claimed she was tricked into attacking Kim Jong Nam, believing she was taking part in a comedy prank TV show. One woman is Indonesian; the other is Vietnamese.Police were already searching for five additional North Koreans in connection with the attack, though four are believed to have fled Kuala Lumpur shortly after the attack and are now believed to be back in Pyongyang.Authorities believe those four provided the toxin. "That's why we asked the North Korean Embassy to trace them and hand them over to us." He said, though, that Malaysian authorities had received no help so far from North Korea.Determining the cause of Kim Jong Nam's death has proven difficult.Malaysian authorities said Tuesday that Kim did not suffer a heart attack and had no puncture wounds, such as those a needle would have left, but they were still awaiting lab reports.Identifying a specific poison can be challenging, especially if a minute amount was used and it did not penetrate fat cells in the victim's tissue. If the toxin only entered the bloodstream, it could leave the body very quickly. And even if a substance is found, it would need to match the symptoms Kim Jong Nam experienced before death. The more unique the poison is, the harder it is to find. Highly sophisticated facilities, such as in Japan or at the FBI's crime lab in the U.S., are among those that may be needed to discover unusual toxic substances.The case has perplexed leading forensic toxicologists who study murder by poison. They say the airport attack is one of the most bizarre cases in the books, and question how the two women could walk away unscathed after deploying an agent potent enough to kill Kim Jong Nam before he could even make it to the hospital.Khalid noted the two women "were warned to take precautions," and said security camera footage showed them quickly walking to restrooms after the attack to wash their hands.Kim had spent most of the past 15 years living in China and Southeast Asia. He is believed to have had at least three children with two women. No family members have come forward to claim the body.The attack spiraled into diplomatic fury when Malaysia refused to hand over Kim's corpse to North Korean diplomats after his death, and proceeded with an autopsy over the ambassador's objections. The two nations have made a series of increasingly angry statements since then, with Malaysia insisting it is simply following its legal protocols, and North Korea accusing Malaysia of working in collusion with its enemy South Korea.Seoul's spy agency believes North Korea was behind the killing, but has produced no evidence.Isolated North Korea has a long history of ordering killings of people it views as threats to its regime. Kim Jong Nam was not known to be seeking political power; he was best known for his penchants for drinking, gambling and expensive restaurants. But his position as eldest son of the family that has ruled North Korea since it was founded could have made him appear to be a danger.Kim Jong Nam, a heavyset man in his mid-40s, died soon after the attck en route to a hospital after suffering a seizure, officials say. He was at the airport to fly to Macau, where he had a home.____Asia Medical Writer Margie Mason in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.Eileen Ng, The Associated Press.
Former white supremacists help others leave hate groups-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. — The Celtic cross tattoo on Shannon Martinez's leg gives away her past.A victim of sexual assault at age 14 and never quite able to meet her parents' expectations, Martinez sought out other angry teens. By 16, she was a skinhead spouting white supremacist rhetoric, giving stiff-armed Nazi salutes and tagging public property with swastikas. She favoured racist fashion statements — like the symbol on her right calf.Fortified by the love of an adopted family, Martinez left the skinheads behind. Today she's helping others do the same as part of an emerging U.S. movement that helps people quit hate organizations.Modeled loosely upon organizations that formed in Europe years ago to combat extremism, groups and individuals are offering counselling , education and understanding to extremists seeking a way out.Now a 42-year-old mom who homeschools her kids at their house in Georgia, Martinez volunteers with Life After Hate, a leading organization dedicated to helping people leave white supremacy. On Facebook, she shares her story with others who've left or are looking to leave extremism."We act as a group of people who understand each other," said former skinhead Christian Picciolini, an old friend of Martinez who founded the Chicago-based Life After Hate. "We understand the motivations of where we came from and why we joined. We understand what keeps people in. And we help each other detach and disengage from that ideology and provide a support system for them as they go through that transformation."Founded in 2009, Life After Hate was awarded a $400,000 Justice Department grant in the closing days of the Obama administration — funding that could be endangered if the Trump administration decides to refocus a federal program combatting violent extremism solely on Islamic radicals, as is being considered.While several other grant recipients are dedicated to countering radical Muslim ideology, Life After Hate concentrates specifically on showing white extremists there's another way.The group operates a website where people who want to explore leaving white extremism can submit contact information. It also conducts educational and counselling programs including the Facebook group where members sometimes chat with extremists trying to change their lives, Picciolini said."I started the organization ... because it was so difficult to leave that movement," he said. "Even though I'd abandoned the ideology, I wasn't ready to give up my community and my power and my identity, and I knew how hard it would be for other people to leave this type of ideology or this type of movement."Another group, One People's Project, was started by Daryle Lamont Jenkins of Philadelphia. Aside from monitoring racist groups, Jenkins — who is black — confronts white nationalists at public gatherings and talks one-on-one with willing white supremacists as he can, trying to show them there is a way other than hate. Some have never met a black person, he said.Jenkins' work is similar to that of Daryl Davis, a black musician from Maryland who has gained notice for trying to talk people out of the Ku Klux Klan.Mark Potok, a senior fellow with the liberal Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, said it's hard to determine exact numbers, but around 100,000 people might be members in hate groups and several hundred thousand could be linked informally.Potok said exit organizations began in Europe in the 1980s to counter the rise right-wing militants there."I do think that this is a particularly important moment for this kind of exit work to be happening because we have seen in the last year, year and a half, a real legitimization of these views," he said.President Donald Trump's election with the support of neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan has lent a new sense of urgency to opponents of white supremacy."The Trump election has absolutely lit a fire under the butts of the white nationalists," Martinez said. "It is like, 'Our time is coming.'"Martinez said she grew up in metro Atlanta in a relatively normal family but rebelled after being sexually assaulted at a party. She got involved in the punk scene, which led to the skinhead movement.Martinez said she was on a path to prison or an early death when she moved in with the family of her skinhead boyfriend, who was away for Army training. His mother showed unconditional love that pulled her out of the abyss, Martinez said.Today, she looks at photos of herself from her skinhead days and fights back tears."I was filled with rage and anger and the skinheads were the angriest people that I knew and I was kind of like, 'Those are my people.' And the ideology was a means of taking something that was ethereal, something that was unnamable, an anger and a rage that I felt, and giving it a focal point," she said.Shane Johnson was born into extremism. His father and many of his father's relatives were part of the Klan, he said, so there was only one real way for him to go as a youth in northern Indiana."We were known as the Klan family," he said. "I got my first Klan robe when I was 14."Johnson eventually joined a skinhead group in addition to the KKK but finally decided to quit after getting arrested, stopping drinking and meeting the woman who is now his wife. Leaving was a real fight, though, as even relatives jumped him at a gas station one night after learning he wanted to quit."When I dropped out they beat the holy hell out of me," he said.Since then, Johnson has tried to cover some of his racist tattoos with new ones and wears long sleeves to hide remnants of the past he regrets. Life After Hate is helping him numerous ways, Johnson said, including showing him how to read the Bible without seeing it as a treatise on racial separation, as he had been taught.Johnson, now 25 and living in rural Indiana, isn't ready to begin counselling others about leaving extremism; he still sometimes longs for his racist buddies and their ways. But he said his own story is proof that hate doesn't have to be permanent."You can get out," he said.____Associated Press video journalist Teresa Crawford in Chicago contributed to this report. AP photographer Michael Conroy contributed from Indiana.Jay Reeves, The Associated Press.
Ontario science teacher denies anti-vaccine allegations at hearing-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
TORONTO — An Ontario science teacher accused of telling his high school students they could die as a result of vaccination had a history of pushing anti-vaccine theories, a disciplinary hearing heard Tuesday.A public health nurse who went to the school in Waterford, Ont., to administer vaccines nearly two years ago told the Ontario College of Teachers that she felt threatened by Timothy C. Sullivan, a teacher who confronted her repeatedly that day.Angela Swick said Sullivan accused her of withholding information from students about the shots they were receiving and tried to interfere with her work.The school's principal, meanwhile, testified that parents and students have complained about Sullivan's views on vaccination in the past, adding the teacher tells his pupils there is a link between vaccines and autism — a view that is widely denounced by the scientific community.The school cannot be named due to a publication ban protecting the identities of students.Sullivan is accused of professional misconduct for telling students vaccines could have fatal side effects and allegedly shouting at the nurse during her visit on March 9, 2015. He was suspended without pay for one day in April 2015.He denies the allegations, and said Tuesday his issue is with informed consent rather than the vaccines themselves."I am pro informed consent, pro science and pro asking questions," he said during a break in the hearing.Swick, a nurse with the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, said Sullivan shouted at her and her colleagues when they visited the school, accusing her of keeping students in the dark about vaccines.She described several encounters with Sullivan she said left her feeling "uneasy."The teacher came into the cafeteria as she and her colleagues were administering four different types of vaccines and demanded information about the drugs, she said."He then turned around, came back and put his hands in front of me (on the desk) and said 'I hope you're letting these students know these vaccines could cause death,'" Swick told the hearing.Swick said she immediately texted her supervisor because she worried there would be more interactions with Sullivan as the day went on.He did in fact return, she said, and "asked the kids if they knew what was in the vaccine and shouted at them not to get it."Swick said she alerted the principal, who came to the cafeteria with another teacher who watched the side door for signs of Sullivan.The third encounter was more of the same, she said."We felt really intimidated and scared," Swick said. "We go into the school to do a service, we feel fortunate to go into schools — we just didn't have an encounter like this before."Sullivan, who is representing himself, peppered Swick with questions about informed consent during his cross-examination, asking the nurse whether she told students about rare, but potentially serious side effects.Swick said she doesn't warn students about vaccines' serious side effects as part of her routine. But, she said, she will inform students of certain side effects if it appears relevant based on the student's answers to her screening questions."If they are on heart medication, then we move onto something like hypertension," Swick said.The nurse said she is worried about going back to the same school for another clinic next week, but noted additional staff will attend.Brian Quistberg, the principal at the school at the time of the incident, said Sullivan's behaviour towards the nurse and her colleagues went "way over the line."The teacher visited the school cafeteria three times — twice while during class — and "it was not his place" to be anywhere near the vaccine clinic, Quistberg said, noting he told Sullivan not to return after the first incident.He said the nurses were afraid. "They were upset and worried, so much so that they were worried it would escalate further," the principal said.Quistberg also read out notes from students and teachers who complained about Sullivan's teachings surrounding vaccines, which he said were dangerous due to the amount of aluminum contained in them.After the hearing, Sullivan told reporters he will continue to talk to his students about vaccines."It would be irresponsible to tell them about all the benefits without the side effects," he said.The hearing is scheduled to resume Wednesday with Sullivan taking the stand in his defence. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version mistakenly said Sullivan had been suspended with pay since April 2015.
Utah moves to toss school ban on 'advocacy of homosexuality'-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers took the first step Tuesday to get rid of a state law that bans the "advocacy of homosexuality" in schools, a move driven by a court challenge from gay rights groups.The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously in favour of a Republican bill cutting the phrase from sex education law. The National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Utah sued last fall, saying the law creates a "chilling culture of silence that stigmatizes LGBTQ students" and exists only to express disapproval of being gay.A number of states have similar laws, but few others are moving to overturn them, Equality Utah said. However, the group said it is not ready to drop the lawsuit.The bill replaces the law's ban on the "advocacy of homosexuality" with a ban on the "advocacy of premarital or extramarital sexual activity," which already is generally outlawed in Utah schools.Republican state Sen. Stuart Adams, who is sponsoring the proposal, said the replacement makes it clear that the state does not want teachers to promote sex outside marriage when they present opt-in, abstinence-based sex education.Adams told lawmakers that the change is important because it allows all children, including LGBT students, to be treated equally and know they are welcome.Doubling down on the sex-outside-marriage ban appeared key to securing support from several conservative groups. They testified in favour of the bill, saying they want all students to know they should not have sex outside marriage."This could have been a very divisive bill with hours and hours of debate," Republican Sen. Howard Stephenson said. "But what you've done here is create win-win."The proposal now goes to the full Senate for debate, though its passage won't necessarily end the lawsuit, Cliff Rosky, Equality Utah's legal adviser, told reporters after he testified in favour of the bill.The group wants to make clear that schools can't use other loopholes in Utah law or even refer to the state's now-overturned ban against same-sex marriage to discriminate against LGBT students, he said.Another part of the sex education law, for example, bans instruction that could "facilitate or encourage the violation of any state or federal criminal law," Rosky said. Utah still has laws on the books banning same-sex marriage and criminalizing sodomy, though both have been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court."We have to make sure that every public school in the state understands that they can't be enforced even with respect to the sex-ed law," Rosky said.The gay rights group and the state filed a joint motion Friday asking a federal court to pause the lawsuit while lawmakers consider the bill.Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams said that if the bill passes, it would alleviate much of the group's concerns. But it would still work to address the others through the courts or a settlement, he said.Adams, the bill sponsor, said later Tuesday that the attorney general's office suggested lawmakers change the law, but he didn't know if they expected it to end the lawsuit.Dan Burton, a spokesman for Attorney General Sean Reyes, said the bill addresses issues at the core of the lawsuit. But he said, "We cannot predict what the court will do."___Follow Michelle L. Price at https://twitter.com/michellelprice .Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press.
Take sex breaks on work time, suggests Swedish councillor-Agence France-Presse•February 21, 2017-YAHOONEWS
Stockholm (AFP) - Swedes should take a one-hour paid break from work to go home and have sex with their partners, a local councillor suggested in a proposal Tuesday aimed at improving people's personal relationships."There are studies that show sex is healthy," Per-Erik Muskos, a 42-year-old city councillor for the northern town of Overtornea, told AFP after presenting the motion.He said couples were not spending enough time with each other in today's society."It's about having better relationships," he said.He noted there was no way to verify that employees do not use their hour for other purposes than spending time with their partners or spouses."You can't guarantee that a worker doesn't go out for a walk instead," Muskos said, adding that employers needed to trust their employees.Muskos said he "saw no reason" why the motion wouldn't pass.After the Finns and the French, Swedish full-time employees worked the least in Europe with only 1,685 hours on average in 2015, according to a study by economic research institute Coe-Rexecode.Brits worked an average of 1,900 hours and Germans 1,847 hours in 2015.
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
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.
I SAY TO IRAN-RUSSIANS-MUSLIMS. CAN YOU SAY 5/6TH OF ISRAELS ENEMIES NUKED. THEN EATEN BY ISRAELIS MIGRATING 500 MILLION BIRDS. THEN THEY GET THEIR OWN BURIAL SITE IN THE JORDAN VALLEY. IT WILL TAKE EVERY AVAILABLE ISRAELI 7 MONTHS TO BURY ALL THESE ISRAEL HATERS. AND AT LEAST 300 MILLION ISRAEL HATERS DIE IN THIS GOG-MAGOG WAR.
Iran's leader calls Israel a 'fake' nation, 'dirty chapter'-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's supreme leader on Tuesday used the podium of a pro-Palestinian gathering in Tehran to lash out at Israel, calling the Jewish state a "fake" nation in a "dirty chapter" of history.The remarks by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were some of his most vitriolic against Israel, Iran's archenemy. Every four years since the early 1990s, Tehran has hosted a similar conference in support of the Palestinian cause, assembling foreign guests and those who oppose Israel.Speaking to the gathering, Khamenei said Israel was created by bringing Jews from other parts of the world to the Mideast region to settle in the land of the Palestinians to replace its "true entity."The creation of Israel is "one of the dirty chapters of history that will be closed, with the grace of God," he added. Khamenei's speech lasted 33 minutes.The supreme leader, who has final say on all state matters in Iran, also urged all Muslims to support the Palestinians and "resistance" movements — a reference to anti-Israeli militant groups such as Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Shite Hezbollah militants. Iran has always been their staunch ally.The "resistance movements should have all necessary instruments," Khamenei added and praised those who are part of it in allegedly succeeding in "preventing the domination of the Zionist regime in the entire region."But he did not appear to endorse an all-our war on Israel, saying instead that it's a "cancerous tumour " that requires a "step by step" treatment. In 2015, Khamenei predicted that Israel would not exist after 25 years.Some 80 delegations, mainly from Islamic countries as well as pro-Palestinian activists, attended the two-day meeting. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and several government officials also attended the conference.The venue was decorated with a large map of Israel and the Palestinian territories covered in the colours of the Palestinian flag.Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ousted the pro-western Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought the Islamists to power, Iran has not recognized Israel and has supported anti-Israeli groups.Israel, which seas a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, has opposed the 2015 landmark deal between Iran and world powers that capped Iran's nuclear activities in return for lifting sanctions.Nasser Karimi, The Associated Press.
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
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)
Warm weather woes: Truck goes through Red River ice near Lockport-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
The warm weather has wreaked havoc on the hopes of people fishing on the ice, and safety on the ice is becoming an issue, says a longtime Red River outfitter and guide.Stuart McKay has seen the ice through thick and thin in his 30-year career, but he said this year's melt is unique."We are into a scenario where we are [in the] third week of February; we've not seen temperatures like this," he said."We have late March temperatures right now, not latter February."RCMP say on Monday night, a truck went through the ice on the east side of the Red River near Lockport, Man. There were no reports of injuries."The ice is deteriorating, obviously, with all this warm weather," McKay said.The Manitoba Conservation Officers Association posted a photo of the truck on its Facebook page and warned people to stay off the river.While avid anglers may still be taking to the ice at the popular fishing spot, McKay said "safety will become an issue, as this truck basically is proving."
Floods inundate thousands of homes in Indonesian capital-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Torrential rains in the Indonesian capital have overwhelmed drains and flooded roads and thousands of homes.The disaster mitigation agency said Tuesday that more than 50 areas are flooded in Jakarta, with waters up to 1.5 metres (5 feet) high in East Jakarta.It said the city's drains couldn't accommodate the runoff and rivers also overflowed. Local media reported that a worker for the city government died and one person drowned in Bekasi, a Jakarta satellite city.Floods in 2013 killed more than two dozen people in Jakarta and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.The city, which has about 30 million people in its greater metropolitan area, says it has reduced the number of flood-prone areas since then by dredging rubbish-filled rivers and other measures.Floods and deadly landslides are a fact of life for Indonesians during the wet season, with other major cities suffering repeated flooding.Earlier this month, up to 40,000 people were caught in severe flooding following days of torrential rain in central Indonesia and 13 people were killed in landslides on the resort island of Bali.The Associated Press.
US vice-president on goodwill mission in Brussels By Eric Maurice-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 20. Feb, 15:51-[UPDATED at 19.00 on Monday 20 February] The US vice-president Mike Pence gave Europeans what they wanted to hear during a visit to Brussels on Monday (20 February), but disagreements are likely to remain."Today it is my privilege on behalf of president Trump to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union," Pence said after meeting with European Council president Donald Tusk.Despite Trump's strong criticism of the EU and support of Brexit, the US commitment remains "steadfast and enduring", the vice-president said in a press conference with Tusk.He added that the EU and the US "share the same heritage, the same values and above all the same purpose: to promote peace and prosperity through freedom, democracy and rule of law".Meeting European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker moments later, Pence also insisted on "the determination of the United States to continue to build on cooperation and partnership with the European community and with the European Union".The US vice-president, who is usually seen as more moderate than Trump, also reassured the EU on three issues raised by Tusk during their meeting - the international order, security and the attitude of the new American administration towards the EU."In reply to these three matters, I heard today from vice-president Pence three times 'yes'," Tusk said, after a meeting that, according to an EU source, was "cordial and constructive" and lasted longer than expected.In particular, Tusk said, Pence assured him that the EU could count on "the United States' wholehearted and unequivocal, let me repeat, unequivocal support for the idea of a united Europe.""After such a positive declaration, both Europeans and Americans must simply practice what they preach," Tusk further added, suggesting that Pence's goodwill message was not enough yet to dispel all concerns and disagreements.The European Council chief noted that "too much has happened over the past months … for us to pretend that everything is as it used to be".A week after the US defense secretary James Mattis warned Nato members that “no longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defence of western values." Security was one of the main topics discussed in Brussels."Let us discuss everything, starting with financial commitments - but only to strengthen our solidarity, never to weaken it," Tusk said in response to Mattis.He said that defense of a world order "based on the rules of international law" was in the West's interest and that it could "only be enforced through a common, mutually supportive and decisive policy of the whole of the Western community."Before his meeting with Pence, Juncker pointed out that the EU was ready to step up its defense effort, but "in a broad understanding of what stability in the world means".As he did last week, Juncker suggested that US views were narrow and insisted that for the EU, security not only included defence expenditures, but also humanitarian and development aid.Referring to a comment made by Trump last month, Tusk insisted that "the idea of Nato is not obsolete, just like the values which lay at its foundation are not obsolete."-Hold Russia accountable-In a nod to EU eastern countries, Pence said that the US and EU must "stand strong in defence of sovereignty and integrity of nations in Europe" and cited Nato's effort to support Poland and the Baltic states.Later in the day, at a visit to Nato's headquarters, Pence was more blunt, saying that "European defense requires European commitment as much as ours" and that Trump "expects real progress by the end of 2017".Pence also tried to reassure Europeans by saying that, regarding Ukraine, the US would "continue to hold Russia accountable". He did not mention any intention to suspend sanctions towards Russia, but called on both Ukraine and Russia to respect the Minsk peace agreement.Without elaborating, he added that the US would "also search in new ways for new common ground with Russia, which president Trump believes can be found".Divergences over the new US administration's trade policy are also likely to remain, with the TTIP trade agreement now "frozen", according to the EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem.Commercial relations between the EU and the US were discussed in talks between Juncker and Pence, which a commission spokesman called "a good meeting""The US economy depends more than some in the US think on the exchanges, the trade volumes - including with Indiana - between the US and the EU," Juncker said, referring to the US state where Pence was governor until last year.Pence "reaffirmed" the US "commitment to free, fair and flourishing economies that undergird our success and cooperation on achieving that".-'Hard choices'-But he went on to warn of "hard but necessary choices" ahead to maintain prosperity and insisted that "renewed growth means improved peace and prosperity for all", suggesting that trade relations would depend on the level of cooperation on security.The US vice-president called on "greater coordination and intelligence sharing" between his country and its EU partners, adding that their "safety and security… depends on increased cooperation".For EU leaders, however, Pence's visit was an opportunity to ease tensions and start relations on a personal level. "After today's talks it will be easier," Tusk noted."I don't think the moment has come to divide the United States and the European Union," Juncker assured. "We are partners for so many years."
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)
Sanctuary city movement grows in Canada, but could bring tension with police, immigration officials-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
The uncertainty surrounding U.S. immigration policies has prompted a number of Canadian cities to declare themselves sanctuaries for undocumented migrants.But as cities move to protect migrants from deportation orders, it is creating the prospect for tensions between municipal governments, law enforcement and federal immigration officials.Montreal's city council voted unanimously on Monday to approve a motion that seeks to ensure non-status migrants are able to obtain municipal services without fear of being deported.London, Ont., passed a similar motion last month — also unanimously — just days after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump announced its travel ban on refugees and citizens from seven predominately Muslim countries.City councillors in Regina and Saskatoon have raised the possibility of passing their own versions of a sanctuary motion. Winnipeg, too, is considering following suit.A municipal committee in Ottawa will hear from the public next month about whether to give itself the sanctuary city designation.In 2013, Toronto was the first sanctuary city in Canada. Its city council passed a motion in January reaffirming its commitment to services and protection to undocumented migrants."No one should be made afraid because of who they are or where they come from," Mayor John Tory said at the time, criticizing the Trump travel ban.Until Trump announced his plans for the sweeping ban, Hamilton (in 2014) and Vancouver (2016) were the only other cities to enact sanctuary provisions.-Co-operation of the police? The immediate goal of these sanctuary motions is to allow migrants to obtain such municipal services as housing, libraries and food banks without being questioned about their immigration status.More controversial, though, are stipulations that municipal law enforcement agencies limit their co-operation with federal immigration officials.It is standard practice for many police forces in the country to share personal information, including immigration status, with the Canada Border Services Agency.That means minor infractions, such as a traffic violation, can lead to deportation.Advocates for non-status migrants say this discourages their clients from coming forward when they are witnesses or victims of a crime. As a result, some police forces have adopted "don't ask" policies. Police in Toronto, for instance, are trained to provide services without asking witnesses or victims about their immigration status.Montreal's sanctuary motion calls for city and police officials to work out a policy that would achieve the same result.-More than symbolism-But these "don't ask" policies have been met with resistance from law enforcement and the federal government in the past.When Vancouver's transit police announced in 2015 they would adopt a don't ask policy, then immigration and citizenship minister Chris Alexander criticized the decision."Canadians have told us that they have no tolerance for those who use fraudulent means to enter Canada, and abuse Canadian generosity," Alexander said in a statement at the time.A recent study of Toronto's sanctuary provisions found police applied the "don't ask" policy unevenly.And when the city reaffirmed its commitment to being a sanctuary city last month, Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong was conspicuously absent for the vote. He later tweeted.But for those who advocate for non-status migrants, co-operation by the police is essential if sanctuary motions are to be more than mere political symbolism."A lot of things are not clear about how it would work," said Jenny Jeanes, a co-ordinator with the refugee advocate group Action Réfugiés Montréal, about the motion passed by Montreal's city council."For it to be actually meaningful the police somehow have to be involved."CBC News was not able to reach a representative of the Liberal government for comment on Monday.The Canada Border Services Agency did not respond to a request for information about its relationship with Montreal police. Montreal police also did not respond to a request for comment.
Refugees Welcome' banner unfurled at Statue of Liberty-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
NEW YORK — The National Park Service is trying to figure out who unfurled a giant banner at the Statue of Liberty saying "Refugees Welcome."Park Service spokesman Jerry Willis says the 3-by-20-foot banner was hung from the public observation deck at the top of the statue's pedestal Tuesday afternoon. The banner was taken down more than an hour later.Willis says regulations prohibit anything fixed to the statue.The stunt happened the day the Department of Homeland Security announced expanded immigration enforcement policies.The Associated Press.
Paris visitor numbers hit in 2016 after attacks-Katia DOLMADJIAN-Agence France-Presse•February 21, 2017
Paris (AFP) - Paris saw a drop of 1.5 million tourists in 2016 as fears linked to terror attacks scared off visitors, especially from China and Japan, figures showed Tuesday.However, tourist numbers picked up towards the end of the year, suggesting the slump could be easing, regional tourism authority CRT said.The number of international visitors to the French capital fell almost nine percent in 2016, with numbers from Japan plummeting more than 40 percent and Chinese visitors down by more than 20 percent.Tourism from European countries was also hit with visitors from Italy and Russia declining by around a quarter despite the city hosting several matches of the Euro 2016 football championships, including the final.The visitor figures are based on hotel arrivals.Major tourist attractions such as the Louvre museum, the Musee d'Orsay and Disneyland Paris saw visits drop between nine and 13 percent.Visitors from the United States seemed however to be less affected by security concerns with a drop of just under five percent compared with 2015, representing around 100,000 visitors.The shortfall cost Paris about 1.3 billion euros ($1 billion), the CRT said.The body's president Frederic Valletoux said however that an uplift in bookings in November and December "makes us think that things could improve in 2017, even if they are rather weak signs at the moment".In November 2015, 130 people were killed in Paris when gunmen and suicide bombers from the Islamic State jihadist group attacked bars, restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France national stadium.That attack came 10 months after two jihadist gunmen shot dead cartoonists and journalists at the Paris offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.Earlier this month, a soldier shot and wounded a machete-wielding Egyptian man who lunged at him outside the Louvre in Paris while shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God Is Greatest).Officials said the attacks had not been the only factor in discouraging visitors to Paris.Valletoux said aside from the "exceptional security context", tourists were also put off by a wave of strikes and protests against the Socialist government's labour market reforms and heavy flooding that hit Paris and surrounding areas in May and June.Valletoux said despite the global growth of room-sharing services such as Airbnb, their effect on hotel stays had been "marginal".Figures revealed this month showed that despite fears linked to attacks, the nation as a whole retained its position as the world's number one tourist destination last year with between 82.5 million and 83 million foreign visitors.
Ontario PC leader says he'll support anti-Islamophobia motion-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown says he will support an anti-Islamophobia motion that a Liberal MPP plans to introduce in the provincial legislature on Thursday.Brown said Tuesday that Islamophobia has no place in Ontario."Whether it's hate against any faith, it's wrong. I will always stand in opposition to any form of hate," Brown told reporters at Queen's Park.He said he is going to encourage members of the Ontario PC caucus to support the motion as well. The caucus is scheduled to meet on Tuesday."I think it's pretty straightforward to condemn any form of hate. In terms of Islamophobia, it is real," Brown said.Liberal MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers, who represents Ottawa-Vanier, has said she will introduce a motion this week calling on the legislature to condemn all forms of Islamophobia.Des Rosiers sent a letter to other MPPs on Friday asking if they will support her motion.Amira Elghawaby, communications director for the National Council of Canadian Muslims, told CBC Toronto that the council is pleased that Brown will support the Ontario motion."I welcome his support and I am happy to say I am not surprised. He has shown a willingness to address these issues head on," she said in an interview from Ottawa."It's very important that our political leaders do show the way forward as we confront the various forms of hate that are out there. Islamophobia is a growing concern in Canada."Elghawaby noted that the Quebec legislature passed a similar motion in October 2015, after an incident in Montreal in which a pregnant Muslim woman was approached by a group of young people who knocked her to the ground and removed her veil.The Quebec motion passed unanimously.She said such motions are symbolic but important because Muslim communities are feeling targeted.In her letter to MPPs last week, Des Rosiers said the reaction to a debate in the House of Commons on the same issue prompted her to ask the government House leader to allow her to make a motion in the legislature.Mississauga-Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid has tabled private member's motion M-103, calling on the federal government to eliminate "Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination."Des Rosiers said she felt compelled to take a stand in Ontario given "troubling comments" about the federal motion from the Conservative Party of Canada."I believe that hate crimes have no place in Canadian society," Des Rosiers writes."Islamophobia needs to be addressed head on as we have seen too many acts of hatred and violence, most recently the mass shooting at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City, where six Canadians of Muslim faith were killed and 19 injured."Islamophobia is defined as an irrational fear of Islam and a hatred or extreme dislike of Muslims.
Police: Suspects in N. Korean death coated hands with poison-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — The women suspected of fatally poisoning a scion of North Korea's ruling family were trained to coat their hands with toxic chemicals then wipe them on his face, police said Wednesday, announcing they were now seeking a North Korean diplomat in connection with the attack.Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that authorities are searching for two new North Korean suspects, including the second secretary of North Korea's embassy in Kuala Lumpur and an employee of North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo."We hope that the Korean embassy will co-operate with us, allow us to interview them and interview them quickly," he said. "If not, we will compel them to come to us."Khalid said the women knew they were handling poisonous materials during the attack, which occurred in a departure area of Kuala Lumpur's budget airport, and had practiced the attack multiple times."We strongly believe it is a planned thing and that they have been trained to do that. This is not just like shooting a movie," he told reporters.Khalid couldn't confirm whether North Korea's government was behind the Feb. 13 death of Kim Jong Nam, the long-estranged half brother of North Korea's ruler, but added, "What is clear is that those involved are North Koreans."Police have already arrested four people in connection with the attack, including the two women. At least one of the women has claimed she was tricked into attacking Kim Jong Nam, believing she was taking part in a comedy prank TV show. One woman is Indonesian; the other is Vietnamese.Police were already searching for five additional North Koreans in connection with the attack, though four are believed to have fled Kuala Lumpur shortly after the attack and are now believed to be back in Pyongyang.Authorities believe those four provided the toxin. "That's why we asked the North Korean Embassy to trace them and hand them over to us." He said, though, that Malaysian authorities had received no help so far from North Korea.Determining the cause of Kim Jong Nam's death has proven difficult.Malaysian authorities said Tuesday that Kim did not suffer a heart attack and had no puncture wounds, such as those a needle would have left, but they were still awaiting lab reports.Identifying a specific poison can be challenging, especially if a minute amount was used and it did not penetrate fat cells in the victim's tissue. If the toxin only entered the bloodstream, it could leave the body very quickly. And even if a substance is found, it would need to match the symptoms Kim Jong Nam experienced before death. The more unique the poison is, the harder it is to find. Highly sophisticated facilities, such as in Japan or at the FBI's crime lab in the U.S., are among those that may be needed to discover unusual toxic substances.The case has perplexed leading forensic toxicologists who study murder by poison. They say the airport attack is one of the most bizarre cases in the books, and question how the two women could walk away unscathed after deploying an agent potent enough to kill Kim Jong Nam before he could even make it to the hospital.Khalid noted the two women "were warned to take precautions," and said security camera footage showed them quickly walking to restrooms after the attack to wash their hands.Kim had spent most of the past 15 years living in China and Southeast Asia. He is believed to have had at least three children with two women. No family members have come forward to claim the body.The attack spiraled into diplomatic fury when Malaysia refused to hand over Kim's corpse to North Korean diplomats after his death, and proceeded with an autopsy over the ambassador's objections. The two nations have made a series of increasingly angry statements since then, with Malaysia insisting it is simply following its legal protocols, and North Korea accusing Malaysia of working in collusion with its enemy South Korea.Seoul's spy agency believes North Korea was behind the killing, but has produced no evidence.Isolated North Korea has a long history of ordering killings of people it views as threats to its regime. Kim Jong Nam was not known to be seeking political power; he was best known for his penchants for drinking, gambling and expensive restaurants. But his position as eldest son of the family that has ruled North Korea since it was founded could have made him appear to be a danger.Kim Jong Nam, a heavyset man in his mid-40s, died soon after the attck en route to a hospital after suffering a seizure, officials say. He was at the airport to fly to Macau, where he had a home.____Asia Medical Writer Margie Mason in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.Eileen Ng, The Associated Press.
Former white supremacists help others leave hate groups-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
ATHENS, Ga. — The Celtic cross tattoo on Shannon Martinez's leg gives away her past.A victim of sexual assault at age 14 and never quite able to meet her parents' expectations, Martinez sought out other angry teens. By 16, she was a skinhead spouting white supremacist rhetoric, giving stiff-armed Nazi salutes and tagging public property with swastikas. She favoured racist fashion statements — like the symbol on her right calf.Fortified by the love of an adopted family, Martinez left the skinheads behind. Today she's helping others do the same as part of an emerging U.S. movement that helps people quit hate organizations.Modeled loosely upon organizations that formed in Europe years ago to combat extremism, groups and individuals are offering counselling , education and understanding to extremists seeking a way out.Now a 42-year-old mom who homeschools her kids at their house in Georgia, Martinez volunteers with Life After Hate, a leading organization dedicated to helping people leave white supremacy. On Facebook, she shares her story with others who've left or are looking to leave extremism."We act as a group of people who understand each other," said former skinhead Christian Picciolini, an old friend of Martinez who founded the Chicago-based Life After Hate. "We understand the motivations of where we came from and why we joined. We understand what keeps people in. And we help each other detach and disengage from that ideology and provide a support system for them as they go through that transformation."Founded in 2009, Life After Hate was awarded a $400,000 Justice Department grant in the closing days of the Obama administration — funding that could be endangered if the Trump administration decides to refocus a federal program combatting violent extremism solely on Islamic radicals, as is being considered.While several other grant recipients are dedicated to countering radical Muslim ideology, Life After Hate concentrates specifically on showing white extremists there's another way.The group operates a website where people who want to explore leaving white extremism can submit contact information. It also conducts educational and counselling programs including the Facebook group where members sometimes chat with extremists trying to change their lives, Picciolini said."I started the organization ... because it was so difficult to leave that movement," he said. "Even though I'd abandoned the ideology, I wasn't ready to give up my community and my power and my identity, and I knew how hard it would be for other people to leave this type of ideology or this type of movement."Another group, One People's Project, was started by Daryle Lamont Jenkins of Philadelphia. Aside from monitoring racist groups, Jenkins — who is black — confronts white nationalists at public gatherings and talks one-on-one with willing white supremacists as he can, trying to show them there is a way other than hate. Some have never met a black person, he said.Jenkins' work is similar to that of Daryl Davis, a black musician from Maryland who has gained notice for trying to talk people out of the Ku Klux Klan.Mark Potok, a senior fellow with the liberal Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, said it's hard to determine exact numbers, but around 100,000 people might be members in hate groups and several hundred thousand could be linked informally.Potok said exit organizations began in Europe in the 1980s to counter the rise right-wing militants there."I do think that this is a particularly important moment for this kind of exit work to be happening because we have seen in the last year, year and a half, a real legitimization of these views," he said.President Donald Trump's election with the support of neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan has lent a new sense of urgency to opponents of white supremacy."The Trump election has absolutely lit a fire under the butts of the white nationalists," Martinez said. "It is like, 'Our time is coming.'"Martinez said she grew up in metro Atlanta in a relatively normal family but rebelled after being sexually assaulted at a party. She got involved in the punk scene, which led to the skinhead movement.Martinez said she was on a path to prison or an early death when she moved in with the family of her skinhead boyfriend, who was away for Army training. His mother showed unconditional love that pulled her out of the abyss, Martinez said.Today, she looks at photos of herself from her skinhead days and fights back tears."I was filled with rage and anger and the skinheads were the angriest people that I knew and I was kind of like, 'Those are my people.' And the ideology was a means of taking something that was ethereal, something that was unnamable, an anger and a rage that I felt, and giving it a focal point," she said.Shane Johnson was born into extremism. His father and many of his father's relatives were part of the Klan, he said, so there was only one real way for him to go as a youth in northern Indiana."We were known as the Klan family," he said. "I got my first Klan robe when I was 14."Johnson eventually joined a skinhead group in addition to the KKK but finally decided to quit after getting arrested, stopping drinking and meeting the woman who is now his wife. Leaving was a real fight, though, as even relatives jumped him at a gas station one night after learning he wanted to quit."When I dropped out they beat the holy hell out of me," he said.Since then, Johnson has tried to cover some of his racist tattoos with new ones and wears long sleeves to hide remnants of the past he regrets. Life After Hate is helping him numerous ways, Johnson said, including showing him how to read the Bible without seeing it as a treatise on racial separation, as he had been taught.Johnson, now 25 and living in rural Indiana, isn't ready to begin counselling others about leaving extremism; he still sometimes longs for his racist buddies and their ways. But he said his own story is proof that hate doesn't have to be permanent."You can get out," he said.____Associated Press video journalist Teresa Crawford in Chicago contributed to this report. AP photographer Michael Conroy contributed from Indiana.Jay Reeves, The Associated Press.
Ontario science teacher denies anti-vaccine allegations at hearing-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
TORONTO — An Ontario science teacher accused of telling his high school students they could die as a result of vaccination had a history of pushing anti-vaccine theories, a disciplinary hearing heard Tuesday.A public health nurse who went to the school in Waterford, Ont., to administer vaccines nearly two years ago told the Ontario College of Teachers that she felt threatened by Timothy C. Sullivan, a teacher who confronted her repeatedly that day.Angela Swick said Sullivan accused her of withholding information from students about the shots they were receiving and tried to interfere with her work.The school's principal, meanwhile, testified that parents and students have complained about Sullivan's views on vaccination in the past, adding the teacher tells his pupils there is a link between vaccines and autism — a view that is widely denounced by the scientific community.The school cannot be named due to a publication ban protecting the identities of students.Sullivan is accused of professional misconduct for telling students vaccines could have fatal side effects and allegedly shouting at the nurse during her visit on March 9, 2015. He was suspended without pay for one day in April 2015.He denies the allegations, and said Tuesday his issue is with informed consent rather than the vaccines themselves."I am pro informed consent, pro science and pro asking questions," he said during a break in the hearing.Swick, a nurse with the Haldimand-Norfolk Health Unit, said Sullivan shouted at her and her colleagues when they visited the school, accusing her of keeping students in the dark about vaccines.She described several encounters with Sullivan she said left her feeling "uneasy."The teacher came into the cafeteria as she and her colleagues were administering four different types of vaccines and demanded information about the drugs, she said."He then turned around, came back and put his hands in front of me (on the desk) and said 'I hope you're letting these students know these vaccines could cause death,'" Swick told the hearing.Swick said she immediately texted her supervisor because she worried there would be more interactions with Sullivan as the day went on.He did in fact return, she said, and "asked the kids if they knew what was in the vaccine and shouted at them not to get it."Swick said she alerted the principal, who came to the cafeteria with another teacher who watched the side door for signs of Sullivan.The third encounter was more of the same, she said."We felt really intimidated and scared," Swick said. "We go into the school to do a service, we feel fortunate to go into schools — we just didn't have an encounter like this before."Sullivan, who is representing himself, peppered Swick with questions about informed consent during his cross-examination, asking the nurse whether she told students about rare, but potentially serious side effects.Swick said she doesn't warn students about vaccines' serious side effects as part of her routine. But, she said, she will inform students of certain side effects if it appears relevant based on the student's answers to her screening questions."If they are on heart medication, then we move onto something like hypertension," Swick said.The nurse said she is worried about going back to the same school for another clinic next week, but noted additional staff will attend.Brian Quistberg, the principal at the school at the time of the incident, said Sullivan's behaviour towards the nurse and her colleagues went "way over the line."The teacher visited the school cafeteria three times — twice while during class — and "it was not his place" to be anywhere near the vaccine clinic, Quistberg said, noting he told Sullivan not to return after the first incident.He said the nurses were afraid. "They were upset and worried, so much so that they were worried it would escalate further," the principal said.Quistberg also read out notes from students and teachers who complained about Sullivan's teachings surrounding vaccines, which he said were dangerous due to the amount of aluminum contained in them.After the hearing, Sullivan told reporters he will continue to talk to his students about vaccines."It would be irresponsible to tell them about all the benefits without the side effects," he said.The hearing is scheduled to resume Wednesday with Sullivan taking the stand in his defence. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version mistakenly said Sullivan had been suspended with pay since April 2015.
Utah moves to toss school ban on 'advocacy of homosexuality'-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-February 21, 2017
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers took the first step Tuesday to get rid of a state law that bans the "advocacy of homosexuality" in schools, a move driven by a court challenge from gay rights groups.The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously in favour of a Republican bill cutting the phrase from sex education law. The National Center for Lesbian Rights and Equality Utah sued last fall, saying the law creates a "chilling culture of silence that stigmatizes LGBTQ students" and exists only to express disapproval of being gay.A number of states have similar laws, but few others are moving to overturn them, Equality Utah said. However, the group said it is not ready to drop the lawsuit.The bill replaces the law's ban on the "advocacy of homosexuality" with a ban on the "advocacy of premarital or extramarital sexual activity," which already is generally outlawed in Utah schools.Republican state Sen. Stuart Adams, who is sponsoring the proposal, said the replacement makes it clear that the state does not want teachers to promote sex outside marriage when they present opt-in, abstinence-based sex education.Adams told lawmakers that the change is important because it allows all children, including LGBT students, to be treated equally and know they are welcome.Doubling down on the sex-outside-marriage ban appeared key to securing support from several conservative groups. They testified in favour of the bill, saying they want all students to know they should not have sex outside marriage."This could have been a very divisive bill with hours and hours of debate," Republican Sen. Howard Stephenson said. "But what you've done here is create win-win."The proposal now goes to the full Senate for debate, though its passage won't necessarily end the lawsuit, Cliff Rosky, Equality Utah's legal adviser, told reporters after he testified in favour of the bill.The group wants to make clear that schools can't use other loopholes in Utah law or even refer to the state's now-overturned ban against same-sex marriage to discriminate against LGBT students, he said.Another part of the sex education law, for example, bans instruction that could "facilitate or encourage the violation of any state or federal criminal law," Rosky said. Utah still has laws on the books banning same-sex marriage and criminalizing sodomy, though both have been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court."We have to make sure that every public school in the state understands that they can't be enforced even with respect to the sex-ed law," Rosky said.The gay rights group and the state filed a joint motion Friday asking a federal court to pause the lawsuit while lawmakers consider the bill.Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams said that if the bill passes, it would alleviate much of the group's concerns. But it would still work to address the others through the courts or a settlement, he said.Adams, the bill sponsor, said later Tuesday that the attorney general's office suggested lawmakers change the law, but he didn't know if they expected it to end the lawsuit.Dan Burton, a spokesman for Attorney General Sean Reyes, said the bill addresses issues at the core of the lawsuit. But he said, "We cannot predict what the court will do."___Follow Michelle L. Price at https://twitter.com/michellelprice .Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press.
Take sex breaks on work time, suggests Swedish councillor-Agence France-Presse•February 21, 2017-YAHOONEWS
Stockholm (AFP) - Swedes should take a one-hour paid break from work to go home and have sex with their partners, a local councillor suggested in a proposal Tuesday aimed at improving people's personal relationships."There are studies that show sex is healthy," Per-Erik Muskos, a 42-year-old city councillor for the northern town of Overtornea, told AFP after presenting the motion.He said couples were not spending enough time with each other in today's society."It's about having better relationships," he said.He noted there was no way to verify that employees do not use their hour for other purposes than spending time with their partners or spouses."You can't guarantee that a worker doesn't go out for a walk instead," Muskos said, adding that employers needed to trust their employees.Muskos said he "saw no reason" why the motion wouldn't pass.After the Finns and the French, Swedish full-time employees worked the least in Europe with only 1,685 hours on average in 2015, according to a study by economic research institute Coe-Rexecode.Brits worked an average of 1,900 hours and Germans 1,847 hours in 2015.
