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)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
France still anxious over possibility of Le Pen win By Eric Maurice-APR 25,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 15:01-Can Emmanuel Macron actually beat Marine Le Pen? As the centrist politician remains the favourite to win the French presidency on 7 May, doubts are emerging about his capacity to unite the French people against far-right leader in the election run-off."Between Macron and Le Pen, all is not done," said the popular Le Parisien newspaper on Tuesday, summarising the growing anxiety.On Sunday evening, the prevailing feeling was of relief that Le Pen did not come first and would face a moderate candidate in the run-off.But a sinking feeling is now emerging that Le Pen, who obtained a record 7.6 million votes on Sunday, is making use of dynamics that could take her to a shock win if anti-Le Pen voters do not mobilise for Macron on 7 May.According to the three opinion polls published since Sunday evening, Macron would win with 62 or 64 percent of the vote, to Le Pen's 36 or 38.On Sunday, Macron admitted that he needed to "gather [people] even more widely [and] reconcile France to win in and tomorrow preside our country".But the candidate, who was totally absent from the media on Monday, has come under criticism over the speech he gave to supporters, which was considered excessively celebratory and thin on the ground in terms of political content.He has also come under attack over the dinner he held afterwards in a chic Parisian brasserie with political allies, some staff and a few celebrity supporters.Critics said the event was reminiscent of Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial lush party at the Fouquet's restaurant when he was elected president in 2007."You understand nothing about life," Macron angrily told a journalist outside the Rotonde brasserie. He added that the dinner was "a heartfelt moment" and that he had "no lesson to take from the little Parisian circles".The event was used by the Le Pen's National Front (FN) to describe Macron, a former banker, as the candidate of the elite and the finance sector, as opposite to Le Pen, who said on Sunday that she was "the people's candidate".Le Pen's right-hand man, Florian Philippot, said that Macron's behaviour on Sunday was "arrogant" and "bling-bling", using a term that was often used to describe Sarkozy.In a TV interview on Monday evening, Le Pen insisted that "nothing in Emmanuel Macron's project, nor in his behaviour, denotes any proof of [his] love of France".-'Ten little points'-In an election where anti-establishment feelings led France's two main parties - the Socialist Party and the centre-right Republicans party - to be defeated in the first round, Macron has become the system's candidate to block the far-right.Le Pen mocked her opponent who "walks on a carpet of roses, with all the compliments from the press, in a kind of unanimity". She insisted that she was capable of catching up with him in the twelve days before the vote."Ten little points, believe me, it's totally doable," she said."I think we underestimate Marine Le Pen's result," Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, the head of the Socialist Party, warned on Tuesday morning radio."Despite a not so good campaign, she is in the second round," he noted, adding that a 40-percent result would be "a progression of 1 million votes" in comparison to the first round."She is marching forward," he said, referring to the name of Macron's movement, En Marche! The left-wing daily, Liberation, for its part, wonders whether Le Pen "can win 11 million voters between the two rounds" and beat Macron.Even if polls were accurate for the first round, predictions could be disrupted by voter abstentions, as many are wary of Macron, a newcomer with no structured party backing and an elitist image.To keep his lead ahead of Le Pen, Macron needs to convince other candidates' supporters to vote for him, especially those who voted for the two strongest contenders behind the two finalists, conservative Francois Fillon and radical left Jean-Luc Melenchon.In a contrast to 2002, when Jean-Marie Le Pen's qualification for the election's second round triggered massive demonstrations and mobilisation from right to left, a trending hashtag in social networks since Sunday is " #7maisansmoi" - 7 May without me.-Choice-Under this hashtag, social network users, many of them left-wing, say that Macron is an ultra-liberal and that his policies will be tough on poor people.A popular slogan says that they don't want to choose "between fascism and what feeds it".Melenchon, the candidate of the France Unbowed movement, an alliance of leftist parties including the Communist Party, has so far refused to support a vote for Macron. He received 7 million votes on Sunday - 19.58 percent.According to polls, however, a majority of left-wing voters are expecting to vote for Macron, including between 52 and 62 percent of Melenchon voters.On the right, Fillon's Republicans party said that "abstention cannot be a choice" and called on people to "vote against Marine Le Pen". It did not clearly support a vote in favour of Macron, because its supporters are divided over the issue, with a few leaders even saying to vote for Le Pen.On Sunday, Fillon said that he would vote for Macron and insisted that "extremism could only bring hardships and divisions to our country".But Common Sense, a conservative moment opposed to abortion and gay rights, has refused to vote against Le Pen. The movement, which says it has 10,000 members, has been seen as the most influential among the core of Fillon voters."How can we chose between chaos brought by Marine Le Pen and the political rotting [brought] by Emmanuel Macron," the movement's leader Christophe Billan said in an interview.-Dignity-After weeks of painting Macron as "baby Hollande" because he was an economy minister under the outgoing socialist president, leaders in the Republicans are having difficulties in being heard by militants when they now say that Macron shares the same "republican" and European values.Polls being published since Sunday suggest that between 23 and 33 percent of the 7.2 million Fillon voters would choose Le Pen, with up to 30 percent abstaining.To conceal the risk of losing an election that, for now, seems to be a sure bet, the Macron camp has called not to indulge in the satisfaction after Sunday's result."It is time that everyone comes back to their sense and understands that an election is never won in advance," En Marche's secretary general, Richard Ferrand, said on Tuesday in a radio interview."The dignity of the French men and women is to go to vote massively" to beat Le Pen, whose policies would "stunt" France, he added.
EU to exclude financial services from post-Brexit deal By Eszter Zalan-APR 25,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:05-The EU intends to exclude the financial services sector from a trade deal with the UK after Brexit, according to the latest tweaks in the EU's draft negotiating guidelines.EU citizens must also be granted permanent residency in the UK after 5 years of living there.The new text spells out that any free trade deal that would allow the City of London, Europe’s leading financial centre, continued access to EU markets would require that Britain continues to respect the EU's regulatory and supervisory standards.It serves a blow to British prime minister Theresa May, who has called an election for 8 June. In the letter she sent to the EU to notify UK's exit, she argued for an ambitious free trade agreement that covers financial services.However, France, Germany and other countries are looking to attract financial companies to Paris and Frankfurt, and other cities once the UK leaves the single market with Brexit.An earlier version only said that the future trade agreement should "not endanger financial stability in the Union and encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages".The new line was agreed by EU advisers to head of state and governments on Monday (24 April) in a preparatory meeting ahead of the Brexit summit on Saturday (29 April), according to Reuters.In another change in the draft guidelines, the EU wants to secure the right to acquire permanent residency in the UK for EU citizens who have continuously lived in the UK for five years, Bloomberg reported.The EU has already said in its guidelines that "agreeing reciprocal guarantees to safeguard the status and rights derived from EU law" for EU and UK citizens caught up in the process "will be the first priority for the negotiations" for the bloc.The new draft of the EU 27 will be discussed at a political level by European affairs ministers on Thursday, for a final preparation of Saturday's summit.
Greece will legislate reforms but implementation hinges on debt relief: PM-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will legislate additional reforms sought by its lenders but implementing them in 2019 and 2020 is contingent on securing further debt relief, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday."We will obviously legislate (the measures) in order to secure a deal on debt relief," Tsipras told ANT1 television, saying he wanted a solution to Greece's debt mountain by the end of May."They won't be implemented... unless we get a solution on debt," he said. A sovereign government had the right to back out of a deal if its interlocutors did not respect it, he added.(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou)
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
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
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)
Mixed review for EU asylum spots in Greece and Italy By Nikolaj Nielsen-APR 25,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:54-An EU scheme to shuffle incoming asylum seekers into centres in Greece and Italy is said to be "working," despite widespread reports of abuse and no insights into how EU money has been spent.Hans Gustaf Wessberg from the European Court of Auditors told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday (25 April) that so-called hotspots in both countries have "helped improve migration management" in terms of identifying, registering, and finger printing new arrivals.The conclusion was part of a broader report issued by the independent Luxembourg-based watchdog, which also noted major problems in the zones.It found, for instance, that children are being kept "in inappropriate conditions" on the Greek islands despite laws that require them to be taken care of.The hotspots in Greece and Italy were initially set up to screen and register people before sending them to the next phase of their possible asylum process.But widespread reports of suffering from the thousands stuck on Greek islands has highlighted flaws in a system often slammed by human rights defenders.The European Commission had itself described the conditions in some of the hotspots in Greece as "untenable" after refugees awoke to snow-covered camps in January without proper winter protection.Such suffering has been exasperated by political and administrative bottlenecks in EU states, which have largely failed to relocate people from the centres.Some have stayed in the camps for months, triggering protests, fights, fires, and hunger strikes.Reports of rape and suicide also figure among the long sheet of horrors documented at the Greek hotspots since last year's launch.Save the Children, an NGO, found children as young as nine who were self-harming, with others even trying to kill themselves. One child filmed his own suicide attempt."Self-harm is now so common, it's almost as if it's a hobby for some children in the hotspots," a staff member from the NGO was quoted as saying in a Save the Children report, which came out in March.The EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) earlier this month said that sexual and gender-based violence was a critical issue at the centres on the Greek islands of Lesvos and Samos.Pope Francis over the weekend also described the island hotspots as "concentration camps." The comment came after a visit he made last year to Lesbos."I never use that expression myself because I've been to Auschwitz," said the EU court's Wessberg, when asked about the Pope's description.-The mysterious money trail-Instead, Wessberg noted that he did not have the mandate to audit either of the countries and was unable to provide any assessment of how EU funds had been spent."We do not audit what takes place within Italy and Greece," he said.The EU commission has awarded Greece over €350 million in emergency funding since the beginning of 2015 and another €190 million in humanitarian support. Italy also received almost €63 million in emergency money.Neither country provided any reports on how that money was spent. The EU commission declined to comment when pressed for answers.Wessberg told EUobserver that the lack of data on such audits was not uncommon."Is this a big problem? Yes, it is a problem but you must remember that we have this plan to always go back to an audit field in a couple of years," he said.Such oversight is made more difficult because some of EU-funded programmes can only be assessed long after they have run their course.Many are also financed under from the EU's asylum, migration, and integration fund (Amif) and the internal security fund (ISF), both of which do not end until 2020.Instead, the auditors gauged hotspots in terms of how well they delivered services to asylum seeks and if people were being properly identified.Wesseberg said both countries had been slow in setting up their hotspots and require big improvements.Greece can only accommodate some 7,450 people, but hosts nearly twice as many on the islands. Italy was supposed to have six hotspots but only created four."We still insist that the further two are necessary," he said.Italy has hotspots in Tranto, Trapani, Pozzallo and Lampedusa. Greece has hotspots on the islands of Chios, Lesbos, Leros, Samos, and Kos.
US general in Afghanistan suggests Russia arming the Taliban-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 24, 2017
KABUL — The United States must confront Russia for providing weapons to the Taliban for use against American-backed forces in Afghanistan, top U.S. military officials said Monday.At a news conference with Defence Secretary Jim Mattis at his side, Gen. John Nicholson, the American commander in Afghanistan, wouldn't provide specifics about Russia's role in Afghanistan. But said he would "not refute" that Moscow's involvement includes giving weapons to the Taliban.Earlier Monday, a senior U.S. military official told reporters in Kabul that Russia was giving machine-guns and other medium-weight weapons. The Taliban are using the weapons in the southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Uruzgan, according to the official, who briefed journalists on intelligence information on condition of anonymity.Russia denies that it provides any such support to the Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Russia says contacts are limited to safeguarding security and getting the hard-line religious fundamentalists to reconcile with the government — which Washington has failed for years to advance. Russia also has promoted easing global sanctions on Taliban leaders who prove co-operative .Asked about Russia's activity in Afghanistan, where it fought a bloody war in the 1980s and withdrew in defeat, Mattis alluded to the increasing U.S. concerns."We'll engage with Russia diplomatically," Mattis said. "We'll do so where we can, but we're going to have to confront Russia where what they're doing is contrary to international law or denying the sovereignty of other countries.""For example," Mattis told reporters in the Afghan capital, "any weapons being funneled here from a foreign country would be a violation of international law."Mattis met with President Ashraf Ghani and other senior government officials just hours after the nation's defence minister and Army chief resigned over a massacre of more than 140 Afghan troops at a military base last Friday.The insurgent assault was the biggest ever on a military base in Afghanistan, involving multiple gunmen and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday, killing and wounding scores. The death toll was likely to rise further.Referring to the Russians again, Nicholson said "anyone who arms belligerents who perpetuate attacks like the one we saw" isn't focused on "the best way forward to a peaceful reconciliation."Given the sophisticated planning behind the attack, he also said "it's quite possible" that the Pakistan-based Haqqani network was responsible. The Taliban claimed it carried out the attack.Nicholson recently told Congress that he needs a few thousand more troops to keep Afghan security forces on track to eventually handling the Taliban insurgency on their own. The Trump administration is still reviewing possible troop decisions.Mattis on Monday offered a grim assessment for Afghan forces fighting the Taliban."2017 is going to be another tough year," he said.Kabul was the final stop on Mattis' six-nation, weeklong tour. He is the first member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet to visit Afghanistan. As part of the administration's review of Afghan policy, Trump's national security adviser, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, visited Kabul last week to consult with Nicholson and Afghan officials.The war began in October 2001. The U.S. has about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan. They ended their combat mission against the Taliban in 2014 but are increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.Robert Burns, The Associated Press.
Sweden releases from custody second suspect over deadly truck attack-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Tuesday they had released a second suspect detained over possible involvement in a truck attack in Stockholm this month in which four people were killed.They said the person, who was detained on Sunday and has not been identified, was no longer a suspect in the case.As well as the four deaths, 15 people were injured on April 7 when a truck ran into pedestrians on a shopping street before crashing into a department store in the centre of the capital.The suspected driver, a failed asylum seeker from Uzbekistan, remains in custody.(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Spain arrests suspects with links to Belgian airport attack-[Reuters]-By Sonya Dowsett-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police said on Tuesday they had arrested nine men and raided 12 properties in Barcelona in an operation against suspected Islamist militants believed to be linked to last year's attack on Brussels airport.The operations were carried out in conjunction with Belgian and Moroccan police.At least three of those arrested were suspected of links to the Belgian suicide bombings in March of last year, which killed 31 people at the Brussels airport and on a metro train, Spain's High Court said in a statement.The nine arrested men were Moroccan apart from one Spaniard and were aged between 30 and 40, the police said. Most already had criminal records related to organised crime such as drug trafficking.Most had lived for more than 20 years in the northeastern region of Catalonia, although they often returned to Morocco for visits, the court said.House searches turned up documents, computers and memory drives that will now be analysed by authorities, as well as at least three guns and drugs including marijuana, the police and court said.Raids of houses in Morocco connected to the men are currently underway in collaboration with Moroccan police, the police said.The raids follow an eight-month investigation of a group of suspected Islamist militants with links to organised crime in the Barcelona area, the police said. The investigation remains open.Police said they started tracking the gang as a result of a tip-off from a member of the public. The tip-off was an anonymous call to police from a member of the public concerned about drug trafficking, La Vanguardia newspaper said.Not including Tuesday's arrests, Spain has detained 22 people in 16 separate operations this year in connection with Islamist extremism, according to Interior Ministry figures.(Additional reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Isla Binnie/Jeremy Gaunt)
Turkish PM says relations with EU at lowest point in recent times-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's relations with the European Union have reached their lowest point in recent times, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday, after a leading European human rights body put Turkey back on a watchlist.Yildirim told reporters Turkey would decide on what steps it would now take regarding the decision by the Strasbourg-based Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Nick Tattersall)
U.N., Russia warn against assault on main Yemeni port-[Reuters]-By Stephanie Nebehay-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations and Russian officials warned on Tuesday against any attack by Saudi-led coalition forces on the Houthi-held Yemeni port of Hodeidah, the aid lifeline for a country where millions of people are in desperate need of food.The warring factions must ensure deliveries of food and medical aid to starving people, senior U.N. officials said at a donor conference in Geneva.Nearly $1.1 billion has now been pledged towards a United Nations appeal of $2.1 billion for Yemen this year, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced, calling it a "remarkable success"."Across Yemen, hunger and malnutrition have reached unprecedented levels and the threat of famine looms large. The country is on the brink of catastrophe," said David Beasley, executive director of the U.N.'s World Food Programme.The government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the West, have been fighting the Houthi movement aligned with Iran for over two years in a war that has killed at least 10,000 people.A Saudi-led military coalition is preparing an assault on Hodeidah, which lies on the Red Sea and is the point of entry for nearly 80 percent of Yemen's food imports."The Hodeidah port is a critical lifeline," Beasley told the conference. "Any disruption to the port would gravely hamper efforts to prevent famine."Yemeni officials said earlier this month the government and its allies had positioned two brigades for a possible attack, one of them 230 km (140 miles) north of Hodeidah and the other 130 km (80 miles) to the south.-"NEW AID CORRIDORS"-But Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid Bin Daghr, whose government is based in the southern port of Aden and controls only part of the country, said it would allow access for aid supplies and was "ready to open new corridors for this aid".Saudi-led air strikes have hampered humanitarian operations to import food and fuel supplies, the United Nations says. Five cranes in Hodeidah port have been destroyed, forcing dozens of ships to wait offshore for their turn to dock.Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said that mobile cranes brought to the port had a "quite small" capacity although some vessels had on-board cranes."We continue to advocate Hodeidah as the only sensible option because it's expensive everywhere else. (Hodeidah is)effective and efficient," he told Reuters.The coalition has accused the Houthis of using the port to smuggle weapons and has tried to block ships from entering.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the conference Moscow could not accept what he called a blockade."There are also worrying rumours about an assault on Hodeidah and then a move on (the capital) Sanaa; this is something we cannot allow to happen," he said.Guterres said nearly 19 million people, or two-thirds of Yemen's population, needed emergency aid. One child under the age of five dies of preventable hunger and disease every 10 minutes, he said.He renewed a call for peace talks and urged all parties to allow the unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid by air, sea and land. "All infrastructure must remain open and operational," Guterres said.(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Terrible life full of violence:' Edmonton police charge two in toddler's death-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 24, 2017
EDMONTON — Police say a 19-month-old boy found dead outside a church last week was covered in bruises and was horribly abused before he was killed by a blow to the head.A passerby found the lifeless body of Anthony Joseph Raine outside the Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Edmonton on Friday. The boy was covered with a blanket. Police believe he had been dumped three days earlier.The toddler's father, Joey Crier, 26, and Crier's girlfriend Tasha Mack, 25, are charged with second-degree murder, criminal negligence causing death, failure to provide the necessaries of life and assault. Crier is also charged with assault causing bodily harm.Investigators say they don't have a motive."He suffered a lot of trauma," homicide Staff Sgt. Duane Hunter said Monday."He was living a terrible life full of violence and one that is incredibly sad that you don't even want to speak about. Bruises all over his body and I will leave it at that."Anthony was dressed in a light-blue snowsuit and was wearing new shoes — clothing that helped officers identify him thanks to tips from the public.Two suspects were identified on surveillance video from a nearby grocery store that police released on the weekend.Hunter said Crier and Mack were arrested on a city bus not long after.They appeared in court Monday via closed-circuit television and remain in custody until their next court date set for May 8.Hunter was asked if the family had been involved with social services or police before."No, there was nothing," he said.Family, friends and strangers poured out their grief on a Facebook group titled R.I.P. Anthony Joseph Raine.A GoFundMe page raising money for the boy's funeral identified the boy's mother as Dalyce Raine from the Louis Bull reserve, a First Nations community south of Edmonton."This sweet little man was not registered with our band, so we are fundraising to make a beautiful service," reads the GoFundMe page."He was the sweetest little boy you can meet."People upset by the toddler's death have posted messages of support."I am so sorry to Anthony's family on the loss of their sweet baby," wrote Karen George. "RIP beautiful boy."John Cotter, The Canadian Press.
World watching as Ontario copies Dauphin income experiment, says economist-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 24, 2017
An economist who studied Manitoba's experiment with minimum income in the 1970s says social scientists the world over will be interested to see how Ontario's rebirth of the program will play out.On Monday, Ontario's Liberals announced a three-year pilot project in Hamilton, Lindsay and Thunder Bay to see if providing residents with a basic income will improve social indicators like health outcomes and education."I think it's really exciting," said Evelyn Forget, a health economist with the University of Manitoba who in 2010 began looking at how Dauphin residents fared while receiving mincome or a guaranteed income."The world has changed since the 1970s," she said. "Employment itself has changed a lot."She said a fresh look at mincome in 2017 will give economists a clue into how this type of safety net might help workers of today — people navigating a much less predicable job market."In the 1970s people still expected to graduate from high school and to get a full-time job and to work for the same firm or industry for their entire career," she said. That's hardly the case now.From 1974 to 1978, 30 per cent of Dauphin's population was provided with a guaranteed level of income from the federal government.After interviewing participants in the study, Forget discovered high school completion rates increased during the experiment among young men."So instead of leaving school without complete high school and going to work, some of these boys decided to stay in school a little bit longer and to graduate," she said.She also found a drop in mental health issues in the community.They were less likely to be be complaining of depression or anxiety," she said."We found a significant reduction in hospitalizations. In fact an eight and a half per cent reduction," she said.Mincome in 2017 might help bridge gaps between short-term contracts so many young people entering the work force have to contend with."It can help make life a little bit easier for people trying to navigate this brave new world of employment that's very different from what it used to be."
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
France still anxious over possibility of Le Pen win By Eric Maurice-APR 25,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 15:01-Can Emmanuel Macron actually beat Marine Le Pen? As the centrist politician remains the favourite to win the French presidency on 7 May, doubts are emerging about his capacity to unite the French people against far-right leader in the election run-off."Between Macron and Le Pen, all is not done," said the popular Le Parisien newspaper on Tuesday, summarising the growing anxiety.On Sunday evening, the prevailing feeling was of relief that Le Pen did not come first and would face a moderate candidate in the run-off.But a sinking feeling is now emerging that Le Pen, who obtained a record 7.6 million votes on Sunday, is making use of dynamics that could take her to a shock win if anti-Le Pen voters do not mobilise for Macron on 7 May.According to the three opinion polls published since Sunday evening, Macron would win with 62 or 64 percent of the vote, to Le Pen's 36 or 38.On Sunday, Macron admitted that he needed to "gather [people] even more widely [and] reconcile France to win in and tomorrow preside our country".But the candidate, who was totally absent from the media on Monday, has come under criticism over the speech he gave to supporters, which was considered excessively celebratory and thin on the ground in terms of political content.He has also come under attack over the dinner he held afterwards in a chic Parisian brasserie with political allies, some staff and a few celebrity supporters.Critics said the event was reminiscent of Nicolas Sarkozy's controversial lush party at the Fouquet's restaurant when he was elected president in 2007."You understand nothing about life," Macron angrily told a journalist outside the Rotonde brasserie. He added that the dinner was "a heartfelt moment" and that he had "no lesson to take from the little Parisian circles".The event was used by the Le Pen's National Front (FN) to describe Macron, a former banker, as the candidate of the elite and the finance sector, as opposite to Le Pen, who said on Sunday that she was "the people's candidate".Le Pen's right-hand man, Florian Philippot, said that Macron's behaviour on Sunday was "arrogant" and "bling-bling", using a term that was often used to describe Sarkozy.In a TV interview on Monday evening, Le Pen insisted that "nothing in Emmanuel Macron's project, nor in his behaviour, denotes any proof of [his] love of France".-'Ten little points'-In an election where anti-establishment feelings led France's two main parties - the Socialist Party and the centre-right Republicans party - to be defeated in the first round, Macron has become the system's candidate to block the far-right.Le Pen mocked her opponent who "walks on a carpet of roses, with all the compliments from the press, in a kind of unanimity". She insisted that she was capable of catching up with him in the twelve days before the vote."Ten little points, believe me, it's totally doable," she said."I think we underestimate Marine Le Pen's result," Jean-Christophe Cambadelis, the head of the Socialist Party, warned on Tuesday morning radio."Despite a not so good campaign, she is in the second round," he noted, adding that a 40-percent result would be "a progression of 1 million votes" in comparison to the first round."She is marching forward," he said, referring to the name of Macron's movement, En Marche! The left-wing daily, Liberation, for its part, wonders whether Le Pen "can win 11 million voters between the two rounds" and beat Macron.Even if polls were accurate for the first round, predictions could be disrupted by voter abstentions, as many are wary of Macron, a newcomer with no structured party backing and an elitist image.To keep his lead ahead of Le Pen, Macron needs to convince other candidates' supporters to vote for him, especially those who voted for the two strongest contenders behind the two finalists, conservative Francois Fillon and radical left Jean-Luc Melenchon.In a contrast to 2002, when Jean-Marie Le Pen's qualification for the election's second round triggered massive demonstrations and mobilisation from right to left, a trending hashtag in social networks since Sunday is " #7maisansmoi" - 7 May without me.-Choice-Under this hashtag, social network users, many of them left-wing, say that Macron is an ultra-liberal and that his policies will be tough on poor people.A popular slogan says that they don't want to choose "between fascism and what feeds it".Melenchon, the candidate of the France Unbowed movement, an alliance of leftist parties including the Communist Party, has so far refused to support a vote for Macron. He received 7 million votes on Sunday - 19.58 percent.According to polls, however, a majority of left-wing voters are expecting to vote for Macron, including between 52 and 62 percent of Melenchon voters.On the right, Fillon's Republicans party said that "abstention cannot be a choice" and called on people to "vote against Marine Le Pen". It did not clearly support a vote in favour of Macron, because its supporters are divided over the issue, with a few leaders even saying to vote for Le Pen.On Sunday, Fillon said that he would vote for Macron and insisted that "extremism could only bring hardships and divisions to our country".But Common Sense, a conservative moment opposed to abortion and gay rights, has refused to vote against Le Pen. The movement, which says it has 10,000 members, has been seen as the most influential among the core of Fillon voters."How can we chose between chaos brought by Marine Le Pen and the political rotting [brought] by Emmanuel Macron," the movement's leader Christophe Billan said in an interview.-Dignity-After weeks of painting Macron as "baby Hollande" because he was an economy minister under the outgoing socialist president, leaders in the Republicans are having difficulties in being heard by militants when they now say that Macron shares the same "republican" and European values.Polls being published since Sunday suggest that between 23 and 33 percent of the 7.2 million Fillon voters would choose Le Pen, with up to 30 percent abstaining.To conceal the risk of losing an election that, for now, seems to be a sure bet, the Macron camp has called not to indulge in the satisfaction after Sunday's result."It is time that everyone comes back to their sense and understands that an election is never won in advance," En Marche's secretary general, Richard Ferrand, said on Tuesday in a radio interview."The dignity of the French men and women is to go to vote massively" to beat Le Pen, whose policies would "stunt" France, he added.
EU to exclude financial services from post-Brexit deal By Eszter Zalan-APR 25,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:05-The EU intends to exclude the financial services sector from a trade deal with the UK after Brexit, according to the latest tweaks in the EU's draft negotiating guidelines.EU citizens must also be granted permanent residency in the UK after 5 years of living there.The new text spells out that any free trade deal that would allow the City of London, Europe’s leading financial centre, continued access to EU markets would require that Britain continues to respect the EU's regulatory and supervisory standards.It serves a blow to British prime minister Theresa May, who has called an election for 8 June. In the letter she sent to the EU to notify UK's exit, she argued for an ambitious free trade agreement that covers financial services.However, France, Germany and other countries are looking to attract financial companies to Paris and Frankfurt, and other cities once the UK leaves the single market with Brexit.An earlier version only said that the future trade agreement should "not endanger financial stability in the Union and encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages".The new line was agreed by EU advisers to head of state and governments on Monday (24 April) in a preparatory meeting ahead of the Brexit summit on Saturday (29 April), according to Reuters.In another change in the draft guidelines, the EU wants to secure the right to acquire permanent residency in the UK for EU citizens who have continuously lived in the UK for five years, Bloomberg reported.The EU has already said in its guidelines that "agreeing reciprocal guarantees to safeguard the status and rights derived from EU law" for EU and UK citizens caught up in the process "will be the first priority for the negotiations" for the bloc.The new draft of the EU 27 will be discussed at a political level by European affairs ministers on Thursday, for a final preparation of Saturday's summit.
Greece will legislate reforms but implementation hinges on debt relief: PM-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece will legislate additional reforms sought by its lenders but implementing them in 2019 and 2020 is contingent on securing further debt relief, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Tuesday."We will obviously legislate (the measures) in order to secure a deal on debt relief," Tsipras told ANT1 television, saying he wanted a solution to Greece's debt mountain by the end of May."They won't be implemented... unless we get a solution on debt," he said. A sovereign government had the right to back out of a deal if its interlocutors did not respect it, he added.(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas and Renee Maltezou)
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
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
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)
Mixed review for EU asylum spots in Greece and Italy By Nikolaj Nielsen-APR 25,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:54-An EU scheme to shuffle incoming asylum seekers into centres in Greece and Italy is said to be "working," despite widespread reports of abuse and no insights into how EU money has been spent.Hans Gustaf Wessberg from the European Court of Auditors told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday (25 April) that so-called hotspots in both countries have "helped improve migration management" in terms of identifying, registering, and finger printing new arrivals.The conclusion was part of a broader report issued by the independent Luxembourg-based watchdog, which also noted major problems in the zones.It found, for instance, that children are being kept "in inappropriate conditions" on the Greek islands despite laws that require them to be taken care of.The hotspots in Greece and Italy were initially set up to screen and register people before sending them to the next phase of their possible asylum process.But widespread reports of suffering from the thousands stuck on Greek islands has highlighted flaws in a system often slammed by human rights defenders.The European Commission had itself described the conditions in some of the hotspots in Greece as "untenable" after refugees awoke to snow-covered camps in January without proper winter protection.Such suffering has been exasperated by political and administrative bottlenecks in EU states, which have largely failed to relocate people from the centres.Some have stayed in the camps for months, triggering protests, fights, fires, and hunger strikes.Reports of rape and suicide also figure among the long sheet of horrors documented at the Greek hotspots since last year's launch.Save the Children, an NGO, found children as young as nine who were self-harming, with others even trying to kill themselves. One child filmed his own suicide attempt."Self-harm is now so common, it's almost as if it's a hobby for some children in the hotspots," a staff member from the NGO was quoted as saying in a Save the Children report, which came out in March.The EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) earlier this month said that sexual and gender-based violence was a critical issue at the centres on the Greek islands of Lesvos and Samos.Pope Francis over the weekend also described the island hotspots as "concentration camps." The comment came after a visit he made last year to Lesbos."I never use that expression myself because I've been to Auschwitz," said the EU court's Wessberg, when asked about the Pope's description.-The mysterious money trail-Instead, Wessberg noted that he did not have the mandate to audit either of the countries and was unable to provide any assessment of how EU funds had been spent."We do not audit what takes place within Italy and Greece," he said.The EU commission has awarded Greece over €350 million in emergency funding since the beginning of 2015 and another €190 million in humanitarian support. Italy also received almost €63 million in emergency money.Neither country provided any reports on how that money was spent. The EU commission declined to comment when pressed for answers.Wessberg told EUobserver that the lack of data on such audits was not uncommon."Is this a big problem? Yes, it is a problem but you must remember that we have this plan to always go back to an audit field in a couple of years," he said.Such oversight is made more difficult because some of EU-funded programmes can only be assessed long after they have run their course.Many are also financed under from the EU's asylum, migration, and integration fund (Amif) and the internal security fund (ISF), both of which do not end until 2020.Instead, the auditors gauged hotspots in terms of how well they delivered services to asylum seeks and if people were being properly identified.Wesseberg said both countries had been slow in setting up their hotspots and require big improvements.Greece can only accommodate some 7,450 people, but hosts nearly twice as many on the islands. Italy was supposed to have six hotspots but only created four."We still insist that the further two are necessary," he said.Italy has hotspots in Tranto, Trapani, Pozzallo and Lampedusa. Greece has hotspots on the islands of Chios, Lesbos, Leros, Samos, and Kos.
US general in Afghanistan suggests Russia arming the Taliban-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 24, 2017
KABUL — The United States must confront Russia for providing weapons to the Taliban for use against American-backed forces in Afghanistan, top U.S. military officials said Monday.At a news conference with Defence Secretary Jim Mattis at his side, Gen. John Nicholson, the American commander in Afghanistan, wouldn't provide specifics about Russia's role in Afghanistan. But said he would "not refute" that Moscow's involvement includes giving weapons to the Taliban.Earlier Monday, a senior U.S. military official told reporters in Kabul that Russia was giving machine-guns and other medium-weight weapons. The Taliban are using the weapons in the southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar and Uruzgan, according to the official, who briefed journalists on intelligence information on condition of anonymity.Russia denies that it provides any such support to the Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan until the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Russia says contacts are limited to safeguarding security and getting the hard-line religious fundamentalists to reconcile with the government — which Washington has failed for years to advance. Russia also has promoted easing global sanctions on Taliban leaders who prove co-operative .Asked about Russia's activity in Afghanistan, where it fought a bloody war in the 1980s and withdrew in defeat, Mattis alluded to the increasing U.S. concerns."We'll engage with Russia diplomatically," Mattis said. "We'll do so where we can, but we're going to have to confront Russia where what they're doing is contrary to international law or denying the sovereignty of other countries.""For example," Mattis told reporters in the Afghan capital, "any weapons being funneled here from a foreign country would be a violation of international law."Mattis met with President Ashraf Ghani and other senior government officials just hours after the nation's defence minister and Army chief resigned over a massacre of more than 140 Afghan troops at a military base last Friday.The insurgent assault was the biggest ever on a military base in Afghanistan, involving multiple gunmen and suicide bombers in army uniforms who penetrated the compound of the 209th Corps of the Afghan National Army in northern Balkh province on Friday, killing and wounding scores. The death toll was likely to rise further.Referring to the Russians again, Nicholson said "anyone who arms belligerents who perpetuate attacks like the one we saw" isn't focused on "the best way forward to a peaceful reconciliation."Given the sophisticated planning behind the attack, he also said "it's quite possible" that the Pakistan-based Haqqani network was responsible. The Taliban claimed it carried out the attack.Nicholson recently told Congress that he needs a few thousand more troops to keep Afghan security forces on track to eventually handling the Taliban insurgency on their own. The Trump administration is still reviewing possible troop decisions.Mattis on Monday offered a grim assessment for Afghan forces fighting the Taliban."2017 is going to be another tough year," he said.Kabul was the final stop on Mattis' six-nation, weeklong tour. He is the first member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet to visit Afghanistan. As part of the administration's review of Afghan policy, Trump's national security adviser, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, visited Kabul last week to consult with Nicholson and Afghan officials.The war began in October 2001. The U.S. has about 9,800 troops in Afghanistan. They ended their combat mission against the Taliban in 2014 but are increasingly involved in backing up Afghan forces on the battlefield.Robert Burns, The Associated Press.
Sweden releases from custody second suspect over deadly truck attack-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish prosecutors said on Tuesday they had released a second suspect detained over possible involvement in a truck attack in Stockholm this month in which four people were killed.They said the person, who was detained on Sunday and has not been identified, was no longer a suspect in the case.As well as the four deaths, 15 people were injured on April 7 when a truck ran into pedestrians on a shopping street before crashing into a department store in the centre of the capital.The suspected driver, a failed asylum seeker from Uzbekistan, remains in custody.(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Spain arrests suspects with links to Belgian airport attack-[Reuters]-By Sonya Dowsett-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police said on Tuesday they had arrested nine men and raided 12 properties in Barcelona in an operation against suspected Islamist militants believed to be linked to last year's attack on Brussels airport.The operations were carried out in conjunction with Belgian and Moroccan police.At least three of those arrested were suspected of links to the Belgian suicide bombings in March of last year, which killed 31 people at the Brussels airport and on a metro train, Spain's High Court said in a statement.The nine arrested men were Moroccan apart from one Spaniard and were aged between 30 and 40, the police said. Most already had criminal records related to organised crime such as drug trafficking.Most had lived for more than 20 years in the northeastern region of Catalonia, although they often returned to Morocco for visits, the court said.House searches turned up documents, computers and memory drives that will now be analysed by authorities, as well as at least three guns and drugs including marijuana, the police and court said.Raids of houses in Morocco connected to the men are currently underway in collaboration with Moroccan police, the police said.The raids follow an eight-month investigation of a group of suspected Islamist militants with links to organised crime in the Barcelona area, the police said. The investigation remains open.Police said they started tracking the gang as a result of a tip-off from a member of the public. The tip-off was an anonymous call to police from a member of the public concerned about drug trafficking, La Vanguardia newspaper said.Not including Tuesday's arrests, Spain has detained 22 people in 16 separate operations this year in connection with Islamist extremism, according to Interior Ministry figures.(Additional reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Isla Binnie/Jeremy Gaunt)
Turkish PM says relations with EU at lowest point in recent times-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's relations with the European Union have reached their lowest point in recent times, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday, after a leading European human rights body put Turkey back on a watchlist.Yildirim told reporters Turkey would decide on what steps it would now take regarding the decision by the Strasbourg-based Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Nick Tattersall)
U.N., Russia warn against assault on main Yemeni port-[Reuters]-By Stephanie Nebehay-YAHOONEWS-April 25, 2017
GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations and Russian officials warned on Tuesday against any attack by Saudi-led coalition forces on the Houthi-held Yemeni port of Hodeidah, the aid lifeline for a country where millions of people are in desperate need of food.The warring factions must ensure deliveries of food and medical aid to starving people, senior U.N. officials said at a donor conference in Geneva.Nearly $1.1 billion has now been pledged towards a United Nations appeal of $2.1 billion for Yemen this year, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced, calling it a "remarkable success"."Across Yemen, hunger and malnutrition have reached unprecedented levels and the threat of famine looms large. The country is on the brink of catastrophe," said David Beasley, executive director of the U.N.'s World Food Programme.The government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the West, have been fighting the Houthi movement aligned with Iran for over two years in a war that has killed at least 10,000 people.A Saudi-led military coalition is preparing an assault on Hodeidah, which lies on the Red Sea and is the point of entry for nearly 80 percent of Yemen's food imports."The Hodeidah port is a critical lifeline," Beasley told the conference. "Any disruption to the port would gravely hamper efforts to prevent famine."Yemeni officials said earlier this month the government and its allies had positioned two brigades for a possible attack, one of them 230 km (140 miles) north of Hodeidah and the other 130 km (80 miles) to the south.-"NEW AID CORRIDORS"-But Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid Bin Daghr, whose government is based in the southern port of Aden and controls only part of the country, said it would allow access for aid supplies and was "ready to open new corridors for this aid".Saudi-led air strikes have hampered humanitarian operations to import food and fuel supplies, the United Nations says. Five cranes in Hodeidah port have been destroyed, forcing dozens of ships to wait offshore for their turn to dock.Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, said that mobile cranes brought to the port had a "quite small" capacity although some vessels had on-board cranes."We continue to advocate Hodeidah as the only sensible option because it's expensive everywhere else. (Hodeidah is)effective and efficient," he told Reuters.The coalition has accused the Houthis of using the port to smuggle weapons and has tried to block ships from entering.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the conference Moscow could not accept what he called a blockade."There are also worrying rumours about an assault on Hodeidah and then a move on (the capital) Sanaa; this is something we cannot allow to happen," he said.Guterres said nearly 19 million people, or two-thirds of Yemen's population, needed emergency aid. One child under the age of five dies of preventable hunger and disease every 10 minutes, he said.He renewed a call for peace talks and urged all parties to allow the unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid by air, sea and land. "All infrastructure must remain open and operational," Guterres said.(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
Terrible life full of violence:' Edmonton police charge two in toddler's death-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 24, 2017
EDMONTON — Police say a 19-month-old boy found dead outside a church last week was covered in bruises and was horribly abused before he was killed by a blow to the head.A passerby found the lifeless body of Anthony Joseph Raine outside the Good Shepherd Anglican Church in Edmonton on Friday. The boy was covered with a blanket. Police believe he had been dumped three days earlier.The toddler's father, Joey Crier, 26, and Crier's girlfriend Tasha Mack, 25, are charged with second-degree murder, criminal negligence causing death, failure to provide the necessaries of life and assault. Crier is also charged with assault causing bodily harm.Investigators say they don't have a motive."He suffered a lot of trauma," homicide Staff Sgt. Duane Hunter said Monday."He was living a terrible life full of violence and one that is incredibly sad that you don't even want to speak about. Bruises all over his body and I will leave it at that."Anthony was dressed in a light-blue snowsuit and was wearing new shoes — clothing that helped officers identify him thanks to tips from the public.Two suspects were identified on surveillance video from a nearby grocery store that police released on the weekend.Hunter said Crier and Mack were arrested on a city bus not long after.They appeared in court Monday via closed-circuit television and remain in custody until their next court date set for May 8.Hunter was asked if the family had been involved with social services or police before."No, there was nothing," he said.Family, friends and strangers poured out their grief on a Facebook group titled R.I.P. Anthony Joseph Raine.A GoFundMe page raising money for the boy's funeral identified the boy's mother as Dalyce Raine from the Louis Bull reserve, a First Nations community south of Edmonton."This sweet little man was not registered with our band, so we are fundraising to make a beautiful service," reads the GoFundMe page."He was the sweetest little boy you can meet."People upset by the toddler's death have posted messages of support."I am so sorry to Anthony's family on the loss of their sweet baby," wrote Karen George. "RIP beautiful boy."John Cotter, The Canadian Press.
World watching as Ontario copies Dauphin income experiment, says economist-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 24, 2017
An economist who studied Manitoba's experiment with minimum income in the 1970s says social scientists the world over will be interested to see how Ontario's rebirth of the program will play out.On Monday, Ontario's Liberals announced a three-year pilot project in Hamilton, Lindsay and Thunder Bay to see if providing residents with a basic income will improve social indicators like health outcomes and education."I think it's really exciting," said Evelyn Forget, a health economist with the University of Manitoba who in 2010 began looking at how Dauphin residents fared while receiving mincome or a guaranteed income."The world has changed since the 1970s," she said. "Employment itself has changed a lot."She said a fresh look at mincome in 2017 will give economists a clue into how this type of safety net might help workers of today — people navigating a much less predicable job market."In the 1970s people still expected to graduate from high school and to get a full-time job and to work for the same firm or industry for their entire career," she said. That's hardly the case now.From 1974 to 1978, 30 per cent of Dauphin's population was provided with a guaranteed level of income from the federal government.After interviewing participants in the study, Forget discovered high school completion rates increased during the experiment among young men."So instead of leaving school without complete high school and going to work, some of these boys decided to stay in school a little bit longer and to graduate," she said.She also found a drop in mental health issues in the community.They were less likely to be be complaining of depression or anxiety," she said."We found a significant reduction in hospitalizations. In fact an eight and a half per cent reduction," she said.Mincome in 2017 might help bridge gaps between short-term contracts so many young people entering the work force have to contend with."It can help make life a little bit easier for people trying to navigate this brave new world of employment that's very different from what it used to be."
