JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Focus-EU satellite states could be part of Brexit deal By Aleksandra Eriksson-MAY 17,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway could be part of the EU's deal with the UK after the latter leaves the bloc in April 2019."Solutions to soften the landing should be available to us," Liechtenstein's foreign minister Aurelia Frick said on Tuesday (16 May), ahead of a meeting with the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and Maltese deputy prime minister Louis Grech, whose country holds the EU presidency."When the EU is negotiating the divorce from the UK, it automatically means a divorce from the EEA-EFTA countries as well," she said, referring to the European Economic Area (EEA), to which Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland belong, along with all EU member states.Under a nightmare scenario, the EU would find a good deal for itself but forget about the EEA countries."I call it the EEA cliff," Frick said.Together with Switzerland, the EEA trio forms the European free trade area (EFTA), but Swiss people rejected being part of the EEA and have bilateral relations with the EU instead.EEA countries implement EU law, but have no say over its making.Instead, the EEA council meets with the EU twice a year and provides political impetus to the relationship.Frick said that the three countries were "not first thing on the EU's mind when dealing with Brexit", but she insisted that they were "in the same boat" as the EU on border protection, police cooperation and asylum policy."We are not ordinary third countries, but the EU's closest partners and friends," she said.She added it was necessary to clarify how the rights of persons and companies acquired through the EEA treaty could be maintained after Brexit.Her colleague, Norway's EU minister Frank Bakke Jensen, said it was important to regularly remind EU institutions of the EEA countries' interests."Barnier sees EU members as his first priority. EEA countries are priority number two," the minister told Norwegian press agency NTB.But the EEA countries, in their meeting with Barnier, managed to secure a promise that they would not only be kept informed, but also consulted about the Brexit negotiations.The UK has not yet triggered a clause in the EEA treaty, notifying the EU that it intends to leave the EEA.If it neglects this formal obligation, the clause will likely be triggered by the EU, said Dag Werno Hotler, deputy secretary general of EFTA.“The agreement is only available to EU and EFTA members,” he said.Frick and Bakke Jensen said they were "open-minded" about the UK re-joining EFTA, an organisation it helped to found in the 1960s."But the initiative would have to come from the UK. For the moment, the question is not on the table," the ministers said.Bakke-Jensen said that the EEA cooperation worked well."The EEA agreement has proven it is viable, useful, possible to adapt to an ever changing landscape and still relevant for us,” he said."Our relationship with the EU is a dynamic relationship. When EU changes its laws and agreement we do the same. We are working on this every day," he said.Frick also said the institutions worked smoothly, and the problem was that few people knew about it."As a minister, I try to raise awareness about the EEA and the fact that it's actually functioning very well. In a time of populism and globalisation critics, we should be very happy that we have unexciting integration politics”, she said.
EU wants Brexit talks to start the day after UK vote By Eszter Zalan-MAY 17,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 12:59-The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Wednesday (17 May) that negotiations between the EU and the UK should start "as soon as possible, the day after the [UK] elections," which will be held on 8 June."We want to conclude a deal with the UK, not against the UK," Barnier told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, adding that there is not much time to conclude a good deal."We have to create the foundations of ongoing trust, that we need to build the future relationship with the UK," he said, stressing the need for an orderly withdrawal agreement."We are going to have to unravel 44 years of integration, […] no one should underestimate any of the consequences, we need to tell the truth to the citizens,” the negotiator stressed.Also speaking in Strasbourg, European Council president Donald Tusk said EU countries will update the Brexit guidelines once negotiations move beyond the divorce deal with the UK."We will make our guidelines more precise when the time comes, namely when sufficient progress in the first phase is achieved," Tusk told MEPs.The guidelines adopted by the EU-27 last month are the key points the bloc wants to settle with the UK before moving on to discuss the future relations.EU countries said that "sufficient progress" needs to be achieved on guaranteeing citizens' rights, settling the UK's financial obligations and ensuring that no hard border is established between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.The governments of the 27 member states will decide when to move from divorce negotiations onto trade talks.Based on the guidelines, EU ministers will adopt the more detailed "negotiating principles" on the key issues next Monday, completing the bloc's Brexit preparations.Tusk warned on Wednesday that the UK's trade agreement with the EU cannot provide access to the single market."It is clear that a free trade agreement between the EU and the UK, which is what the UK has chosen, even if it is ambitious and wide-ranging, cannot mean participation in the single market or its parts," he said.The European Council chief also emphasised that any future trade agreement must have safeguards."The UK must be aware that any free trade agreement will have to ensure a level playing field, and encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages through, inter alia, tax, social, environmental and regulatory measures and practices," he warned.Brexit campaigner and former leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip), Nigel Farage, attempted to hit back by criticising the EU for allegedly leaking information from the dinner meeting between UK prime minister Theresa May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.Juncker reportedly said that May was delusional and lived in a "different galaxy"."Your attempts to bully the Brits are not working," Farage said, adding that the UK should walk away from the EU before the end of the year.MEPs also praised what they see as the defeat of populist forces across Europe in elections, such as in the Netherlands and France, since the Brexit vote.Others warned not to be complacent after the defeat of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen or Dutch anti-immigrant, anti-EU politician Geert Wilders."People in Europe have been shocked by the UK's decision to leave the EU. For good reason people are very critical of the EU, but they don’t want to do what the UK did, [they] don’t want to leave the EU," liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt said, urging reform.
Opinion-EU audiovisual reform will create a nanny state By Yana Toom-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 16. May, 17:27-Twenty-eight versions of Facebook, a nanny state and censorship of the internet: those could be the consequences if the European Parliament's position on the directive regulating the provision of audiovisual media services (AVMS) enters into force.On Monday (15 May), the two German co-rapporteurs, Sabine Verheyen from the centre-right EPP group, and Social Democrat Petra Kammerevert, received the parliament's mandate to begin informal trilogue negotiations with the European Commission and Council of the EU on the final version of the text.Their report was originally adopted on 25 April, at a meeting of the parliament's committee on culture and education (Cult), by 18 out of 33 members. According to the parliament's new rules of procedure, the committee report constitutes the house's position, without the need for a broader parliamentary discussion.The file will be put on the table this autumn, while Estonia holds the council presidency. My country, made world-famous for its broad implementation of digital technologies, ironically risks going down in history as the accomplice to the establishment of state censorship of social networks in Europe.-But first thing's first.-The directive-The initiative to update the audiovisual media services (AVMS) directive came from the European Commission and was completely justified.Much has changed since the initial rules for audiovisual media in Europe were first put in place. In particular, the Internet has challenged the role of television as a source of information and as an advertising platform.But the reform was compromised when the parliament appointed the two rapporteurs, who are both board members of Germany's public broadcaster. This means that not only do they represent a single country, but they also have an obvious conflict of interests.The rapporteurs have turned the commission's proposal into an instrument to destroy the competitive advantage of the internet over normal television.Moreover, the definition of a video-sharing platform (VSP) has been changed in such a way that all social networks with a video function are also subsumed into the category. If today's version of the AVMS directive regulates YouTube, tomorrow it will also cover Facebook, Twitter and the like.Social networks, and their users, do not suffer from a lack of regulation. Even today, Facebook removes posts containing incitement to violence and hatred, promoting drugs, pornography, and so on. It also has its own set of rules in terms of advertisement.The biggest change will be a ban on so-called product placement: the exposure of a product of a certain brand.How exactly Brussels will complicate the lives of food and beauty bloggers will only be known by the end of trilogue talks, but it is already clear that the on-camera cooking of Barilla pasta in a pot by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will no longer be possible.-Think of the children-Another change to the directive is the proposal to supervise the moral development of children.It sounds good, as long as you forget that there is no such thing as a legal definition of moral development.Already today, social networks are required to block posts that are harmful to the physical or mental development of children - say, for example, the Blue Whale suicide challenge, a sinister online "game" that promotes self-harm.Well, according to the rapporteurs, the state will now supervise such moral development.The colourful map of the EU features a dozen countries where there are night and day differences in views on morality.Are single mothers morally correct? We have just had a discussion about that in Estonia. What about sexual education in school? Or homosexuality? Disputes about euthanasia? Contraception? Abortion? Criticism of power? The list could be continued indefinitely. And, given recent electoral tendencies, one can be sure that there are people wishing to use the regulation so that even adults will not see posts that their government has deemed immoral.Meanwhile, social networks are a mini-model of the common digital market - the very space without borders that helps us understand each other and makes us stronger. The new directive, however, is aimed at building walls.Who will control all this? Monitoring bodies, or national regulatory authorities. The rapporteurs did not take on board a proposed requirement to make these bodies independent, both legally and functionally.Estonia's position, as presented to the council, coincides with the position of the rapporteurs.I hope this is a misunderstanding, because anything else means we are ready to entrust control over mass media, social networks and moral development of our children to a group of MEPs and board members of public broadcasters, appointed with the blessing of the ruling coalitions.I have raised only three of at least ten absurd provisions contained in the parliament's position, which amounts to a total of 70 pages.Documents of this size are read only by MEPs directly working with them. In our case, this means the two main and seven shadow rapporteurs. These nine form the line of their political groups, reporting on the file at their meetings.Unfortunately, neither the centre-right EPP nor the centre-left Social Democrats have ever discussed the AVMS directive, mainly because they believe files in the Cult committee are non-controversial.At group meetings, everyone wants to speak about the budget or Brexit, not something called the "review of the audiovisual media services directive".The rapporteurs took advantage of this.-A bad reform-But the unfortunate reform can still be avoided.As Alde coordinator in the culture committee and shadow rapporteur on the directive, I will do my best to re-open the mandate.Our group, with the support of radical-left GUE, eurosceptic EFDD and conservative ECR, has requested that the issue is voted on by the plenary.We will do our best to convince other MEPs, but we have little time: the vote should take place on Thursday.And half of the British MEPs - who share our position - will not be in Strasbourg, as the UK election campaign is in full swing.There is a serious chance that the European Parliament's official position on audiovisual services will be to legalise state censorship in social networks.Yana Toom is a liberal MEP from Estonia, a shadow rapporteur for the audiovisual media services directive and the liberal coordinator in the European Parliament's committee of culture and education.
MEPs preparing to crack down on Orban By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 16. May, 18:10-The European Parliament is preparing to call on member states to launch proceedings against Hungary’s illiberal rule in what would be a historic first for the EU.Several EU officials told EUobserver on Tuesday (16 May) that they expected sufficient members of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) to abstain or to vote for a joint resolution to that effect for it to get through on Wednesday.The demand, tabled by the socialist, far-left, liberal and green parties, urges EU states to make use of the so-called Article 7 procedure.The procedure is designed to rein in member states that violate EU values and could lead to the suspension of their EU Council voting rights.It was created after a far-right party joined Austria’s government in the early 2000s, but has never been used.The draft resolution says that "that the current situation in Hungary represents a clear risk of a serious breach” of European values stated in Article 2 of the treaties, such as rule of law, and that this "warrants the launch of the Article 7(1)” process.The resolution would ask the parliament’s civil liberties committee to draw up a report on the situation and to call on member states to act according to Article 7.The part of Article 7 to which the resolution refers does not foresee sanctions, such as the suspension of voting rights in the council of ministers.It merely urges launching the “preventive arm” of Article 7, which calls on the Council to determine if there is a "clear risk of a serious breach" by the member state concerned.Sanctions in Article 7 would only kick in if all EU countries agreed, but Poland, which is also under scrutiny by the European Commission, has already said it would veto any action against prime minister Viktor Orban’s government.The strongly-worded draft resolution says that "developments in Hungary have led to a serious deterioration of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights over the past few years”, and that "Hungary is a test for the EU to prove its capacity and willingness to react to threats and breaches of its own founding values by a member state”.Manfred Weber, the leader of the parliament's EPP group, which is home to Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, has tabled his own resolution, which is critical on Hungary, but stays short of calling for Article 7.Orban was in the European Parliament two weeks ago to defend his position. Except for Weber, all centre-right MEPs spoke highly critically of the Hungarian leader during the debate.The rule-of-law concerns over Hungary have lingered for years, but the new developments come after the European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Budapest over its attempt to stifle the Central European University (CEU).The EU executive also called on Orban’s government not to move ahead with a planned law on NGOs which receive foreign funding that would label them “foreign groups”, suggesting they serve foreign interests.Until last week, the EPP had been working with other groups on a joint resolution, but not all in the centre-right group could sign up to Article 7."I am not excluding Article 7, let me make that clear, but we have to be seen as dealing with each other fairly in procedural terms,” Weber told journalists in Strasbourg on Tuesday.Noting that the Commission’s letter to start the CEU procedure was “three weeks old", he said that "starting the procedure before we heard back from the Hungarian government is not the right way because it weakens our position".The Hungarian government has one month to answer on the CEU law.-EPP divided-Despite the efforts of group leader Weber to keep his flock together, the group is split.The EPP party recently warned Orban on the CEU and NGO law, but they did not include sanctions or timelines in their statements. Orban made no commitments to his party family.Many centre-right MEPs are fed up with having to defend him.MEPs were particularly appalled by a recent anti-EU “Let’s stop Brussels” campaign launched by Orban’s government, along with a questionnaire sent out to Hungarian voters which contained inaccuracies about EU proposals.Many think that relying on the EU Commission is not enough, as the numerous infringement procedures launched against Hungary over the years have not significantly changed Orban’s politics.But what to do about the EPP’s “enfant terrible” as Orban has been called by party chairman Joseph Daul, divides the group.Some think, and Weber sticks to this line, that the Commission still needs to be in the lead on legal concerns over Hungary.Some in the group are also worried about losing Fidesz’s 12 deputies, even though the EPP would remain the largest group if they went somewhere else.There are worries over pushing Orban into the arms of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, arguing there is no need to strengthen the British Conservatives’ group ahead of Brexit.Others point to Poland, whose ruling party is also a member of the ECR, and has dismissed the Commission’s rule of law concerns.Officials say Weber might table an amendment to the draft joint resolution taking out the reference to Article 7, and urging a “structured dialogue” with Hungary following the example of the Commission’s procedure with Poland.MEPs met Tuesday evening to discuss the issue, but sources say the differences within the group were very big.“Many MEPs are concerned about the situation, and are losing patience in the group. But the question is what is the best method to tackle the issue, it remains a big question,” Polish MEP Roza Thun, from the EPP told EUobserver.
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)
At least one killed as tornado tears though dozens of Oklahoma homes-media-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 17, 2017
(Reuters) - A tornado tore through western Oklahoma on Tuesday evening, destroying or damaging dozens of homes and killing at least one person, media reported.As many as 70 homes in Elk City, a town of about 12,000 people around 110 miles (180 km) west of Oklahoma City, were damaged or destroyed by the storm, CBS affiliate KWTV reported, citing officials.One person in a car was killed, the station reported, citing an emergency response official. It was unclear how many people were injured, KWTV said.The majority of damage occurred on the south side of the city, the Elk City Police Department said in a statement. The department told residents to stay home because power lines were down across the city. The department's phone lines were also down, it added.Elk City Public Schools were canceled for Wednesday, the school system said in a statement."My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tornado in Elk City tonight," Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said on Twitter.(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Nick Macfie)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Opinion-Development serving the purpose of migration control By Bob van Dillen-MAY 17,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 10:53-The European Union is on the verge of adopting proposals to reorient its development policy to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to “ending poverty in all its dimensions, irreversibly, everywhere, and leaving no one behind”.However, instead of sending a strong signal of its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, the new EU Consensus on Development appears to be yet another policy proposal that puts migration management and border control at the centre of development cooperation.Last November, NGOs gave a guarded welcome to the European Commission’s proposals for a major overhaul of the EU’s development policy framework, which should guide the EU development efforts until 2030.One of our key concerns was that – despite the rhetoric that Europe is serious about addressing poverty and inequality – a series of earlier EU policy proposals for cooperation with third countries had rather given priority to short-term domestic priorities, including migration objectives.We are extremely worried that such policy objectives have now also been included in the new EU Consensus on Development.Building on its 2016 Migration Partnership Framework with third countries, the EU will agree to use its development cooperation, policies, instruments and budgets to promote migration management and border control.Development cooperation will also be made conditional on the cooperation of the partner countries in the areas of return, readmission and reintegration of their nationals, while the EU is willing to agree to “maximising the synergies and applying the necessary leverage by using all relevant EU policies, instruments and tools, including development and trade”.-Alarming shift-This alarming shift in focus is also visible in the fresh proposals for a new Africa-EU Partnership, to be agreed at the November Abidjan Summit.In the proposals, the European Commission emphasised: “the stepping up cooperation on border management, putting in place measures to manage incoming, outgoing, and transit migration flows, strengthening cooperation to facilitate the return and sustainable reintegration of irregular migrants”.Last November, the European Commission also proposed strengthening the migration commitments of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, to be renewed in 2020.It aimed to integrate the EU’s external migration policies and to develop operational cooperation, particularly on “enforcement mechanisms to improve return and readmission cooperation and operational implementation of international obligations to readmit own citizens with no legal right to stay in the EU”.The very same approach is at the core of the European Commission’s proposal of a European Investment Plan for Africa.This project was presented last August as the overall plan to contain migration from Africa to Europe by promoting economic growth, employment and private sector development.The idea behind this is to use €3.35 billion of official development assistance (ODA), in order to foster up to €44 billion worth of private investment in Africa “as a key contribution to addressing the root causes of migration”.Has containing migration become the primary objective of EU development cooperation? This would clearly be in breach of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which states: “Development cooperation policy shall have as its primary objective the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty.”Sacrificing development aid to serve short-term migration interests comes at a time when the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda is urgently called for, especially in view of the 750 million poor and vulnerable people, half of whom live in Africa, including some 20 million people at risk of starvation.In many parts of Africa, we witness forced migration and displacement caused by poverty and injustice, lack of governance and stability, or droughts and environmental hazards.These are regions where children are dying of famine, doctors in rural areas have no means of curing diseases, and tens of thousands of refugees and displaced people are fleeing from deadly conflicts and persecution.-Root causes-Over 65 million people are on the move today in search of a place to survive.And there is little debate about the need to help them and to tackle the root causes of forced migration and displacement.However, we have seen development aid resources, such as the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, not just being used for migration management to contain people where they are, but also diverted to “migrant-producing countries”.This means, in practice, that development programmes in countries such as Namibia or Malawi are being closed down. These programmes have enabled children to attend school or see a doctor, and smallholder farmers to triple their harvests – thanks to access to seeds and microcredit.Is this how Europe plans to implement the 2030 Agenda to end poverty, leaving no one behind? While the overall majority of forced migrants are staying in neighbouring countries and regions, the arrival of relatively small numbers in Europe has led to a series of measures to stop migrants from entering the European territory, but also to welcome and host those who have managed to enter.In several EU member states, the costs of receiving refugees have been paid from the budget for development cooperation – precisely the funds reserved for tackling poverty and inequality.In the last few years, countries like the Netherlands and Italy have spent 25-30 percent of their development aid budgets on the first year of receiving asylum seekers.Supporting refugees arriving in Europe is right and necessary. But when the donor country is at the same time the biggest recipient of development aid, are we not putting the carriage before the horse? It is important to realise that enhanced border controls will not solve the root causes of forced migration and displacement.Development cooperation and ODA should therefore not be used for realising migration objectives.Instead, development aid has its own role to play in making the Sustainable Development Goals a reality by promoting sustainable, long-term transformations that will benefit everyone – notably the poorest communities and countries in the world.Bob van Dillen is Caritas Europa's policy and advocacy officer.
Red Cross says finds 115 bodies in Central African Republic town-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 17, 2017
DAKAR (Reuters) - Red Cross workers have found 115 bodies in Central African Republic's diamond-mining town of Bangassou after several days of militia attacks, the president of the aid group's local branch said on Wednesday."We found 115 bodies and 34 have been buried," Antoine Mbao Bogo told Reuters by phone from the capital Bangui. "They died in various ways: from knives, from clubs and bullet wounds."A senior U.N. official had previously reported 26 civilian deaths.(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Car bomb hits camp for displaced Syrians near Jordan border - monitor-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 17, 2017
Amman/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in Syria's sprawling Rukban refugee camp near the border with Jordan on Wednesday causing injuries, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and two rebel sources said.The blast targeted fighters from a rebel group, the Britain-based war monitor said.The blast came two days after a double car bomb attack at the same site.Islamic State claimed responsibility for Monday's assault which killed at least six people.(Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi/Tom Perry)
Oregon man charged with decapitating mom on Mother's Day-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 16, 2017
(Reuters) - A blood-covered man carrying the severed head of his mother and a knife, walked into an Oregon grocery store on Mother's Day and stabbed a clerk before being subdued, local law enforcement officials said.Joshua Lee Webb, 36, faces charges of murder in the death of his mother, Tina Marie Webb, 59, and attempted murder for the attack on the clerk, Michael Wagner, who was recovering from his wounds in a hospital, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.Webb is being held in the Clackamas County Jail, the Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Monday.Customers fled the Estacada Harvest Market Thriftway in Estacada, Oregon on Sunday morning and called police after Webb entered carrying the head, according to local press reports.After Wagner, 66, was stabbed, he and other store employees subdued Webb and held him until police arrived, the Sheriff's Department said.At about the same time, police said they also responded to a call at the Webb home in Colton, about 12 miles away, where they found Webb's mother dead. Webb lived with his parents, they said.Police did not provide any details on what led to Tina Marie Webb's murder. It was not immediately possible to contact Webb or identify an attorney representing him.(Reporting by Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Cosby says he will not testify at his sexual assault trial-[Reuters]-By Joseph Ax-YAHOONEWS-May 16, 2017
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comedian Bill Cosby does not plan to testify in his defense at his sexual assault trial in June, he said on Tuesday in his first extended public comments in two years.The 79-year-old told Sirius-XM radio host Michael Smerconish that the dozens of women who have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct were "piling on" and suggested that racism has played a role in his treatment because he is black.Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in a Pennsylvania courtroom ahead of Cosby's June 5 trial on charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand, a former basketball coach at his alma mater Temple University, in 2004.The case is the only criminal prosecution to result from accusations by approximately 60 women that Cosby sexually assaulted them. Many of the incidents allegedly occurred decades ago. Cosby has denied any wrongdoing.In the interview, Cosby declined to comment extensively on the upcoming trial, citing legal advice from his attorneys. But when Smerconish asked whether he will testify Cosby replied, "No," saying that lawyers can twist a witness' words."When you have to deal with examination, cross-examination, et cetera, et cetera, more than two sides to every story – sometimes it's four or five," he said.Cosby described preparing a Mother's Day meal for his wife of more than five decades, Camille, and spoke about growing up in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood.Two of Cosby's daughters recently released taped statements defending their father. Ensa Cosby said she believed her father is innocent and "racism has played a big role in all aspects of the scandal."Asked whether he agreed with that view, Cosby said, "Could be, could be," before adding, "I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that."Cosby also said that his wife has never wavered in her support.The former star of the 1980s family sitcom "The Cosby Show" said he intends to return to performing following the trial."I still feel that I have an awful lot to offer in terms of my writing, in terms of my performance," he said.(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Trumpeting 'One Belt, One Road,' China bids to lead 'Globalization 2.0'-[Christian Science Monitor]-Michael Holtz-YAHOONEWS-May 16, 2017
High-speed railways in Indonesia and Hungary. Deep-water ports in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Gas pipelines across central Asia. All are part of what is arguably the largest overseas development drive ever launched by a single nation.Even the Marshall Plan, America’s postwar reconstruction effort in Europe, pales in comparison to the more than $900 billion China has pledged for the construction of infrastructure projects in more than 60 countries as part of its “One Belt, One Road” initiative.Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his vision for this modern-day Silk Road during a two-day forum in Beijing that ended Monday. While the initiative is still in its early stages, it comes at a critical moment in Asia. Developing countries in the region need to invest some $1.7 trillion per year on infrastructure to maintain growth, tackle poverty, and fight climate change, according to the Asian Development Bank. Meanwhile, the United States seems poised to reverse the Obama administration's plans for a “pivot to Asia.”The Belt and Road Initiative gives China the opportunity to create a political and economic network based on its own rules, with the ambitious goal of establishing what Chinese state-run media have dubbed “globalization 2.0.” Mr. Xi used the forum this week to present himself as one of its leaders – and, in stark contrast to US President Trump, as an advocate for free trade.“We should embrace the outside world with an open mind, uphold the multilateral trading regime, advance the building of free trade areas, and promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment,” Xi said Sunday in his opening speech.Yet his call for governments to pursue “greater openness” and “reject protectionism” has raised eyebrows. Trading partners who complain that China is the most-closed major economy question whether the Belt and Road Initiative will let foreign companies in on the action. And despite Beijing's decades-long support for noninterference – not meddling in other countries' domestic affairs – foreign policy analysts ask if its growing economic leadership will give rise to more political ambitions, too.-STAKING ITS CLAIM-Speaking to an audience that included the leaders of 29 countries – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Central Asian autocrats – Xi insisted on Sunday that China had “no desire to impose our will on others.” He said economic globalization should be “open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all.”Xi pledged an additional $14.5 billion to the Silk Road Fund set up in 2014 to finance infrastructure projects and $8.7 billion in aid to developing countries and international organizations. He also announced that two government-run banks would distribute loans of $55 billion to support Belt and Road projects.China's leader didn’t mention Mr. Trump by name, but the implicit message was clear: If an inward-looking United States is going to focus on “America first,” China is ready with a new economic order for the world to follow.“The situation in the US and in the EU with Brexit has created an international policy vacuum,” says Peter Cai, a fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney and author of a recent report on the Belt and Road initiative. “China has been emboldened to step into the vacuum and stake its claim as a global economic leader.”Mr. Cai says China has greatly expanded the scope of the initiative since Xi announced its launch four years ago. What was once largely focused on infrastructure in Asia now extends all the way to central Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East. In a sign of its growing reach, delegates from more 100 countries and the leaders of international organizations including the United Nations and the World Bank attended the forum in Beijing.“Britain led globalization for more than 200 years and the US led it for more than 100 years,” says Huiyao Wang, president of the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. “Now it needs new energy.”That energy is something China is eager to provide, especially after Trump abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Obama administration’s signature trade agreement, on his first full weekday in office. With American economic influence in the Asia-Pacific region likely to wane, China wants to take its place as it looks to open new markets for Chinese goods and reassert itself as Asia’s leading power.“Xi wants to make China great on the international stage,” Tom Miller, author of “China’s Asian Dream: Empire Building Along the New Silk Road,” said at a book talk in Beijing last month. “He wants China to predominate in the East, much as the US does in the West.”-WHO OWNS THE ROAD?-Critics say China is trying to rewrite the rules on global trade and security in pursuit of its own economic and geopolitical interests. They warn that Beijing’s proven willingness to work with authoritarian regimes could undermine human rights and environmental standards in the developing world. Meanwhile, economists have raised concerns that the massive infrastructure projects, if poorly conceived or negotiated, could leave poor countries with unsustainable levels of debt.Supporters of the initiative, such as Zhang Yansheng, chief research fellow at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, say China’s aim is to supplement existing global governance and economic systems – not replace them.“ ‘One Belt, One Road’ is a way to help rebalance the world economy. It’s about how to reduce the gap between rich and poor,” Mr. Zhang says. “The image China wants to send to the world is that ‘One Belt, One Road’ does not only belong to China, it belongs to the world.”The parts of the world that the initiative targets are fraught with risk. Cai of the Lowy Institute says nearly two-thirds of the countries that have accepted Belt and Road projects have credit ratings below investment grade. In nations such as Pakistan, rampant corruption and security threats also present significant challenges.And how far China is willing to go to uphold its commitment to non-interference, the unconditional respect for state sovereignty, will surely be tested as its economic influence over other countries grows. What could China do to protect the $57-billion economic corridor it’s helping to build through Pakistan, where militants have killed 44 Pakistani workers since 2014? What about Beijing's perceived threat from ethnic Uighurs from the western region of Xinjiang who are suspected of fighting with militant groups in the Middle East and accused of killing Chinese diplomats in central Asia?“China will have a considerable amount of economic leverage as these projects get built,” Cai says. “The temptation to use that economic leverage will always be there, but only time will tell if China decides to use it in pursuit of other interests.”Xie Yujuan contributed reporting.
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Focus-EU satellite states could be part of Brexit deal By Aleksandra Eriksson-MAY 17,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway could be part of the EU's deal with the UK after the latter leaves the bloc in April 2019."Solutions to soften the landing should be available to us," Liechtenstein's foreign minister Aurelia Frick said on Tuesday (16 May), ahead of a meeting with the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, and Maltese deputy prime minister Louis Grech, whose country holds the EU presidency."When the EU is negotiating the divorce from the UK, it automatically means a divorce from the EEA-EFTA countries as well," she said, referring to the European Economic Area (EEA), to which Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland belong, along with all EU member states.Under a nightmare scenario, the EU would find a good deal for itself but forget about the EEA countries."I call it the EEA cliff," Frick said.Together with Switzerland, the EEA trio forms the European free trade area (EFTA), but Swiss people rejected being part of the EEA and have bilateral relations with the EU instead.EEA countries implement EU law, but have no say over its making.Instead, the EEA council meets with the EU twice a year and provides political impetus to the relationship.Frick said that the three countries were "not first thing on the EU's mind when dealing with Brexit", but she insisted that they were "in the same boat" as the EU on border protection, police cooperation and asylum policy."We are not ordinary third countries, but the EU's closest partners and friends," she said.She added it was necessary to clarify how the rights of persons and companies acquired through the EEA treaty could be maintained after Brexit.Her colleague, Norway's EU minister Frank Bakke Jensen, said it was important to regularly remind EU institutions of the EEA countries' interests."Barnier sees EU members as his first priority. EEA countries are priority number two," the minister told Norwegian press agency NTB.But the EEA countries, in their meeting with Barnier, managed to secure a promise that they would not only be kept informed, but also consulted about the Brexit negotiations.The UK has not yet triggered a clause in the EEA treaty, notifying the EU that it intends to leave the EEA.If it neglects this formal obligation, the clause will likely be triggered by the EU, said Dag Werno Hotler, deputy secretary general of EFTA.“The agreement is only available to EU and EFTA members,” he said.Frick and Bakke Jensen said they were "open-minded" about the UK re-joining EFTA, an organisation it helped to found in the 1960s."But the initiative would have to come from the UK. For the moment, the question is not on the table," the ministers said.Bakke-Jensen said that the EEA cooperation worked well."The EEA agreement has proven it is viable, useful, possible to adapt to an ever changing landscape and still relevant for us,” he said."Our relationship with the EU is a dynamic relationship. When EU changes its laws and agreement we do the same. We are working on this every day," he said.Frick also said the institutions worked smoothly, and the problem was that few people knew about it."As a minister, I try to raise awareness about the EEA and the fact that it's actually functioning very well. In a time of populism and globalisation critics, we should be very happy that we have unexciting integration politics”, she said.
EU wants Brexit talks to start the day after UK vote By Eszter Zalan-MAY 17,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 12:59-The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Wednesday (17 May) that negotiations between the EU and the UK should start "as soon as possible, the day after the [UK] elections," which will be held on 8 June."We want to conclude a deal with the UK, not against the UK," Barnier told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, adding that there is not much time to conclude a good deal."We have to create the foundations of ongoing trust, that we need to build the future relationship with the UK," he said, stressing the need for an orderly withdrawal agreement."We are going to have to unravel 44 years of integration, […] no one should underestimate any of the consequences, we need to tell the truth to the citizens,” the negotiator stressed.Also speaking in Strasbourg, European Council president Donald Tusk said EU countries will update the Brexit guidelines once negotiations move beyond the divorce deal with the UK."We will make our guidelines more precise when the time comes, namely when sufficient progress in the first phase is achieved," Tusk told MEPs.The guidelines adopted by the EU-27 last month are the key points the bloc wants to settle with the UK before moving on to discuss the future relations.EU countries said that "sufficient progress" needs to be achieved on guaranteeing citizens' rights, settling the UK's financial obligations and ensuring that no hard border is established between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.The governments of the 27 member states will decide when to move from divorce negotiations onto trade talks.Based on the guidelines, EU ministers will adopt the more detailed "negotiating principles" on the key issues next Monday, completing the bloc's Brexit preparations.Tusk warned on Wednesday that the UK's trade agreement with the EU cannot provide access to the single market."It is clear that a free trade agreement between the EU and the UK, which is what the UK has chosen, even if it is ambitious and wide-ranging, cannot mean participation in the single market or its parts," he said.The European Council chief also emphasised that any future trade agreement must have safeguards."The UK must be aware that any free trade agreement will have to ensure a level playing field, and encompass safeguards against unfair competitive advantages through, inter alia, tax, social, environmental and regulatory measures and practices," he warned.Brexit campaigner and former leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip), Nigel Farage, attempted to hit back by criticising the EU for allegedly leaking information from the dinner meeting between UK prime minister Theresa May and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.Juncker reportedly said that May was delusional and lived in a "different galaxy"."Your attempts to bully the Brits are not working," Farage said, adding that the UK should walk away from the EU before the end of the year.MEPs also praised what they see as the defeat of populist forces across Europe in elections, such as in the Netherlands and France, since the Brexit vote.Others warned not to be complacent after the defeat of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen or Dutch anti-immigrant, anti-EU politician Geert Wilders."People in Europe have been shocked by the UK's decision to leave the EU. For good reason people are very critical of the EU, but they don’t want to do what the UK did, [they] don’t want to leave the EU," liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt said, urging reform.
Opinion-EU audiovisual reform will create a nanny state By Yana Toom-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 16. May, 17:27-Twenty-eight versions of Facebook, a nanny state and censorship of the internet: those could be the consequences if the European Parliament's position on the directive regulating the provision of audiovisual media services (AVMS) enters into force.On Monday (15 May), the two German co-rapporteurs, Sabine Verheyen from the centre-right EPP group, and Social Democrat Petra Kammerevert, received the parliament's mandate to begin informal trilogue negotiations with the European Commission and Council of the EU on the final version of the text.Their report was originally adopted on 25 April, at a meeting of the parliament's committee on culture and education (Cult), by 18 out of 33 members. According to the parliament's new rules of procedure, the committee report constitutes the house's position, without the need for a broader parliamentary discussion.The file will be put on the table this autumn, while Estonia holds the council presidency. My country, made world-famous for its broad implementation of digital technologies, ironically risks going down in history as the accomplice to the establishment of state censorship of social networks in Europe.-But first thing's first.-The directive-The initiative to update the audiovisual media services (AVMS) directive came from the European Commission and was completely justified.Much has changed since the initial rules for audiovisual media in Europe were first put in place. In particular, the Internet has challenged the role of television as a source of information and as an advertising platform.But the reform was compromised when the parliament appointed the two rapporteurs, who are both board members of Germany's public broadcaster. This means that not only do they represent a single country, but they also have an obvious conflict of interests.The rapporteurs have turned the commission's proposal into an instrument to destroy the competitive advantage of the internet over normal television.Moreover, the definition of a video-sharing platform (VSP) has been changed in such a way that all social networks with a video function are also subsumed into the category. If today's version of the AVMS directive regulates YouTube, tomorrow it will also cover Facebook, Twitter and the like.Social networks, and their users, do not suffer from a lack of regulation. Even today, Facebook removes posts containing incitement to violence and hatred, promoting drugs, pornography, and so on. It also has its own set of rules in terms of advertisement.The biggest change will be a ban on so-called product placement: the exposure of a product of a certain brand.How exactly Brussels will complicate the lives of food and beauty bloggers will only be known by the end of trilogue talks, but it is already clear that the on-camera cooking of Barilla pasta in a pot by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver will no longer be possible.-Think of the children-Another change to the directive is the proposal to supervise the moral development of children.It sounds good, as long as you forget that there is no such thing as a legal definition of moral development.Already today, social networks are required to block posts that are harmful to the physical or mental development of children - say, for example, the Blue Whale suicide challenge, a sinister online "game" that promotes self-harm.Well, according to the rapporteurs, the state will now supervise such moral development.The colourful map of the EU features a dozen countries where there are night and day differences in views on morality.Are single mothers morally correct? We have just had a discussion about that in Estonia. What about sexual education in school? Or homosexuality? Disputes about euthanasia? Contraception? Abortion? Criticism of power? The list could be continued indefinitely. And, given recent electoral tendencies, one can be sure that there are people wishing to use the regulation so that even adults will not see posts that their government has deemed immoral.Meanwhile, social networks are a mini-model of the common digital market - the very space without borders that helps us understand each other and makes us stronger. The new directive, however, is aimed at building walls.Who will control all this? Monitoring bodies, or national regulatory authorities. The rapporteurs did not take on board a proposed requirement to make these bodies independent, both legally and functionally.Estonia's position, as presented to the council, coincides with the position of the rapporteurs.I hope this is a misunderstanding, because anything else means we are ready to entrust control over mass media, social networks and moral development of our children to a group of MEPs and board members of public broadcasters, appointed with the blessing of the ruling coalitions.I have raised only three of at least ten absurd provisions contained in the parliament's position, which amounts to a total of 70 pages.Documents of this size are read only by MEPs directly working with them. In our case, this means the two main and seven shadow rapporteurs. These nine form the line of their political groups, reporting on the file at their meetings.Unfortunately, neither the centre-right EPP nor the centre-left Social Democrats have ever discussed the AVMS directive, mainly because they believe files in the Cult committee are non-controversial.At group meetings, everyone wants to speak about the budget or Brexit, not something called the "review of the audiovisual media services directive".The rapporteurs took advantage of this.-A bad reform-But the unfortunate reform can still be avoided.As Alde coordinator in the culture committee and shadow rapporteur on the directive, I will do my best to re-open the mandate.Our group, with the support of radical-left GUE, eurosceptic EFDD and conservative ECR, has requested that the issue is voted on by the plenary.We will do our best to convince other MEPs, but we have little time: the vote should take place on Thursday.And half of the British MEPs - who share our position - will not be in Strasbourg, as the UK election campaign is in full swing.There is a serious chance that the European Parliament's official position on audiovisual services will be to legalise state censorship in social networks.Yana Toom is a liberal MEP from Estonia, a shadow rapporteur for the audiovisual media services directive and the liberal coordinator in the European Parliament's committee of culture and education.
MEPs preparing to crack down on Orban By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 16. May, 18:10-The European Parliament is preparing to call on member states to launch proceedings against Hungary’s illiberal rule in what would be a historic first for the EU.Several EU officials told EUobserver on Tuesday (16 May) that they expected sufficient members of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) to abstain or to vote for a joint resolution to that effect for it to get through on Wednesday.The demand, tabled by the socialist, far-left, liberal and green parties, urges EU states to make use of the so-called Article 7 procedure.The procedure is designed to rein in member states that violate EU values and could lead to the suspension of their EU Council voting rights.It was created after a far-right party joined Austria’s government in the early 2000s, but has never been used.The draft resolution says that "that the current situation in Hungary represents a clear risk of a serious breach” of European values stated in Article 2 of the treaties, such as rule of law, and that this "warrants the launch of the Article 7(1)” process.The resolution would ask the parliament’s civil liberties committee to draw up a report on the situation and to call on member states to act according to Article 7.The part of Article 7 to which the resolution refers does not foresee sanctions, such as the suspension of voting rights in the council of ministers.It merely urges launching the “preventive arm” of Article 7, which calls on the Council to determine if there is a "clear risk of a serious breach" by the member state concerned.Sanctions in Article 7 would only kick in if all EU countries agreed, but Poland, which is also under scrutiny by the European Commission, has already said it would veto any action against prime minister Viktor Orban’s government.The strongly-worded draft resolution says that "developments in Hungary have led to a serious deterioration of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights over the past few years”, and that "Hungary is a test for the EU to prove its capacity and willingness to react to threats and breaches of its own founding values by a member state”.Manfred Weber, the leader of the parliament's EPP group, which is home to Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, has tabled his own resolution, which is critical on Hungary, but stays short of calling for Article 7.Orban was in the European Parliament two weeks ago to defend his position. Except for Weber, all centre-right MEPs spoke highly critically of the Hungarian leader during the debate.The rule-of-law concerns over Hungary have lingered for years, but the new developments come after the European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Budapest over its attempt to stifle the Central European University (CEU).The EU executive also called on Orban’s government not to move ahead with a planned law on NGOs which receive foreign funding that would label them “foreign groups”, suggesting they serve foreign interests.Until last week, the EPP had been working with other groups on a joint resolution, but not all in the centre-right group could sign up to Article 7."I am not excluding Article 7, let me make that clear, but we have to be seen as dealing with each other fairly in procedural terms,” Weber told journalists in Strasbourg on Tuesday.Noting that the Commission’s letter to start the CEU procedure was “three weeks old", he said that "starting the procedure before we heard back from the Hungarian government is not the right way because it weakens our position".The Hungarian government has one month to answer on the CEU law.-EPP divided-Despite the efforts of group leader Weber to keep his flock together, the group is split.The EPP party recently warned Orban on the CEU and NGO law, but they did not include sanctions or timelines in their statements. Orban made no commitments to his party family.Many centre-right MEPs are fed up with having to defend him.MEPs were particularly appalled by a recent anti-EU “Let’s stop Brussels” campaign launched by Orban’s government, along with a questionnaire sent out to Hungarian voters which contained inaccuracies about EU proposals.Many think that relying on the EU Commission is not enough, as the numerous infringement procedures launched against Hungary over the years have not significantly changed Orban’s politics.But what to do about the EPP’s “enfant terrible” as Orban has been called by party chairman Joseph Daul, divides the group.Some think, and Weber sticks to this line, that the Commission still needs to be in the lead on legal concerns over Hungary.Some in the group are also worried about losing Fidesz’s 12 deputies, even though the EPP would remain the largest group if they went somewhere else.There are worries over pushing Orban into the arms of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, arguing there is no need to strengthen the British Conservatives’ group ahead of Brexit.Others point to Poland, whose ruling party is also a member of the ECR, and has dismissed the Commission’s rule of law concerns.Officials say Weber might table an amendment to the draft joint resolution taking out the reference to Article 7, and urging a “structured dialogue” with Hungary following the example of the Commission’s procedure with Poland.MEPs met Tuesday evening to discuss the issue, but sources say the differences within the group were very big.“Many MEPs are concerned about the situation, and are losing patience in the group. But the question is what is the best method to tackle the issue, it remains a big question,” Polish MEP Roza Thun, from the EPP told EUobserver.
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)
At least one killed as tornado tears though dozens of Oklahoma homes-media-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 17, 2017
(Reuters) - A tornado tore through western Oklahoma on Tuesday evening, destroying or damaging dozens of homes and killing at least one person, media reported.As many as 70 homes in Elk City, a town of about 12,000 people around 110 miles (180 km) west of Oklahoma City, were damaged or destroyed by the storm, CBS affiliate KWTV reported, citing officials.One person in a car was killed, the station reported, citing an emergency response official. It was unclear how many people were injured, KWTV said.The majority of damage occurred on the south side of the city, the Elk City Police Department said in a statement. The department told residents to stay home because power lines were down across the city. The department's phone lines were also down, it added.Elk City Public Schools were canceled for Wednesday, the school system said in a statement."My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the tornado in Elk City tonight," Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said on Twitter.(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Editing by Nick Macfie)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Opinion-Development serving the purpose of migration control By Bob van Dillen-MAY 17,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 10:53-The European Union is on the verge of adopting proposals to reorient its development policy to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to “ending poverty in all its dimensions, irreversibly, everywhere, and leaving no one behind”.However, instead of sending a strong signal of its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, the new EU Consensus on Development appears to be yet another policy proposal that puts migration management and border control at the centre of development cooperation.Last November, NGOs gave a guarded welcome to the European Commission’s proposals for a major overhaul of the EU’s development policy framework, which should guide the EU development efforts until 2030.One of our key concerns was that – despite the rhetoric that Europe is serious about addressing poverty and inequality – a series of earlier EU policy proposals for cooperation with third countries had rather given priority to short-term domestic priorities, including migration objectives.We are extremely worried that such policy objectives have now also been included in the new EU Consensus on Development.Building on its 2016 Migration Partnership Framework with third countries, the EU will agree to use its development cooperation, policies, instruments and budgets to promote migration management and border control.Development cooperation will also be made conditional on the cooperation of the partner countries in the areas of return, readmission and reintegration of their nationals, while the EU is willing to agree to “maximising the synergies and applying the necessary leverage by using all relevant EU policies, instruments and tools, including development and trade”.-Alarming shift-This alarming shift in focus is also visible in the fresh proposals for a new Africa-EU Partnership, to be agreed at the November Abidjan Summit.In the proposals, the European Commission emphasised: “the stepping up cooperation on border management, putting in place measures to manage incoming, outgoing, and transit migration flows, strengthening cooperation to facilitate the return and sustainable reintegration of irregular migrants”.Last November, the European Commission also proposed strengthening the migration commitments of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, to be renewed in 2020.It aimed to integrate the EU’s external migration policies and to develop operational cooperation, particularly on “enforcement mechanisms to improve return and readmission cooperation and operational implementation of international obligations to readmit own citizens with no legal right to stay in the EU”.The very same approach is at the core of the European Commission’s proposal of a European Investment Plan for Africa.This project was presented last August as the overall plan to contain migration from Africa to Europe by promoting economic growth, employment and private sector development.The idea behind this is to use €3.35 billion of official development assistance (ODA), in order to foster up to €44 billion worth of private investment in Africa “as a key contribution to addressing the root causes of migration”.Has containing migration become the primary objective of EU development cooperation? This would clearly be in breach of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which states: “Development cooperation policy shall have as its primary objective the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty.”Sacrificing development aid to serve short-term migration interests comes at a time when the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda is urgently called for, especially in view of the 750 million poor and vulnerable people, half of whom live in Africa, including some 20 million people at risk of starvation.In many parts of Africa, we witness forced migration and displacement caused by poverty and injustice, lack of governance and stability, or droughts and environmental hazards.These are regions where children are dying of famine, doctors in rural areas have no means of curing diseases, and tens of thousands of refugees and displaced people are fleeing from deadly conflicts and persecution.-Root causes-Over 65 million people are on the move today in search of a place to survive.And there is little debate about the need to help them and to tackle the root causes of forced migration and displacement.However, we have seen development aid resources, such as the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, not just being used for migration management to contain people where they are, but also diverted to “migrant-producing countries”.This means, in practice, that development programmes in countries such as Namibia or Malawi are being closed down. These programmes have enabled children to attend school or see a doctor, and smallholder farmers to triple their harvests – thanks to access to seeds and microcredit.Is this how Europe plans to implement the 2030 Agenda to end poverty, leaving no one behind? While the overall majority of forced migrants are staying in neighbouring countries and regions, the arrival of relatively small numbers in Europe has led to a series of measures to stop migrants from entering the European territory, but also to welcome and host those who have managed to enter.In several EU member states, the costs of receiving refugees have been paid from the budget for development cooperation – precisely the funds reserved for tackling poverty and inequality.In the last few years, countries like the Netherlands and Italy have spent 25-30 percent of their development aid budgets on the first year of receiving asylum seekers.Supporting refugees arriving in Europe is right and necessary. But when the donor country is at the same time the biggest recipient of development aid, are we not putting the carriage before the horse? It is important to realise that enhanced border controls will not solve the root causes of forced migration and displacement.Development cooperation and ODA should therefore not be used for realising migration objectives.Instead, development aid has its own role to play in making the Sustainable Development Goals a reality by promoting sustainable, long-term transformations that will benefit everyone – notably the poorest communities and countries in the world.Bob van Dillen is Caritas Europa's policy and advocacy officer.
Red Cross says finds 115 bodies in Central African Republic town-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 17, 2017
DAKAR (Reuters) - Red Cross workers have found 115 bodies in Central African Republic's diamond-mining town of Bangassou after several days of militia attacks, the president of the aid group's local branch said on Wednesday."We found 115 bodies and 34 have been buried," Antoine Mbao Bogo told Reuters by phone from the capital Bangui. "They died in various ways: from knives, from clubs and bullet wounds."A senior U.N. official had previously reported 26 civilian deaths.(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Car bomb hits camp for displaced Syrians near Jordan border - monitor-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 17, 2017
Amman/BEIRUT (Reuters) - A car bomb exploded in Syria's sprawling Rukban refugee camp near the border with Jordan on Wednesday causing injuries, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and two rebel sources said.The blast targeted fighters from a rebel group, the Britain-based war monitor said.The blast came two days after a double car bomb attack at the same site.Islamic State claimed responsibility for Monday's assault which killed at least six people.(Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi/Tom Perry)
Oregon man charged with decapitating mom on Mother's Day-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-May 16, 2017
(Reuters) - A blood-covered man carrying the severed head of his mother and a knife, walked into an Oregon grocery store on Mother's Day and stabbed a clerk before being subdued, local law enforcement officials said.Joshua Lee Webb, 36, faces charges of murder in the death of his mother, Tina Marie Webb, 59, and attempted murder for the attack on the clerk, Michael Wagner, who was recovering from his wounds in a hospital, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Department.Webb is being held in the Clackamas County Jail, the Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Monday.Customers fled the Estacada Harvest Market Thriftway in Estacada, Oregon on Sunday morning and called police after Webb entered carrying the head, according to local press reports.After Wagner, 66, was stabbed, he and other store employees subdued Webb and held him until police arrived, the Sheriff's Department said.At about the same time, police said they also responded to a call at the Webb home in Colton, about 12 miles away, where they found Webb's mother dead. Webb lived with his parents, they said.Police did not provide any details on what led to Tina Marie Webb's murder. It was not immediately possible to contact Webb or identify an attorney representing him.(Reporting by Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Cosby says he will not testify at his sexual assault trial-[Reuters]-By Joseph Ax-YAHOONEWS-May 16, 2017
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comedian Bill Cosby does not plan to testify in his defense at his sexual assault trial in June, he said on Tuesday in his first extended public comments in two years.The 79-year-old told Sirius-XM radio host Michael Smerconish that the dozens of women who have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct were "piling on" and suggested that racism has played a role in his treatment because he is black.Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in a Pennsylvania courtroom ahead of Cosby's June 5 trial on charges that he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand, a former basketball coach at his alma mater Temple University, in 2004.The case is the only criminal prosecution to result from accusations by approximately 60 women that Cosby sexually assaulted them. Many of the incidents allegedly occurred decades ago. Cosby has denied any wrongdoing.In the interview, Cosby declined to comment extensively on the upcoming trial, citing legal advice from his attorneys. But when Smerconish asked whether he will testify Cosby replied, "No," saying that lawyers can twist a witness' words."When you have to deal with examination, cross-examination, et cetera, et cetera, more than two sides to every story – sometimes it's four or five," he said.Cosby described preparing a Mother's Day meal for his wife of more than five decades, Camille, and spoke about growing up in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood.Two of Cosby's daughters recently released taped statements defending their father. Ensa Cosby said she believed her father is innocent and "racism has played a big role in all aspects of the scandal."Asked whether he agreed with that view, Cosby said, "Could be, could be," before adding, "I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that."Cosby also said that his wife has never wavered in her support.The former star of the 1980s family sitcom "The Cosby Show" said he intends to return to performing following the trial."I still feel that I have an awful lot to offer in terms of my writing, in terms of my performance," he said.(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Trumpeting 'One Belt, One Road,' China bids to lead 'Globalization 2.0'-[Christian Science Monitor]-Michael Holtz-YAHOONEWS-May 16, 2017
High-speed railways in Indonesia and Hungary. Deep-water ports in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Gas pipelines across central Asia. All are part of what is arguably the largest overseas development drive ever launched by a single nation.Even the Marshall Plan, America’s postwar reconstruction effort in Europe, pales in comparison to the more than $900 billion China has pledged for the construction of infrastructure projects in more than 60 countries as part of its “One Belt, One Road” initiative.Chinese President Xi Jinping outlined his vision for this modern-day Silk Road during a two-day forum in Beijing that ended Monday. While the initiative is still in its early stages, it comes at a critical moment in Asia. Developing countries in the region need to invest some $1.7 trillion per year on infrastructure to maintain growth, tackle poverty, and fight climate change, according to the Asian Development Bank. Meanwhile, the United States seems poised to reverse the Obama administration's plans for a “pivot to Asia.”The Belt and Road Initiative gives China the opportunity to create a political and economic network based on its own rules, with the ambitious goal of establishing what Chinese state-run media have dubbed “globalization 2.0.” Mr. Xi used the forum this week to present himself as one of its leaders – and, in stark contrast to US President Trump, as an advocate for free trade.“We should embrace the outside world with an open mind, uphold the multilateral trading regime, advance the building of free trade areas, and promote liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment,” Xi said Sunday in his opening speech.Yet his call for governments to pursue “greater openness” and “reject protectionism” has raised eyebrows. Trading partners who complain that China is the most-closed major economy question whether the Belt and Road Initiative will let foreign companies in on the action. And despite Beijing's decades-long support for noninterference – not meddling in other countries' domestic affairs – foreign policy analysts ask if its growing economic leadership will give rise to more political ambitions, too.-STAKING ITS CLAIM-Speaking to an audience that included the leaders of 29 countries – including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Central Asian autocrats – Xi insisted on Sunday that China had “no desire to impose our will on others.” He said economic globalization should be “open, inclusive, balanced, and beneficial to all.”Xi pledged an additional $14.5 billion to the Silk Road Fund set up in 2014 to finance infrastructure projects and $8.7 billion in aid to developing countries and international organizations. He also announced that two government-run banks would distribute loans of $55 billion to support Belt and Road projects.China's leader didn’t mention Mr. Trump by name, but the implicit message was clear: If an inward-looking United States is going to focus on “America first,” China is ready with a new economic order for the world to follow.“The situation in the US and in the EU with Brexit has created an international policy vacuum,” says Peter Cai, a fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney and author of a recent report on the Belt and Road initiative. “China has been emboldened to step into the vacuum and stake its claim as a global economic leader.”Mr. Cai says China has greatly expanded the scope of the initiative since Xi announced its launch four years ago. What was once largely focused on infrastructure in Asia now extends all the way to central Europe, as well as Africa and the Middle East. In a sign of its growing reach, delegates from more 100 countries and the leaders of international organizations including the United Nations and the World Bank attended the forum in Beijing.“Britain led globalization for more than 200 years and the US led it for more than 100 years,” says Huiyao Wang, president of the Center for China and Globalization in Beijing. “Now it needs new energy.”That energy is something China is eager to provide, especially after Trump abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Obama administration’s signature trade agreement, on his first full weekday in office. With American economic influence in the Asia-Pacific region likely to wane, China wants to take its place as it looks to open new markets for Chinese goods and reassert itself as Asia’s leading power.“Xi wants to make China great on the international stage,” Tom Miller, author of “China’s Asian Dream: Empire Building Along the New Silk Road,” said at a book talk in Beijing last month. “He wants China to predominate in the East, much as the US does in the West.”-WHO OWNS THE ROAD?-Critics say China is trying to rewrite the rules on global trade and security in pursuit of its own economic and geopolitical interests. They warn that Beijing’s proven willingness to work with authoritarian regimes could undermine human rights and environmental standards in the developing world. Meanwhile, economists have raised concerns that the massive infrastructure projects, if poorly conceived or negotiated, could leave poor countries with unsustainable levels of debt.Supporters of the initiative, such as Zhang Yansheng, chief research fellow at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges in Beijing, say China’s aim is to supplement existing global governance and economic systems – not replace them.“ ‘One Belt, One Road’ is a way to help rebalance the world economy. It’s about how to reduce the gap between rich and poor,” Mr. Zhang says. “The image China wants to send to the world is that ‘One Belt, One Road’ does not only belong to China, it belongs to the world.”The parts of the world that the initiative targets are fraught with risk. Cai of the Lowy Institute says nearly two-thirds of the countries that have accepted Belt and Road projects have credit ratings below investment grade. In nations such as Pakistan, rampant corruption and security threats also present significant challenges.And how far China is willing to go to uphold its commitment to non-interference, the unconditional respect for state sovereignty, will surely be tested as its economic influence over other countries grows. What could China do to protect the $57-billion economic corridor it’s helping to build through Pakistan, where militants have killed 44 Pakistani workers since 2014? What about Beijing's perceived threat from ethnic Uighurs from the western region of Xinjiang who are suspected of fighting with militant groups in the Middle East and accused of killing Chinese diplomats in central Asia?“China will have a considerable amount of economic leverage as these projects get built,” Cai says. “The temptation to use that economic leverage will always be there, but only time will tell if China decides to use it in pursuit of other interests.”Xie Yujuan contributed reporting.
