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)
12 dead as fire engulfs London tower block-[AFP]-Rosie SCAMMELL, Alice RITCHIE-YAHOONEWS-June 14, 2017
London (AFP) - At least 12 people perished on Wednesday after a massive inferno tore through a London apartment block, with witnesses reporting terrified residents had leapt from the tower and dropped their children in a desperate bid for survival.As smoke continued to billow from the gutted building, survivors voiced anger over longstanding safety fears at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, which was home to between 600 and 800 people.Parents wrapped wet towels around their children as they tried to escape, while others were seen desperately waving for help from the higher floors, which firefighters could not reach at the blaze took hold."There are now 12 people that have died that we know of," police commander Stuart Cundy told reporters at the scene."I do anticipate that the number of fatalities will sadly increase" he said, adding that he did not expect fire crews hunting through the debris to find any survivors.Seventy-eight people were being treated in hospitals, 18 of whom are in a critical condition.The alarm was raised just before 1:00 am (0000 GMT) and within an hour flames had engulfed the entire block of 120 flats.More than 200 firefighters had been tackling the blaze and managed to rescue 65 people.Some 16 hours on, pockets of flame were still burning inside, and fire crews had reached the top. They had used drones to examine the upper floors.Blazing chunks of debris fell from the wrecked building, a 1970s local authority-built block in the working-class area of north Kensington, just streets away from the wealthy homes of Notting Hill.Residents claimed the fire spread on the exterior of the tower, which had been covered in cladding in a major refurbishment completed last year.The London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but its chief Dany Cotton said she had "never seen anything on this scale" in her 29-year career.- 'We saw them dying' -Witnesses said they heard screaming from the upper floors as the flames raced up the tower."I saw people jumping out of their windows," Khadejah Miller, who was evacuated from her home nearby, told AFP.Two witnesses said they saw children dropped by their parents out of the building into the arms of people on the ground.Adi Estu, 32, who lives nearby and took refuge in a church with her husband and nine-month-old son, said: "I saw people flashing their lights for help, families flashing their mobile phones like a torch. But the smoke covered them."We saw them dying."Members of the local community delivered food, water, blankets and clothes to the local church and nearby community centre, where frantic families attempted to call their loved ones, fearing they could be stuck inside.Eddie Daffarn, a 16th-floor resident, said he struggled to find the stairs as the building filled with black smoke until a fireman grabbed his leg and directed him to safety."Loads of people haven't got out," the 55-year-old said.He said residents had complained for years about mismanagement of the block, saying he had warned that "one day there will be a catastrophic fire and that will hold these people to account"."This is mass murder and these people need to be put into court," he said.Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "deeply saddened" by the situation and has called an emergency meeting to coordinate the response to the fire, which comes just 11 days after eight people were killed in a terror attack on London Bridge and Borough Market.May faced further delays in forming her new government after a failed election gamble when her would-be allies said their agreement would be put back following the blaze.- Refurbishment concerns -The apartment block was built in 1974, but had recently undergone a major refurbishment, including a new heating and hot water system and new cladding on the outside.The £8.7 million ($11 million, 9.9 million euros) refit was completed in May 2016."Since the refurbishment they've had problems with the electricity, problems with the gas," said local resident Virginia Sang, 62.Rydon, the construction firm which carried out the refurbishment, said it "met all required building control, fire regulation and health and safety standards".David Collins, a former chairman of the Grenfell Tower residents' association, said he was shocked but not surprised by the fire."Ninety percent of residents had signed a petition at the end of 2015 complaining about the mismanagement," he said."If the same concerns were had in a wealthy part of Kensington and Chelsea they would have got resolved, but here they didn't."Local authority landlords KCTMO sent their "sincere and heartfelt condolences" to those affected by the tragedy."We always take all concerns seriously and these will form part of our forthcoming investigations," they added.Fire minister Nick Hurd said checks would be carried out on tower blocks going through similar refurbishment to Grenfell Tower.Angus Law, from the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at Edinburgh University, said the blaze seemingly had similarities with other recent fires worldwide."It appears that the external cladding has significantly contributed to the spread of fire," he said.He said regulations for tall buildings were intended to prevent the spread of fire, so if it does occur, "the consequences are often catastrophic".
Rifle-wielding attacker wounds GOP leader, killed by police-[Associated Press]-ERICA WERNER and CHAD DAY-YAHOONEWS-June 14, 2017
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A rifle-wielding attacker opened fire on Republican lawmakers as they practiced for a charity baseball game Wednesday, critically wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and hitting aides and Capitol police as congressmen and others dove for cover. The assailant, who had nursed grievances against President Donald Trump and the GOP, fought a gun battle with police before he, too, was shot and later died.Colleagues said Scalise had been fielding balls at second base at a local park in Alexandria, just across the Potomac River from the nation's capital, as the Republicans practiced for their annual game with Democrats. He dragged himself away from the infield leaving a trail of blood before fellow lawmakers could rush to his assistance. He was listed in critical condition Wednesday night at a Washington hospital, which said he will require several more operations.The shooter was identified as James T. Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old home inspector from Illinois who had several minor run-ins with the law in recent years and belonged to a Facebook group called "Terminate the Republican Party." He had been living out of his van in the Alexandria area in recent months, the FBI said.Capitol Police officers who were in Scalise's security detail wounded the shooter. He later died of his injuries, Trump told the nation from the White House."Everyone on that field is a public servant," Trump said, his tone somber, America's acrimonious politics set aside for the moment. "Their sacrifice makes democracy possible."Lawmakers noted their good fortune in having armed protectors on hand — "Thank God," they exclaimed over and over — and said otherwise the shooter would have been able to take a huge deadly toll.The events left the capital horrified and stunned, and prompted immediate reflection on the current hostility and vitriol in American politics. Lawmakers called for a new dialogue on lowering the partisan temperature, and Trump urged Americans to come together as he assumed the role of national unifier for one of the first times in his presidency.Trump later visited the hospital where Scalise was recovering. The president then tweeted: "Rep. Steve Scalise, one of the truly great people, is in very tough shape - but he is a real fighter. Pray for Steve!"Proceedings were canceled for the day in the House, and instead Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California issued their own calls for unity. "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," Ryan said, to prolonged applause.Shortly after the shooting, Bernie Sanders, the former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, said on the Senate floor that the shooter apparently was a volunteer for his campaign last year. Sanders said he denounced the violence "in the strongest possible terms."Scalise, 51, the No. 3 House Republican leader, was first elected in 2008. The popular and gregarious lawmaker is known for his love of baseball and handed out commemorative bats when he secured the job of House whip several years ago.Texas Rep. Roger Williams said that one of his aides, Zack Barth, was shot but was doing well and expected to fully recover. Two Capitol Police officers sustained relatively minor injuries. A former congressional aide was hospitalized.The shooting occurred at a popular park and baseball complex where Republican lawmakers and others were gathered for a morning practice about 7 a.m. They were in good spirits despite the heat and humidity as they prepared for the annual congressional baseball match that pits Republicans against Democrats. The popular annual face-off, which raises money for charity, is scheduled for Thursday evening at Nationals Park across the Potomac River in Washington, and will go forward as planned.Hodgkinson has been in the area since March, living out of his van, said Washington FBI Special Agent In Charge Tim Slater. Democratic former Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille said he had spoken often with the man on recent mornings at the nearby YMCA.Hodgkinson's apparent Facebook page included strong criticism of Republicans and the Trump administration. But Slater said authorities were still working to determine a motive and had no indication Hodgkinson knew about the baseball practice ahead of time.The GOP lawmakers' team was taking batting practice when gunshots rang out and chaos erupted.After Scalise was hit, said Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, the congressman "crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood.""We started giving him the liquids, I put pressure on his wound in his hip," Brooks said.The gunman had a rifle and "a lot of ammo," said Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was at the practice.Texas Rep. Joe Barton, still in his baseball uniform, told reporters that Scalise's security detail, Capitol Hill police and then Alexandria police returned fire in a battle that lasted as long as 10 minutes and included dozens of shots."The security detail saved a lot of lives," he said. "It was scary."Lawmakers took cover in the dugout. Barton said his son, Jack, got under an SUV.Texas Rep. Mike Conaway described what sounded like an explosion, then lawmakers scattering off the field as police roamed in search of the gunman and engaged him."The guy's down to a handgun, he dropped his rifle, they shoot him, I go over there, they put him in handcuffs," Conaway said, adding that if the shooter had "gotten inside the fence, where a bunch of guys were holed up in the dugout, it would have been like shooting fish in a barrel."Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina said he had just left the practice and encountered the apparent gunman in the parking lot before the shooting. The man calmly asked which party's lawmakers were practicing and Duncan told him they were the Republicans. The man thanked him.The wounded Capitol Police officers were identified as David Bailey, who was treated for a minor injury, and Crystal Griner, who was shot in the ankle. Also wounded was former congressional aide Matt Mika, who now works for Tyson Foods in its Washington office. Mika's family said the lobbyist was shot multiple times and was in critical condition following surgery.The event raised questions about the security of members of Congress. While the top lawmakers, including Scalise, have security details, others do not and regularly appear in public without protection. The last time a lawmaker was shot was when Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona was hit in the head and grievously injured while meeting with constituents at a supermarket parking lot in 2011.Following the Giffords shooting, lawmakers have held fewer open town halls and have been advised to increase security at such events.___Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker, Matt Barakat, Meghan Hoyer, Sarah Brumfield, Michael Biesecker, Mary Clare Jalonick, Ken Thomas, Vivian Salama, Stephen Ohlemacher, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor in Washington and Alexandria and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
12 dead as fire engulfs London tower block-[AFP]-Rosie SCAMMELL, Alice RITCHIE-YAHOONEWS-June 14, 2017
London (AFP) - At least 12 people perished on Wednesday after a massive inferno tore through a London apartment block, with witnesses reporting terrified residents had leapt from the tower and dropped their children in a desperate bid for survival.As smoke continued to billow from the gutted building, survivors voiced anger over longstanding safety fears at the 24-storey Grenfell Tower, which was home to between 600 and 800 people.Parents wrapped wet towels around their children as they tried to escape, while others were seen desperately waving for help from the higher floors, which firefighters could not reach at the blaze took hold."There are now 12 people that have died that we know of," police commander Stuart Cundy told reporters at the scene."I do anticipate that the number of fatalities will sadly increase" he said, adding that he did not expect fire crews hunting through the debris to find any survivors.Seventy-eight people were being treated in hospitals, 18 of whom are in a critical condition.The alarm was raised just before 1:00 am (0000 GMT) and within an hour flames had engulfed the entire block of 120 flats.More than 200 firefighters had been tackling the blaze and managed to rescue 65 people.Some 16 hours on, pockets of flame were still burning inside, and fire crews had reached the top. They had used drones to examine the upper floors.Blazing chunks of debris fell from the wrecked building, a 1970s local authority-built block in the working-class area of north Kensington, just streets away from the wealthy homes of Notting Hill.Residents claimed the fire spread on the exterior of the tower, which had been covered in cladding in a major refurbishment completed last year.The London Fire Brigade said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but its chief Dany Cotton said she had "never seen anything on this scale" in her 29-year career.- 'We saw them dying' -Witnesses said they heard screaming from the upper floors as the flames raced up the tower."I saw people jumping out of their windows," Khadejah Miller, who was evacuated from her home nearby, told AFP.Two witnesses said they saw children dropped by their parents out of the building into the arms of people on the ground.Adi Estu, 32, who lives nearby and took refuge in a church with her husband and nine-month-old son, said: "I saw people flashing their lights for help, families flashing their mobile phones like a torch. But the smoke covered them."We saw them dying."Members of the local community delivered food, water, blankets and clothes to the local church and nearby community centre, where frantic families attempted to call their loved ones, fearing they could be stuck inside.Eddie Daffarn, a 16th-floor resident, said he struggled to find the stairs as the building filled with black smoke until a fireman grabbed his leg and directed him to safety."Loads of people haven't got out," the 55-year-old said.He said residents had complained for years about mismanagement of the block, saying he had warned that "one day there will be a catastrophic fire and that will hold these people to account"."This is mass murder and these people need to be put into court," he said.Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "deeply saddened" by the situation and has called an emergency meeting to coordinate the response to the fire, which comes just 11 days after eight people were killed in a terror attack on London Bridge and Borough Market.May faced further delays in forming her new government after a failed election gamble when her would-be allies said their agreement would be put back following the blaze.- Refurbishment concerns -The apartment block was built in 1974, but had recently undergone a major refurbishment, including a new heating and hot water system and new cladding on the outside.The £8.7 million ($11 million, 9.9 million euros) refit was completed in May 2016."Since the refurbishment they've had problems with the electricity, problems with the gas," said local resident Virginia Sang, 62.Rydon, the construction firm which carried out the refurbishment, said it "met all required building control, fire regulation and health and safety standards".David Collins, a former chairman of the Grenfell Tower residents' association, said he was shocked but not surprised by the fire."Ninety percent of residents had signed a petition at the end of 2015 complaining about the mismanagement," he said."If the same concerns were had in a wealthy part of Kensington and Chelsea they would have got resolved, but here they didn't."Local authority landlords KCTMO sent their "sincere and heartfelt condolences" to those affected by the tragedy."We always take all concerns seriously and these will form part of our forthcoming investigations," they added.Fire minister Nick Hurd said checks would be carried out on tower blocks going through similar refurbishment to Grenfell Tower.Angus Law, from the Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at Edinburgh University, said the blaze seemingly had similarities with other recent fires worldwide."It appears that the external cladding has significantly contributed to the spread of fire," he said.He said regulations for tall buildings were intended to prevent the spread of fire, so if it does occur, "the consequences are often catastrophic".
Rifle-wielding attacker wounds GOP leader, killed by police-[Associated Press]-ERICA WERNER and CHAD DAY-YAHOONEWS-June 14, 2017
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A rifle-wielding attacker opened fire on Republican lawmakers as they practiced for a charity baseball game Wednesday, critically wounding House GOP Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and hitting aides and Capitol police as congressmen and others dove for cover. The assailant, who had nursed grievances against President Donald Trump and the GOP, fought a gun battle with police before he, too, was shot and later died.Colleagues said Scalise had been fielding balls at second base at a local park in Alexandria, just across the Potomac River from the nation's capital, as the Republicans practiced for their annual game with Democrats. He dragged himself away from the infield leaving a trail of blood before fellow lawmakers could rush to his assistance. He was listed in critical condition Wednesday night at a Washington hospital, which said he will require several more operations.The shooter was identified as James T. Hodgkinson, a 66-year-old home inspector from Illinois who had several minor run-ins with the law in recent years and belonged to a Facebook group called "Terminate the Republican Party." He had been living out of his van in the Alexandria area in recent months, the FBI said.Capitol Police officers who were in Scalise's security detail wounded the shooter. He later died of his injuries, Trump told the nation from the White House."Everyone on that field is a public servant," Trump said, his tone somber, America's acrimonious politics set aside for the moment. "Their sacrifice makes democracy possible."Lawmakers noted their good fortune in having armed protectors on hand — "Thank God," they exclaimed over and over — and said otherwise the shooter would have been able to take a huge deadly toll.The events left the capital horrified and stunned, and prompted immediate reflection on the current hostility and vitriol in American politics. Lawmakers called for a new dialogue on lowering the partisan temperature, and Trump urged Americans to come together as he assumed the role of national unifier for one of the first times in his presidency.Trump later visited the hospital where Scalise was recovering. The president then tweeted: "Rep. Steve Scalise, one of the truly great people, is in very tough shape - but he is a real fighter. Pray for Steve!"Proceedings were canceled for the day in the House, and instead Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California issued their own calls for unity. "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us," Ryan said, to prolonged applause.Shortly after the shooting, Bernie Sanders, the former candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, said on the Senate floor that the shooter apparently was a volunteer for his campaign last year. Sanders said he denounced the violence "in the strongest possible terms."Scalise, 51, the No. 3 House Republican leader, was first elected in 2008. The popular and gregarious lawmaker is known for his love of baseball and handed out commemorative bats when he secured the job of House whip several years ago.Texas Rep. Roger Williams said that one of his aides, Zack Barth, was shot but was doing well and expected to fully recover. Two Capitol Police officers sustained relatively minor injuries. A former congressional aide was hospitalized.The shooting occurred at a popular park and baseball complex where Republican lawmakers and others were gathered for a morning practice about 7 a.m. They were in good spirits despite the heat and humidity as they prepared for the annual congressional baseball match that pits Republicans against Democrats. The popular annual face-off, which raises money for charity, is scheduled for Thursday evening at Nationals Park across the Potomac River in Washington, and will go forward as planned.Hodgkinson has been in the area since March, living out of his van, said Washington FBI Special Agent In Charge Tim Slater. Democratic former Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille said he had spoken often with the man on recent mornings at the nearby YMCA.Hodgkinson's apparent Facebook page included strong criticism of Republicans and the Trump administration. But Slater said authorities were still working to determine a motive and had no indication Hodgkinson knew about the baseball practice ahead of time.The GOP lawmakers' team was taking batting practice when gunshots rang out and chaos erupted.After Scalise was hit, said Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, the congressman "crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood.""We started giving him the liquids, I put pressure on his wound in his hip," Brooks said.The gunman had a rifle and "a lot of ammo," said Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was at the practice.Texas Rep. Joe Barton, still in his baseball uniform, told reporters that Scalise's security detail, Capitol Hill police and then Alexandria police returned fire in a battle that lasted as long as 10 minutes and included dozens of shots."The security detail saved a lot of lives," he said. "It was scary."Lawmakers took cover in the dugout. Barton said his son, Jack, got under an SUV.Texas Rep. Mike Conaway described what sounded like an explosion, then lawmakers scattering off the field as police roamed in search of the gunman and engaged him."The guy's down to a handgun, he dropped his rifle, they shoot him, I go over there, they put him in handcuffs," Conaway said, adding that if the shooter had "gotten inside the fence, where a bunch of guys were holed up in the dugout, it would have been like shooting fish in a barrel."Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina said he had just left the practice and encountered the apparent gunman in the parking lot before the shooting. The man calmly asked which party's lawmakers were practicing and Duncan told him they were the Republicans. The man thanked him.The wounded Capitol Police officers were identified as David Bailey, who was treated for a minor injury, and Crystal Griner, who was shot in the ankle. Also wounded was former congressional aide Matt Mika, who now works for Tyson Foods in its Washington office. Mika's family said the lobbyist was shot multiple times and was in critical condition following surgery.The event raised questions about the security of members of Congress. While the top lawmakers, including Scalise, have security details, others do not and regularly appear in public without protection. The last time a lawmaker was shot was when Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona was hit in the head and grievously injured while meeting with constituents at a supermarket parking lot in 2011.Following the Giffords shooting, lawmakers have held fewer open town halls and have been advised to increase security at such events.___Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker, Matt Barakat, Meghan Hoyer, Sarah Brumfield, Michael Biesecker, Mary Clare Jalonick, Ken Thomas, Vivian Salama, Stephen Ohlemacher, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor in Washington and Alexandria and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this report.
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.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
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.
UK clearing houses could be moved to EU By Peter Teffer-euobserver
Strasbourg, 13. Jun, 18:10-The European Commission has proposed the EU should be able to force important clearing houses to be based on its territory.The new rules, if adopted, could affect clearing houses in London after the United Kingdom leaves the EU. Ultimately, some London-based clearing houses could be forced to set up shop in the EU.Clearing houses, also known as central counterparties (CCPs), became more important after the 2008 financial crisis. They act as an intermediary between traders of financial products - such as currencies, interest rate derivatives, and credit default swaps.The idea is that CCPs reduce the risk of insolvency. They are subject to EU rules already, but the commission, on Tuesday (13 June), also proposed to increase its supervision of CCPs, given their increased importance.“CCPs were quite niche, but they have grown enormously,” said an EU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.There are currently 17 such clearing houses in the EU, with most of them focusing on a specific type of financial product.The new rules proposed on Tuesday would make a distinction between clearing houses that posed no systemic risk to the EU's financial markets, those that are “systemically important” to the EU, and those that are “substantially systemically important”.“The more important for the EU a CCP is, the more intense the supervision will be,” said the EU official.It is not yet known which clearing houses would fall into which category, because that will be determined later.The proposal, part of the EU's Capital Markets Union strategy, would grant a bigger role to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), an EU agency based in Paris.The “substantially systemically important” clearing houses would be subject to more stringent controls by ESMA.If such a clearing house was in a non-EU country, but “substantially systemically important” to the EU, it would have to accept a certain degree of supervision from ESMA.If ESMA was unable to carry out that supervision satisfactorily, the EU commission could propose to member states that they demand the clearing house to be established in the EU. A majority of national governments would then have to agree.This requirement, which the EU official said was a measure of “last resort”, was particularly relevant in the context of Brexit.Some of the most important clearing houses are based in the UK, and around three quarters of clearing operations in euros currently take place in the City of London.The EU official said the commission was already working on the new rules before the UK had decided to leave the EU, but that Brexit became "an additional factor".EU financial services commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis mentioned Brexit in a press release on Tuesday.“The continued safety and stability of our financial system remains a key priority,” he said.“As we face the departure of the largest EU financial centre, we need to make certain adjustments to our rules to ensure that our efforts remain on track,” he added, referring to London.The proposal will need to be approved by the European Parliament and national governments.A second EU official said he had no indication that the UK would try to block the process, nor did he have an estimate of how often the “last resort” measure - forcing a clearing house to set up an EU office - might occur.“The framework needs to cover all the eventualities,” the first official added.The second contact noted that the requirement for being established in the EU could not be fulfilled by having a “letterbox” entity in the European Union.“You have to have a business here, substantial activity,” he said.The proposal would mean that the ESMA agency would need an additional 50 members of staff. It currently has around 200.
Britain, EU in suspense as May tries to strike power deal-[AFP]-Dario THUBURN-yahoonews-June 14, 2017
London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to clinch a deal Wednesday that would allow her minority government to survive, as EU leaders voice growing impatience to start Brexit negotiations.May lost her parliamentary majority in last week's election and is now desperately seeking the support of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland's ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party.An initial round of talks between May and DUP leader Arlene Foster ended with no agreement on Tuesday, although both sides said they were hopeful, with talks to resume Wednesday."I hope that we can reach a conclusion sooner than later," Foster said.On a visit to Paris on Tuesday evening where she met with French President Emmanuel Macron, May described the talks as "productive".The talks are being closely watched in European capitals as they could delay the expected start of Brexit negotiations next week, as well as change Britain's entire approach to its EU withdrawal.May has dismissed calls to resign following the dismal election result after calling a vote three years early in the hope of bolstering her slim majority ahead of the Brexit talks.Her gamble failed spectacularly.A lacklustre campaign saw her high approval rating slip away, and support for her "hard Brexit" strategy -- pulling out of the European single market and customs union -- now hangs in the balance.The DUP is believed to be more favourable to a "soft Brexit" that would keep Northern Ireland's border with the Republic of Ireland free-flowing.The negotiations with the DUP revolve around support from the party on a vote-by-vote basis in parliament, rather than a formal coalition government.But the prospect of a deal has prompted warnings that it could upset Northern Ireland's fragile peace.- 'Very unsettling' -London's neutrality is key to the delicate balance of power in Northern Ireland, which was once plagued by violence over Britain's control of the province."The danger is that however much any government tries they will not be seen to be impartial if they are locked into a parliamentary deal," former Conservative prime minister John Major told BBC radio.The Irish republican Sinn Fein party -- which won seven seats in the election although MPs traditionally do not take up their seats in protest -- is also wary of the alliance."This new arrangement is very unsettling and people are concerned and worried about what it may mean, or what promises may be given. There's a lot of anxiety," Sinn Fein MP Michelle Glidernew told AFP.As May attempts to cobble together a majority, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that time was passing in an interview on Tuesday."It's passing quicker than anyone believes... That's why we're ready to start very quickly. I can't negotiate with myself," he told The Financial Times.With the two-year clock on Brexit ticking since March, when a letter from May formally started proceedings, Barnier dismissed the suggestion of postponing the negotiations and said such a delay would only prompt further instability.The European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, also expressed his frustration."We are impatiently waiting for the negotiating position of the UK gov(ernment). The current uncertainty cannot continue," he said on Twitter.At a press conference with May, Macron said the door was "always open" for Britain to remain in the EU as long as the negotiations on Brexit have not finished.As talks go on, the EU unveiled plans to give itself new powers over London's banking business after Brexit, in what could be a blow to the city's supremacy as a global financial hub.The draft law would empower Europe to decide if post-Brexit London has the right to host financial market "clearing houses" that deal in euros, the EU's single currency.
China investigating if slain pair was preaching in Pakistan-[Associated Press]-yahoonews-June 14, 2017
BEIJING (AP) — China will investigate claims that two of its citizens were engaged in illegal preaching before they were killed by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, a government spokesman said Wednesday.The two Chinese citizens were abducted at gunpoint on May 24 in the city of Quetta. Islamic State militants claimed the killings on Friday and sent local journalists a video purporting to show their bodies.Chinese officials have yet to directly confirm the deaths, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement. China's government "will continue to make the greatest efforts to work with the Pakistani side on coming to a speedy clarification of the relevant issues," he said.Pakistani officials identified the victims as Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26.Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said they had entered the country on business visas but later began "preaching." He did not offer further details but called for a review of Pakistan's visa policies with regard to Chinese nationals.During the abduction, gunmen dressed as police stopped a car carrying Lee and Meng and shot and wounded a man who intervened after he rescued a third person from the car, according to Pakistani police.The police said at the time that Lee and Meng had been teaching at a private language school.China, a longtime ally of Pakistan, is investing billions of dollars in an economic corridor linking the Asian neighbors. Thousands of Chinese nationals work in Pakistan and have occasionally been targeted in attacks by anti-government militants.
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)
Death toll in Bangladesh landslides rises to 132-[Associated Press]-JULHAS ALAM-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The death toll from massive landslides triggered by heavy rains rose to 132 on Wednesday with firefighters, police and soldiers struggling to reach the remote southeastern districts to distribute aid, officials said.It was not clear yet if any villagers were still missing after large chunks of mud swept over thatched homes and settlements in three hilly districts on Tuesday, a day after heavy rains began across the country because of the influence of a depression in the Bay of Bengal.After an overnight halt in the search and rescue operation, rescuers resumed Wednesday morning, said Reaz Ahmed, a senior official of the Disaster Management Ministry.Military spokesman Rezaul Karim said Tuesday that several soldiers were killed and five injured while clearing debris and mud from a highway.Rains that began early Monday had cleared, allowing rescuers to work faster in searching for survivors. But some areas still remained cut off.Bangladesh is in the middle of the monsoon season, but Monday's downpour was caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.Officials said at least 98 of the victims died in Rangamati, one of the worst-hit districts, and 28 were killed in Chittagong while another six died in Bandarban. Extensive devastation was reported in the region. The landslides were the worst since 2007, when 127 people were killed in Chittagong.In Rangamati's remote Kawkhali area, about 5,000 homes were either destroyed or damaged, police chief Addul Karim said. He said authorities opened six temporary shelters.Experts say unplanned settlements at foothills and extraction of soil by unscrupulous traders were the main reasons behind such high death tolls.Bangladesh, a delta nation of 160 million people, is prone to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and landslides. Many people in hilly regions ignore authorities' calls to avoid constructing homes on slopes.
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)
Asylum-seekers in Australia win multimillion dollar payout-[AFP]-yahoonews-June 14, 2017
Sydney (AFP) - Detainees at a controversial Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won Aus$70 million ($53 million) in compensation on Wednesday after alleging they suffered physical and psychological harm.The settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.A class action sought damages for alleged suffering due to harsh conditions in which detainees were held.It also called for a payout for false imprisonment after the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled last year that holding asylum-seekers on Manus Island was unconstitutional and illegal.Lawyers Slater and Gordon said they believed it was the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian history, with the defendants also agreeing to pay costs of more than Aus$20 million.a"The people detained on Manus Island have endured extremely hostile conditions, but they will no longer suffer in silence," said Andrew Baker, from the law firm."While no amount of money could fully recognise the terrible conditions the detainees endured, we hope today’s settlement can begin to provide them with an opportunity to help put this dark chapter of their lives behind them."The Manus facility opened in 2012 to detain people trying to enter Australia by boat under a tough immigration policy that sends them offshore to be processed.They are blocked from resettling in Australia even if found to be refugees.Conditions in the camp, and another one on Nauru in the Pacific, have been widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals, with reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health issues.Lead plaintiff Majid Kamasaee, an Iranian, welcomed the settlement as an overdue acknowledgement of the suffering he and others endured."This case is not just about me, it is about every person who has been trapped on Manus Island,” said Kamasaee, who was held there for 11 months"I left my home in Iran in 2013 because of religious persecution and I came to Australia seeking peace, but I was sent to Manus, which was hell."The way we were treated at the Manus Island detention centre was degrading and cruel."The government had no immediate response but Slater and Gordon lawyer Rory Walsh told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the agreement was not an admission of liability from Canberra."It denied it was doing the false imprisoning... the Commonwealth defence was that it was the PNG authorities doing the imprisoning and detaining and not them," he said."The denial of liability allows the Commonwealth and the defendants to run those positions in any other cases and maintain that position."
Daunting aid challenges as civilians flee Syria's Raqa-[AFP]-Sara Hussein-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Beirut (AFP) - The battle to oust the Islamic State group from its stronghold of Raqa is creating daunting challenges for aid groups responding to the latest humanitarian crisis in the Syrian conflict.Tens of thousands of civilians have fled Raqa and its surroundings since the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its operation to capture the jihadist stronghold last year.But new waves of displacement are expected as the battle inside the city progresses.A key problem is getting aid supplies to the relatively remote desert region in Syria's north, with just a trickle of assistance currently crossing from neighbouring Turkey and Iraq."There is supply but it's very, very limited and the needs of the population are very high," said Puk Leenders, emergency coordinator for northern Syria for the group Doctors Without Borders (MSF).Turkey considers the key Kurdish component of the SDF a "terrorist" group and its border with the area north of Raqa is effectively closed.The border crossing with Iraq, over 300 kilometres (180 miles) east of Raqa city, is open to goods, but in practice sees little traffic, local officials say.The United Nations, which operates inside Syria with government permission, has been able to airlift supplies to the city of Qamishli, northeast of Raqa, from government-held Damascus.But "this offered limited capacity and was insufficient to meet all needs", said David Swanson, regional spokesman for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).The UN is now hoping to start transporting aid from Aleppo to Qamishli, a distance of more than 400 kilometres, but the route must first be tested for security, said Swanson.- 'Volatile security situation' -An estimated 300,000 civilians once lived under IS rule in Raqa, including 80,000 displaced from other parts of Syria before the group seized the city.Tens of thousands fled Raqa and surrounding areas as the SDF closed in on the jihadist bastion.The UN estimates more than 169,000 people fled Raqa city and its environs in April and May alone, and thousands of displaced civilians are now living in overcrowded and underresourced camps.In Ain Issa, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Raqa, new arrivals say they are sleeping on the ground, with neither mattresses under them nor tents overhead."There are now more than 25,000 people in the Ain Issa camp, which was built with a capacity of 10,000," camp director Jalal Ayyaf told AFP."International organisations are providing support, but it's not sufficient for the numbers who are arriving."MSF's Leenders said up to 800 people were arriving at Ain Issa each day, and many more people were simply sleeping on roadsides or under trees in the countryside north of the city.The "highly volatile security situation" is another major concern for aid groups working in the region, said Paul Donohoe, senior media officer at the International Rescue Committee NGO."We know that there are many mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices), there is also the risk of IS attacks and there have been reports of some fleeing civilians being killed by coalition air strikes.""It is thought up to half the population of Raqa could ultimately flee the city and they will still be very vulnerable to mines and IS snipers, as well as air strikes."- 'Impossible choices' -Arriving civilians are already presenting health problems ranging from dehydration to untreated chronic illness.And aid groups expect an uptick in wounded arrivals as the fighting intensifies.MSF is establishing stabilisation points near the frontline to provide emergency care to keep the seriously injured alive until they reach hospitals.But there is a severe shortage of qualified medical staff in the region, Leenders said, and medical facilities have also been affected by the fighting."Hospitals are being mined and it's really difficult to start those back up because they need to be demined... It can be extremely challenging."The most difficult problem of all may simply be reaching those in need."Many people fleeing... initially end up in locations too close to the frontline for aid agencies to safely respond," said Donohoe.And others cannot leave at all, with IS reportedly using threats, arrests and violence to prevent civilians fleeing.Those who do escape risk unexploded ordnance en route, and the threat of being mistaken for fleeing IS fighters by SDF forces or the US-led coalition.MSF warned last week that civilians in the city faced "impossible choices"."Either they stay in Raqa, subjecting their children to increased violence and air strikes, or they take them over the frontline, knowing they will need to cross minefields and may be caught in the crossfire."
In Mexico, impunity piles up along with journalists' bodies-[AFP]-Yemeli ORTEGA-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Mexico City (AFP) - It can be deadly to ask questions about multibillion-dollar drug cartels or government corruption in Mexico, where more than 100 journalists have been killed since 2000.Ninety percent of those cases remain unsolved.At least five journalists have been killed here so far this year -- casualties in a wave of bloodshed that has left more than 200,000 people dead or missing in the past decade, as Mexico's rival cartels wage war on each other and the army.The most high-profile case is that of Javier Valdez, a noted crime reporter in the violent western state of Sinaloa who was gunned down on May 15.As with most of his murdered colleagues, little is known for sure about who killed him and why.The authorities frequently refuse to provide information, saying they cannot comment on ongoing investigations.Often, the reality is that "they've hardly done anything," according to Balbina Flores, who runs her own investigations for watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.One month after Valdez's murder, AFP compiled details on each journalist killed this year and the investigations into their deaths.- Cecilio Pineda, 39 -Pineda, the editor of regional newspaper La Voz, was shot by gunmen on March 2 as he relaxed in a hammock near his house in the southern state of Guerrero.A crime reporter and correspondent for national newspaper El Universal, he had received death threats and escaped an earlier attempt on his life in 2015.Guerrero state prosecutor Javier Olea said he could not comment on the investigation.- Ricardo Monlui, 57 -Monlui, the editor of daily newspaper El Politico, was shot on March 19 as he left a restaurant with his wife and son in the eastern state of Veracruz.An expert on the state's graft-stained politics, he also wrote a syndicated column.Veracruz state prosecutor Jorge Winckler declined to comment on the investigation.Winckler is currently under investigation by a state commission for accusations of systematically obstructing journalists' enquiries.- Miroslava Breach, 54 -Breach, a veteran crime and politics reporter for the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juarez, was found dead inside her car with gunshot wounds to the head on March 23 in the northern state of Chihuahua.One of her last stories was on a war between two rival capos in the Juarez drug cartel.State prosecutor Cesar Augusto Peniche said investigators have "100 percent identified" those responsible: a group of drug traffickers operating in the Chihuahua mountains.Peniche's office has now closed the investigation, even though no arrests have been made. He said state and federal authorities are working to detain the suspects.- Maximino Rodriguez, 71 -Rodriguez, a crime reporter with the blog Colectivo Pericu, was shot as he and his wife parked their car outside a store on April 14 in the northern state of Baja California Sur.The authorities have arrested four suspects and determined the motive for the killing was Rodriguez's journalism.According to his colleagues, the suspects are hitmen linked to the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel.- Javier Valdez, 50 -Valdez, the founder of weekly newspaper Riodoce, a longtime AFP contributor and author of several books on organized crime, was shot outside his paper's offices on May 15.He had recently been reporting on a war between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel since its boss, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was extradited to the United States in January.Colleagues suspect the killing was in retaliation for an interview Valdez published with the head of one faction, Damaso Lopez Nunez, who is battling El Chapo's sons for control of the cartel.State prosecutors have refused to comply with a freedom of information request on their investigation, citing a new law that protects certain information such as suspects' identities.They initially said they were investigating the case as a robbery. They later acknowledged his journalism may have been the motive.
Egypt parliament committee passes Saudi islands deal-[AFP]-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Cairo (AFP) - A controversial agreement for Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee on Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote in the house.Parliament's legislative committee agreed the treaty after heated debate, with opponents even interrupting one session with chanting.The agreement passed with 35 lawmakers for and eight against, member of parliament Mostafa Bakry told AFP.Parliament's defence committee will also examine the accord before it goes to a general vote.Courts had struck down the agreement, signed in April 2016, but a year later another court upheld it.The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused of having bartered the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse.The government has said the islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s.Opponents of the agreement insist that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.In the evening dozens of journalists protested against the agreement in central Cairo, before being dispersed by police, journalists' union official Gamal Abdel Rehim told AFP.Several were briefly arrested before being released but "three reporters are still detained, and contacts are being made with the interior ministry to get them released," he said.
Sessions brands Russia collusion claims a 'detestable lie'-[AFP]-Michael Mathes, Paul HANDLEY-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Washington (AFP) - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday vehemently denied any collusion with Russia to tilt last year's election in Donald Trump's favor, branding the suggestion an "appalling and detestable lie."In closely-watched congressional testimony, Sessions angrily denounced allegations he acted improperly during meetings with Russian officials -- or that he knew of any attempt at collusion by members of the Trump campaign team.And he repeatedly refused to reveal whether he had spoken to the president regarding James Comey's handling of the probe into Russian election meddling -- which the former FBI director believes to be the reason he was fired.A Trump loyalist and early backer of the billionaire businessman's presidential bid, the 70-year-old Sessions has recused himself from all ongoing Russia investigations.But the nation's top law enforcement official -- who recommended Comey's dismissal last month -- has himself become a focal point in the crisis roiling the White House.Sessions kicked off his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee by asserting that he had "never met with or had any conversations with any Russians" about interference in the 2016 presidential race."I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign," he said. "The suggestion that I participated with any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country... is an appalling and detestable lie."The appearance was Sessions's first sworn public testimony since being confirmed as attorney general in February.During the two-and-a-half hour hearing, he engaged in testy exchanges with several senators who pressed him for details on his discussions with Trump -- which he refused to provide in the name of confidentiality.Some Democrats grew impatient, warning Sessions was stonewalling on vital issues."You are obstructing that congressional investigation by not answering that question," charged Senator Martin Heinrich. "Your silence... speaks volumes."Sessions responded: "I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice."- 'Innuendo' -Testifying last week before the same committee, Comey recalled that Trump had asked him to "let go" of a probe into onetime national security advisor Michael Flynn -- exposing the president to accusations of obstruction of justice, a potentially impeachable offense.Flynn was sacked two weeks into the job amid concerns he lied over his Russian contacts, becoming the first high-profile victim of the scandal that has overshadowed Trump's young presidency.Trump has recently expressed frustration with Sessions, who has come under pressure over his own Russia contacts.While the Justice Department has said Sessions recused himself in March because of his involvement in Trump's campaign, Comey testified that the FBI knew of information that would have made it "problematic" for Sessions to be involved.But the attorney general pushed back hard when asked what those problematic matters could be, retorting: "There are none. I can tell you that for absolute certainty."This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it," he added.- 'No knowledge' of Russia probe -Barely a month after Trump dismissed Comey, rumors have been circulating that he may yet seek to sack Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed following the FBI chief's ouster to head the agency's Russia investigation.Sessions declined to comment on those reports, stating only that he had "confidence" in Mueller and would not be involved in any effort, should it arise, to fire the special counsel.Following the hearing, a White House spokeswoman said Trump "has no intention" of dismissing Mueller.Sessions added that since his recusal, "I have no knowledge about this investigation" beyond media reports.Addressing allegations that he had unreported meetings with Russian officials while he advised the Trump campaign, Sessions said he had already acknowledged two encounters last year with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.But he denied any substantive discussion with Kislyak at a third encounter, at an April 27, 2016 reception for Trump at Washington's Mayflower Hotel.Sessions also pushed back against Comey's suggestion he may have failed to take appropriate steps to protect the FBI chief from political pressure.At the conclusion of a February 14 meeting, the sacked FBI chief testified, Trump urged everyone but Comey to leave the Oval Office, including Sessions. Comey said the president then leaned on him to halt the Flynn investigation.Sessions said he learned from Comey that he felt concerned about being left alone with the president but that, since Comey did not relay details of the conversation, he had no way of knowing it was improper.Tuesday's hearing was followed by predictably partisan reaction from Republicans and rival Democrats."With no evidence of collusion, wrongdoing, or obstruction of justice by President Trump or the White House, how much longer is this going to go on," said Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, praising Sessions's "honesty and professionalism".However Democrat Congressman Jim Langevin said Sessions fell short of the standard of evidence required at such a hearing."The Attorney General's testimony this afternoon was unsubstantial, unresponsive, and unacceptable. Mr Sessions -- like every government employee -- has an obligation to answer to the oversight of Congress. He failed that obligation and his oath to the Constitution with his stonewalling of senators."
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.
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
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.
UK clearing houses could be moved to EU By Peter Teffer-euobserver
Strasbourg, 13. Jun, 18:10-The European Commission has proposed the EU should be able to force important clearing houses to be based on its territory.The new rules, if adopted, could affect clearing houses in London after the United Kingdom leaves the EU. Ultimately, some London-based clearing houses could be forced to set up shop in the EU.Clearing houses, also known as central counterparties (CCPs), became more important after the 2008 financial crisis. They act as an intermediary between traders of financial products - such as currencies, interest rate derivatives, and credit default swaps.The idea is that CCPs reduce the risk of insolvency. They are subject to EU rules already, but the commission, on Tuesday (13 June), also proposed to increase its supervision of CCPs, given their increased importance.“CCPs were quite niche, but they have grown enormously,” said an EU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.There are currently 17 such clearing houses in the EU, with most of them focusing on a specific type of financial product.The new rules proposed on Tuesday would make a distinction between clearing houses that posed no systemic risk to the EU's financial markets, those that are “systemically important” to the EU, and those that are “substantially systemically important”.“The more important for the EU a CCP is, the more intense the supervision will be,” said the EU official.It is not yet known which clearing houses would fall into which category, because that will be determined later.The proposal, part of the EU's Capital Markets Union strategy, would grant a bigger role to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), an EU agency based in Paris.The “substantially systemically important” clearing houses would be subject to more stringent controls by ESMA.If such a clearing house was in a non-EU country, but “substantially systemically important” to the EU, it would have to accept a certain degree of supervision from ESMA.If ESMA was unable to carry out that supervision satisfactorily, the EU commission could propose to member states that they demand the clearing house to be established in the EU. A majority of national governments would then have to agree.This requirement, which the EU official said was a measure of “last resort”, was particularly relevant in the context of Brexit.Some of the most important clearing houses are based in the UK, and around three quarters of clearing operations in euros currently take place in the City of London.The EU official said the commission was already working on the new rules before the UK had decided to leave the EU, but that Brexit became "an additional factor".EU financial services commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis mentioned Brexit in a press release on Tuesday.“The continued safety and stability of our financial system remains a key priority,” he said.“As we face the departure of the largest EU financial centre, we need to make certain adjustments to our rules to ensure that our efforts remain on track,” he added, referring to London.The proposal will need to be approved by the European Parliament and national governments.A second EU official said he had no indication that the UK would try to block the process, nor did he have an estimate of how often the “last resort” measure - forcing a clearing house to set up an EU office - might occur.“The framework needs to cover all the eventualities,” the first official added.The second contact noted that the requirement for being established in the EU could not be fulfilled by having a “letterbox” entity in the European Union.“You have to have a business here, substantial activity,” he said.The proposal would mean that the ESMA agency would need an additional 50 members of staff. It currently has around 200.
Britain, EU in suspense as May tries to strike power deal-[AFP]-Dario THUBURN-yahoonews-June 14, 2017
London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will try to clinch a deal Wednesday that would allow her minority government to survive, as EU leaders voice growing impatience to start Brexit negotiations.May lost her parliamentary majority in last week's election and is now desperately seeking the support of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland's ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party.An initial round of talks between May and DUP leader Arlene Foster ended with no agreement on Tuesday, although both sides said they were hopeful, with talks to resume Wednesday."I hope that we can reach a conclusion sooner than later," Foster said.On a visit to Paris on Tuesday evening where she met with French President Emmanuel Macron, May described the talks as "productive".The talks are being closely watched in European capitals as they could delay the expected start of Brexit negotiations next week, as well as change Britain's entire approach to its EU withdrawal.May has dismissed calls to resign following the dismal election result after calling a vote three years early in the hope of bolstering her slim majority ahead of the Brexit talks.Her gamble failed spectacularly.A lacklustre campaign saw her high approval rating slip away, and support for her "hard Brexit" strategy -- pulling out of the European single market and customs union -- now hangs in the balance.The DUP is believed to be more favourable to a "soft Brexit" that would keep Northern Ireland's border with the Republic of Ireland free-flowing.The negotiations with the DUP revolve around support from the party on a vote-by-vote basis in parliament, rather than a formal coalition government.But the prospect of a deal has prompted warnings that it could upset Northern Ireland's fragile peace.- 'Very unsettling' -London's neutrality is key to the delicate balance of power in Northern Ireland, which was once plagued by violence over Britain's control of the province."The danger is that however much any government tries they will not be seen to be impartial if they are locked into a parliamentary deal," former Conservative prime minister John Major told BBC radio.The Irish republican Sinn Fein party -- which won seven seats in the election although MPs traditionally do not take up their seats in protest -- is also wary of the alliance."This new arrangement is very unsettling and people are concerned and worried about what it may mean, or what promises may be given. There's a lot of anxiety," Sinn Fein MP Michelle Glidernew told AFP.As May attempts to cobble together a majority, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that time was passing in an interview on Tuesday."It's passing quicker than anyone believes... That's why we're ready to start very quickly. I can't negotiate with myself," he told The Financial Times.With the two-year clock on Brexit ticking since March, when a letter from May formally started proceedings, Barnier dismissed the suggestion of postponing the negotiations and said such a delay would only prompt further instability.The European Parliament's Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, also expressed his frustration."We are impatiently waiting for the negotiating position of the UK gov(ernment). The current uncertainty cannot continue," he said on Twitter.At a press conference with May, Macron said the door was "always open" for Britain to remain in the EU as long as the negotiations on Brexit have not finished.As talks go on, the EU unveiled plans to give itself new powers over London's banking business after Brexit, in what could be a blow to the city's supremacy as a global financial hub.The draft law would empower Europe to decide if post-Brexit London has the right to host financial market "clearing houses" that deal in euros, the EU's single currency.
China investigating if slain pair was preaching in Pakistan-[Associated Press]-yahoonews-June 14, 2017
BEIJING (AP) — China will investigate claims that two of its citizens were engaged in illegal preaching before they were killed by Islamic extremists in Pakistan, a government spokesman said Wednesday.The two Chinese citizens were abducted at gunpoint on May 24 in the city of Quetta. Islamic State militants claimed the killings on Friday and sent local journalists a video purporting to show their bodies.Chinese officials have yet to directly confirm the deaths, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement. China's government "will continue to make the greatest efforts to work with the Pakistani side on coming to a speedy clarification of the relevant issues," he said.Pakistani officials identified the victims as Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26.Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said they had entered the country on business visas but later began "preaching." He did not offer further details but called for a review of Pakistan's visa policies with regard to Chinese nationals.During the abduction, gunmen dressed as police stopped a car carrying Lee and Meng and shot and wounded a man who intervened after he rescued a third person from the car, according to Pakistani police.The police said at the time that Lee and Meng had been teaching at a private language school.China, a longtime ally of Pakistan, is investing billions of dollars in an economic corridor linking the Asian neighbors. Thousands of Chinese nationals work in Pakistan and have occasionally been targeted in attacks by anti-government militants.
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)
Death toll in Bangladesh landslides rises to 132-[Associated Press]-JULHAS ALAM-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The death toll from massive landslides triggered by heavy rains rose to 132 on Wednesday with firefighters, police and soldiers struggling to reach the remote southeastern districts to distribute aid, officials said.It was not clear yet if any villagers were still missing after large chunks of mud swept over thatched homes and settlements in three hilly districts on Tuesday, a day after heavy rains began across the country because of the influence of a depression in the Bay of Bengal.After an overnight halt in the search and rescue operation, rescuers resumed Wednesday morning, said Reaz Ahmed, a senior official of the Disaster Management Ministry.Military spokesman Rezaul Karim said Tuesday that several soldiers were killed and five injured while clearing debris and mud from a highway.Rains that began early Monday had cleared, allowing rescuers to work faster in searching for survivors. But some areas still remained cut off.Bangladesh is in the middle of the monsoon season, but Monday's downpour was caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.Officials said at least 98 of the victims died in Rangamati, one of the worst-hit districts, and 28 were killed in Chittagong while another six died in Bandarban. Extensive devastation was reported in the region. The landslides were the worst since 2007, when 127 people were killed in Chittagong.In Rangamati's remote Kawkhali area, about 5,000 homes were either destroyed or damaged, police chief Addul Karim said. He said authorities opened six temporary shelters.Experts say unplanned settlements at foothills and extraction of soil by unscrupulous traders were the main reasons behind such high death tolls.Bangladesh, a delta nation of 160 million people, is prone to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and landslides. Many people in hilly regions ignore authorities' calls to avoid constructing homes on slopes.
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)
Asylum-seekers in Australia win multimillion dollar payout-[AFP]-yahoonews-June 14, 2017
Sydney (AFP) - Detainees at a controversial Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won Aus$70 million ($53 million) in compensation on Wednesday after alleging they suffered physical and psychological harm.The settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.A class action sought damages for alleged suffering due to harsh conditions in which detainees were held.It also called for a payout for false imprisonment after the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled last year that holding asylum-seekers on Manus Island was unconstitutional and illegal.Lawyers Slater and Gordon said they believed it was the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian history, with the defendants also agreeing to pay costs of more than Aus$20 million.a"The people detained on Manus Island have endured extremely hostile conditions, but they will no longer suffer in silence," said Andrew Baker, from the law firm."While no amount of money could fully recognise the terrible conditions the detainees endured, we hope today’s settlement can begin to provide them with an opportunity to help put this dark chapter of their lives behind them."The Manus facility opened in 2012 to detain people trying to enter Australia by boat under a tough immigration policy that sends them offshore to be processed.They are blocked from resettling in Australia even if found to be refugees.Conditions in the camp, and another one on Nauru in the Pacific, have been widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals, with reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health issues.Lead plaintiff Majid Kamasaee, an Iranian, welcomed the settlement as an overdue acknowledgement of the suffering he and others endured."This case is not just about me, it is about every person who has been trapped on Manus Island,” said Kamasaee, who was held there for 11 months"I left my home in Iran in 2013 because of religious persecution and I came to Australia seeking peace, but I was sent to Manus, which was hell."The way we were treated at the Manus Island detention centre was degrading and cruel."The government had no immediate response but Slater and Gordon lawyer Rory Walsh told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the agreement was not an admission of liability from Canberra."It denied it was doing the false imprisoning... the Commonwealth defence was that it was the PNG authorities doing the imprisoning and detaining and not them," he said."The denial of liability allows the Commonwealth and the defendants to run those positions in any other cases and maintain that position."
Daunting aid challenges as civilians flee Syria's Raqa-[AFP]-Sara Hussein-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Beirut (AFP) - The battle to oust the Islamic State group from its stronghold of Raqa is creating daunting challenges for aid groups responding to the latest humanitarian crisis in the Syrian conflict.Tens of thousands of civilians have fled Raqa and its surroundings since the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) began its operation to capture the jihadist stronghold last year.But new waves of displacement are expected as the battle inside the city progresses.A key problem is getting aid supplies to the relatively remote desert region in Syria's north, with just a trickle of assistance currently crossing from neighbouring Turkey and Iraq."There is supply but it's very, very limited and the needs of the population are very high," said Puk Leenders, emergency coordinator for northern Syria for the group Doctors Without Borders (MSF).Turkey considers the key Kurdish component of the SDF a "terrorist" group and its border with the area north of Raqa is effectively closed.The border crossing with Iraq, over 300 kilometres (180 miles) east of Raqa city, is open to goods, but in practice sees little traffic, local officials say.The United Nations, which operates inside Syria with government permission, has been able to airlift supplies to the city of Qamishli, northeast of Raqa, from government-held Damascus.But "this offered limited capacity and was insufficient to meet all needs", said David Swanson, regional spokesman for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).The UN is now hoping to start transporting aid from Aleppo to Qamishli, a distance of more than 400 kilometres, but the route must first be tested for security, said Swanson.- 'Volatile security situation' -An estimated 300,000 civilians once lived under IS rule in Raqa, including 80,000 displaced from other parts of Syria before the group seized the city.Tens of thousands fled Raqa and surrounding areas as the SDF closed in on the jihadist bastion.The UN estimates more than 169,000 people fled Raqa city and its environs in April and May alone, and thousands of displaced civilians are now living in overcrowded and underresourced camps.In Ain Issa, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Raqa, new arrivals say they are sleeping on the ground, with neither mattresses under them nor tents overhead."There are now more than 25,000 people in the Ain Issa camp, which was built with a capacity of 10,000," camp director Jalal Ayyaf told AFP."International organisations are providing support, but it's not sufficient for the numbers who are arriving."MSF's Leenders said up to 800 people were arriving at Ain Issa each day, and many more people were simply sleeping on roadsides or under trees in the countryside north of the city.The "highly volatile security situation" is another major concern for aid groups working in the region, said Paul Donohoe, senior media officer at the International Rescue Committee NGO."We know that there are many mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices), there is also the risk of IS attacks and there have been reports of some fleeing civilians being killed by coalition air strikes.""It is thought up to half the population of Raqa could ultimately flee the city and they will still be very vulnerable to mines and IS snipers, as well as air strikes."- 'Impossible choices' -Arriving civilians are already presenting health problems ranging from dehydration to untreated chronic illness.And aid groups expect an uptick in wounded arrivals as the fighting intensifies.MSF is establishing stabilisation points near the frontline to provide emergency care to keep the seriously injured alive until they reach hospitals.But there is a severe shortage of qualified medical staff in the region, Leenders said, and medical facilities have also been affected by the fighting."Hospitals are being mined and it's really difficult to start those back up because they need to be demined... It can be extremely challenging."The most difficult problem of all may simply be reaching those in need."Many people fleeing... initially end up in locations too close to the frontline for aid agencies to safely respond," said Donohoe.And others cannot leave at all, with IS reportedly using threats, arrests and violence to prevent civilians fleeing.Those who do escape risk unexploded ordnance en route, and the threat of being mistaken for fleeing IS fighters by SDF forces or the US-led coalition.MSF warned last week that civilians in the city faced "impossible choices"."Either they stay in Raqa, subjecting their children to increased violence and air strikes, or they take them over the frontline, knowing they will need to cross minefields and may be caught in the crossfire."
In Mexico, impunity piles up along with journalists' bodies-[AFP]-Yemeli ORTEGA-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Mexico City (AFP) - It can be deadly to ask questions about multibillion-dollar drug cartels or government corruption in Mexico, where more than 100 journalists have been killed since 2000.Ninety percent of those cases remain unsolved.At least five journalists have been killed here so far this year -- casualties in a wave of bloodshed that has left more than 200,000 people dead or missing in the past decade, as Mexico's rival cartels wage war on each other and the army.The most high-profile case is that of Javier Valdez, a noted crime reporter in the violent western state of Sinaloa who was gunned down on May 15.As with most of his murdered colleagues, little is known for sure about who killed him and why.The authorities frequently refuse to provide information, saying they cannot comment on ongoing investigations.Often, the reality is that "they've hardly done anything," according to Balbina Flores, who runs her own investigations for watchdog group Reporters Without Borders.One month after Valdez's murder, AFP compiled details on each journalist killed this year and the investigations into their deaths.- Cecilio Pineda, 39 -Pineda, the editor of regional newspaper La Voz, was shot by gunmen on March 2 as he relaxed in a hammock near his house in the southern state of Guerrero.A crime reporter and correspondent for national newspaper El Universal, he had received death threats and escaped an earlier attempt on his life in 2015.Guerrero state prosecutor Javier Olea said he could not comment on the investigation.- Ricardo Monlui, 57 -Monlui, the editor of daily newspaper El Politico, was shot on March 19 as he left a restaurant with his wife and son in the eastern state of Veracruz.An expert on the state's graft-stained politics, he also wrote a syndicated column.Veracruz state prosecutor Jorge Winckler declined to comment on the investigation.Winckler is currently under investigation by a state commission for accusations of systematically obstructing journalists' enquiries.- Miroslava Breach, 54 -Breach, a veteran crime and politics reporter for the newspapers La Jornada and Norte de Juarez, was found dead inside her car with gunshot wounds to the head on March 23 in the northern state of Chihuahua.One of her last stories was on a war between two rival capos in the Juarez drug cartel.State prosecutor Cesar Augusto Peniche said investigators have "100 percent identified" those responsible: a group of drug traffickers operating in the Chihuahua mountains.Peniche's office has now closed the investigation, even though no arrests have been made. He said state and federal authorities are working to detain the suspects.- Maximino Rodriguez, 71 -Rodriguez, a crime reporter with the blog Colectivo Pericu, was shot as he and his wife parked their car outside a store on April 14 in the northern state of Baja California Sur.The authorities have arrested four suspects and determined the motive for the killing was Rodriguez's journalism.According to his colleagues, the suspects are hitmen linked to the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel.- Javier Valdez, 50 -Valdez, the founder of weekly newspaper Riodoce, a longtime AFP contributor and author of several books on organized crime, was shot outside his paper's offices on May 15.He had recently been reporting on a war between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel since its boss, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was extradited to the United States in January.Colleagues suspect the killing was in retaliation for an interview Valdez published with the head of one faction, Damaso Lopez Nunez, who is battling El Chapo's sons for control of the cartel.State prosecutors have refused to comply with a freedom of information request on their investigation, citing a new law that protects certain information such as suspects' identities.They initially said they were investigating the case as a robbery. They later acknowledged his journalism may have been the motive.
Egypt parliament committee passes Saudi islands deal-[AFP]-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Cairo (AFP) - A controversial agreement for Cairo to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee on Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote in the house.Parliament's legislative committee agreed the treaty after heated debate, with opponents even interrupting one session with chanting.The agreement passed with 35 lawmakers for and eight against, member of parliament Mostafa Bakry told AFP.Parliament's defence committee will also examine the accord before it goes to a general vote.Courts had struck down the agreement, signed in April 2016, but a year later another court upheld it.The accord had sparked rare protests in Egypt, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accused of having bartered the islands of Tiran and Sanafir for Saudi largesse.The government has said the islands were Saudi to begin with, but were leased to Egypt in the 1950s.Opponents of the agreement insist that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian.In the evening dozens of journalists protested against the agreement in central Cairo, before being dispersed by police, journalists' union official Gamal Abdel Rehim told AFP.Several were briefly arrested before being released but "three reporters are still detained, and contacts are being made with the interior ministry to get them released," he said.
Sessions brands Russia collusion claims a 'detestable lie'-[AFP]-Michael Mathes, Paul HANDLEY-yahoonews-June 13, 2017
Washington (AFP) - US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday vehemently denied any collusion with Russia to tilt last year's election in Donald Trump's favor, branding the suggestion an "appalling and detestable lie."In closely-watched congressional testimony, Sessions angrily denounced allegations he acted improperly during meetings with Russian officials -- or that he knew of any attempt at collusion by members of the Trump campaign team.And he repeatedly refused to reveal whether he had spoken to the president regarding James Comey's handling of the probe into Russian election meddling -- which the former FBI director believes to be the reason he was fired.A Trump loyalist and early backer of the billionaire businessman's presidential bid, the 70-year-old Sessions has recused himself from all ongoing Russia investigations.But the nation's top law enforcement official -- who recommended Comey's dismissal last month -- has himself become a focal point in the crisis roiling the White House.Sessions kicked off his testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee by asserting that he had "never met with or had any conversations with any Russians" about interference in the 2016 presidential race."I have no knowledge of any such conversations by anyone connected to the Trump campaign," he said. "The suggestion that I participated with any collusion, that I was aware of any collusion with the Russian government to hurt this country... is an appalling and detestable lie."The appearance was Sessions's first sworn public testimony since being confirmed as attorney general in February.During the two-and-a-half hour hearing, he engaged in testy exchanges with several senators who pressed him for details on his discussions with Trump -- which he refused to provide in the name of confidentiality.Some Democrats grew impatient, warning Sessions was stonewalling on vital issues."You are obstructing that congressional investigation by not answering that question," charged Senator Martin Heinrich. "Your silence... speaks volumes."Sessions responded: "I am not stonewalling. I am following the historic policies of the Department of Justice."- 'Innuendo' -Testifying last week before the same committee, Comey recalled that Trump had asked him to "let go" of a probe into onetime national security advisor Michael Flynn -- exposing the president to accusations of obstruction of justice, a potentially impeachable offense.Flynn was sacked two weeks into the job amid concerns he lied over his Russian contacts, becoming the first high-profile victim of the scandal that has overshadowed Trump's young presidency.Trump has recently expressed frustration with Sessions, who has come under pressure over his own Russia contacts.While the Justice Department has said Sessions recused himself in March because of his involvement in Trump's campaign, Comey testified that the FBI knew of information that would have made it "problematic" for Sessions to be involved.But the attorney general pushed back hard when asked what those problematic matters could be, retorting: "There are none. I can tell you that for absolute certainty."This is a secret innuendo being leaked out there about me, and I don't appreciate it," he added.- 'No knowledge' of Russia probe -Barely a month after Trump dismissed Comey, rumors have been circulating that he may yet seek to sack Robert Mueller, the special counsel appointed following the FBI chief's ouster to head the agency's Russia investigation.Sessions declined to comment on those reports, stating only that he had "confidence" in Mueller and would not be involved in any effort, should it arise, to fire the special counsel.Following the hearing, a White House spokeswoman said Trump "has no intention" of dismissing Mueller.Sessions added that since his recusal, "I have no knowledge about this investigation" beyond media reports.Addressing allegations that he had unreported meetings with Russian officials while he advised the Trump campaign, Sessions said he had already acknowledged two encounters last year with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.But he denied any substantive discussion with Kislyak at a third encounter, at an April 27, 2016 reception for Trump at Washington's Mayflower Hotel.Sessions also pushed back against Comey's suggestion he may have failed to take appropriate steps to protect the FBI chief from political pressure.At the conclusion of a February 14 meeting, the sacked FBI chief testified, Trump urged everyone but Comey to leave the Oval Office, including Sessions. Comey said the president then leaned on him to halt the Flynn investigation.Sessions said he learned from Comey that he felt concerned about being left alone with the president but that, since Comey did not relay details of the conversation, he had no way of knowing it was improper.Tuesday's hearing was followed by predictably partisan reaction from Republicans and rival Democrats."With no evidence of collusion, wrongdoing, or obstruction of justice by President Trump or the White House, how much longer is this going to go on," said Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, praising Sessions's "honesty and professionalism".However Democrat Congressman Jim Langevin said Sessions fell short of the standard of evidence required at such a hearing."The Attorney General's testimony this afternoon was unsubstantial, unresponsive, and unacceptable. Mr Sessions -- like every government employee -- has an obligation to answer to the oversight of Congress. He failed that obligation and his oath to the Constitution with his stonewalling of senators."
