JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Japan seeks to expand arms deals with Southeast Asia-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
CHIBA, Japan — A defence official said Monday that Japan is seeking to increase its sales of military equipment to Southeast Asian nations amid growing tensions with China and North Korea.The move is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to bolster Japan's military role and its sales of defence equipment, especially in Southeast Asia, where China has expanded its own arms sales.Hideaki Watanabe, head of the Defence Ministry's Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency, said Japan will host a meeting Thursday with defence officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss the sharing of equipment and technology.He spoke Monday at an international arms exhibit near Tokyo that was attended by hundreds of defence officials and industry leaders from around the world.Watanabe said there have been aggressive attempts by nations in recent years to change the status quo, in an apparent reference to China's building of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea."It is essential to maintain the open and stable sea under the rule of law," he said. "Ensuring safety of navigation and flight contributes to the peace and prosperity of Japan and international society. Japan's research and development of high-quality defence equipment contributes to the defence of Japan and elsewhere."Japan's defence industry at home is worth about 1.8 trillion yen ($16 billion) annually, a fraction of the country's 52 trillion yen ($470 billion) auto industry.Japan had restricted arms exports under its post-World War II war-renouncing constitution, limiting joint research and development to the U.S. under a bilateral security pact. Since an easing of the rules in 2014, Japan now has joint research deals with Britain, Australia and France.In order to scale up the defence industry, Japan's government has bolstered research funding to more than 10 billion yen ($90 million) this year.Japan has been promoting the transfer of defence equipment to Southeast Asian countries to help their maritime security capabilities amid China's growing presence in the South China Sea, but deals have been limited to the sale of TC-90 surveillance aircraft to the Philippines.China already exports mostly low-cost military equipment to many Southeast Asian countries.The arms exhibit, sponsored by the Japanese defence , foreign and industry ministries, included panel discussions focused on missile defence . North Korea has conducted several missile tests this year.U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin and Japanese contractors Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries were among dozens of exhibitors from around the world who had booths at this year's Mast Asia exhibit, just east of Tokyo.Japanese manufacturers are still cautious about the prospects of military sales.Mitsubishi Industries, a maker of Aegis destroyers and fighter jets, is not expecting booming business right away, as Japan's defence equipment sales are more focused on disaster prevention and international peace."We want visitors to see our comprehensive and advanced technology first," he said. "We are happy to provide our technology and equipment wherever they can be used for international peace."While Japan's defence role is still a sensitive issue for other Asian countries that still have bitter memories of Japanese wartime aggression, a greater contribution by the country is welcome as the region now faces common challenges such as North Korea, said South Korean defence expert Yoon Sukjoon, a retired navy captain who was at the exhibit."We have a threat, a real threat from North Korea," Yoon said, citing the North's recent missile capabilities and nuclear development. "Japan is our neighbour . As long as we have common interests, common security concepts, there is no specific reason why we should reject military co-operation in terms of military equipment and sharing of the information of that."___Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at twitter.com/mariyamaguchi-Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi-Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Low turnout but big majority ahead for Macron By Eric Maurice-june 12,17-euobserver
BRUSSELS, Today, 07:24-The party of the new French president came ahead in Sunday's first round of the legislative elections and could get more than 400 MPs out of 577.French president Emmanuel Macron can expect a wide majority in the National Assembly, France's lower house, despite low voter turnout in the first round of the legislative elections on Sunday (11 June).His Republic On the Move party (LRM) came first with 32 percent, ahead of the conservative Republicans (21%) and the radical left Unbowed France party (14%). The far right National Front got just under 14 percent, and the Socialist Party around 13 percent.Sunday's results suggest that Macron's party could end up with between 415 and 455 seats out of 577 after next week's run-off.The Republicans can expect 70 to 110 seats. The Socialist Party, which was the majority party in the outgoing assembly, would get only 20 and 30 seats. Unbowed France would have eight to 18 seats and the National Front (FN) between one and five MPs."The message of the French people is without ambiguity," prime minister Edouard Philippe said on Sunday evening.He said that "millions" of voters "confirmed their attachment to the president's project for renewal, gathering and reconquest"."Since last month, France is back", he added.If next Sunday's vote confirms the first round, Macron will have almost no opposition in parliament, with the traditional main parties struggling to have their voices heard.The main victim of the vote is the Socialist Party of Macron's predecessor Francois Hollande. Its leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis as well as its candidate for the presidential election earlier this year, Benoit Hamon, were eliminated in the first round."It is not healthy that a president who gathered 24 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential election has a monopoly in the assembly," Cambadelis said, referring to Macron's score in April.If it is not able to get 30 MPs elected next week, the PS would not be able to form a group in the assembly and would not have any influence during the next five years.After a record 10.6 million votes in the presidential run-off, the National Front will get only a handful of MPs. Its leader Marine Le Pen blamed other parties which "support each other" to beat FN candidates.Le Pen, who got 46 percent in Henin-Beaumont, in northern France, could be elected and leave the European Parliament, where a procedure is under way to strip her of her immunity over a fake jobs case.But while Macron's LRM party is pushing traditional parties into irrelevance, it is not getting a strong mandate from French voters. Only 48.8 percent of registered voters cast their ballot on Sunday, the lowest turnout in French modern politics.PM Philippe admitted the "demobilisation" of voters but said that it was because the "presidential election "ended the debate" about France's political direction and that "some political forces were unable to find new energy" after the presidential vote.Francois Baroin, the campaign leader for the Republicans party, noted that "the level of abstention demonstrates the persistence of divides in French society".He said that a "reaction is indispensable" in order to have a "balanced power" in the assembly.
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)
Drowning fears up in US West as rivers surge with snowmelt-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Massive waterfalls in Yosemite National Park and rivers raging in mountains throughout the western United States are thundering with greater force than they have for years — and proving deadly as warm weather melts the deepest mountain snowpack in recent memory.Record snowfall on towering Western peaks this winter virtually eliminated California's five-year drought and it is now melting rapidly.But it has contributed to at least 14 river deaths and prompted officials to close sections of rivers popular with swimmers, rafters and fishing enthusiasts.In Utah and Wyoming, some rivers gorged by heavy winter snowfall have overflown their banks and rivers in Utah are expected to remain dangerously swollen with icy mountain runoff for several more weeks.The sheer beauty of the rivers is their draw — and represents a big danger to people who decide to risk selfies near the water or beat the heat by swimming or rafting with little awareness of the risks posed by the raging water.This year's velocity and force of the Merced River that runs through Yosemite Valley is similar to a runaway freight train, said Moose Mutlow of the Yosemite Swift Water Rescue Team."You step out in front of it, it's going to take you," he said. "You're not going to stop that, and that's what people need to get their heads around."Heavy storms this winter covered the central Sierra Nevada mountains with snow that remains at twice its normal level for this time of year.While officials celebrated an end to drought in much of California, the snowmelt is so dangerous that park rangers fear its impact on the crowded park that drew a record five million people last year, when four people drowned.So far this year, one 50-year-old man is believed to have drowned at Yosemite after falling into the Merced River from a winding trail. His body has not been found.One of Yosemite's deadliest days was in 2011, when three young church group visitors were swept to their deaths over the 317-foot (97-meter) Vernal Fall.Elsewhere in California, there have been at least 11 drownings since the snowpack started melting in May.At the San Joaquin River near Fresno, 18-year-old Neng Thao drowned last month swimming in the river during a picnic with his family days before he was set to graduate as the valedictorian of his high school.And six people have died in the rugged Tule River south of Yosemite. Some drowned, but others suffered injuries suggesting their bodies were beaten to death by the river water slamming them against the riverbed."The force of that water pounds people into rocks and sends them over waterfalls," said Eric LaPrice, a U.S. Forest Service district ranger at the Giant Sequoia National Monument in central California.At the Kern River in central California, officials last month updated a sign warning that that 280 people have died in it since 1968. The sign is already outdated, with four more drownings since then.And in northern Utah, a 4-year-old girl playing at the side of the Provo River fell from a boulder into the water last month. Her mother and a man who was nearby jumped in to try to save the girl. All three drowned, illustrating how quickly one tragedy can multiply."As little as six inches of water can actually sweep an adult away at the rate of speed that the water is travelling ," said Chris Crowley, emergency manager for the county where Park City is located.In Reno, Nevada, rising temperatures that have accelerated snowpack melting prompted officials to erect a sign next to the Truckee River warning people to stay away from it.In Idaho, snowpack at double normal levels have prompted warnings from officials that densely populated areas near the Boise River could flood.And in Wyoming, officials have placed sandbags and flood barriers to protect homes and public infrastructure from rivers and streams swollen with the snowmelt.On his first trip to Yosemite, cartoonist Andy Runton, 42, steered clear of the turbulent Merced River.He took a selfie at a safe distance from a grassy meadow with Yosemite Falls far behind him. Within a few hours of entering the park, Runton said the sweeping vistas and raging waterfalls had left a lifelong impression."You can see the power of the water," Runton said. "You can feel it. Nature doesn't slow down."___Golden reported from Salt Lake City, Utah. Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Bob Moen in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this report.Scott Smith And Hallie Golden, The Associated Press.
6.2-magnitude earthquake shakes Turkey, Greece; 10 injured-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
ISTANBUL — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook western Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday, injuring at least 10 people and damaging buildings, authorities said.The earthquake's epicenter was in the Aegean Sea at a very shallow depth of seven kilometres (some four miles) and hit at 3:28 p.m. (1228 GMT), Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management said. At least 25 aftershocks were recorded. Tremors were felt in densely populated Istanbul and in the western Turkish provinces of Izmir.Authorities in Lesbos said dozens of homes were damaged in parts of the island and some roads were closed. At least 10 people were injured in the village of Vrisa, Greek authorities said."We are advising residents in affected areas of Lesbos to remain outdoors until buildings can be inspected," senior seismologist Efthimios Lekkas said.Earthquakes are frequent in Greece and Turkey, which are on active fault lines. Two devastating earthquakes hit northwestern Turkey in 1999, killing around 18,000 people. Experts in both countries said more aftershocks are to be expected.Senior Greek government officials, seismologists and response teams are heading from the capital, Athens, to Lesbos to assess the damage.Turkey's emergency management agency said there were no reports of casualties and has dispatched emergency and health teams, and 240 family tents to the area as a precaution.In Turkey, 61-year old Ayse Selvi felt the tremors in her summer home in Karaburun near the quake's epicenter."My God, all the picture frames fell on the ground and I have no idea how I ran out. I'm scared to go inside now."Her sister, Seval Isci, 57, was ironing at home in Izmir when the earthquake hit and left her home along with the other residents of the building when the first aftershock hit."We were really scared," she said.Private Dogan news agency showed residents in western Turkey leaving buildings.State-run radio in Greece said hundreds of residents left buildings and waited out in the street in Lesbos' capital, Mytilene. There was no reported damage or injuries at refugee camps on Lesbos or the nearby island of Chios. Both islands saw a major influx of migrants leaving from Turkey in 2015, and about 8,000 remain in limbo in Lesbos and Chios as they await news on their asylum applications.The Associated Press.
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)
Duchess of Cambridge visits London Bridge attack victims-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
LONDON — The Duchess of Cambridge has visited victims of the London Bridge attacks who are recovering in a hospital.Prince William's wife praised the efforts of staff at King's College Hospital in treating victims from the rampage in which three men killed eight people in a vehicle and stabbing attack. Police killed the three attackers.The former Kate Middleton on Monday met hospital staff members, many of whom treated victims of Khalid Masood, who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer in March.She says: "To go through this sort of event twice, it is quite unprecedented."Emergency consultant Malcolm Tunnicliff praised Kate and other royals for visiting. Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall visited patients earlier.He says "it is a massive lift."The Associated Press.
4 Syrian brothers face terrorism charges in Germany-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
BERLIN — German authorities arrested four Syrian brothers on terrorism charges Monday for allegedly fighting for an extremist group in their homeland five years ago.Mustafa K., 41, Abdullah K., 39, Sultan K., 44, and Ahmed K., 51, whose last name wasn't released because of privacy regulations, are accused of membership in a terrorist organization for fighting for the Nusra Front in the northern Syrian city Ras al-Ayn starting in late 2012.Federal prosecutors said the men were allegedly involved in the group's fight against Syrian government troops and Kurdish defence forces.Mustafa and Sultan K. are also charged with war crimes for allegedly forcing civilians from the city and plundering their possessions. Prosecutors refused to say when the brothers entered Germany.In a separate case, prosecutors said Monday that a 31-year-old Syrian arrested in February has been released. He was accused of membership in the Islamic State group and of committing a war crime by raping a woman as she tried to flee IS-controlled territory in Syria.The suspect, Akram A, was released on Friday, federal prosecutors said in a statement.Prosecutors have said that the suspect ran an IS checkpoint set up to control people leaving territory held by the group. The allegations relate to an incident in early 2016 in which a Syrian woman tried to flee with her children.Prosecutors said Monday further investigations now suggest that "a different sequence of events" is also possible, but didn't offer details. That meant that the evidence was no longer strong enough to justify keeping him in custody.The Associated Press.
Ramadan toll shows Islamic State in pitched recruiting race-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
Its strongholds in Iraq and Syria slipping from its grasp, the Islamic State group threatened to make this year's Ramadan a bloody one at home and abroad. With attacks in Egypt, Britain and Iran among others and a land-grab in the Philippines, the group is trying to divert attention from its losses and win over supporters around the world in the twisted competition for jihadi recruits during the Muslim holy month.The militants insisted in their English language magazine this week that losing territory has only made it work that much harder to kill. The attacks since Ramadan's beginning on May 26 show the sweep of the group's ambition — from attacking the West, to expanding in the Philippines, to targeting Shiite powerhouse Iran — something al-Qaida itself never risked."They can say here is something that al-Qaida has refrained to do," said Assaf Moghadam, an author and analyst of jihadi groups. "From their perspective it's been a great Ramadan so far."But a powerful counter-message is emerging in recent days. With the month of fasting also a time of high television ratings in the Arab world, the telecommunications company Zain has launched a commercial that begins with footage of a man fabricating a suicide bomb. By the end, faced with bloodied victims and survivors of extremist attacks, the man stumbles and fails in his mission. "Let's bomb delusion with the truth," a man sings. The ad has been viewed more than 6 million times on YouTube. "We will counter their attacks of hatred with songs of love," it ends.-IRAN-The attack on Iran marked a new stage for the Islamic State group, which had threatened the Shiite-majority state repeatedly without actually striking it.Five Islamic State group extremists battle-tested in strongholds Mosul and Raqqa simultaneously targeted the country's parliament and shrine of late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 17 people. More than any of the other Ramadan attacks, the bloodshed in Iran shows the group's violent attempts to persuade potential recruits it has the staying power to endure beyond the loss of its two major strongholds.IS and al-Qaida, both radical Sunni groups, are competing for recruits in the global jihadi movement. Al-Qaida, however, has never attacked Iran. Founder Osama bin Laden had put the Persian state off-limits, citing and the country's role as a conduit for arms and money.-LONDON BRIDGE-Three men armed with knives plowed a rented van into pedestrians on London Bridge, then slashed their way through the evening crowd at Borough Market on June 3, killing eight people.The man believed to be the group's ringleader, Khuram Butt, had appeared in a documentary last year called "The Jihadis Next Door" and his neighbours said he was recruiting young people to join Islamic State. It was the third attack in Britain in three months claimed by the extremists.-PHILIPPINES SIEGE-Islamic militants in the Philippines aligned with the Islamic State group two weeks ago assaulted the southern lakeside city of Marawi, parts of which they occupy to this day, in a plot that they sketched in chilling detail on the back of a paper calendar. Among those at the table for the secret meeting was the purported leader of the Islamic State group's Southeast Asia branch, Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists and has a $5 million bounty on his head.-EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS-Masked Islamic State gunmen ambushed a bus carrying Coptic Christians to a monastery south of Cairo on May 26, killing 29 people on the eve of Ramadan. The group has singled out Egyptian Christians with ferocity, carrying out four attacks since December and warning of more to come.Lori Hinnant, The Associated Press.
Under Trump, US militias not ready to lay down arms-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
JACKSON, Ga. — In the woods south of Atlanta, John and Yvette DeMaria are with about a dozen camouflage-wearing, heavily armed Americans huffing and puffing as they scramble to navigate the sprawling piece of property where they train, one weekend a month, to ward off enemies — foreign or domestic.The DeMarias are with the Georgia Security Force militia, whose members are relieved that Donald Trump won the presidency but believe it would be a mistake to lay down their arms just because he is in the White House. So they continue to take to the woods to be ready for whatever may come, whether it's an economic crisis that spawns unrest or Islamic extremists carrying out attacks on American soil."I started to realize that I got very angry because the system has been so abused over and over and over again, making rights out of thin air for people who don't deserve to get anything," said John DeMaria, who goes by the nickname Rooster J.While it is impossible to track all the groups that often are no more than a handful of men gathering in woods, experts says that militia activity tends to fall off under Republican presidents and ramp up under Democrats. But just as last year's election upended conventional models, those who watch militias say life in the Trump era may not follow the same patterns.If anything, it could be a potential powder keg, if those feelings of having a kindred spirit in Trump erupt into a sense of betrayal if he fails to deliver on his promises."What would concern me is that nobody gets more angry than a fan spurned," said James Corcoran, a professor at Simmons College in Boston who has watched militias closely for decades and has written extensively about the movement.The leader of the Georgia Security Force, Chris Hill, remains deeply skeptical of Congress and worries the lawmakers will undermine Trump's agenda: preventing him from building a wall on the Mexico border, repealing "Obamacare" and fulfilling his promise to "Make American Great Again.""Even if President Trump is able to do the things that he wants to do, he's still got Congress to contend with. Congress is the same old dog-and-pony show. All they do is fight. They're never going to grant us more freedom," said Hill, who goes by the nickname General BloodAgent."A lot of people have let their guard down because he was elected, and I would wholeheartedly say that is a big mistake. ... If anything we should use this time wisely. Like the Good Book says, a wise man prepares, a fool takes his chances."Modern-day militias began to surge in the 1990s during the Clinton administration, then ebbed during the Bush years. Following a dramatic spike after the 2008 election of President Barack Obama, there are now an estimated 165 militias in the U.S., according to Ryan Lenz, a senior investigative reporter with the Southern Poverty Law Center.For Hill and his group, the 2008 election was their defining moment, the one that signalled the U.S. was on the wrong track. They believed Obama wanted to restrict gun rights and forever alter their way of life.Yvette DeMaria said she and her husband were looking for "like minds" and found the Georgia Security Force through Facebook and a pastor friend who had travelled to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with the militia to help out after fires in the Smoky Mountains devastated the region. That act of charity had moved her.Even before Obama was elected, the DeMarias felt the country was heading down the wrong path, with the military and law enforcement no longer cherished or revered. Yvette DeMaria said she believes protesters have been allowed to get out of control after police shootings.Political correctness has run amok, she said, with politicians and the courts carving out constitutional protections that strayed far from the intent of the nation's forefathers. She laments, for example, the legalization of same--sex marriage and the transgender bathroom issue, believing they amount to a war on her Christian faith."We cannot be silent anymore. We have voices. We need to rise up. We need to speak up. We need to find like minds," Yvette DeMaria said. "We're going to church every Sunday — but Monday through Saturday, what are we doing?"She and her husband found their mission and some like-minded people in the militia, which is part of the Three Percenters movement. It derives its name from the belief that just 3 per cent of the colonists rose up to fight the British. They have vowed to resist any government that infringes on the U.S. Constitution.While focused on training, the militia is also social.In the woods, they use hand signals and walkie-talkies to alert the others to where and how many enemies are lurking, They then navigate obstacles made of firehoses, logs and scraps of wood, metal and string to eliminate the threats.The first two runs are "dry fire" exercises; the guns aren't loaded. The last exercise of the day involves live rounds in their weapons — from AR-15s to handguns. After the targets are riddled with holes, the militia members gather around a fire at a campsite a short walk away to enjoy music and a barbecue.For Hill, a paralegal by day, the Trump election was a defining moment to be celebrated."We're being called Trump militia. It's something I'm probably going to wear as a badge now," Hill said. "I feel a connection to President Trump."___Follow Lisa Marie Pane on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/lisamariepane-Lisa Marie Pane, The Associated Press.
EU-critical radicals double support in Kosovo By Aleksandra Eriksson-jun 12,17-euobserver
Pristina, Today, 14:25-Blockage over EU-backed reforms sent Kosovars to the polls on Sunday (11 June), but the election outcome will likely lead to more political turmoil.Kosovo's electoral committee is still counting the votes, but the centre-right PDK has claimed victory in Sunday's poll.The PDK had formed a pre-election coalition with AAK and Nisma, which all claim the legacy of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a guerrilla force that sought separation from Serbia in the 1990s.This coalition had nominated AAK's Ramush Haradinaj as its candidate for prime minister.Haradinaj was a KLA guerrilla leader during the war. Serbia has accused him of war crimes, but he has been cleared of charges twice by an international tribunal in The Hague.The coalition could take one third of the poll.PDK, however, lost its position as Kosovo's largest party on Sunday.That title can now be claimed by Vetevendosje, which has been labelled as a radical, anti-EU party.It has a programme combining social-democracy with nationalist ideas of unification with Albania.The party is set to double its support, from 14 to just under 30 percent, albeit on the lowest voter turn-out that Kosovo has known since gaining independence in 2008.The centre-right LDK party, which headed the previous government, could score less than 25 percent of the poll.Twenty of the parliament's 120 seats are also reserved for Kosovo's ethnic minorities.The snap ballot was called after months of deadlock in the country's parliament, which refused to pass controversial reforms that would grant Kosovars visa-free travel to the EU.The reforms included an EU-brokered deal to give more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo, as well as a border demarcation deal with Montenegro that would formally recognise the boundaries between the two countries.-Awkward coalitions-Krenar Gashi, a political scientist from Ghent university, said the elections had been less marked by political vision than by pragmatic attempts on behalf of the ruling parties to stay in power.PDK had backed the motion of no confidence which brought down a government in which it had a majority because their coalition partner, LDK, was unable to pass the border deal with Montenegro.But PDK then entered an awkward coalition with two of the parties that helped sabotage reform efforts, including by use of violence.MPs from the AAK and Nisma, as well as Vetevendosje, claimed the border deal would mean Kosovo lost some 8,000 hectares of its land, and stopped votes on the matter by throwing teargas in the parliament.PDK's behaviour could be explained by its voter base, Gashi said. They back the party for the KLA's role in the war, and for PDK's investments in roads and other infrastructure. They do not mind too much that PDK and its senior officials have been involved in corruption scandals and affairs."PDK will do anything to stay in power, from buying off MPs, to blackmailing them, and they may reach a functional majority, because it would lose its clientelistic electorate if it went into opposition," Gashi said.He explained the rise of Vetevendosje as the result of an ever-growing dissatisfaction with the last decade's way of governing by the PDK."They are the only political entity that insists on ideas. The decision to run alone in the election, whilst other parties reached coalitions, showed once again the lack of political pragmatism from their leadership, which they capitalised in votes by using the perception of being uncorrupted and, as they promote, incorruptible”, he said.He suggested that Vetevendosje and LDK could try to reach a coalition around common interests, if the PDK-led coalition failed to secure support for its government.-Pristina mood-Vetevendosje was the party of choice for many voters that EUobserver spoke to during a recent visit to Pristina.Kosovo's capital is the party's stronghold.The young and progressive city elected Vetevedosje vice-chairman Shpend Ahmeti as a mayor in 2014, and his scandal-free performance has since prompted further support for the party.One young woman told EUobserver she had a close relative who ranked high in LDK, but she would still vote for Vetevedosje."People are now hired to work for the city on the basis of their merits!" she said with enthusiasm.Vetevendosje was also the party of a taxi driver, who had worked as a chemist, but said he was fired when PDK put pressure on his boss to make room for PDK voters.Labinot Pllana, an IT expert in the international banking sector, said he also considered voting for Vetevendosje."I agree with their programme to 80 percent,” he said. But he added the party's violent methods would make him think twice about his vote."In any case, I will vote for a woman since they are less supported by men and are less likely to be corrupted," Pllana told EUobserver.EU relations-Brussels has traditionally backed the PDK and LDK, which it sees as guarantees of stability.Vetevendosje's Aida Derguti, a vice-president of Kosovo's parliamentary assembly during the previous mandate, said it was wrong to call her his party anti-EU: "On the contrary, we want to join the EU."But she said the relationship with Brussels should be more of a relationship of equals.She said the party suffered from bad press, especially over its stance on reunification with Albania.Vetevendosje wants a referendum on a clause in Kosovo's constitution, which bars the country from merging with another country.The constitution was written by international experts and was never put to a popular vote by Kosovars."In every interview we have to explain our stance on reunification with Albania. Our other messages aren't heard," Derguti said, adding that a greater Albania would benefit the power balance in the Balkans, by providing a counterweight to Serbia.She also suggested that the EU currently played a role in Kosovo's political instability."PDK and LDK got elected by promising work places, anti-corruption measures and better healthcare. But after the elections, another agenda got priority," she said.The MP said the EU had pressured PDK and LDK after the last elections to form a broad coalition that would pass controversial reforms.But EU support to the old elites only stymied reform, she said, by keeping "corrupt guys in office".She also opposed that the demarcation deal should be part of Kosovo's visa liberalisation.Kosovo has been called the most pro-US and pro-EU country on earth, but it's also one of the most isolated.The country is still not recognised by five EU member states: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.It's also a visa enclave in the Balkan region, where all its neighbours have been able to travel freely to the Schengen area for years.Even war-torn Ukraine got this right before Kosovo, irking people further.Another sore subject are the EU-brokered agreement negotiations with Belgrade.Research by Birn, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, has shown that Kosovars are constituently disappointed over the dialogue.Derguti said the EU was trying to bring Serbia closer for fear the country would turn to Russia instead, but this meant the bloc couldn't push Belgrade very hard."We shouldn't pay the price of Serbia's accession," she said.Vetevendosje's Aida Derguti meeting a young fan at an election rally. Photo: Aleksandra Eriksson-Not a partnership of equals-Fredrik Wesslau, director of the Wider Europe programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that Vetevendosje’s increased political influence in Kosovo following the elections risked making Kosovo’s relationship with the EU more complicated. Vetevendosje’s influence could hamper political decision-making in Kosovo and make Kosovo less inclined to follow EU conditionality.”The EU’s relationship with countries wishing to become members of the EU is not a partnership of equals,” he said.“The EU sets conditions that others have to meet. Kosovo is trying to become part of the EU, not the other way around,” he added.”The accession process incentivises countries wishing to join the EU to take very difficult decisions that they would otherwise not take. It has helped these countries modernise and adopt the EU aquis," he said, referring to the EU's body of laws and standards. ”Kosovo has made plenty of progress thanks to this."He also described Vetevendosje as a "largely unconstructive force" in Kosovo politics, pointing to its use of tear gas in the parliament and violent demonstrations."They started out as revolutionary, anti-establishment pranksters. This has had a certain appeal to young people, but Vetevendosje’s politics are highly nationalistic and in some cases extreme. They oppose any form of dialogue with Serbia and support the notion of Greater Albania," he said.Wesslau also warned against painting an overly-bleak picture of the situation in the country."Kosovo has a poor reputation, but this is unfair," he said. "There are peaceful transitions of power and not the uncontrolled consolidation of power seen in other countries in the Western Balkans. Rule of law remains a challenge, however, as elsewhere in the region."He said that PDK and LDK enjoyed support thanks largely to their leaders who many considered charismatic.It is likely that the PDK-AAK coalition will manage to form a government, possibly together with the minority parties, according to Wesslau.
Philippine flag raised on Independence Day in war-torn city-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
MARAWI, Philippines — Filipinos marked their country's Independence Day by raising the national flag Monday in a southern city where troops pressed assaults to quell a three-week siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants that has left 270 combatants and civilians dead.Many were teary-eyed during the flag-raising ceremonies at the heavily guarded city hall and provincial capital building in Marawi, the heartland of the Islamic faith in the country's south, where hundreds of gunmen went on a deadly rampage on May 23.Blasts from airstrikes thudded in the distance during the events.While the flag-raising was mainly to mark Independence Day, it also symbolized the reclaiming of city hall and other areas of Marawi by government forces. Policemen roamed a community that troops had wrested back from the militants and festooned abandoned houses with small flags.Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra fought back tears as he thanked troops, police and volunteers in the crisis that has turned parts of the previously tranquil lakeside city of more than 200,000 people, most of whom have fled the fighting, into a smouldering battlefield.Villager Janisah Ampao, who fled her home with her husband and two children when the fighting broke out last month, felt a sense of relief and pride when she saw the flag being raised at the provincial capital building. She has been living with other evacuees in a nearby government building that has been turned into an emergency shelter."I don't know how we can re-start our lives after the fighting," Ampao said by telephone. "Our city is in ruins, all the people have gone and the stores are closed. I saw on TV that our village has been destroyed."Facing the worst crisis in his yearlong presidency, President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled an annual Independence Day diplomatic reception at the presidential palace and skipped a flag-raising ceremony in Manila."He doesn't feel like giving a toast, even symbolic, when soldiers are dying and the evacuees and the displaced are in the provinces and in Marawi's margins," Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters.Philippine flags were also flown at half-staff as the country mourned the killings of 13 marines in a fierce battle in Marawi on Friday. Some of the marines perished in a fire ignited by the militants at the height of the fighting, military officials said. They said 58 soldiers and policemen, 191 militants and 21 civilians have been killed in the three weeks of clashes.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson conveyed independence greetings on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people, saying the U.S. stands as an ally with the Philippines as it confronts the attacks in Marawi and other terrorist threats.The U.S. military has deployed a spy plane at Manila's request to help provide surveillance to troops battling militants still holed up in a few buildings in Marawi with an unspecified number of civilian hostages. The tough-talking Duterte took an adversarial stance toward former U.S. President Barack Obama, who had criticized his bloody anti-drug crackdown, but his relations with Trump have been markedly better.The Marawi siege unfolded after a May 23 army raid failed to capture a top terror suspect, Isnilon Hapilon, who has been designated by the Islamic State group as its leader in Southeast Asia. The raid pre-empted a plot by about 500 gunmen waving Islamic State group-style black flags to capture all of Marawi and kill as many Christians as they could, military officials say.Duterte told reporters Sunday that he decided to declare martial law in the southern third of the country to better stop the gunmen from escaping from Marawi or launching new attacks elsewhere.While he has warned before that the Islamic State group has gained a foothold in the country's south, Duterte said he was still surprised by the magnitude of the violence in Marawi, adding that he has been told that Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was behind the Marawi attack."I did not realize that it was that bad because now it appears that Baghdadi himself, the leader of the ISIS, has specifically ordered terroristic activities here in the Philippines," Duterte said, without elaborating. ISIS is an abbreviation for the Islamic State group.___Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.The Associated Press.
Cosby defence rests without calling the comedian to testify-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby's lawyers put on a case consisting of just one witness and six minutes of testimony Monday, wrapping up the defence side in the sexual assault trial without the comedian himself taking the stand.The jury was expected to hear closing arguments next and could get the case in the afternoon.The question going into Monday's proceedings was whether Cosby hismelf would testify — a high-stakes gamble that could have allowed him to work his charm on the jury but could have also exposed him to blistering cross-examination.With Cosby's wife of 53 years, Camille, looking on from the gallery for the first time in the 6-day-old trial, he told a judge that he made the decision not to take the stand after talking it over with his lawyers.Judge Steven O'Neill asked Cosby a series of questions designed to make sure he was aware of his right to testify and wasn't pressured into deciding against it. Cosby spoke loudly as he answered, responding "YES!" or "NO!"The defence called just one witness, the detective who led the 2005 investigation into allegations that Cosby drugged and violated Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home.Detective Richard Schaffer was one of 12 witnesses who testified during the five-day prosecution case. In a six-minute appearance Monday, Shaffer told jurors under defence questioning that Constand had visited with Cosby at an out-of-state casino and that police knew he had vision problems more than a decade ago.The judge shot down a defence request to call a second witness, a woman who worked with Constand at Cosby's alma mater, Temple University.Cosby could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of molesting Constand in 2004. He has said the encounter was consensual.Constand, 44, told her side of the story over some seven hours on the witness stand.The question hanging over the trial Monday was whether the TV star himself would testify. Cosby's spokesman suggested last week that the comic might take the stand, but his lawyers were mum.Experts had said the legal risks would be considerable."He could be a fantastic witness. ... He's an actor and he's a very good actor," Duquesne University School of Law professor Wes Oliver said ahead of Monday's court session. But "he is potentially opening the door to a whole lot of cross-examination that they fought really hard to keep out."Prosecutors wanted 13 other accusers to testify at the trial, but the judge allowed just one, an assistant to his agent at the William Morris Agency.The defence's main goal in the prosecution phase of the case was to attack the credibility of Constand and the other accuser, Kelly Johnson.Johnson had corroborating evidence in the form of her 1996 workers' compensation claim. A lawyer on the case recalled her startling account of being drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby, but his notes revealed a glaring discrepancy in the account. He said the encounter occurred in 1990, while Johnson insists it was 1996.The defence had more trouble trying to discredit Constand, 44. Cosby's lawyers hammered home the point that she doesn't know just when it happened, and they questioned why she had regular phone contact with Cosby later that spring, including more than 50 calls to him.Constand said she had to return calls from the Temple University trustee because he was an important booster and she worked for the women's basketball team.She filed a police complaint in January 2005 after moving back home to the Toronto area, and then sued Cosby in March 2005 when the local prosecutor decided not to charge him.Cosby's testimony in her civil case showed just how hard a witness he would have been to control. His answers, like his comedy routines, meandered and veered toward stream of consciousness.And he used jarring language to describe his sexual encounters with various young women. He spoke in the deposition of "the penile entrance" and "digital penetration." And he displayed hints of arrogance."One of the greatest storytellers in the world and I'm failing," Cosby said when asked to repeat an answer in the deposition.The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand and Johnson have done.___For more on Cosby, including trial updates, historical photos, videos and an audio series exploring the case, visit: www.apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial-Maryclaire Dale And Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press.
US opts out of G7 pledge committing to Paris climate accord-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
BOLOGNA, Italy — The United States refused Monday to sign onto a Group of Seven pledge that calls the Paris climate accord the "irreversible" global tool to address climate change.The G7 environment ministers issued a final communique Monday after their two-day meeting, the first since the United States announced it was withdrawing from the Paris climate pact. In a footnote to the communique, the United States said it wouldn't join with the other six countries in reaffirming their Paris commitments, but said it was taking action on its own to reduce its carbon footprint."The United States will continue to engage with key international partners in a manner that is consistent with our domestic priorities, preserving both a strong economy and a healthy environment," the footnote read.As a result, the U.S. said it would not join those sections of the communique on climate and multilateral development banks.The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, had attended the first few hours of the summit Sunday, but left to attend a Cabinet meeting in Washington.Presenting the communique Monday, Italy's environment minister, Gian Luca Galletti, called the Paris accord "irreversible, non-negotiable and the only instrument possible to combat climate change." He said the other G7 countries hoped to continue "constructive dialogue" with the U.S., but insisted on the Paris parameters."Everything else for us is excluded," he said.The 2015 Paris agreement aims to prevent the Earth from heating up by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since the start of the industrial age. Since the world has already warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, the accord aimed at making sure the threshold was not breached with each nation curbing heat-trapping emissions.All but a very few scientists say the overwhelming majority of warming is man-made, as do dozens of scientific academies and professional societies. Scientists have known since the 19th century that burning coal, oil and gas spews carbon dioxide into the air, which then acts like a blanket to trap heat on Earth.President Donald Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the Paris accord earlier this month, framing it as a "reassertion of America's sovereignty." He has said the U.S. could try to re-enter the deal under more favourable terms, but Italy, France and Germany have said the Paris accord cannot be re-negotiated.Paolo Santalucia And Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press.
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Japan seeks to expand arms deals with Southeast Asia-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
CHIBA, Japan — A defence official said Monday that Japan is seeking to increase its sales of military equipment to Southeast Asian nations amid growing tensions with China and North Korea.The move is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to bolster Japan's military role and its sales of defence equipment, especially in Southeast Asia, where China has expanded its own arms sales.Hideaki Watanabe, head of the Defence Ministry's Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency, said Japan will host a meeting Thursday with defence officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to discuss the sharing of equipment and technology.He spoke Monday at an international arms exhibit near Tokyo that was attended by hundreds of defence officials and industry leaders from around the world.Watanabe said there have been aggressive attempts by nations in recent years to change the status quo, in an apparent reference to China's building of artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea."It is essential to maintain the open and stable sea under the rule of law," he said. "Ensuring safety of navigation and flight contributes to the peace and prosperity of Japan and international society. Japan's research and development of high-quality defence equipment contributes to the defence of Japan and elsewhere."Japan's defence industry at home is worth about 1.8 trillion yen ($16 billion) annually, a fraction of the country's 52 trillion yen ($470 billion) auto industry.Japan had restricted arms exports under its post-World War II war-renouncing constitution, limiting joint research and development to the U.S. under a bilateral security pact. Since an easing of the rules in 2014, Japan now has joint research deals with Britain, Australia and France.In order to scale up the defence industry, Japan's government has bolstered research funding to more than 10 billion yen ($90 million) this year.Japan has been promoting the transfer of defence equipment to Southeast Asian countries to help their maritime security capabilities amid China's growing presence in the South China Sea, but deals have been limited to the sale of TC-90 surveillance aircraft to the Philippines.China already exports mostly low-cost military equipment to many Southeast Asian countries.The arms exhibit, sponsored by the Japanese defence , foreign and industry ministries, included panel discussions focused on missile defence . North Korea has conducted several missile tests this year.U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin and Japanese contractors Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries were among dozens of exhibitors from around the world who had booths at this year's Mast Asia exhibit, just east of Tokyo.Japanese manufacturers are still cautious about the prospects of military sales.Mitsubishi Industries, a maker of Aegis destroyers and fighter jets, is not expecting booming business right away, as Japan's defence equipment sales are more focused on disaster prevention and international peace."We want visitors to see our comprehensive and advanced technology first," he said. "We are happy to provide our technology and equipment wherever they can be used for international peace."While Japan's defence role is still a sensitive issue for other Asian countries that still have bitter memories of Japanese wartime aggression, a greater contribution by the country is welcome as the region now faces common challenges such as North Korea, said South Korean defence expert Yoon Sukjoon, a retired navy captain who was at the exhibit."We have a threat, a real threat from North Korea," Yoon said, citing the North's recent missile capabilities and nuclear development. "Japan is our neighbour . As long as we have common interests, common security concepts, there is no specific reason why we should reject military co-operation in terms of military equipment and sharing of the information of that."___Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at twitter.com/mariyamaguchi-Find her work at https://www.apnews.com/search/mari%20yamaguchi-Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(EITHER THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR BOOTS 3 COUNTRIES FROM THE EU OR THE DICTATOR TAKES OVER THE WORLD ECONOMY BY CONTROLLING 3 WORLD TRADE BLOCS)
REVELATION 17:9-13
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.(THE VATICAN IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS OR MOUNTAINS)
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen,(1-ASSYRIA,2-EGYPT,3-BABYLON,4-MEDO-PERSIA,5-GREECE) and one is,(IN POWER IN JOHNS AND JESUS DAY-6-ROME) and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.(7TH-REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE OR THE EUROPEAN UNION TODAY AND THE SHORT SPACE IS-7 YEARS.THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL HAVE WORLD CONTROL FOR THE LAST 3 1/2 YEARS.BUT WILL HAVE ITS MIGHTY WORLD POWER FOR THE FULL 7 YEARS OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD.AND THE WORLD DICTATOR WILL BE THE BEAST FROM THE EU.AND THE VATICAN POPE WILL BE THE WHORE THAT RIDES THE EUROPEAN UNION TO POWER.AND THE 2 EUROPEAN UNION POWER FREAKS WILL CONTROL AND DECIEVE THE WHOLE EARTH INTO THEIR DESTRUCTION.IF YOU ARE NOT SAVED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.YOU WILL BE DECIEVED BY THESE TWO.THE WORLD POLITICIAN-THE EUROPEAN UNION DICTATOR.AND THE FALSE PROPHET THAT DEFECTS CHRISTIANITY-THE FALSE VATICAN POPE.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Low turnout but big majority ahead for Macron By Eric Maurice-june 12,17-euobserver
BRUSSELS, Today, 07:24-The party of the new French president came ahead in Sunday's first round of the legislative elections and could get more than 400 MPs out of 577.French president Emmanuel Macron can expect a wide majority in the National Assembly, France's lower house, despite low voter turnout in the first round of the legislative elections on Sunday (11 June).His Republic On the Move party (LRM) came first with 32 percent, ahead of the conservative Republicans (21%) and the radical left Unbowed France party (14%). The far right National Front got just under 14 percent, and the Socialist Party around 13 percent.Sunday's results suggest that Macron's party could end up with between 415 and 455 seats out of 577 after next week's run-off.The Republicans can expect 70 to 110 seats. The Socialist Party, which was the majority party in the outgoing assembly, would get only 20 and 30 seats. Unbowed France would have eight to 18 seats and the National Front (FN) between one and five MPs."The message of the French people is without ambiguity," prime minister Edouard Philippe said on Sunday evening.He said that "millions" of voters "confirmed their attachment to the president's project for renewal, gathering and reconquest"."Since last month, France is back", he added.If next Sunday's vote confirms the first round, Macron will have almost no opposition in parliament, with the traditional main parties struggling to have their voices heard.The main victim of the vote is the Socialist Party of Macron's predecessor Francois Hollande. Its leader Jean-Christophe Cambadelis as well as its candidate for the presidential election earlier this year, Benoit Hamon, were eliminated in the first round."It is not healthy that a president who gathered 24 percent of votes in the first round of the presidential election has a monopoly in the assembly," Cambadelis said, referring to Macron's score in April.If it is not able to get 30 MPs elected next week, the PS would not be able to form a group in the assembly and would not have any influence during the next five years.After a record 10.6 million votes in the presidential run-off, the National Front will get only a handful of MPs. Its leader Marine Le Pen blamed other parties which "support each other" to beat FN candidates.Le Pen, who got 46 percent in Henin-Beaumont, in northern France, could be elected and leave the European Parliament, where a procedure is under way to strip her of her immunity over a fake jobs case.But while Macron's LRM party is pushing traditional parties into irrelevance, it is not getting a strong mandate from French voters. Only 48.8 percent of registered voters cast their ballot on Sunday, the lowest turnout in French modern politics.PM Philippe admitted the "demobilisation" of voters but said that it was because the "presidential election "ended the debate" about France's political direction and that "some political forces were unable to find new energy" after the presidential vote.Francois Baroin, the campaign leader for the Republicans party, noted that "the level of abstention demonstrates the persistence of divides in French society".He said that a "reaction is indispensable" in order to have a "balanced power" in the assembly.
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)
Drowning fears up in US West as rivers surge with snowmelt-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — Massive waterfalls in Yosemite National Park and rivers raging in mountains throughout the western United States are thundering with greater force than they have for years — and proving deadly as warm weather melts the deepest mountain snowpack in recent memory.Record snowfall on towering Western peaks this winter virtually eliminated California's five-year drought and it is now melting rapidly.But it has contributed to at least 14 river deaths and prompted officials to close sections of rivers popular with swimmers, rafters and fishing enthusiasts.In Utah and Wyoming, some rivers gorged by heavy winter snowfall have overflown their banks and rivers in Utah are expected to remain dangerously swollen with icy mountain runoff for several more weeks.The sheer beauty of the rivers is their draw — and represents a big danger to people who decide to risk selfies near the water or beat the heat by swimming or rafting with little awareness of the risks posed by the raging water.This year's velocity and force of the Merced River that runs through Yosemite Valley is similar to a runaway freight train, said Moose Mutlow of the Yosemite Swift Water Rescue Team."You step out in front of it, it's going to take you," he said. "You're not going to stop that, and that's what people need to get their heads around."Heavy storms this winter covered the central Sierra Nevada mountains with snow that remains at twice its normal level for this time of year.While officials celebrated an end to drought in much of California, the snowmelt is so dangerous that park rangers fear its impact on the crowded park that drew a record five million people last year, when four people drowned.So far this year, one 50-year-old man is believed to have drowned at Yosemite after falling into the Merced River from a winding trail. His body has not been found.One of Yosemite's deadliest days was in 2011, when three young church group visitors were swept to their deaths over the 317-foot (97-meter) Vernal Fall.Elsewhere in California, there have been at least 11 drownings since the snowpack started melting in May.At the San Joaquin River near Fresno, 18-year-old Neng Thao drowned last month swimming in the river during a picnic with his family days before he was set to graduate as the valedictorian of his high school.And six people have died in the rugged Tule River south of Yosemite. Some drowned, but others suffered injuries suggesting their bodies were beaten to death by the river water slamming them against the riverbed."The force of that water pounds people into rocks and sends them over waterfalls," said Eric LaPrice, a U.S. Forest Service district ranger at the Giant Sequoia National Monument in central California.At the Kern River in central California, officials last month updated a sign warning that that 280 people have died in it since 1968. The sign is already outdated, with four more drownings since then.And in northern Utah, a 4-year-old girl playing at the side of the Provo River fell from a boulder into the water last month. Her mother and a man who was nearby jumped in to try to save the girl. All three drowned, illustrating how quickly one tragedy can multiply."As little as six inches of water can actually sweep an adult away at the rate of speed that the water is travelling ," said Chris Crowley, emergency manager for the county where Park City is located.In Reno, Nevada, rising temperatures that have accelerated snowpack melting prompted officials to erect a sign next to the Truckee River warning people to stay away from it.In Idaho, snowpack at double normal levels have prompted warnings from officials that densely populated areas near the Boise River could flood.And in Wyoming, officials have placed sandbags and flood barriers to protect homes and public infrastructure from rivers and streams swollen with the snowmelt.On his first trip to Yosemite, cartoonist Andy Runton, 42, steered clear of the turbulent Merced River.He took a selfie at a safe distance from a grassy meadow with Yosemite Falls far behind him. Within a few hours of entering the park, Runton said the sweeping vistas and raging waterfalls had left a lifelong impression."You can see the power of the water," Runton said. "You can feel it. Nature doesn't slow down."___Golden reported from Salt Lake City, Utah. Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, and Bob Moen in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed to this report.Scott Smith And Hallie Golden, The Associated Press.
6.2-magnitude earthquake shakes Turkey, Greece; 10 injured-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
ISTANBUL — An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 shook western Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos on Monday, injuring at least 10 people and damaging buildings, authorities said.The earthquake's epicenter was in the Aegean Sea at a very shallow depth of seven kilometres (some four miles) and hit at 3:28 p.m. (1228 GMT), Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management said. At least 25 aftershocks were recorded. Tremors were felt in densely populated Istanbul and in the western Turkish provinces of Izmir.Authorities in Lesbos said dozens of homes were damaged in parts of the island and some roads were closed. At least 10 people were injured in the village of Vrisa, Greek authorities said."We are advising residents in affected areas of Lesbos to remain outdoors until buildings can be inspected," senior seismologist Efthimios Lekkas said.Earthquakes are frequent in Greece and Turkey, which are on active fault lines. Two devastating earthquakes hit northwestern Turkey in 1999, killing around 18,000 people. Experts in both countries said more aftershocks are to be expected.Senior Greek government officials, seismologists and response teams are heading from the capital, Athens, to Lesbos to assess the damage.Turkey's emergency management agency said there were no reports of casualties and has dispatched emergency and health teams, and 240 family tents to the area as a precaution.In Turkey, 61-year old Ayse Selvi felt the tremors in her summer home in Karaburun near the quake's epicenter."My God, all the picture frames fell on the ground and I have no idea how I ran out. I'm scared to go inside now."Her sister, Seval Isci, 57, was ironing at home in Izmir when the earthquake hit and left her home along with the other residents of the building when the first aftershock hit."We were really scared," she said.Private Dogan news agency showed residents in western Turkey leaving buildings.State-run radio in Greece said hundreds of residents left buildings and waited out in the street in Lesbos' capital, Mytilene. There was no reported damage or injuries at refugee camps on Lesbos or the nearby island of Chios. Both islands saw a major influx of migrants leaving from Turkey in 2015, and about 8,000 remain in limbo in Lesbos and Chios as they await news on their asylum applications.The Associated Press.
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)
Duchess of Cambridge visits London Bridge attack victims-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
LONDON — The Duchess of Cambridge has visited victims of the London Bridge attacks who are recovering in a hospital.Prince William's wife praised the efforts of staff at King's College Hospital in treating victims from the rampage in which three men killed eight people in a vehicle and stabbing attack. Police killed the three attackers.The former Kate Middleton on Monday met hospital staff members, many of whom treated victims of Khalid Masood, who mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer in March.She says: "To go through this sort of event twice, it is quite unprecedented."Emergency consultant Malcolm Tunnicliff praised Kate and other royals for visiting. Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall visited patients earlier.He says "it is a massive lift."The Associated Press.
4 Syrian brothers face terrorism charges in Germany-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
BERLIN — German authorities arrested four Syrian brothers on terrorism charges Monday for allegedly fighting for an extremist group in their homeland five years ago.Mustafa K., 41, Abdullah K., 39, Sultan K., 44, and Ahmed K., 51, whose last name wasn't released because of privacy regulations, are accused of membership in a terrorist organization for fighting for the Nusra Front in the northern Syrian city Ras al-Ayn starting in late 2012.Federal prosecutors said the men were allegedly involved in the group's fight against Syrian government troops and Kurdish defence forces.Mustafa and Sultan K. are also charged with war crimes for allegedly forcing civilians from the city and plundering their possessions. Prosecutors refused to say when the brothers entered Germany.In a separate case, prosecutors said Monday that a 31-year-old Syrian arrested in February has been released. He was accused of membership in the Islamic State group and of committing a war crime by raping a woman as she tried to flee IS-controlled territory in Syria.The suspect, Akram A, was released on Friday, federal prosecutors said in a statement.Prosecutors have said that the suspect ran an IS checkpoint set up to control people leaving territory held by the group. The allegations relate to an incident in early 2016 in which a Syrian woman tried to flee with her children.Prosecutors said Monday further investigations now suggest that "a different sequence of events" is also possible, but didn't offer details. That meant that the evidence was no longer strong enough to justify keeping him in custody.The Associated Press.
Ramadan toll shows Islamic State in pitched recruiting race-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
Its strongholds in Iraq and Syria slipping from its grasp, the Islamic State group threatened to make this year's Ramadan a bloody one at home and abroad. With attacks in Egypt, Britain and Iran among others and a land-grab in the Philippines, the group is trying to divert attention from its losses and win over supporters around the world in the twisted competition for jihadi recruits during the Muslim holy month.The militants insisted in their English language magazine this week that losing territory has only made it work that much harder to kill. The attacks since Ramadan's beginning on May 26 show the sweep of the group's ambition — from attacking the West, to expanding in the Philippines, to targeting Shiite powerhouse Iran — something al-Qaida itself never risked."They can say here is something that al-Qaida has refrained to do," said Assaf Moghadam, an author and analyst of jihadi groups. "From their perspective it's been a great Ramadan so far."But a powerful counter-message is emerging in recent days. With the month of fasting also a time of high television ratings in the Arab world, the telecommunications company Zain has launched a commercial that begins with footage of a man fabricating a suicide bomb. By the end, faced with bloodied victims and survivors of extremist attacks, the man stumbles and fails in his mission. "Let's bomb delusion with the truth," a man sings. The ad has been viewed more than 6 million times on YouTube. "We will counter their attacks of hatred with songs of love," it ends.-IRAN-The attack on Iran marked a new stage for the Islamic State group, which had threatened the Shiite-majority state repeatedly without actually striking it.Five Islamic State group extremists battle-tested in strongholds Mosul and Raqqa simultaneously targeted the country's parliament and shrine of late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 17 people. More than any of the other Ramadan attacks, the bloodshed in Iran shows the group's violent attempts to persuade potential recruits it has the staying power to endure beyond the loss of its two major strongholds.IS and al-Qaida, both radical Sunni groups, are competing for recruits in the global jihadi movement. Al-Qaida, however, has never attacked Iran. Founder Osama bin Laden had put the Persian state off-limits, citing and the country's role as a conduit for arms and money.-LONDON BRIDGE-Three men armed with knives plowed a rented van into pedestrians on London Bridge, then slashed their way through the evening crowd at Borough Market on June 3, killing eight people.The man believed to be the group's ringleader, Khuram Butt, had appeared in a documentary last year called "The Jihadis Next Door" and his neighbours said he was recruiting young people to join Islamic State. It was the third attack in Britain in three months claimed by the extremists.-PHILIPPINES SIEGE-Islamic militants in the Philippines aligned with the Islamic State group two weeks ago assaulted the southern lakeside city of Marawi, parts of which they occupy to this day, in a plot that they sketched in chilling detail on the back of a paper calendar. Among those at the table for the secret meeting was the purported leader of the Islamic State group's Southeast Asia branch, Isnilon Hapilon, who is on Washington's list of most-wanted terrorists and has a $5 million bounty on his head.-EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS-Masked Islamic State gunmen ambushed a bus carrying Coptic Christians to a monastery south of Cairo on May 26, killing 29 people on the eve of Ramadan. The group has singled out Egyptian Christians with ferocity, carrying out four attacks since December and warning of more to come.Lori Hinnant, The Associated Press.
Under Trump, US militias not ready to lay down arms-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
JACKSON, Ga. — In the woods south of Atlanta, John and Yvette DeMaria are with about a dozen camouflage-wearing, heavily armed Americans huffing and puffing as they scramble to navigate the sprawling piece of property where they train, one weekend a month, to ward off enemies — foreign or domestic.The DeMarias are with the Georgia Security Force militia, whose members are relieved that Donald Trump won the presidency but believe it would be a mistake to lay down their arms just because he is in the White House. So they continue to take to the woods to be ready for whatever may come, whether it's an economic crisis that spawns unrest or Islamic extremists carrying out attacks on American soil."I started to realize that I got very angry because the system has been so abused over and over and over again, making rights out of thin air for people who don't deserve to get anything," said John DeMaria, who goes by the nickname Rooster J.While it is impossible to track all the groups that often are no more than a handful of men gathering in woods, experts says that militia activity tends to fall off under Republican presidents and ramp up under Democrats. But just as last year's election upended conventional models, those who watch militias say life in the Trump era may not follow the same patterns.If anything, it could be a potential powder keg, if those feelings of having a kindred spirit in Trump erupt into a sense of betrayal if he fails to deliver on his promises."What would concern me is that nobody gets more angry than a fan spurned," said James Corcoran, a professor at Simmons College in Boston who has watched militias closely for decades and has written extensively about the movement.The leader of the Georgia Security Force, Chris Hill, remains deeply skeptical of Congress and worries the lawmakers will undermine Trump's agenda: preventing him from building a wall on the Mexico border, repealing "Obamacare" and fulfilling his promise to "Make American Great Again.""Even if President Trump is able to do the things that he wants to do, he's still got Congress to contend with. Congress is the same old dog-and-pony show. All they do is fight. They're never going to grant us more freedom," said Hill, who goes by the nickname General BloodAgent."A lot of people have let their guard down because he was elected, and I would wholeheartedly say that is a big mistake. ... If anything we should use this time wisely. Like the Good Book says, a wise man prepares, a fool takes his chances."Modern-day militias began to surge in the 1990s during the Clinton administration, then ebbed during the Bush years. Following a dramatic spike after the 2008 election of President Barack Obama, there are now an estimated 165 militias in the U.S., according to Ryan Lenz, a senior investigative reporter with the Southern Poverty Law Center.For Hill and his group, the 2008 election was their defining moment, the one that signalled the U.S. was on the wrong track. They believed Obama wanted to restrict gun rights and forever alter their way of life.Yvette DeMaria said she and her husband were looking for "like minds" and found the Georgia Security Force through Facebook and a pastor friend who had travelled to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with the militia to help out after fires in the Smoky Mountains devastated the region. That act of charity had moved her.Even before Obama was elected, the DeMarias felt the country was heading down the wrong path, with the military and law enforcement no longer cherished or revered. Yvette DeMaria said she believes protesters have been allowed to get out of control after police shootings.Political correctness has run amok, she said, with politicians and the courts carving out constitutional protections that strayed far from the intent of the nation's forefathers. She laments, for example, the legalization of same--sex marriage and the transgender bathroom issue, believing they amount to a war on her Christian faith."We cannot be silent anymore. We have voices. We need to rise up. We need to speak up. We need to find like minds," Yvette DeMaria said. "We're going to church every Sunday — but Monday through Saturday, what are we doing?"She and her husband found their mission and some like-minded people in the militia, which is part of the Three Percenters movement. It derives its name from the belief that just 3 per cent of the colonists rose up to fight the British. They have vowed to resist any government that infringes on the U.S. Constitution.While focused on training, the militia is also social.In the woods, they use hand signals and walkie-talkies to alert the others to where and how many enemies are lurking, They then navigate obstacles made of firehoses, logs and scraps of wood, metal and string to eliminate the threats.The first two runs are "dry fire" exercises; the guns aren't loaded. The last exercise of the day involves live rounds in their weapons — from AR-15s to handguns. After the targets are riddled with holes, the militia members gather around a fire at a campsite a short walk away to enjoy music and a barbecue.For Hill, a paralegal by day, the Trump election was a defining moment to be celebrated."We're being called Trump militia. It's something I'm probably going to wear as a badge now," Hill said. "I feel a connection to President Trump."___Follow Lisa Marie Pane on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/lisamariepane-Lisa Marie Pane, The Associated Press.
EU-critical radicals double support in Kosovo By Aleksandra Eriksson-jun 12,17-euobserver
Pristina, Today, 14:25-Blockage over EU-backed reforms sent Kosovars to the polls on Sunday (11 June), but the election outcome will likely lead to more political turmoil.Kosovo's electoral committee is still counting the votes, but the centre-right PDK has claimed victory in Sunday's poll.The PDK had formed a pre-election coalition with AAK and Nisma, which all claim the legacy of the Kosovo Liberation Army, a guerrilla force that sought separation from Serbia in the 1990s.This coalition had nominated AAK's Ramush Haradinaj as its candidate for prime minister.Haradinaj was a KLA guerrilla leader during the war. Serbia has accused him of war crimes, but he has been cleared of charges twice by an international tribunal in The Hague.The coalition could take one third of the poll.PDK, however, lost its position as Kosovo's largest party on Sunday.That title can now be claimed by Vetevendosje, which has been labelled as a radical, anti-EU party.It has a programme combining social-democracy with nationalist ideas of unification with Albania.The party is set to double its support, from 14 to just under 30 percent, albeit on the lowest voter turn-out that Kosovo has known since gaining independence in 2008.The centre-right LDK party, which headed the previous government, could score less than 25 percent of the poll.Twenty of the parliament's 120 seats are also reserved for Kosovo's ethnic minorities.The snap ballot was called after months of deadlock in the country's parliament, which refused to pass controversial reforms that would grant Kosovars visa-free travel to the EU.The reforms included an EU-brokered deal to give more powers to ethnic Serbs in Kosovo, as well as a border demarcation deal with Montenegro that would formally recognise the boundaries between the two countries.-Awkward coalitions-Krenar Gashi, a political scientist from Ghent university, said the elections had been less marked by political vision than by pragmatic attempts on behalf of the ruling parties to stay in power.PDK had backed the motion of no confidence which brought down a government in which it had a majority because their coalition partner, LDK, was unable to pass the border deal with Montenegro.But PDK then entered an awkward coalition with two of the parties that helped sabotage reform efforts, including by use of violence.MPs from the AAK and Nisma, as well as Vetevendosje, claimed the border deal would mean Kosovo lost some 8,000 hectares of its land, and stopped votes on the matter by throwing teargas in the parliament.PDK's behaviour could be explained by its voter base, Gashi said. They back the party for the KLA's role in the war, and for PDK's investments in roads and other infrastructure. They do not mind too much that PDK and its senior officials have been involved in corruption scandals and affairs."PDK will do anything to stay in power, from buying off MPs, to blackmailing them, and they may reach a functional majority, because it would lose its clientelistic electorate if it went into opposition," Gashi said.He explained the rise of Vetevendosje as the result of an ever-growing dissatisfaction with the last decade's way of governing by the PDK."They are the only political entity that insists on ideas. The decision to run alone in the election, whilst other parties reached coalitions, showed once again the lack of political pragmatism from their leadership, which they capitalised in votes by using the perception of being uncorrupted and, as they promote, incorruptible”, he said.He suggested that Vetevendosje and LDK could try to reach a coalition around common interests, if the PDK-led coalition failed to secure support for its government.-Pristina mood-Vetevendosje was the party of choice for many voters that EUobserver spoke to during a recent visit to Pristina.Kosovo's capital is the party's stronghold.The young and progressive city elected Vetevedosje vice-chairman Shpend Ahmeti as a mayor in 2014, and his scandal-free performance has since prompted further support for the party.One young woman told EUobserver she had a close relative who ranked high in LDK, but she would still vote for Vetevedosje."People are now hired to work for the city on the basis of their merits!" she said with enthusiasm.Vetevendosje was also the party of a taxi driver, who had worked as a chemist, but said he was fired when PDK put pressure on his boss to make room for PDK voters.Labinot Pllana, an IT expert in the international banking sector, said he also considered voting for Vetevendosje."I agree with their programme to 80 percent,” he said. But he added the party's violent methods would make him think twice about his vote."In any case, I will vote for a woman since they are less supported by men and are less likely to be corrupted," Pllana told EUobserver.EU relations-Brussels has traditionally backed the PDK and LDK, which it sees as guarantees of stability.Vetevendosje's Aida Derguti, a vice-president of Kosovo's parliamentary assembly during the previous mandate, said it was wrong to call her his party anti-EU: "On the contrary, we want to join the EU."But she said the relationship with Brussels should be more of a relationship of equals.She said the party suffered from bad press, especially over its stance on reunification with Albania.Vetevendosje wants a referendum on a clause in Kosovo's constitution, which bars the country from merging with another country.The constitution was written by international experts and was never put to a popular vote by Kosovars."In every interview we have to explain our stance on reunification with Albania. Our other messages aren't heard," Derguti said, adding that a greater Albania would benefit the power balance in the Balkans, by providing a counterweight to Serbia.She also suggested that the EU currently played a role in Kosovo's political instability."PDK and LDK got elected by promising work places, anti-corruption measures and better healthcare. But after the elections, another agenda got priority," she said.The MP said the EU had pressured PDK and LDK after the last elections to form a broad coalition that would pass controversial reforms.But EU support to the old elites only stymied reform, she said, by keeping "corrupt guys in office".She also opposed that the demarcation deal should be part of Kosovo's visa liberalisation.Kosovo has been called the most pro-US and pro-EU country on earth, but it's also one of the most isolated.The country is still not recognised by five EU member states: Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.It's also a visa enclave in the Balkan region, where all its neighbours have been able to travel freely to the Schengen area for years.Even war-torn Ukraine got this right before Kosovo, irking people further.Another sore subject are the EU-brokered agreement negotiations with Belgrade.Research by Birn, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, has shown that Kosovars are constituently disappointed over the dialogue.Derguti said the EU was trying to bring Serbia closer for fear the country would turn to Russia instead, but this meant the bloc couldn't push Belgrade very hard."We shouldn't pay the price of Serbia's accession," she said.Vetevendosje's Aida Derguti meeting a young fan at an election rally. Photo: Aleksandra Eriksson-Not a partnership of equals-Fredrik Wesslau, director of the Wider Europe programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that Vetevendosje’s increased political influence in Kosovo following the elections risked making Kosovo’s relationship with the EU more complicated. Vetevendosje’s influence could hamper political decision-making in Kosovo and make Kosovo less inclined to follow EU conditionality.”The EU’s relationship with countries wishing to become members of the EU is not a partnership of equals,” he said.“The EU sets conditions that others have to meet. Kosovo is trying to become part of the EU, not the other way around,” he added.”The accession process incentivises countries wishing to join the EU to take very difficult decisions that they would otherwise not take. It has helped these countries modernise and adopt the EU aquis," he said, referring to the EU's body of laws and standards. ”Kosovo has made plenty of progress thanks to this."He also described Vetevendosje as a "largely unconstructive force" in Kosovo politics, pointing to its use of tear gas in the parliament and violent demonstrations."They started out as revolutionary, anti-establishment pranksters. This has had a certain appeal to young people, but Vetevendosje’s politics are highly nationalistic and in some cases extreme. They oppose any form of dialogue with Serbia and support the notion of Greater Albania," he said.Wesslau also warned against painting an overly-bleak picture of the situation in the country."Kosovo has a poor reputation, but this is unfair," he said. "There are peaceful transitions of power and not the uncontrolled consolidation of power seen in other countries in the Western Balkans. Rule of law remains a challenge, however, as elsewhere in the region."He said that PDK and LDK enjoyed support thanks largely to their leaders who many considered charismatic.It is likely that the PDK-AAK coalition will manage to form a government, possibly together with the minority parties, according to Wesslau.
Philippine flag raised on Independence Day in war-torn city-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
MARAWI, Philippines — Filipinos marked their country's Independence Day by raising the national flag Monday in a southern city where troops pressed assaults to quell a three-week siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants that has left 270 combatants and civilians dead.Many were teary-eyed during the flag-raising ceremonies at the heavily guarded city hall and provincial capital building in Marawi, the heartland of the Islamic faith in the country's south, where hundreds of gunmen went on a deadly rampage on May 23.Blasts from airstrikes thudded in the distance during the events.While the flag-raising was mainly to mark Independence Day, it also symbolized the reclaiming of city hall and other areas of Marawi by government forces. Policemen roamed a community that troops had wrested back from the militants and festooned abandoned houses with small flags.Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra fought back tears as he thanked troops, police and volunteers in the crisis that has turned parts of the previously tranquil lakeside city of more than 200,000 people, most of whom have fled the fighting, into a smouldering battlefield.Villager Janisah Ampao, who fled her home with her husband and two children when the fighting broke out last month, felt a sense of relief and pride when she saw the flag being raised at the provincial capital building. She has been living with other evacuees in a nearby government building that has been turned into an emergency shelter."I don't know how we can re-start our lives after the fighting," Ampao said by telephone. "Our city is in ruins, all the people have gone and the stores are closed. I saw on TV that our village has been destroyed."Facing the worst crisis in his yearlong presidency, President Rodrigo Duterte cancelled an annual Independence Day diplomatic reception at the presidential palace and skipped a flag-raising ceremony in Manila."He doesn't feel like giving a toast, even symbolic, when soldiers are dying and the evacuees and the displaced are in the provinces and in Marawi's margins," Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters.Philippine flags were also flown at half-staff as the country mourned the killings of 13 marines in a fierce battle in Marawi on Friday. Some of the marines perished in a fire ignited by the militants at the height of the fighting, military officials said. They said 58 soldiers and policemen, 191 militants and 21 civilians have been killed in the three weeks of clashes.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson conveyed independence greetings on behalf of President Donald Trump and the American people, saying the U.S. stands as an ally with the Philippines as it confronts the attacks in Marawi and other terrorist threats.The U.S. military has deployed a spy plane at Manila's request to help provide surveillance to troops battling militants still holed up in a few buildings in Marawi with an unspecified number of civilian hostages. The tough-talking Duterte took an adversarial stance toward former U.S. President Barack Obama, who had criticized his bloody anti-drug crackdown, but his relations with Trump have been markedly better.The Marawi siege unfolded after a May 23 army raid failed to capture a top terror suspect, Isnilon Hapilon, who has been designated by the Islamic State group as its leader in Southeast Asia. The raid pre-empted a plot by about 500 gunmen waving Islamic State group-style black flags to capture all of Marawi and kill as many Christians as they could, military officials say.Duterte told reporters Sunday that he decided to declare martial law in the southern third of the country to better stop the gunmen from escaping from Marawi or launching new attacks elsewhere.While he has warned before that the Islamic State group has gained a foothold in the country's south, Duterte said he was still surprised by the magnitude of the violence in Marawi, adding that he has been told that Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was behind the Marawi attack."I did not realize that it was that bad because now it appears that Baghdadi himself, the leader of the ISIS, has specifically ordered terroristic activities here in the Philippines," Duterte said, without elaborating. ISIS is an abbreviation for the Islamic State group.___Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.The Associated Press.
Cosby defence rests without calling the comedian to testify-[The Canadian Press]-yahoonews-June 12, 2017
NORRISTOWN, Pa. — Bill Cosby's lawyers put on a case consisting of just one witness and six minutes of testimony Monday, wrapping up the defence side in the sexual assault trial without the comedian himself taking the stand.The jury was expected to hear closing arguments next and could get the case in the afternoon.The question going into Monday's proceedings was whether Cosby hismelf would testify — a high-stakes gamble that could have allowed him to work his charm on the jury but could have also exposed him to blistering cross-examination.With Cosby's wife of 53 years, Camille, looking on from the gallery for the first time in the 6-day-old trial, he told a judge that he made the decision not to take the stand after talking it over with his lawyers.Judge Steven O'Neill asked Cosby a series of questions designed to make sure he was aware of his right to testify and wasn't pressured into deciding against it. Cosby spoke loudly as he answered, responding "YES!" or "NO!"The defence called just one witness, the detective who led the 2005 investigation into allegations that Cosby drugged and violated Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home.Detective Richard Schaffer was one of 12 witnesses who testified during the five-day prosecution case. In a six-minute appearance Monday, Shaffer told jurors under defence questioning that Constand had visited with Cosby at an out-of-state casino and that police knew he had vision problems more than a decade ago.The judge shot down a defence request to call a second witness, a woman who worked with Constand at Cosby's alma mater, Temple University.Cosby could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of molesting Constand in 2004. He has said the encounter was consensual.Constand, 44, told her side of the story over some seven hours on the witness stand.The question hanging over the trial Monday was whether the TV star himself would testify. Cosby's spokesman suggested last week that the comic might take the stand, but his lawyers were mum.Experts had said the legal risks would be considerable."He could be a fantastic witness. ... He's an actor and he's a very good actor," Duquesne University School of Law professor Wes Oliver said ahead of Monday's court session. But "he is potentially opening the door to a whole lot of cross-examination that they fought really hard to keep out."Prosecutors wanted 13 other accusers to testify at the trial, but the judge allowed just one, an assistant to his agent at the William Morris Agency.The defence's main goal in the prosecution phase of the case was to attack the credibility of Constand and the other accuser, Kelly Johnson.Johnson had corroborating evidence in the form of her 1996 workers' compensation claim. A lawyer on the case recalled her startling account of being drugged and sexually assaulted by Cosby, but his notes revealed a glaring discrepancy in the account. He said the encounter occurred in 1990, while Johnson insists it was 1996.The defence had more trouble trying to discredit Constand, 44. Cosby's lawyers hammered home the point that she doesn't know just when it happened, and they questioned why she had regular phone contact with Cosby later that spring, including more than 50 calls to him.Constand said she had to return calls from the Temple University trustee because he was an important booster and she worked for the women's basketball team.She filed a police complaint in January 2005 after moving back home to the Toronto area, and then sued Cosby in March 2005 when the local prosecutor decided not to charge him.Cosby's testimony in her civil case showed just how hard a witness he would have been to control. His answers, like his comedy routines, meandered and veered toward stream of consciousness.And he used jarring language to describe his sexual encounters with various young women. He spoke in the deposition of "the penile entrance" and "digital penetration." And he displayed hints of arrogance."One of the greatest storytellers in the world and I'm failing," Cosby said when asked to repeat an answer in the deposition.The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Constand and Johnson have done.___For more on Cosby, including trial updates, historical photos, videos and an audio series exploring the case, visit: www.apnews.com/tag/CosbyonTrial-Maryclaire Dale And Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press.
US opts out of G7 pledge committing to Paris climate accord-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-June 12, 2017
BOLOGNA, Italy — The United States refused Monday to sign onto a Group of Seven pledge that calls the Paris climate accord the "irreversible" global tool to address climate change.The G7 environment ministers issued a final communique Monday after their two-day meeting, the first since the United States announced it was withdrawing from the Paris climate pact. In a footnote to the communique, the United States said it wouldn't join with the other six countries in reaffirming their Paris commitments, but said it was taking action on its own to reduce its carbon footprint."The United States will continue to engage with key international partners in a manner that is consistent with our domestic priorities, preserving both a strong economy and a healthy environment," the footnote read.As a result, the U.S. said it would not join those sections of the communique on climate and multilateral development banks.The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, had attended the first few hours of the summit Sunday, but left to attend a Cabinet meeting in Washington.Presenting the communique Monday, Italy's environment minister, Gian Luca Galletti, called the Paris accord "irreversible, non-negotiable and the only instrument possible to combat climate change." He said the other G7 countries hoped to continue "constructive dialogue" with the U.S., but insisted on the Paris parameters."Everything else for us is excluded," he said.The 2015 Paris agreement aims to prevent the Earth from heating up by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) since the start of the industrial age. Since the world has already warmed about 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution, the accord aimed at making sure the threshold was not breached with each nation curbing heat-trapping emissions.All but a very few scientists say the overwhelming majority of warming is man-made, as do dozens of scientific academies and professional societies. Scientists have known since the 19th century that burning coal, oil and gas spews carbon dioxide into the air, which then acts like a blanket to trap heat on Earth.President Donald Trump announced the U.S. was withdrawing from the Paris accord earlier this month, framing it as a "reassertion of America's sovereignty." He has said the U.S. could try to re-enter the deal under more favourable terms, but Italy, France and Germany have said the Paris accord cannot be re-negotiated.Paolo Santalucia And Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press.
