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)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
US: North Korean test missile explodes on launch-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — A North Korean missile exploded during launch Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said, a high-profile failure that comes as a powerful U.S. aircraft supercarrier approaches the Korean Peninsula in a show of force.It wasn't immediately clear what kind of missile was test-fired from the east coast city of Sinpo. But the failure will sting in Pyongyang because it comes a day after one of the biggest North Korean propaganda events of the year— celebrations of the 105th birthday of late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather.The North's test firing can be seen as a message of defiance to the Trump administration in Washington, coming as it does on the day U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence is set to arrive in Seoul for talks on North Korea.President Donald Trump was uncharacteristically quiet about the failed launch. In a statement, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Trump and his military team "are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment."Washington and Seoul will try hard to figure out what exactly North Korea fired. This matters because while North Korea regularly launches short-range missiles, it is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.The ultimate goal is to have a full array of nuclear-tipped missiles in response to what Pyongyang says is hostility by Washington and Seoul meant to topple its government. North Korea is thought to have a small arsenal of atomic bombs and an impressive array of short- and medium-range missiles.Many outside analysts believe that North Korea has not yet mastered the technology to build warheads small enough to place on long-range missiles, though some civilian experts say North Korea can already build nuclear-tipped shorter range missiles that have South Korea and Japan within its striking range.The U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement that Sunday's missile exploded on launch. South Korea's Defence Ministry said it was analyzing exactly how the North Korean launch failed. Neither military knew what kind of missile was fired.In Seoul, South Korea's presidential office convened a national security council meeting to examine security postures.Always high animosity has risen on the Korean Peninsula in recent months, as the United States and South Korea conduct annual war games that North Korea claims are invasion preparation and the North prepared for Saturday's anniversary celebrations. A U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, is heading to waters off Korea in a show of force.Analysts warn that even failed missile launches provide valuable knowledge to North Korea as it tries to build its weapons program. The country launched a long-range rocket and conducted two nuclear tests last year, including its most powerful to date.Aside from improving the technology, North Korean missile and nuclear tests are seen by outside analysts partly as efforts to bolster the domestic image of leader Kim Jong Un and apply political pressure on Seoul and Washington.Kim Jong Un has overseen three nuclear tests and a string of missile and rocket launches since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong Il, in late 2011.Another missile test from Sinpo failed earlier this month, when the rocket spun out of control and plunged into the ocean. That launch came shortly before Trump's first meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. China is North Korea's only major ally.The extended-range Scud missile in that earlier launch suffered an in-flight failure and fell into the sea off North Korea's east coast, according to U.S. imagery and assessments.Despite Sunday's failure, the North's previous claim to have used "standardized" warheads has led to worries that it was making headway in its push to develop small and sophisticated warheads to be topped on long-range missiles.Washington sees North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as a threat to world security and to its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea. The United States, South Korea and other countries have vowed to apply more pressure on the North, but so far nothing has worked to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program.Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid fell apart in early 2009.Foster Klug And Hyung-Jin Kim, The Associated Press.
U.S., allies weigh options after North Korea's missile test - adviser-[Reuters]-By Lucia Mutikani and Sue-Lin Wong-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
WASHINGTON/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest attempted ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act."We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options," national security adviser H.R. McMaster said on ABC's "This Week" program."This latest missile test just fits into a pattern of provocative and destabilizing and threatening behavior on the part of the North Korean regime," McMaster said.He said the president has asked the national security council to integrate the efforts of the Defense and State departments and U.S. intelligence agencies to develop options if "this pattern of behavior continues and if the North Korean Regime refuses to denuclearize.""There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue," McMaster said.The North Korean missile "blew up almost immediately" after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said.Hours later U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program. His visit comes a day after North Korea held a grand military parade in its capital city of Pyongyang, marking the birth anniversary of the state founder. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.Tensions have been steadily rising as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programs seen by Washington as a direct threat.Trump on Sunday acknowledged that the softer line he has taken on China's management of its currency was linked to China's help on the North Korea issue."Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way.South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world."But a U.S. foreign policy adviser travelling with Pence on Air Force Two sought to defuse some of the tension, saying the test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise."We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity."It's a failed test. It follows another failed test. So really no need to reinforce their failure. We don't need to expend any resources against that."The adviser said the missile's flight lasted four or five seconds.Pence, addressing an Easter service with American troops in South Korea, said the U.S. commitment to South Korea was unwavering."Let me assure you under President Trump's leadership, our resolve has never been stronger. Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger."Pence was beginning a 10-day trip to Asia in what his aides said was a sign of U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of rising tension.The U.S. nuclear-powered Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading to the region. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2p1yGTQ) China, which Trump has urged to do more to rein in North Korea, has spoken out against its weapons tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.China banned imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off its most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, said trading sources with knowledge of the order.-TENSIONS RISE-Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea.Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States."The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster told ABC.But McMaster, who was speaking from Kabul, Afghanistan, acknowledged the likelihood of North Korean retaliation if Washington uses military force in an attempt to stop its weapons programs."What (is) particularly difficult about -- about dealing with this regime, is that it is unpredictable," he said."It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said.South Korea, which hosts 28,500 U.S. troops and holds a presidential election on May 9, warned of punitive action if the Sunday launch led to further provocation."North Korea showing a variety of offensive missiles at yesterday's military parade and daring to fire a ballistic missile today is a show of force that threatens the whole world," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.The North has warned of a nuclear strike against the United States if provoked. It has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the mainland United States but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the same region this month, ahead of a summit between the United States and China in Florida to discuss the North's arms program.But that missile, which U.S. officials said appeared to be a liquid-fuelled, extended-range Scud, only flew about 60 km (40 miles), a fraction of its range, before spinning out of control.Tension had escalated sharply amid concern the North may conduct a sixth nuclear test or a ballistic missile test around Saturday's 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung, what it calls the "Day of the Sun".China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged views on the "situation on the Korean peninsula" by phone on Sunday, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. Yang said the two sides should maintain dialogue.-FLOWER SHOW-In Pyongyang, there was a festive atmosphere at a flower show, with families out, taking pictures with North Korean-made smart phones. There was no mention of the test failure by the KCNA state news agency.Company worker Rim Chung Ryol, 30, said he had not heard of the test."If it is a failure, then failure is the mother of success," he told Reuters.Factory worker Ri Gul Chol, 37, also had not heard about the missile test."But whatever Kim Jong Un decides and instructs will succeed and all the citizens will support him," he said.(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Ju-min Park in SEOUL, Joseph Campbell and Philip Wen in DANDONG, Christian Shepherd in BEIJING, Daniel Trotta in NEW YORK and Caren Bohan in WASHINGTON; Writing by Nick Macfie and Warren Strobel; Editing by Robert Birsel, Keith Weir and Diane Craft)
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)
Central Alberta First Nation declares state of emergency from heavy snowfall-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
A central Alberta First Nation has declared a local state of emergency after heavy snowfall cut power and water for more than 24 hours.Kehewin Cree Nation, a community of about 1,000 people 20 kilometres south of Bonnyville, lost power around 12:30 p.m. Friday. The power outage shut down the community's main waterline.Kehewin activated emergency response teams Saturday morning, sending health centre staff to check on sick, elderly and pregnant residents.The situation escalated to a local state of emergency at 3:30 p.m. Saturday."We're starting to get many homes with food spoilage," spokesperson Shannon Hambly said. "The homes that have taken in people are running out of resources."Some residents have taken in as many as 20 people, she said."I'm worried because we do have members who have been phoning in and they're worried about our elderly," Hambly said. "We have diabetics and we have people with heart conditions ... there's a lot of concern out there."Despite some repairs, half of the more than 250 homes in Kehewin are still without power. Water trucks are running low and struggling to access snowed-in homes, Hambly added."The homes have gotten a lot colder," she added. "We're trying to prepare in case we have to go without power for another 24 hours."A message to Kehewin's residents urged them to conserve water."If you have limited [water] or are running out of bottled water please call in so we can work on exchanging for fresh water to be dropped off," read the statement, posted to Facebook."If you have been without food or have no way to cook for yourself, please call in so something to eat could be delivered."Friday's snowstorm also damaged power lines of nearby communities in central and eastern Alberta, including St. Paul, Glendon, Bonnyville, La Corey, Ardmore and Cold Lake.Wet snowfall piled higher than 30 centimetres in some areas, snapping electrical lines as it froze."Heavy, wet snow swept across the central and northern portions of our province," said Brent Kobelka, ATCO director of distribution operations."It's created some power interruptions that our crews have been working to restore over the last couple days."Poor road conditions and deep snow are slowing ATCO crews, Kobelka added. All crews are working on a 24/7 rotation to restore power.Kobelka did not give an estimate for how many people have been affected or when power will be restored.
Flooding could force more than 100 from homes in Northern Manitoba-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
More than 100 people are expected to be forced from their homes in Northern Manitoba due to rising floodwaters.The residents are from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and are being forced from their homes due to ice jamming on the Saskatchewan River.Connie Wyatt-Anderson lives in the Carrot Valley region of Manitoba, about two kilometres west of where the evacuations are taking place. She said roads have been blocked off in the area."The water is tremendously high," Wyatt-Anderson said Saturday night when reached by phone.The Canadian Red Cross is taking care of evacuees.A Red Cross spokesperson said the evacuees would be taken to The Pas, Man. to stay in hotels.Opaskwayak Cree Nation is the latest Manitoba First Nation to be hit by floodwaters. The Red Cross is already providing services to evacuees from the following Indigenous communities:- Peguis First Nation.- Long Plain First Nation.- Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.- Canupawapka Dakota First Nation.- Waywayseecappo First Nation.Opaskwayak Cree Nation is located about 520 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
Flooding cuts off aid supplies, escape route from west Mosul-[Reuters]-By Ulf Laessing-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
THIBANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Flooding has made all bridges across the Tigris in and out of western Mosul impassable, cutting off aid supplies and escape routes for people fleeing the Islamic State-held part of the Iraqi city.With the bridges down, hundreds of civilians crossed the surging river on small wooden boats on Sunday, some carrying babies and all carting suitcases or bags full of clothes.They were some of the around 400,000 people still in western Mosul where Iraqi military forces are trying to dislodge IS from the Old City.Mosul's permanent bridges over the Tigris river have been destroyed during the fighting, but the army had built two pontoon bridges which had allowed people to flee to safety in the east, and aid to get through to a camp for the displaced on the western side of the river.But since the bridges were closed on Friday, no aid convoy has reached the Hammam al-Alil camp, southwest of Mosul, the main arrival point for displaced fleeing the fighting, a camp and a U.N. official said.It was unlcear whether the bridges had become submerged or damaged by the floods, but soldiers blocking the approach roads said they were unusable."The flooding has had a big impact. All road traffic has stopped," said an official at Hammam al-Alil, home to some 30,000 displaced people."We have limited supplies left."The camp, like other facilities in western Mosul, is supplied by road from Erbil, some 80 km (50 miles) to the east, in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region where aid agencies are based.Issam al-Jibouri, a displaced resident who went by boat to western Mosul to take supplies to needy relatives, said: "We urge more efforts to reconstruct the bridges or bring larger boats."Like others, he had to pay 1,000 Iraqi dinars ($1) for the brief trip."People are suffering," said Mohammed Ahmed, a villager.(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Iceberg (season) right ahead! N.L. tours start May 1-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
They are majestic, best seen up close, offer a unique way of chilling beverages — and the iceberg tourism season gets underway in less than three weeks."It's 18 more days. I'm counting them down now," said skipper Barry Rogers, who owns Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours, which has departures out of St. John's and Twillingate.Business is already booming, he said on Wednesday."We do a tremendous amount of online bookings and they're coming in by the dozens every day. So we're pretty happy about that."-Iceberg 'sweet spot'-Rogers said it looks to be a promising start to the season as "there are tons of bergs out there."He hopes they stick around — specifically, in the sweet spot."When they come in along the shoreline, and go grounded, we are very happy about that," he told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show. Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours offers two-to-three-hour tours that can accommodate up to 100 people. Rogers said the time and maximum distance of each excursion are important calculations because the Atlantic Ocean is anything but predictable.-'Bucket list destination'-Rogers said seeing an iceberg up close is truly a once-in-a-lifetime aspiration for a lot of people who come from across the world to visit the province."There are folks who have saved a half a lifetime to make this trip here to Newfoundland and Labrador. It's truly a bucket list destination."Rogers said simply viewing an iceberg is a wondrous experience in itself, but some get the rare opportunity to hear a berg "talk.""When the icebergs collapse, there's a lot of debris ice around the vessel and in the ice itself there are air bubbles that are pure oxygen ... And [the ice] of course begins to melt [in the water] and that hissing noise, like a bunch of cats hissing all the time," he said.Rogers said there is another added benefit to seeing icebergs while out to sea instead of from the shore."I mean, a splash of Demerara rum or Newfoundland Screech over 12,000-year old-iceberg ice, it's medicinal, I tell ya," he said."Folks love it."
POISONED WATERS
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land,(EARTH) because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
REVELATION 8:8-11
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:(bitter,Poisoned) and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.(poisoned)
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Ferry leaks 400 L of gear oil into Kootenay Lake, B.C.[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
The main car ferry that crosses Kootenay Lake, B.C., has leaked about 400 litres of gear oil into the lake, leaving a large slick on the water near the dock.The leak happened at about 9 a.m. PT on Saturday morning.A manager with Western Pacific Marine, the company that operates the ferry, said the leak was a result of the "catastrophic failure" of one of the Osprey 2000's four propulsion units while the vessel was in transit.Every measure was made to contain the leak, he said, and the company is still investigating the extent of the damage.The ferry is expected to be out of service for at least another month, he said.Interior Health is cautioning people to avoid recreational use along a 400-metre stretch of the shoreline next to the Balfour Ferry Terminal.The health authority said there doesn't appear to be any drinking water intakes in the area, but people should avoid swimming or letting their pets in the water there. According to DriveBC, a smaller capacity ferry, the MV Balfour, is still running on its winter schedule.With files from Bob Keating.
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)
20 arrested in California pro and anti-Trump rallies-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
BERKELEY, Calif. — At least 20 people were arrested after violence broke out Saturday between groups of supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump holding rallies in downtown Berkeley, authorities said.About 200 people were at Berkeley's Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park when several fights broke out. Dozens of police officers in riot gear standing nearby quickly arrested one man. Others were arrested after several skirmishes.Trump supporters announced earlier in the week that they were holding a "Patriot Day" at the park at noon that would feature speeches by members of the alt-right, an amorphous fringe movement that uses internet memes, message boards and social media to spread a hodgepodge of racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny and xenophobia. Counter-demonstrators then said they would hold a rally at the same place at 10 a.m.Police put in a makeshift barrier of plastic orange poles and orange fence mesh to separate both sides, but that quickly came down as demonstrators started punching and kicking each other, while pepper spray and firecrackers were thrown to the crowd.After the barrier was put back in place, demonstrators shouted at each other from a distance, the San Francisco Chronicle reported."You go back to the '60s," shouted a pro-Trump supporter."You go back to the 1400s," someone on the opposing side shouted back-The groups then left the park and walked on Berkeley streets with police closely following them. Photographs of the scene showed at least two men with bloodied faces.Authorities had said ahead of the rallies, that baseball bats, sticks, flagpoles and any items that could be used as a weapon were banned at the park. Officers on Saturday confiscated sticks, knives, flagpoles and helmets and sticks with signs on them.The rally followed March 4 demonstrations at the same park planned by some of the same groups and that ended in violent clashes. Several people were injured and police arrested 10 demonstrators.In February, protesters threw rocks, broke windows and set fires outside the University of California, Berkeley's student union building, where then-Breitbart News editor and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was set to speak. His presentation was cancelled.The Associated Press.
Pope decries 'vile' attack on Syrians in Easter address-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
VATICAN CITY — On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria.Both in his impromptu homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square and later in his formal "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis reflected on a litany of suffering in the world, including wars, oppressive regimes, human trafficking, corruption, famine and domestic violence.He encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith, acknowledging that many people wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering in the world.Some 60,000 people, including multi-national throngs of pilgrims and tourists, endured tight anti-terrorism security checks — and, later, a brief downpour — to hear Francis and receive his blessing.The crowd size, cited by the Vatican security forces, was smaller in comparison to some other Easters, when about 100,000 turned out for the occasion.After Mass, Francis toured the square in his open-topped, white popemobile and waved back to well-wishers.In his balcony address, Francis prayed that God would sustain those working to comfort and help the civilian population in Syria, "prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death."He cited the explosion Saturday that ripped through a bus depot in the Aleppo area where evacuees were awaiting transfer, killing at least 100 people."Yesterday saw the latest vile attack on fleeing refugees," the pope said, also praying for peace in the Holy Land, Iraq and Yemen.Separately, in a letter he sent to the bishop of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, whose name he chose for his papacy, the pope decried the "scandalous reality of a world still marked by the divide between the endless number of indigent" and the "tiny portion of those who possess the majority of riches and presume to decide the fates of humanity."Francis has repeatedly championed the dignity of migrants fleeing war, persecution or poverty. On Sunday he recalled "all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes."The church's first pontiff from Latin America voiced concern over the "political and social tensions" in the world as well as the "scourge of corruption" on his home continent. Francis also mentioned hostilities and famine plaguing parts of Africa.Speaking of Europe's problems, Francis cited the continued conflict and bloodshed in Ukraine and prayed for hope for those struggling with high unemployment, especially young people.Traditionally, the pope gives no homily during the late-morning Easter Mass, saving his reflections for the "Urbi et Orbi" message at noon.But Francis broke with that tradition, giving an off-the-cuff homily during Mass about what he described as a nagging question for many faithful: Why are there so many tragedies and wars if Jesus has risen from the dead, a belief that Christians celebrate each Easter?"The Church never ceases to say, faced with our defeats, our closed and fearful hearts, 'stop, the Lord is risen.' But if the Lord is risen, how come these things happen?" Francis asked.He gestured toward the potted hyacinths, tulips and daffodils, which came from the Netherlands, and which were arranged in neat rows on the steps leading to the imposing church.Easter "isn't a party with lots of flowers. This is pretty, but it's not this, it's more than this," Francis said.He said having faith on Easter gives sense in the middle of "so many calamities: the sense of looking beyond, the sense of saying, look, there isn't a wall, there's a horizon, there's life, there's joy."___Frances D'Emilio is on twitter at a href='http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio%3c'www.twitter.com/fdemilio/a-Frances D'Emilio, The Associated Press.
Turkish referendum "yes" lead narrows to 51.7 percent with 95 percent of ballots opened-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
ANKARA (Reuters) - Votes in favour of Turkish constitutional changes that would give President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers narrowed to 51.7 percent with around 95 percent of ballot boxes opened, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday."No" votes against the changes have taken the lead in Turkey's three biggest cities Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, as well as in the largely Kurdish southeast, data from Anadolu showed.(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
Pakistan hate speech investigation against clerics after student killed for alleged blasphemy-[Reuters]-By Jibran Ahmed-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, (Reuters) - Pakistani police opened a hate speech investigation involving two Muslim clerics on Sunday after the killing of a university student over allegations he committed blasphemy.The clerics are accused of attempting to disrupt the funeral of student Mashal Khan, who was beaten to death by fellow students after a dormitory debate was followed by accusations of blasphemy being spread across a university campus in the northern city of Maradan.University officials had issued a public notification hours before the murder naming three students being investigated for "blasphemous activities".Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive topic in Muslim majority Pakistan, where penalties range from small fines to the death sentence, and dozens of people are on death row in the country's jails.There have been at least 65 recorded cases of vigilante murders since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media.In a statement released to the press on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he was "shocked and saddened by the senseless display of mob justice that resulted in the murder of a young student, Mashal Khan, at Wali Khan University".Mardan police chief Alam Shinwari said 20 people had been identified as culpable in the killing on the basis of videos taken during the attack, and 15 had been arrested. He said they would be tried by anti-terrorism courts.Police say they are also investigating the clerics in Khan's hometown of Swabi, some 60 kilometers south of Mardan, for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings and instigate hatred against the dead student's family."The two clerics ... [used] the mosque loudspeaker for hate speech against the slain student and his family and ... created hurdles for the people and another cleric to participate in the funeral," a senior Swabi police official told Reuters. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by religious hardliners.A local imam had refused to lead the funeral prayers at Khan's funeral on Friday, according to Swabi resident Salman Ahmed. A technician who was asked to do so in the cleric's place was confronted by several people afterwards.In his press release, the prime minister said the perpetrators of the attack would be brought to justice."The nation should stand united to condemn this crime and to promote tolerance and rule of law in society," Sharif said.However, Pakistan's government has been vocal about blasphemy in recent months, with Sharif issuing an order in March for the removal of content deemed blasphemous online and threatening "strict punishment" for those violating the law.(Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Iraqi forces making new push toward Old City in Mosul-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces launched a new attack on Islamic State in Mosul's Old City on Sunday, military officials said, trying to break the stalemate in attempts to seize the militants' last stronghold.Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, was captured by the Sunni Muslim fighters in 2014, but government forces have retaken much of it during a six-month operation.The advance has hardly moved for more than a month, though, as the militants are holding out in the densely populated Old City in western Mosul, where tanks and heavy vehicles are not able to operate because of its narrow streets.Iraq's federal police moved forces 200 meters deeper into the Old City, getting closer to al-Nuri mosque, a statement said.The mosque is highly symbolic because it was there that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself head of a self-proclaimed caliphate.Troops have had the centuries-old mosque with its leaning minaret in their sights since last month.A captain in the federal police said Sunday's advance had started in the early morning with troops fighting the militants house to house."Daesh suicide motorcycles now are their favorite weapon inside the Old City," he said, using a derogatory name for Islamic State. "We have to watch every single house to avoid attackers on motorcycles packed with explosives."Iraqi government forces, backed by U.S. advisers, artillery and air support, have cleared the east and half of western Mosul and are now focused on the Old City.Some 400,000 people are trapped in the Old City while more than 300,000 have fled fighting since the operation started in October, officials have said.(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Isabel Coles; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
IS attacked Iraq forces with chemical weapons: military-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
Baghdad (AFP) - The Islamic State group used chemical weapons against Iraqi forces taking part in the operation to recapture Mosul, injuring some security personnel, the military said on Sunday.IS has periodically carried out attacks using chemical weapons, but both the toll and the impact on military operations has been minimal and the jihadists' bombs and bullets are far deadlier."The Daesh terrorist gangs tried to block the advance of our forces by using shells filled with toxic chemical material, but the effect was limited," Iraq's Joint Operations Command said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for IS.The attack on Saturday did not result in any deaths but did cause "limited injuries" among security personnel, the military command said.The statement said that the forces attacked were part of the massive operation aimed at recapturing the city of Mosul from IS, but did not specify if the attack took place in or outside the city.Iraqi forces are fighting to recapture west Mosul from IS after retaking the eastern side earlier this year, while soldiers and pro-government paramilitaries are also operating west of the city as part of the operation.The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.In addition to parts of western Mosul, IS also holds part of Iraq's Kirkuk province as well as areas in the country's west.
ITS NOW OVER 100 KILLED.
Mass evacuation in Syria to proceed after blast kill 68 kids-[Associated Press]-BASSEM MROUE-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
BEIRUT (AP) — More than 3,000 Syrians were expected to be evacuated Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer that was briefly stalled a day earlier by a deadly blast that killed more than 120 people, many of them government supporters.As the evacuations were expected to begin Sunday, shells fired by the Islamic State group on government-held parts of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour wounded two members of a Russian media delegation visiting the area, according to state-run Syrian news agency SANA. Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian journalists enjoy wide access in government-held parts of the country.The United Nations is not overseeing the transfer deal, which involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani. All four have been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal agreements that the U.N. says have hindered aid deliveries.Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said 3,000 people will be evacuated from Foua and Kfarya, while 200, the vast majority of them fighters, will be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.Abdurrahman said Saturday's blast —which hit an area where thousands of pro-government evacuees had been waiting for hours — killed 126. He said the dead included 109 people from Foua and Kfarya, among them 80 children and 13 women.No one has claimed the attack, but both the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front have targeted civilians in government areas in the past.A wounded girl, who said she lost her siblings in the blast, told Al-Manar TV from her hospital bed that children who had been deprived of food for years in the two villages were approached by a man in the car who told them to come and eat potato chips. She said once many had gathered, there was an explosion that tore some of the children to pieces.After the blast, some 60 buses carrying 2,200 people, including 400 opposition fighters, entered areas held by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, Abdurrahman said. More than 50 buses and 20 ambulances carrying some 5,000 Foua and Kfarya residents entered the government-held city of Aleppo, Syrian state TV said, with some of them later reaching a shelter in the village of Jibreen to the south.U.N. relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said he was "horrified" by the deadly bombing, and that while the U.N. was not involved in the transfer it was ready to "scale up our support to evacuees."He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to "facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the U.N. and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need."Residents of Madaya and Zabadani, formerly summer resorts, joined the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war. Residents of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.In eastern Syria, an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on the village of Sukkarieh near the border with Iraq killed eight civilians who had earlier fled violence in the northern province of Aleppo, according to Deir Ezzor 24, an activist collective, and Sound and Picture Organization, which documents IS violations.Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition had killed dozens of civilians over the past several weeks as the battle against the extremists intensifies in Syria and Iraq.
Iraqi Christians mark first post-IS Easter in recaptured town-[AFP]-Ali Choukeir-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
Qaraqosh (Iraq) (AFP) - Qaraqosh is quiet except for a church bell ringing as Iraqi Christians gather for the first Easter mass since the town was retaken from the Islamic State jihadist group.IS graffiti mars the walls of the Mar Yohanna church, its bell rings from a tower damaged in the fighting and most of Qaraqosh's residents are still displaced more than five months after the town's recapture.But for worshippers, the mass is a sign of hope and better things to come, a step on the road to recovery from the disaster that befell Qaraqosh when IS overran it in 2014."The mass today represents a major hope for the final return of all," says Qazwan Bulos Mousa, who attended the service with his wife and three children."We were the first family to return to the town, and now there are around four families, but life is difficult," he says.These difficulties include a lack of basic services, says Father Sharbel Aisso, who led the mass on Sunday."The infrastructure is destroyed, and there is also no water and no electricity," Aisso says.But the priest, who also organised Christmas mass at the church last year, does not hide his joy at being back in Qaraqosh."I entered the town three days after its liberation," he says."When I returned, I felt very, very happy because I saw these churches where I lived all my life in the priesthood."Around 100 people attended the Easter service at the Mar Yohanna church, a significantly smaller number than took part in a Palm Sunday service at another of the town's churches the week before.- A sign of hope -The bell of the Mar Yohanna church is rung by a member of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, an Assyrian militia that is deployed in Qaraqosh to guard the town."Holding the mass here today is a sign of goodness and hope," says Milad Mansour, an officer in the force.For Mansour, the victory over the jihadists is one of religious as well as military significance."We won a victory that is not only a victory in the war; the true victory is the victory of God over Satan," he says.Qaraqosh, also known as Hamdaniya or Bakhdida, was once one of Iraq's most important Christian towns.The extremists worked to erase any signs of Christianity from Qaraqosh after they overran the town in 2014 as part of a sweeping offensive that saw them seize around a third of Iraq.They smashed icons, toppled church bell towers and systematically chiselled out the crucifixes that once adorned each panel of the outer wall of the Mar Bahnam wa Sara church.House after house was torched or blown up, and the Mary al-Tahira church was defaced with the group's flag and threats.But despite the attack on his town and his faith, Anwar Yusef does not call for a response in kind."This is my first mass in Qaraqosh since my displacement three years ago," Yusef says."But we are here today to confirm that our message is a message of peace, and we do not have anything but love."
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
US: North Korean test missile explodes on launch-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — A North Korean missile exploded during launch Sunday, U.S. and South Korean officials said, a high-profile failure that comes as a powerful U.S. aircraft supercarrier approaches the Korean Peninsula in a show of force.It wasn't immediately clear what kind of missile was test-fired from the east coast city of Sinpo. But the failure will sting in Pyongyang because it comes a day after one of the biggest North Korean propaganda events of the year— celebrations of the 105th birthday of late North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather.The North's test firing can be seen as a message of defiance to the Trump administration in Washington, coming as it does on the day U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence is set to arrive in Seoul for talks on North Korea.President Donald Trump was uncharacteristically quiet about the failed launch. In a statement, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Trump and his military team "are aware of North Korea's most recent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment."Washington and Seoul will try hard to figure out what exactly North Korea fired. This matters because while North Korea regularly launches short-range missiles, it is also developing mid-range and long-range missiles meant to target U.S. troops in Asia and, eventually, the U.S. mainland.The ultimate goal is to have a full array of nuclear-tipped missiles in response to what Pyongyang says is hostility by Washington and Seoul meant to topple its government. North Korea is thought to have a small arsenal of atomic bombs and an impressive array of short- and medium-range missiles.Many outside analysts believe that North Korea has not yet mastered the technology to build warheads small enough to place on long-range missiles, though some civilian experts say North Korea can already build nuclear-tipped shorter range missiles that have South Korea and Japan within its striking range.The U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement that Sunday's missile exploded on launch. South Korea's Defence Ministry said it was analyzing exactly how the North Korean launch failed. Neither military knew what kind of missile was fired.In Seoul, South Korea's presidential office convened a national security council meeting to examine security postures.Always high animosity has risen on the Korean Peninsula in recent months, as the United States and South Korea conduct annual war games that North Korea claims are invasion preparation and the North prepared for Saturday's anniversary celebrations. A U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, is heading to waters off Korea in a show of force.Analysts warn that even failed missile launches provide valuable knowledge to North Korea as it tries to build its weapons program. The country launched a long-range rocket and conducted two nuclear tests last year, including its most powerful to date.Aside from improving the technology, North Korean missile and nuclear tests are seen by outside analysts partly as efforts to bolster the domestic image of leader Kim Jong Un and apply political pressure on Seoul and Washington.Kim Jong Un has overseen three nuclear tests and a string of missile and rocket launches since taking over after the death of his father, dictator Kim Jong Il, in late 2011.Another missile test from Sinpo failed earlier this month, when the rocket spun out of control and plunged into the ocean. That launch came shortly before Trump's first meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. China is North Korea's only major ally.The extended-range Scud missile in that earlier launch suffered an in-flight failure and fell into the sea off North Korea's east coast, according to U.S. imagery and assessments.Despite Sunday's failure, the North's previous claim to have used "standardized" warheads has led to worries that it was making headway in its push to develop small and sophisticated warheads to be topped on long-range missiles.Washington sees North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles as a threat to world security and to its Asian allies, Japan and South Korea. The United States, South Korea and other countries have vowed to apply more pressure on the North, but so far nothing has worked to stop Pyongyang's nuclear program.Six-nation negotiations on dismantling North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for aid fell apart in early 2009.Foster Klug And Hyung-Jin Kim, The Associated Press.
U.S., allies weigh options after North Korea's missile test - adviser-[Reuters]-By Lucia Mutikani and Sue-Lin Wong-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
WASHINGTON/PYONGYANG (Reuters) - The United States, its allies and China are working together on a range of responses to North Korea's latest attempted ballistic missile test, U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser said on Sunday, citing what he called an international consensus to act."We are working together with our allies and partners and with the Chinese leadership to develop a range of options," national security adviser H.R. McMaster said on ABC's "This Week" program."This latest missile test just fits into a pattern of provocative and destabilizing and threatening behavior on the part of the North Korean regime," McMaster said.He said the president has asked the national security council to integrate the efforts of the Defense and State departments and U.S. intelligence agencies to develop options if "this pattern of behavior continues and if the North Korean Regime refuses to denuclearize.""There is an international consensus now, including the Chinese leadership, that this is a situation that just cannot continue," McMaster said.The North Korean missile "blew up almost immediately" after its test launch on Sunday, the U.S. Pacific Command said.Hours later U.S. Vice President Mike Pence landed in South Korea for talks on the North's increasingly defiant arms program. His visit comes a day after North Korea held a grand military parade in its capital city of Pyongyang, marking the birth anniversary of the state founder. What appeared to be new long-range ballistic missiles were on display in the parade.Tensions have been steadily rising as Trump takes a hard rhetorical line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programs seen by Washington as a direct threat.Trump on Sunday acknowledged that the softer line he has taken on China's management of its currency was linked to China's help on the North Korea issue."Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem? We will see what happens!" Trump said on Twitter. Trump has backed away from a campaign promise to label China in that way.South Korea said the North's latest show of force "threatened the whole world."But a U.S. foreign policy adviser travelling with Pence on Air Force Two sought to defuse some of the tension, saying the test of what was believed to be a medium-range missile had come as no surprise."We had good intelligence before the launch and good intelligence after the launch," the adviser told reporters on condition of anonymity."It's a failed test. It follows another failed test. So really no need to reinforce their failure. We don't need to expend any resources against that."The adviser said the missile's flight lasted four or five seconds.Pence, addressing an Easter service with American troops in South Korea, said the U.S. commitment to South Korea was unwavering."Let me assure you under President Trump's leadership, our resolve has never been stronger. Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger."Pence was beginning a 10-day trip to Asia in what his aides said was a sign of U.S. commitment to its ally in the face of rising tension.The U.S. nuclear-powered Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group is also heading to the region. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2p1yGTQ) China, which Trump has urged to do more to rein in North Korea, has spoken out against its weapons tests and has supported U.N. sanctions. It has repeatedly called for talks while appearing increasingly frustrated with the North.China banned imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off its most important export. China's customs department issued an order on April 7 telling traders to return North Korean coal cargoes, said trading sources with knowledge of the order.-TENSIONS RISE-Trump's decision to order a cruise missile strike on a Syrian airfield this month, in response to what he said was Syria's use of chemical weapons, raised questions about his plans for reclusive North Korea.Pyongyang has conducted several missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions, and regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States."The president has made clear that he will not accept the United States and its allies and partners in the region being under threat from this hostile regime with nuclear weapons," McMaster told ABC.But McMaster, who was speaking from Kabul, Afghanistan, acknowledged the likelihood of North Korean retaliation if Washington uses military force in an attempt to stop its weapons programs."What (is) particularly difficult about -- about dealing with this regime, is that it is unpredictable," he said."It's time for us to undertake all actions we can, short of a military option, to try to resolve this peacefully," he said.South Korea, which hosts 28,500 U.S. troops and holds a presidential election on May 9, warned of punitive action if the Sunday launch led to further provocation."North Korea showing a variety of offensive missiles at yesterday's military parade and daring to fire a ballistic missile today is a show of force that threatens the whole world," South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Impoverished North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.The North has warned of a nuclear strike against the United States if provoked. It has said it has developed and would launch a missile that can strike the mainland United States but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering the necessary technology, including miniaturising a nuclear warhead.North Korea launched a ballistic missile from the same region this month, ahead of a summit between the United States and China in Florida to discuss the North's arms program.But that missile, which U.S. officials said appeared to be a liquid-fuelled, extended-range Scud, only flew about 60 km (40 miles), a fraction of its range, before spinning out of control.Tension had escalated sharply amid concern the North may conduct a sixth nuclear test or a ballistic missile test around Saturday's 105th anniversary of the birth of founding father Kim Il Sung, what it calls the "Day of the Sun".China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson exchanged views on the "situation on the Korean peninsula" by phone on Sunday, China's official Xinhua News Agency said. Yang said the two sides should maintain dialogue.-FLOWER SHOW-In Pyongyang, there was a festive atmosphere at a flower show, with families out, taking pictures with North Korean-made smart phones. There was no mention of the test failure by the KCNA state news agency.Company worker Rim Chung Ryol, 30, said he had not heard of the test."If it is a failure, then failure is the mother of success," he told Reuters.Factory worker Ri Gul Chol, 37, also had not heard about the missile test."But whatever Kim Jong Un decides and instructs will succeed and all the citizens will support him," he said.(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Ju-min Park in SEOUL, Joseph Campbell and Philip Wen in DANDONG, Christian Shepherd in BEIJING, Daniel Trotta in NEW YORK and Caren Bohan in WASHINGTON; Writing by Nick Macfie and Warren Strobel; Editing by Robert Birsel, Keith Weir and Diane Craft)
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)
Central Alberta First Nation declares state of emergency from heavy snowfall-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
A central Alberta First Nation has declared a local state of emergency after heavy snowfall cut power and water for more than 24 hours.Kehewin Cree Nation, a community of about 1,000 people 20 kilometres south of Bonnyville, lost power around 12:30 p.m. Friday. The power outage shut down the community's main waterline.Kehewin activated emergency response teams Saturday morning, sending health centre staff to check on sick, elderly and pregnant residents.The situation escalated to a local state of emergency at 3:30 p.m. Saturday."We're starting to get many homes with food spoilage," spokesperson Shannon Hambly said. "The homes that have taken in people are running out of resources."Some residents have taken in as many as 20 people, she said."I'm worried because we do have members who have been phoning in and they're worried about our elderly," Hambly said. "We have diabetics and we have people with heart conditions ... there's a lot of concern out there."Despite some repairs, half of the more than 250 homes in Kehewin are still without power. Water trucks are running low and struggling to access snowed-in homes, Hambly added."The homes have gotten a lot colder," she added. "We're trying to prepare in case we have to go without power for another 24 hours."A message to Kehewin's residents urged them to conserve water."If you have limited [water] or are running out of bottled water please call in so we can work on exchanging for fresh water to be dropped off," read the statement, posted to Facebook."If you have been without food or have no way to cook for yourself, please call in so something to eat could be delivered."Friday's snowstorm also damaged power lines of nearby communities in central and eastern Alberta, including St. Paul, Glendon, Bonnyville, La Corey, Ardmore and Cold Lake.Wet snowfall piled higher than 30 centimetres in some areas, snapping electrical lines as it froze."Heavy, wet snow swept across the central and northern portions of our province," said Brent Kobelka, ATCO director of distribution operations."It's created some power interruptions that our crews have been working to restore over the last couple days."Poor road conditions and deep snow are slowing ATCO crews, Kobelka added. All crews are working on a 24/7 rotation to restore power.Kobelka did not give an estimate for how many people have been affected or when power will be restored.
Flooding could force more than 100 from homes in Northern Manitoba-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
More than 100 people are expected to be forced from their homes in Northern Manitoba due to rising floodwaters.The residents are from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and are being forced from their homes due to ice jamming on the Saskatchewan River.Connie Wyatt-Anderson lives in the Carrot Valley region of Manitoba, about two kilometres west of where the evacuations are taking place. She said roads have been blocked off in the area."The water is tremendously high," Wyatt-Anderson said Saturday night when reached by phone.The Canadian Red Cross is taking care of evacuees.A Red Cross spokesperson said the evacuees would be taken to The Pas, Man. to stay in hotels.Opaskwayak Cree Nation is the latest Manitoba First Nation to be hit by floodwaters. The Red Cross is already providing services to evacuees from the following Indigenous communities:- Peguis First Nation.- Long Plain First Nation.- Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.- Canupawapka Dakota First Nation.- Waywayseecappo First Nation.Opaskwayak Cree Nation is located about 520 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.
Flooding cuts off aid supplies, escape route from west Mosul-[Reuters]-By Ulf Laessing-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
THIBANIYA, Iraq (Reuters) - Flooding has made all bridges across the Tigris in and out of western Mosul impassable, cutting off aid supplies and escape routes for people fleeing the Islamic State-held part of the Iraqi city.With the bridges down, hundreds of civilians crossed the surging river on small wooden boats on Sunday, some carrying babies and all carting suitcases or bags full of clothes.They were some of the around 400,000 people still in western Mosul where Iraqi military forces are trying to dislodge IS from the Old City.Mosul's permanent bridges over the Tigris river have been destroyed during the fighting, but the army had built two pontoon bridges which had allowed people to flee to safety in the east, and aid to get through to a camp for the displaced on the western side of the river.But since the bridges were closed on Friday, no aid convoy has reached the Hammam al-Alil camp, southwest of Mosul, the main arrival point for displaced fleeing the fighting, a camp and a U.N. official said.It was unlcear whether the bridges had become submerged or damaged by the floods, but soldiers blocking the approach roads said they were unusable."The flooding has had a big impact. All road traffic has stopped," said an official at Hammam al-Alil, home to some 30,000 displaced people."We have limited supplies left."The camp, like other facilities in western Mosul, is supplied by road from Erbil, some 80 km (50 miles) to the east, in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region where aid agencies are based.Issam al-Jibouri, a displaced resident who went by boat to western Mosul to take supplies to needy relatives, said: "We urge more efforts to reconstruct the bridges or bring larger boats."Like others, he had to pay 1,000 Iraqi dinars ($1) for the brief trip."People are suffering," said Mohammed Ahmed, a villager.(Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Iceberg (season) right ahead! N.L. tours start May 1-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
They are majestic, best seen up close, offer a unique way of chilling beverages — and the iceberg tourism season gets underway in less than three weeks."It's 18 more days. I'm counting them down now," said skipper Barry Rogers, who owns Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours, which has departures out of St. John's and Twillingate.Business is already booming, he said on Wednesday."We do a tremendous amount of online bookings and they're coming in by the dozens every day. So we're pretty happy about that."-Iceberg 'sweet spot'-Rogers said it looks to be a promising start to the season as "there are tons of bergs out there."He hopes they stick around — specifically, in the sweet spot."When they come in along the shoreline, and go grounded, we are very happy about that," he told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show. Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours offers two-to-three-hour tours that can accommodate up to 100 people. Rogers said the time and maximum distance of each excursion are important calculations because the Atlantic Ocean is anything but predictable.-'Bucket list destination'-Rogers said seeing an iceberg up close is truly a once-in-a-lifetime aspiration for a lot of people who come from across the world to visit the province."There are folks who have saved a half a lifetime to make this trip here to Newfoundland and Labrador. It's truly a bucket list destination."Rogers said simply viewing an iceberg is a wondrous experience in itself, but some get the rare opportunity to hear a berg "talk.""When the icebergs collapse, there's a lot of debris ice around the vessel and in the ice itself there are air bubbles that are pure oxygen ... And [the ice] of course begins to melt [in the water] and that hissing noise, like a bunch of cats hissing all the time," he said.Rogers said there is another added benefit to seeing icebergs while out to sea instead of from the shore."I mean, a splash of Demerara rum or Newfoundland Screech over 12,000-year old-iceberg ice, it's medicinal, I tell ya," he said."Folks love it."
POISONED WATERS
HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land,(EARTH) because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.
ZEPHANIAH 1:2-3
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD.
3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.
EZEKIEL 32:6-9
6 I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.
7 And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
8 All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.
9 I will also vex the hearts of many people, when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.
REVELATION 8:8-11
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:(bitter,Poisoned) and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.(poisoned)
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Ferry leaks 400 L of gear oil into Kootenay Lake, B.C.[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 15, 2017
The main car ferry that crosses Kootenay Lake, B.C., has leaked about 400 litres of gear oil into the lake, leaving a large slick on the water near the dock.The leak happened at about 9 a.m. PT on Saturday morning.A manager with Western Pacific Marine, the company that operates the ferry, said the leak was a result of the "catastrophic failure" of one of the Osprey 2000's four propulsion units while the vessel was in transit.Every measure was made to contain the leak, he said, and the company is still investigating the extent of the damage.The ferry is expected to be out of service for at least another month, he said.Interior Health is cautioning people to avoid recreational use along a 400-metre stretch of the shoreline next to the Balfour Ferry Terminal.The health authority said there doesn't appear to be any drinking water intakes in the area, but people should avoid swimming or letting their pets in the water there. According to DriveBC, a smaller capacity ferry, the MV Balfour, is still running on its winter schedule.With files from Bob Keating.
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)
20 arrested in California pro and anti-Trump rallies-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
BERKELEY, Calif. — At least 20 people were arrested after violence broke out Saturday between groups of supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump holding rallies in downtown Berkeley, authorities said.About 200 people were at Berkeley's Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park when several fights broke out. Dozens of police officers in riot gear standing nearby quickly arrested one man. Others were arrested after several skirmishes.Trump supporters announced earlier in the week that they were holding a "Patriot Day" at the park at noon that would feature speeches by members of the alt-right, an amorphous fringe movement that uses internet memes, message boards and social media to spread a hodgepodge of racism, anti-Semitism, misogyny and xenophobia. Counter-demonstrators then said they would hold a rally at the same place at 10 a.m.Police put in a makeshift barrier of plastic orange poles and orange fence mesh to separate both sides, but that quickly came down as demonstrators started punching and kicking each other, while pepper spray and firecrackers were thrown to the crowd.After the barrier was put back in place, demonstrators shouted at each other from a distance, the San Francisco Chronicle reported."You go back to the '60s," shouted a pro-Trump supporter."You go back to the 1400s," someone on the opposing side shouted back-The groups then left the park and walked on Berkeley streets with police closely following them. Photographs of the scene showed at least two men with bloodied faces.Authorities had said ahead of the rallies, that baseball bats, sticks, flagpoles and any items that could be used as a weapon were banned at the park. Officers on Saturday confiscated sticks, knives, flagpoles and helmets and sticks with signs on them.The rally followed March 4 demonstrations at the same park planned by some of the same groups and that ended in violent clashes. Several people were injured and police arrested 10 demonstrators.In February, protesters threw rocks, broke windows and set fires outside the University of California, Berkeley's student union building, where then-Breitbart News editor and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was set to speak. His presentation was cancelled.The Associated Press.
Pope decries 'vile' attack on Syrians in Easter address-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
VATICAN CITY — On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria.Both in his impromptu homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square and later in his formal "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis reflected on a litany of suffering in the world, including wars, oppressive regimes, human trafficking, corruption, famine and domestic violence.He encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith, acknowledging that many people wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering in the world.Some 60,000 people, including multi-national throngs of pilgrims and tourists, endured tight anti-terrorism security checks — and, later, a brief downpour — to hear Francis and receive his blessing.The crowd size, cited by the Vatican security forces, was smaller in comparison to some other Easters, when about 100,000 turned out for the occasion.After Mass, Francis toured the square in his open-topped, white popemobile and waved back to well-wishers.In his balcony address, Francis prayed that God would sustain those working to comfort and help the civilian population in Syria, "prey to a war that continues to sow horror and death."He cited the explosion Saturday that ripped through a bus depot in the Aleppo area where evacuees were awaiting transfer, killing at least 100 people."Yesterday saw the latest vile attack on fleeing refugees," the pope said, also praying for peace in the Holy Land, Iraq and Yemen.Separately, in a letter he sent to the bishop of Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, whose name he chose for his papacy, the pope decried the "scandalous reality of a world still marked by the divide between the endless number of indigent" and the "tiny portion of those who possess the majority of riches and presume to decide the fates of humanity."Francis has repeatedly championed the dignity of migrants fleeing war, persecution or poverty. On Sunday he recalled "all those forced to leave their homelands as a result of armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, famine and oppressive regimes."The church's first pontiff from Latin America voiced concern over the "political and social tensions" in the world as well as the "scourge of corruption" on his home continent. Francis also mentioned hostilities and famine plaguing parts of Africa.Speaking of Europe's problems, Francis cited the continued conflict and bloodshed in Ukraine and prayed for hope for those struggling with high unemployment, especially young people.Traditionally, the pope gives no homily during the late-morning Easter Mass, saving his reflections for the "Urbi et Orbi" message at noon.But Francis broke with that tradition, giving an off-the-cuff homily during Mass about what he described as a nagging question for many faithful: Why are there so many tragedies and wars if Jesus has risen from the dead, a belief that Christians celebrate each Easter?"The Church never ceases to say, faced with our defeats, our closed and fearful hearts, 'stop, the Lord is risen.' But if the Lord is risen, how come these things happen?" Francis asked.He gestured toward the potted hyacinths, tulips and daffodils, which came from the Netherlands, and which were arranged in neat rows on the steps leading to the imposing church.Easter "isn't a party with lots of flowers. This is pretty, but it's not this, it's more than this," Francis said.He said having faith on Easter gives sense in the middle of "so many calamities: the sense of looking beyond, the sense of saying, look, there isn't a wall, there's a horizon, there's life, there's joy."___Frances D'Emilio is on twitter at a href='http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio%3c'www.twitter.com/fdemilio/a-Frances D'Emilio, The Associated Press.
Turkish referendum "yes" lead narrows to 51.7 percent with 95 percent of ballots opened-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
ANKARA (Reuters) - Votes in favour of Turkish constitutional changes that would give President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers narrowed to 51.7 percent with around 95 percent of ballot boxes opened, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday."No" votes against the changes have taken the lead in Turkey's three biggest cities Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, as well as in the largely Kurdish southeast, data from Anadolu showed.(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Nick Tattersall)
Pakistan hate speech investigation against clerics after student killed for alleged blasphemy-[Reuters]-By Jibran Ahmed-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, (Reuters) - Pakistani police opened a hate speech investigation involving two Muslim clerics on Sunday after the killing of a university student over allegations he committed blasphemy.The clerics are accused of attempting to disrupt the funeral of student Mashal Khan, who was beaten to death by fellow students after a dormitory debate was followed by accusations of blasphemy being spread across a university campus in the northern city of Maradan.University officials had issued a public notification hours before the murder naming three students being investigated for "blasphemous activities".Blasphemy is an extremely sensitive topic in Muslim majority Pakistan, where penalties range from small fines to the death sentence, and dozens of people are on death row in the country's jails.There have been at least 65 recorded cases of vigilante murders since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media.In a statement released to the press on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he was "shocked and saddened by the senseless display of mob justice that resulted in the murder of a young student, Mashal Khan, at Wali Khan University".Mardan police chief Alam Shinwari said 20 people had been identified as culpable in the killing on the basis of videos taken during the attack, and 15 had been arrested. He said they would be tried by anti-terrorism courts.Police say they are also investigating the clerics in Khan's hometown of Swabi, some 60 kilometers south of Mardan, for attempting to disrupt funeral proceedings and instigate hatred against the dead student's family."The two clerics ... [used] the mosque loudspeaker for hate speech against the slain student and his family and ... created hurdles for the people and another cleric to participate in the funeral," a senior Swabi police official told Reuters. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by religious hardliners.A local imam had refused to lead the funeral prayers at Khan's funeral on Friday, according to Swabi resident Salman Ahmed. A technician who was asked to do so in the cleric's place was confronted by several people afterwards.In his press release, the prime minister said the perpetrators of the attack would be brought to justice."The nation should stand united to condemn this crime and to promote tolerance and rule of law in society," Sharif said.However, Pakistan's government has been vocal about blasphemy in recent months, with Sharif issuing an order in March for the removal of content deemed blasphemous online and threatening "strict punishment" for those violating the law.(Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Iraqi forces making new push toward Old City in Mosul-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces launched a new attack on Islamic State in Mosul's Old City on Sunday, military officials said, trying to break the stalemate in attempts to seize the militants' last stronghold.Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, was captured by the Sunni Muslim fighters in 2014, but government forces have retaken much of it during a six-month operation.The advance has hardly moved for more than a month, though, as the militants are holding out in the densely populated Old City in western Mosul, where tanks and heavy vehicles are not able to operate because of its narrow streets.Iraq's federal police moved forces 200 meters deeper into the Old City, getting closer to al-Nuri mosque, a statement said.The mosque is highly symbolic because it was there that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared himself head of a self-proclaimed caliphate.Troops have had the centuries-old mosque with its leaning minaret in their sights since last month.A captain in the federal police said Sunday's advance had started in the early morning with troops fighting the militants house to house."Daesh suicide motorcycles now are their favorite weapon inside the Old City," he said, using a derogatory name for Islamic State. "We have to watch every single house to avoid attackers on motorcycles packed with explosives."Iraqi government forces, backed by U.S. advisers, artillery and air support, have cleared the east and half of western Mosul and are now focused on the Old City.Some 400,000 people are trapped in the Old City while more than 300,000 have fled fighting since the operation started in October, officials have said.(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Isabel Coles; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
IS attacked Iraq forces with chemical weapons: military-[AFP]-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
Baghdad (AFP) - The Islamic State group used chemical weapons against Iraqi forces taking part in the operation to recapture Mosul, injuring some security personnel, the military said on Sunday.IS has periodically carried out attacks using chemical weapons, but both the toll and the impact on military operations has been minimal and the jihadists' bombs and bullets are far deadlier."The Daesh terrorist gangs tried to block the advance of our forces by using shells filled with toxic chemical material, but the effect was limited," Iraq's Joint Operations Command said in a statement, using an Arabic acronym for IS.The attack on Saturday did not result in any deaths but did cause "limited injuries" among security personnel, the military command said.The statement said that the forces attacked were part of the massive operation aimed at recapturing the city of Mosul from IS, but did not specify if the attack took place in or outside the city.Iraqi forces are fighting to recapture west Mosul from IS after retaking the eastern side earlier this year, while soldiers and pro-government paramilitaries are also operating west of the city as part of the operation.The jihadist group overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.In addition to parts of western Mosul, IS also holds part of Iraq's Kirkuk province as well as areas in the country's west.
ITS NOW OVER 100 KILLED.
Mass evacuation in Syria to proceed after blast kill 68 kids-[Associated Press]-BASSEM MROUE-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
BEIRUT (AP) — More than 3,000 Syrians were expected to be evacuated Sunday from four areas as part of a population transfer that was briefly stalled a day earlier by a deadly blast that killed more than 120 people, many of them government supporters.As the evacuations were expected to begin Sunday, shells fired by the Islamic State group on government-held parts of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour wounded two members of a Russian media delegation visiting the area, according to state-run Syrian news agency SANA. Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Russian journalists enjoy wide access in government-held parts of the country.The United Nations is not overseeing the transfer deal, which involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani. All four have been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal agreements that the U.N. says have hindered aid deliveries.Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said 3,000 people will be evacuated from Foua and Kfarya, while 200, the vast majority of them fighters, will be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.Abdurrahman said Saturday's blast —which hit an area where thousands of pro-government evacuees had been waiting for hours — killed 126. He said the dead included 109 people from Foua and Kfarya, among them 80 children and 13 women.No one has claimed the attack, but both the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front have targeted civilians in government areas in the past.A wounded girl, who said she lost her siblings in the blast, told Al-Manar TV from her hospital bed that children who had been deprived of food for years in the two villages were approached by a man in the car who told them to come and eat potato chips. She said once many had gathered, there was an explosion that tore some of the children to pieces.After the blast, some 60 buses carrying 2,200 people, including 400 opposition fighters, entered areas held by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, Abdurrahman said. More than 50 buses and 20 ambulances carrying some 5,000 Foua and Kfarya residents entered the government-held city of Aleppo, Syrian state TV said, with some of them later reaching a shelter in the village of Jibreen to the south.U.N. relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said he was "horrified" by the deadly bombing, and that while the U.N. was not involved in the transfer it was ready to "scale up our support to evacuees."He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to "facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the U.N. and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need."Residents of Madaya and Zabadani, formerly summer resorts, joined the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war. Residents of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.In eastern Syria, an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition on the village of Sukkarieh near the border with Iraq killed eight civilians who had earlier fled violence in the northern province of Aleppo, according to Deir Ezzor 24, an activist collective, and Sound and Picture Organization, which documents IS violations.Airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition had killed dozens of civilians over the past several weeks as the battle against the extremists intensifies in Syria and Iraq.
Iraqi Christians mark first post-IS Easter in recaptured town-[AFP]-Ali Choukeir-YAHOONEWS-April 16, 2017
Qaraqosh (Iraq) (AFP) - Qaraqosh is quiet except for a church bell ringing as Iraqi Christians gather for the first Easter mass since the town was retaken from the Islamic State jihadist group.IS graffiti mars the walls of the Mar Yohanna church, its bell rings from a tower damaged in the fighting and most of Qaraqosh's residents are still displaced more than five months after the town's recapture.But for worshippers, the mass is a sign of hope and better things to come, a step on the road to recovery from the disaster that befell Qaraqosh when IS overran it in 2014."The mass today represents a major hope for the final return of all," says Qazwan Bulos Mousa, who attended the service with his wife and three children."We were the first family to return to the town, and now there are around four families, but life is difficult," he says.These difficulties include a lack of basic services, says Father Sharbel Aisso, who led the mass on Sunday."The infrastructure is destroyed, and there is also no water and no electricity," Aisso says.But the priest, who also organised Christmas mass at the church last year, does not hide his joy at being back in Qaraqosh."I entered the town three days after its liberation," he says."When I returned, I felt very, very happy because I saw these churches where I lived all my life in the priesthood."Around 100 people attended the Easter service at the Mar Yohanna church, a significantly smaller number than took part in a Palm Sunday service at another of the town's churches the week before.- A sign of hope -The bell of the Mar Yohanna church is rung by a member of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units, an Assyrian militia that is deployed in Qaraqosh to guard the town."Holding the mass here today is a sign of goodness and hope," says Milad Mansour, an officer in the force.For Mansour, the victory over the jihadists is one of religious as well as military significance."We won a victory that is not only a victory in the war; the true victory is the victory of God over Satan," he says.Qaraqosh, also known as Hamdaniya or Bakhdida, was once one of Iraq's most important Christian towns.The extremists worked to erase any signs of Christianity from Qaraqosh after they overran the town in 2014 as part of a sweeping offensive that saw them seize around a third of Iraq.They smashed icons, toppled church bell towers and systematically chiselled out the crucifixes that once adorned each panel of the outer wall of the Mar Bahnam wa Sara church.House after house was torched or blown up, and the Mary al-Tahira church was defaced with the group's flag and threats.But despite the attack on his town and his faith, Anwar Yusef does not call for a response in kind."This is my first mass in Qaraqosh since my displacement three years ago," Yusef says."But we are here today to confirm that our message is a message of peace, and we do not have anything but love."
