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)
OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
'Thank you for giving back:' Help pours in for evacuees, firefighters in B.C.-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Help from other provinces and the federal government has begun to pour in for firefighters and thousands of evacuees grappling with more than 200 intense wildfires raging across British Columbia.About 300 firefighters and support staff from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick started to arrive Monday to help relieve the pressure on roughly 1,000 B.C. crew members battling the blazes.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with Premier Christy Clark as well as premier-designate John Horgan on Sunday night and the Canadian Armed Forces have sent aircraft and personnel to support the emergency response.Residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., who had to flee a massive wildfire last year, have also sprung into action by collecting donations of supplies, driving them to B.C. and offering support and advice on social media.Christopher Seguin, vice-president of advancement at Thompson Rivers University, said terrified evacuees arrived at a Kamloops reception centre with nothing, having "lost everything and having lost it quickly."He said four tonnes of supplies arrived from Fort McMurray including wrapped and sealed water, Gatorade and baby supplies. Volunteers were making sure the Kamloops food bank receives and distributes them.Seguin expressed his gratitude to the residents of Fort McMurray."Thank you. Thank you for giving back and thank you for going to an extraordinary effort to making sure we get exactly what we need at exactly the right time," he said.Provincial authorities said Monday that more than 215 fires were burning, with 29 breaking out on Sunday. The fire has scorched about 400 square kilometres of land and more than 14,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.The entire District of 100 Mile House, a community of roughly 1,800 people, was ordered evacuated Sunday night.Al Richmond, chairman of the Cariboo Regional District, said the last evacuees from 100 Mile House left around 2 a.m. Monday on a bus to Prince George to receive emergency assistance. Others headed to the Lower Mainland, he said.Some nearby communities were under evacuation alert and residents were told to prepare to leave at a moment's notice.Bob Turner of Emergency Management BC said there were no accidents or injuries as people rushed to flee 100 Mile House. He praised the "nimble and flexible" response and ongoing co-operation between the province, Ottawa and First Nations."Generally, we're still looking at a deteriorating situation," he added. "We are looking at many weeks to come of a very challenging environment and public safety will remain the overriding priority of government."Turner said the agency has been in regular contact with its counterpart in Alberta and has also closely studied reports that were written after the Fort McMurray fire to make sure B.C. is applying lessons that were learned.Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said B.C. requested 3,000 cots and 3,000 blankets from federal stockpiles and they have been delivered to Prince George.The province also asked for air support from the Canadian Armed Forces, which will be used for emergency evacuations and to move firefighters, emergency officials and equipment around the fire zone."It's a relatively small number at this moment but we are in very early days here," Goodale said in Regina.BC Hydro said the fires have caused significant damage to electrical infrastructure in the Interior and have left thousands without power. The utility was actively working Monday to restore electricity.Nearly 70 public parks were closed and campfires were banned provincewide, apart from Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island.The largest blaze, covering more than 60 square kilometres, was burning near Ashcroft, an Interior community about 90 kilometres from Kamloops.Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta has said the fire between Ashcroft and Cache Creek destroyed dozens of buildings, including at least five houses, 30 trailer park homes and two hangars at a regional airport.Kevin Skrepnek, chief information officer for the BC Wildfire Service, said structures had definitely been lost in multiple fires across the province, but the assessment of how many was still underway.Gusty winds and hot, dry conditions are expected to continue for days, said Skrepnek. Some lightning was anticipated, bringing rain but also the potential to ignite new fires."Unfortunately, in terms of the weather forecast, we're not really seeing any reprieve in the immediate future," he said.— By Laura Kane and Elizabeth Leighton in Vancouver, with files from Jennifer Graham in Regina.The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said firefighters and support staff were also coming from Nova Scotia.
Thousands flee wildfires burning in the US and Canada-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 9, 2017
OROVILLE, Calif. — Wildfires barrelled across the baking landscape of the western U.S. and Canada, destroying a smattering of homes, forcing thousands to flee and temporarily trapping children and counsellors at a California campground.Here's a look at the wildfires blackening the West.CALIFORNIA-Two major wildfires in California have sent nearly 8,000 people fleeing to safety.About 4,000 people evacuated and another 7,400 were told to prepare to leave their homes as fire swept through grassy foothills in the Sierra Nevada, about 60 miles north of Sacramento, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Sunday.The fire burned nearly 8 square miles (20 sq. kilometres ), destroyed at least 10 structures and damaged critical infrastructure, leading Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency to provide assistance to local authorities.Fire spokeswoman Mary Ann Aldrich said additional homes were destroyed overnight. An inspection team is trying to determine the extent of the damage.The area burning was about 10 miles (16 kilometres ) south of Oroville, where spillways in the nation's tallest dam began crumbling from heavy rains this winter and led to temporary evacuation orders for 200,000 residents downstream.In Southern California, at least 3,500 people evacuated as two fires exploded in size at separate ends of Santa Barbara County and a third one threatened homes near a town in San Luis Obispo County.One of the fires grew to 12 square miles (31 square kilometres ), traversing a mountain range and heading south toward coastal Goleta.There was minimal containment and flames shut down State Route 154, which is expected to remain closed for days. At least 20 structures burned, but officials didn't say if they were homes.Sarah Gustafson, who moved from Washington to California seven months ago, was out running errands when she saw the pillar of smoke rising near her home. She rushed to retrieve her six cats and then spent the night at a Red Cross shelter."It was terrifying," she told the Los Angeles Times. "The sky was orange and black, you could see flames up on the ridge."About 90 children and 50 counsellors were stuck Saturday at the Circle V Ranch and had to take shelter until they could be safely evacuated. Buildings have burned but officials weren't yet sure if they were homes.Crews were also using an air attack against another blaze about 50 miles north that exploded in size to 37.5 square miles (97 square kilometres ). About 200 rural homes east of Santa Maria were evacuated after the fire broke out Saturday and was fed by dry gusts.Some of the firefighters working to contain that blaze were sent to nearby San Luis Obispo county when a fire broke out Sunday and threatened numerous structures near the town of Santa Margarita. Officials said the fire burned at least 200 acres.-ELSEWHERE IN THE WEST-Firefighters have been able to build containment lines around about half the wildfire that forced the evacuation of hundreds of people near Breckenridge, Colorado. The fire has not spread since it broke out Wednesday and was still less than a square mile (about one-third square kilometre ) Sunday.In rural Arizona, fire officials say three homes were among 10 buildings that were burned. The wildfire there has led to the evacuation of the entire town of Dudleyville, about 100 miles (160 kilometres ) southeast of Phoenix.A wildfire burning in near Summer Lake in south-central Oregon has destroyed a hunting cabin and an outbuilding.And in Nevada, fire officials have ordered evacuations for a wildfire that is near the same area where another blaze has already burned for days.-BRITISH COLUMBIA-Firefighters were contending with more than 200 wildfires burning in British Columbia that had destroyed dozens of buildings, including several homes and two airport hangars. The three biggest fires, which ranged in size from 5 to 8 square miles (14 to 20 square kilometres ), had forced thousands of people to flee."We are just, in many ways, at the beginning of the worst part of the fire season and we watch the weather, we watch the wind, and we pray for rain," outgoing Premier Christy Clark told reporters in Kamloops.Rob Schweizer, manager of the Kamloops Fire Centre, said it had been an unprecedented 24 hours."We probably haven't seen this sort of activity that involves so many residences and people in the history of the province of B.C.," he said.The Associated Press.
Western Canada wildfires may spread with more hot, dry weather-[Reuters]-By Dennis Owen-YAHOONEWS-July 9, 2017
KAMLOOPS, British Columbia (Reuters) - As Western Canada's British Columbia battled 220 wildfires scattered across the province on Sunday, officials warned that they expect greater devastation with forecasts of more hot, dry weather over the coming week."Looking at the medley of forecasts out there, it's certainly not optimistic," British Columbia's chief fire spokesman Kevin Skrepnek said at a press briefing. "We are going to be at the mercy of the weather."The blazes took off on Friday when 138 fires started as electrical storms and brisk winds passed through the interior of the bone-dry province, which has not seen significant rains for weeks.British Columbia declared its first state of emergency since 2003, evacuated an estimated 7,000 residents from the path of the wildfires and deployed some 1,600 personnel to respond to the fires.Some 24,000 hectares (59,305 acres) were ravaged by wildfires as of midday Sunday, according to official tallies. Skrepnek said he believed the extent of the devastation was significantly higher."We pray for rain, but our prayers aren't always answered,” British Columbia Premier Christy Clark said while touring regional evacuation facilities in Kamloops, a town some 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of Vancouver.She announced a C$100 million ($78 million) fund for victims that the Canadian Red Cross will administer.It is modeled after one set up after last year's Fort McMurray fire in the neighboring province of Alberta, one the worst natural disasters in Canadian history. It provides stipends of C$600 to help victims displaced by the fires as well as money to help rebuild after the blaze is extinguished, Clark said.Other assistance poured in from across Canada.Canada's military agreed to supply airplanes and helicopters. Other jurisdictions agreed to send some 260 personnel to help.Survivors of the May 2016 Fort McMurray blaze, which displaced 88,000 people and burned 590,000 hectares, organized a drive to send water, fuel and other supplies to British Columbia."We've been through it. We know what it's like," Marty Frost, a former Fort McMurray firefighter, told broadcaster CBC News Network.(Reporting by Dennis Owen in Kamloops, British Columbia; Writing by Jim Finkle in Toronto; Editing by Mary Milliken)
Power restored to thousands in Los Angeles after fire-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-JULY 9, 2017
(Reuters) - Power was restored to tens of thousands of residents in Los Angeles on Sunday after a fire damaged an electricity receiving station during a heat wave the previous day, authorities said.The fire broke out on Saturday at Receiving Station J, in the North San Fernando Valley, during a second straight day with temperatures that exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).At the height of the outage, 140,000 customers were without power, but service was eventually restored to all affected customers by Sunday morning after crews worked overnight at the electrical facility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said in a statement.The fire damaged conductors, circuit breakers and transformers at the electrical facility, according to the LADWP, which provides power to 1.6 million customers in the city of Los Angeles.Although power was restored, crews continued to work repairing the damage on Sunday, LADWP said.(Reporting by Chris Michaud and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Robert Birsel and Chris Reese)
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)
In Spain, 1,000-year-old court settles water disputes-lvaro VILLALOBOS-Agence France-Presse-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
Valencia (Spain) (AFP) - Eight men in black robes, sitting in a circle on chairs in the street outside a cathedral look on, stony-faced, as a bailiff calls the accused. They form the Water Court of Valencia, a millennial institution in Spain.In just a few minutes and without any paperwork, this tribunal settles irrigation conflicts that erupt in the fertile plain that surrounds Valencia, Spain's third largest city, a Mediterranean region of orchards.UN cultural body UNESCO has included the court -- which bills itself as "the oldest institution of justice in existence in Europe" -- on its list celebrating the world's "intangible cultural heritage" which deserves protection.The tribunal's existence dates back at least to the 10th century when this region was ruled by Muslims and the Gothic cathedral where the tribunal meets today was a mosque.It deals with cases of stolen water, a precious resource in drought-prone Spain, or disagreements over the interpretation of rules managing the irrigation system.Disputes can happen at any time of the year but they are more frequent during droughts when special rules governing irrigation are imposed and "supervision is enforced to control the availability of water," said historian Daniel Sala, an expert on the Water Court.- 'No choice' -One recent case was brought forward by Vicent Marti, who has operated an ecological farm for over 30 years.He turned to the tribunal after noticing that the water arriving at his farm was polluted with traces of cement and paint thrown into the irrigation system by workers renovating a neighbour's house.After hearing both sides, and a brief debate among the tribunal members, the president of the court announced that Marti's neighbour was at fault.Following tradition, he indicated his acceptance of the ruling by saying "correct" and was later fined 2,000 euros ($2,285)."I felt bad reporting it because we are neighbours, but I did not have much choice," Marti told AFP.His farm produces ecological produce, which is subject to strict quality controls, and the "survival" of his business was at stake, he added.- Every Thursday -The court in its current form is made up of eight members, all of them men, who are elected by the roughly 10,000 farmers who use the irrigation system set up in the plains around Valencia.Each member of the tribunal represents one of Valencia's eight communities of irrigators, known as "acequias", which grow vegetables and tubers, such as tiger nuts that are pounded to make horchata, a popular Spanish drink.The court meets every Thursday at noon outside the Door of the Apostles of Valencia's cathedral, which houses a gold chalice said to be the one used by Jesus at the Last Supper.Its members wear a black robe similar to those used by judges but that only goes down to their waists.The proceedings, which are watched by a crowd of locals and tourists, are carried out in Valencian, the local language.All decisions are final and cannot be appealed. The tribunal's rulings "have been respected by dictators, presidents, kings, everybody," said Sala.- 'Preventing a fossilised institution' -Two factors are threatening farming on the plains of Valencia -- and by extension the survival of the tribunal: the reduction in the amount of land that is farmed due to urbanisation and the ageing of the population.Enrique Navarro, a 44-year-old farmer, criticises the fact that the majority of tribunal members are over the age of 60.He says a "generational renewal" is needed so that the court "does not end up becoming a fossilised institution."Of the hundreds of water disputes that arise each year, just 20-25 actually reach the tribunal. On some Thursdays no one appears at the door of the cathedral with a case.The crowds, which turn out to watch the proceedings held in the historic centre of Valencia, also dissuade many farmers from bringing forward a case."For a labourer it is almost an offence to come here," said Jose Antonio Monzo, who enforces irrigation rules at a community of irrigators called Quart.Enrique Aguilar, the vice president of the tribunal, said that 90 percent of all disputes are solved through mediation, sometimes just a few minutes before the tribunal's weekly session."We try to make it so nobody makes it here," he said, in front of the cathedral door where the tribunal meets.And sometimes just the prospect of being brought before the tribunal can be enough to settle a dispute."Out in the fields, the accused is proud, claims he is not at fault. But when he presents himself here, he asks for mediation," added Manuel Ruiz, the president of the tribunal.
Canadians brace for higher interest rates after years of cheap debt-[Reuters]-By Leah Schnurr-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
OTTAWA (Reuters) - After years of debt-happy Canadians being warned that borrowing costs would have to rise eventually, they may be about to face a reckoning if the Bank of Canada hikes interest rates next week, as many expect.Canada's likely "lift off" on Wednesday - which would bring the country's first interest rate increase in nearly seven years - comes at a time when the economy still faces a number of headwinds, including weak inflation and the expected renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).But with the economy and labor markets growing, the Bank of Canada began laying the groundwork for hikes with a sharp shift in tone last month. Markets are pricing in more than 90 percent odds of a quarter-percentage point increase on July 12, while a second hike is expected by the end of the year.Economists in a Reuters poll were more divided on whether the bank would move next week, with the median forecast pointing to a hike in the fourth quarter. [CA/POLL]Cindy Fuailefau is six months into a debt repayment plan after she accumulated more than C$41,000 ($31,847) in debt and was unable to keep up the payments after her husband stopped working due to a back injury."That was all just trying to live, not vacations or anything," the 56-year-old said.Canadians as a whole owe C$1.67 for every dollar of income, a near record high. TransUnion said in a report last year that more than 700,000 consumers would struggle with even a quarter-point hike in interest rates.Where the average person seeking help 20 years ago owed about C$12,000, now it is not uncommon to see people with C$100,000 in unsecured debt, said Scott Hannah, president of the Credit Counseling Society."We've just become very comfortable over the past decade carrying debt," Hannah said. "No one is paying attention because ... rates have remained low."ALREADY FEELING THE PAIN-Canadians may already be feeling a squeeze.Canada's 5-year yield has soared more than 50 basis points to 1.47 percent since hawkish comments from top Bank of Canada officials last month. Royal Bank of Canada, the country's biggest bank, has already raised rates on fixed-term mortgages ahead of the central bank announcement. Mortgage rates are typically based on 5-year bonds.That is an important signal to Canadian households that their situation may be about to change, said Frances Donald, senior economist at Manulife Asset Management."It also, critically, implies that the economy is already going to feel higher interest rates, even if the Bank of Canada holds (on) Wednesday," Donald said.While a 50-basis point increase would still leave rates at a relatively low 1 percent, it could be enough to prolong the recent cooling in the Vancouver and Toronto housing markets. It could also slow demand in cities that have not seen the same rapid price increases and are therefore more interest rate sensitive, such as Ottawa and Montreal."On the lower end of the market, entry level product may be impacted a little bit more because they're a bit more sensitive to those rate hikes," said Adil Dinani, Royal LePage realtor in Vancouver.The biggest question of all remains whether the Bank of Canada plans to stop after two rate hikes, thereby removing the stimulus it added in 2015, or whether it is embarking on a longer tightening cycle."If this is the beginning of a tightening cycle that will persist for several years, that will have a pronounced impact on homebuyers, business investors and general households," said Donald.But for those who were able to get ahead of the curve and pay down debts, the potential higher interest rates will be more bearable.Over four years ago, Charis Sweet-Speiss found herself laden with C$67,000 in debt across 13 credit cards as she struggled to meet mortgage payments on her British Columbia's Okanagan Valley house despite the low rates.Now, Sweet-Speiss, who is on a repayment plan, plans to finish paying the last of her credit card debt in August, and hopes to have her house, and the line of credit she borrowed against it, paid off in three years so she can retire."The rates now, I've heard they're going up, and I am so grateful I'm not in that situation any more."($1 = $1.2877 Canadian)(Additional reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto; Editing by Denny Thomas and Diane Craft)
Interview-Italy needs time to recover from decline, says former leader By Eric Maurice-JULY 10,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:46-Italy "needs time" to recover from its "decline" amid an "unpredictable" domestic political situation, said former prime minister Massimo D'Alema."It's difficult for Italy to come back to the 90s," when the country was "influential" and "unexpectedly" joined the euro, he told EUobserver in a recent interview."The former centre-left represented the most respected kind of [Italian] leadership in the last 30 years," he said, citing former prime ministers Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Romano Prodi. D'Alema himself was the head of government from 1998 until 2000.He said that with the election of conservative politician Silvio Berlusconi, Italy entered an "economic, social and cultural decline," which it still has to exit.D'Alema, a member of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said that his party leader, Matteo Renzi, who resigned as prime minister in December, is also responsible for the current situation."Italy is the last to benefit from the EU recovery," he noted, pointing to the country's high unemployment, especially for young people. Youth unemployment is now around 38 percent, following a peak level of 42 percent in 2014."Renzi's story started with great success and expectations," D'Alema said, referring to Renzi's rise to power in February 2014. But "progressively, the PD has been losing ground, losing power, losing the confidence of citizens."If we take stock of the so-called Renzi reforms, the final outcome is not so brilliant," he said.In addition to the failed constitutional reform, which led to Renzi's resignation after it was rejected in a referendum, he said that Renzi's school reforms where "not accepted" and that the so-called job acts created inequalities between young and older workers.Now, ahead of a general election that could take place in February next year, the former Italian leader said that the political situation is "fragile" and public opinion is "uncertain".In June, local elections were marked by a low turnout and good results for right-wing parties at the expense of the PD and the populist Five Star Movement (M5S).Despite its good performance, "the right is recovering, but is still divided" between the far-right Northern League and Berlusconi's Forza Italia," D'Alema noted.The M5S, led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, performed badly in the local vote because of some scandals involving its mayors, like in Rome. But it is still first or second in opinion polls."Its better to be careful. Grillo's movement is not finished," D'Alema said.'M5S is unable to deliver'-"They are very strong in collecting discontent, but they seem to be unable to deliver," he said, warning that M5S is "unable to run the country, which is a big problem for Italy."He said that their programme is "partially unrealistic"."It's a mix of issues and ideas close to the left, and other close to the right. It's very difficult to classify," he said. "It is very ambiguous and contradictory."Grillo's party, which runs on an anti-establishment platform, has suggested holding a referendum on Italy's membership of the euro, but has taken no clear position on the issue."It is a political move. They hope to have the support of the Northern League," D'Alema said."The League's support could be a decisive support for M5S in order to run the country," he added. "Alone they can't [govern], but with the Northern League, they could.""It's a possibility – it would be a disaster," he said.D'Alema, a former member of Italy's Communist Party before it became the Democratic Party, is in the left-wing of the PD, whereas Renzi represents a more centrist trend.On 1 July, D'Alema participated in a meeting in Rome organised by Milan's former mayor, Giuliano Pisapia, to launch a new movement in the left of the PD."We are working to build a new political force on the left of the party," he said. "There is probably a space to be a strong enough political party."He said that despite Renzi being re-elected party leader in May, there is a "still strong and very active" opposition within the party.'More free to give my contribution'-Until the end of June, D'Alema was the president of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), an association of think-tanks and foundations linked to social-democratic parties in Europe.He was beaten by Portuguese MEP Maria Joao Rodrigues in a FEPS internal election, which he told EUobserver was "brutal and arrogant".He said it was "in the style of a political leader" – a clear reference to Renzi, who he said put pressure on the FEPS to put him aside.But now, he added: "[I am] more free to give my contribution, my experience, my work" to the new anti-Renzi movement."If they think that my contribution is needed, I am ready to give it," he said, suggesting he would try to run in the next elections.
Column / Brexit Briefing-May's call to compromise helps mask party disunity-By Benjamin Fox-JULY 10,17-EUOBSERVER
London, Today, 18:18-One of the messages Britons sent on 8 June was that they didn’t want to give Theresa May a blank cheque on Brexit.A survey published by Survation shortly after the election found that 55% believed that a coalition of all political parties would be best placed to negotiate Brexit. Only 32 percent wanted the Conservative party to go it alone.That message appears to have been heard. In a speech on Tuesday (11 July), May is expected to urge Labour and other opposition parties to “come forward with your own views and ideas” on what post-Brexit Britain should look like.“No political party has the complete monopoly of wisdom,” May’s de facto deputy prime minister, Damian Green, said on Monday.May’s unprecedented "call for consensus" comes in the week that the government publishes its repeal bill on Thursday, the first part in the process of reversing the 1972 European Communities Act that took Britain into the bloc.This will be the start of a hugely complicated process of Brexit negotiation in Westminster. The repeal bill will transpose all EU law into a single consolidated UK law. Brexiteers had hoped that the bill would allow them to scrap swathes of EU law. Shorn of a Conservative majority, that looks unlikely. The government will have to compromise.The first concession is likely to be over the status of Britain’s membership of the Euratom treaty, the little-known agreement on nuclear power.According to the May government’s position that the UK cannot remain subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice, Brexit also means leaving Euratom, the regulator which covers the transportation of nuclear materials around Europe.However, nine Conservative MPs are prepared to defy this government position, enough to deprive May of her majority. They also have allies from an unlikely source. ‘Those in government wanting to leave Euratom are morons,’ offered Vote Leave’s campaign director, Dominic Cummings.A cross-party group on EU relations led by two arch-Remainers: Labour’s Chuka Umunna, often touted as a possible party leader, and Conservative former minister Anna Soubry will also be launched this week.“We won’t accept MPs being treated as spectators in the Brexit process, when we should be on the pitch as active players representing our constituents,” said Umunna. He will hope to use the group to keep alive the flame of single market membership.But the room for manoeuvre is limited for the moment. A la carte is only available to politicians who accept the line of both the Conservatives and Labour: that leaving the EU and the single market must be part of the menu.Unity on these points allows both parties to paper over their internal divisions on Brexit. Ministers who, deep-down, support single market membership are still taking to the airwaves to propose a lengthy post-Article 50 transition period.Labour, meanwhile, is also sticking to its pre-election stance. Jeremy Corbyn sacked three shadow ministers who were among 49 Labour MPs to vote in favour of an amendment demanding continued single market membership two weeks ago.The dilemma for Corbyn, who is instinctively Eurosceptic, is that the surge in support for Labour on June 8 was, in large part, based on an unprecedented turnout by Remain supporting under 25s. University towns and constituencies which voted ‘Remain’ in 2016 produced large swings to Labour in June.At the same time, Labour’s heartlands in the north of England were promised an end to freedom of movement, which means leaving the single market.If the anti-Brexit coalition cannot yet explicitly challenge the referendum result, they can play the long game. The weakness of the May government and volatility of voters means that no option can be ruled out.Vince Cable, who will become the next leader of Liberal Democrats, hinted at this on Sunday when he opined that he was “beginning to think Brexit may never happen". A future election in the next two years could yet provide a mandate for that.Given how entrenched the political fault-lines are across Britain – on a range of social and economic issues besides Brexit – seeking some kind of cross-party coalition is a sensible act of self-preservation by Theresa May. For the Conservatives, regardless of whether they decide to replace May in the coming weeks, compromise is the only way of avoiding another election which they would probably lose.But only a mortally wounded politician asks for support from their opponents. May’s offer is yet another reminder of how spectacularly her election gamble backfired.Benjamin Fox, a former reporter for EUobserver, is a freelance writer.
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)
Iraqi declares 'total victory' over Islamic State in Mosul-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
MOSUL, Iraq — Iraq on Monday declared "total victory" over the Islamic State group in Mosul, retaking full control of the country's second-largest city three years after it was seized by extremists bent on building a global caliphate."This great feast day crowned the victories of the fighters and the Iraqis for the past three years," said Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, flanked by his senior military leadership at a small base on the edge of the Old City, where the final battles for Mosul unfolded.Al-Abadi alluded to the brutality of the battle for Mosul — Iraq's longest yet in the fight against IS — saying the triumph had been achieved "by the blood of our martyrs."While Mosul fell to IS in a matter of days in 2014, the campaign to retake the city lasted nearly nine months. The fight, closely backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition, brought an end to the extremists' so-called territorial caliphate, but has also left thousands dead, entire neighbourhoods in ruins and nearly 900,000 displaced from their homes.Shortly after al-Abadi's speech, the coalition congratulated him on the victory but noted that parts of the Old City still "must be back-cleared of explosive devices and possible ISIS fighters in hiding." ISIS, ISIL and Daesh are alternative acronyms for the Islamic State group."The victory in Mosul, a city where ISIS once proclaimed its so-called 'caliphate,' signals that its days in Iraq and Syria are numbered," President Donald Trump said in a statement.Earlier in the day, airstrikes pounded the last IS-held territory on the western edge of the Tigris, Humvees rushed wounded to field hospitals and soldiers hurriedly filled bags with hand grenades to ferry to the front.Iraqi troops had slowly pushed through the narrow alleys of the Old City during the past week, punching holes through walls and demolishing houses to carve supply routes and fighting positions in a district where many of the buildings date back centuries.For days, the remaining few hundred militants held an area measuring less than a square kilometre (less than half a square mile), and Iraqi commanders described victory as imminent.Al-Abadi also visited Mosul on Sunday, congratulating the troops on recent gains but stopping short of declaring an outright victory as clashes continued.The drawn-out endgame in Iraq's fight for Mosul highlighted the resilience of the extremists and the continued reliance of Iraqi forces on air support to retake territory.Iraqi commanders said gains slowed to a crawl in recent days as IS fighters used their families — including women and children — as human shields. As the battle space constricted, the coalition began approving airstrikes dropping bombs of 200 pounds or more on IS targets within 50 metres (yards) of friendly forces.Plumes of smoke Monday grew larger than the strip of territory under IS control."This used to be a beautiful city, tourists used to come here," said Iraqi army Capt. Marwan Hadi based inside the Old City. The last days of the fight for Mosul were the fiercest, he said."All along the front line, there are so many families under the rubble," he said. "I saved two children and their mother, but one daughter, we couldn't reach her."Reports of civilian casualties spiked as Iraqi forces punched into Mosul's western half in February. Residents fleeing the fighting reported that entire families sheltering in the basements of their homes were killed by airstrikes targeting small teams of IS fighters.Thousands of civilians were estimated to have been killed in the fight for Mosul, according to Nineveh's provincial council. A toll that does not include those still believed buried under collapsed buildings.Also Monday, the United Nations said there was no end in sight to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq despite the conclusion of the fighting. Of the more than 897,000 people displaced from Mosul, the U.N. said thousands of residents will probably not be able to return to the city because of "extensive damage caused during the conflict."The infrastructure in western Mosul, where the fighting was fiercest, has been decimated. Iraq's civil defence rescue teams — a branch of the Interior Ministry — said about 65 per cent of the buildings in the Old City were severely damaged or destroyed. In other western neighbourhoods , destruction was estimated to be higher: some 70 per cent of all houses, buildings and infrastructure."Daesh, when they came to Iraq, their goal was to destroy everything," said Hisham Hatem, an officer with the federal police stationed at Mosul's main hospital complex, a series of buildings that was shredded by weeks of artillery and airstrikes. Hatem said IS used tactics to draw out the fight for Mosul to ensure little of the city would be left after the group's defeat.Regardless of the victory's heavy toll, a number of celebrations broke out across Mosul's east and west as victory appeared imminent.Iraq's special forces held a flag-raising ceremony on the Tigris river bank and Iraqi army soldiers danced and sang to patriotic music Sunday.Muhammad Abdul Abbas, a 20-year-old solider sat on the sidelines of the revelry. He said he was happy the fight was over, but explained that his unit, like many others, suffered significant losses. Over the past nine months, 15 of his close friends were killed fighting for Mosul, he said.Iraq's special forces, who largely led many of the assaults in Mosul, faced casualty rates of 40 per cent , according to a report in May from the office of the U.S. secretary of defence ."Honestly, all this death and all this destruction — I don't believe it was worth it," Abbas said.___Associated Press writer Salar Salim in Mosul contributed to this report.Susannah George, The Associated Press.
Al Qaeda supporter pleads guilty to seeking Ohio judge's murder-[Reuters]-By Chris Kenning-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
(Reuters) - An Indian citizen pleaded guilty in a U.S. court on Monday to conspiring to aid an al Qaeda leader in Yemen and attempting to pay an undercover FBI agent $15,000 to murder a U.S. federal judge, authorities said.Yahya Farooq Mohammad, 39, who studied engineering at Ohio State University from 2002 to 2004 and married a U.S. citizen in 2008, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Toledo to one count of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists and one count of solicitation to commit a crime of violence, the Department of Justice said in a statement.Mohammad is expected to be sentenced to 27-1/2 years in prison and then deported under the terms of his plea agreement, according to the department.Mohammad and three co-defendants were charged in 2015 with conspiring to funnel money to Anwar al Awlaki and a Yemen-based affiliate of al Qaeda to support of attacks on U.S. forces.Awlaki, a cleric, was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011. U.S. intelligence had identified him as the head of external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an offshoot of the militant group.In July 2009, Mohammad traveled with others to Yemen to deliver $22,000 that they had raised to Awlaki, according to prosecutors. The case against three other defendants is pending, and they have pleaded not guilty.While awaiting trial in April 2016, Mohammad admitted soliciting an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman to kidnap and murder U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, who was assigned to his terrorism case. He was introduced to an undercover agent by another prisoner at the Lucas County Corrections Center in Toledo, and he told the agent he would pay him $15,000 for the job.He provided $1,000 as a down payment though a family member and said the rest of the money was coming, according to court documents.(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Fighting persists east of Libya capital, residents displaced: town official-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Clashes between rival Libyan factions east of Tripoli extended into a second day on Monday, keeping the coastal road shut and preventing residents from returning to their homes, a local town council spokesman said.The fighting began on Sunday when armed groups opposed to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli tried to approach the capital and met resistance from rival groups that have aligned themselves with the government.It is the latest in a series of attacks by armed opponents of the Government of National Accord (GNA), which have continued despite the GNA's attempts to win the cooperation of militias operating in the city and to calm bouts of violence inside or close to the capital."At the moment we can hear heavy gunfire," said Al-Shareef Jaballah, a spokesman for the municipality of Garabulli, about 50 km (30 miles) from Tripoli, speaking to Reuters by telephone shortly after midday."The clashes have resulted in severe damage to houses and shops because of indiscriminate shelling, and forced a large number of residents ... to flee," he said."The coastal road is still closed. The residents who have fled their homes are trapped because of the closure of the road."The health ministry later confirmed that at least four people including two foreign workers had been killed and 21 wounded over two days of fighting.The GNA has struggled to impose its authority since arriving in Tripoli in March last year. It has been rejected by factions that control eastern Libya, where military commander Khalifa Haftar has been consolidating his position and installing military-appointed mayors.As temperatures have climbed this month, parts of western Libya have once again been suffering from power and water cuts that residents have criticised the GNA for failing to resolve.(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Gareth Jones and James Dalgleish)
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
'Thank you for giving back:' Help pours in for evacuees, firefighters in B.C.-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Help from other provinces and the federal government has begun to pour in for firefighters and thousands of evacuees grappling with more than 200 intense wildfires raging across British Columbia.About 300 firefighters and support staff from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and New Brunswick started to arrive Monday to help relieve the pressure on roughly 1,000 B.C. crew members battling the blazes.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with Premier Christy Clark as well as premier-designate John Horgan on Sunday night and the Canadian Armed Forces have sent aircraft and personnel to support the emergency response.Residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., who had to flee a massive wildfire last year, have also sprung into action by collecting donations of supplies, driving them to B.C. and offering support and advice on social media.Christopher Seguin, vice-president of advancement at Thompson Rivers University, said terrified evacuees arrived at a Kamloops reception centre with nothing, having "lost everything and having lost it quickly."He said four tonnes of supplies arrived from Fort McMurray including wrapped and sealed water, Gatorade and baby supplies. Volunteers were making sure the Kamloops food bank receives and distributes them.Seguin expressed his gratitude to the residents of Fort McMurray."Thank you. Thank you for giving back and thank you for going to an extraordinary effort to making sure we get exactly what we need at exactly the right time," he said.Provincial authorities said Monday that more than 215 fires were burning, with 29 breaking out on Sunday. The fire has scorched about 400 square kilometres of land and more than 14,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.The entire District of 100 Mile House, a community of roughly 1,800 people, was ordered evacuated Sunday night.Al Richmond, chairman of the Cariboo Regional District, said the last evacuees from 100 Mile House left around 2 a.m. Monday on a bus to Prince George to receive emergency assistance. Others headed to the Lower Mainland, he said.Some nearby communities were under evacuation alert and residents were told to prepare to leave at a moment's notice.Bob Turner of Emergency Management BC said there were no accidents or injuries as people rushed to flee 100 Mile House. He praised the "nimble and flexible" response and ongoing co-operation between the province, Ottawa and First Nations."Generally, we're still looking at a deteriorating situation," he added. "We are looking at many weeks to come of a very challenging environment and public safety will remain the overriding priority of government."Turner said the agency has been in regular contact with its counterpart in Alberta and has also closely studied reports that were written after the Fort McMurray fire to make sure B.C. is applying lessons that were learned.Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said B.C. requested 3,000 cots and 3,000 blankets from federal stockpiles and they have been delivered to Prince George.The province also asked for air support from the Canadian Armed Forces, which will be used for emergency evacuations and to move firefighters, emergency officials and equipment around the fire zone."It's a relatively small number at this moment but we are in very early days here," Goodale said in Regina.BC Hydro said the fires have caused significant damage to electrical infrastructure in the Interior and have left thousands without power. The utility was actively working Monday to restore electricity.Nearly 70 public parks were closed and campfires were banned provincewide, apart from Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island.The largest blaze, covering more than 60 square kilometres, was burning near Ashcroft, an Interior community about 90 kilometres from Kamloops.Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta has said the fire between Ashcroft and Cache Creek destroyed dozens of buildings, including at least five houses, 30 trailer park homes and two hangars at a regional airport.Kevin Skrepnek, chief information officer for the BC Wildfire Service, said structures had definitely been lost in multiple fires across the province, but the assessment of how many was still underway.Gusty winds and hot, dry conditions are expected to continue for days, said Skrepnek. Some lightning was anticipated, bringing rain but also the potential to ignite new fires."Unfortunately, in terms of the weather forecast, we're not really seeing any reprieve in the immediate future," he said.— By Laura Kane and Elizabeth Leighton in Vancouver, with files from Jennifer Graham in Regina.The Canadian Press.Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said firefighters and support staff were also coming from Nova Scotia.
Thousands flee wildfires burning in the US and Canada-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 9, 2017
OROVILLE, Calif. — Wildfires barrelled across the baking landscape of the western U.S. and Canada, destroying a smattering of homes, forcing thousands to flee and temporarily trapping children and counsellors at a California campground.Here's a look at the wildfires blackening the West.CALIFORNIA-Two major wildfires in California have sent nearly 8,000 people fleeing to safety.About 4,000 people evacuated and another 7,400 were told to prepare to leave their homes as fire swept through grassy foothills in the Sierra Nevada, about 60 miles north of Sacramento, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Sunday.The fire burned nearly 8 square miles (20 sq. kilometres ), destroyed at least 10 structures and damaged critical infrastructure, leading Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency to provide assistance to local authorities.Fire spokeswoman Mary Ann Aldrich said additional homes were destroyed overnight. An inspection team is trying to determine the extent of the damage.The area burning was about 10 miles (16 kilometres ) south of Oroville, where spillways in the nation's tallest dam began crumbling from heavy rains this winter and led to temporary evacuation orders for 200,000 residents downstream.In Southern California, at least 3,500 people evacuated as two fires exploded in size at separate ends of Santa Barbara County and a third one threatened homes near a town in San Luis Obispo County.One of the fires grew to 12 square miles (31 square kilometres ), traversing a mountain range and heading south toward coastal Goleta.There was minimal containment and flames shut down State Route 154, which is expected to remain closed for days. At least 20 structures burned, but officials didn't say if they were homes.Sarah Gustafson, who moved from Washington to California seven months ago, was out running errands when she saw the pillar of smoke rising near her home. She rushed to retrieve her six cats and then spent the night at a Red Cross shelter."It was terrifying," she told the Los Angeles Times. "The sky was orange and black, you could see flames up on the ridge."About 90 children and 50 counsellors were stuck Saturday at the Circle V Ranch and had to take shelter until they could be safely evacuated. Buildings have burned but officials weren't yet sure if they were homes.Crews were also using an air attack against another blaze about 50 miles north that exploded in size to 37.5 square miles (97 square kilometres ). About 200 rural homes east of Santa Maria were evacuated after the fire broke out Saturday and was fed by dry gusts.Some of the firefighters working to contain that blaze were sent to nearby San Luis Obispo county when a fire broke out Sunday and threatened numerous structures near the town of Santa Margarita. Officials said the fire burned at least 200 acres.-ELSEWHERE IN THE WEST-Firefighters have been able to build containment lines around about half the wildfire that forced the evacuation of hundreds of people near Breckenridge, Colorado. The fire has not spread since it broke out Wednesday and was still less than a square mile (about one-third square kilometre ) Sunday.In rural Arizona, fire officials say three homes were among 10 buildings that were burned. The wildfire there has led to the evacuation of the entire town of Dudleyville, about 100 miles (160 kilometres ) southeast of Phoenix.A wildfire burning in near Summer Lake in south-central Oregon has destroyed a hunting cabin and an outbuilding.And in Nevada, fire officials have ordered evacuations for a wildfire that is near the same area where another blaze has already burned for days.-BRITISH COLUMBIA-Firefighters were contending with more than 200 wildfires burning in British Columbia that had destroyed dozens of buildings, including several homes and two airport hangars. The three biggest fires, which ranged in size from 5 to 8 square miles (14 to 20 square kilometres ), had forced thousands of people to flee."We are just, in many ways, at the beginning of the worst part of the fire season and we watch the weather, we watch the wind, and we pray for rain," outgoing Premier Christy Clark told reporters in Kamloops.Rob Schweizer, manager of the Kamloops Fire Centre, said it had been an unprecedented 24 hours."We probably haven't seen this sort of activity that involves so many residences and people in the history of the province of B.C.," he said.The Associated Press.
Western Canada wildfires may spread with more hot, dry weather-[Reuters]-By Dennis Owen-YAHOONEWS-July 9, 2017
KAMLOOPS, British Columbia (Reuters) - As Western Canada's British Columbia battled 220 wildfires scattered across the province on Sunday, officials warned that they expect greater devastation with forecasts of more hot, dry weather over the coming week."Looking at the medley of forecasts out there, it's certainly not optimistic," British Columbia's chief fire spokesman Kevin Skrepnek said at a press briefing. "We are going to be at the mercy of the weather."The blazes took off on Friday when 138 fires started as electrical storms and brisk winds passed through the interior of the bone-dry province, which has not seen significant rains for weeks.British Columbia declared its first state of emergency since 2003, evacuated an estimated 7,000 residents from the path of the wildfires and deployed some 1,600 personnel to respond to the fires.Some 24,000 hectares (59,305 acres) were ravaged by wildfires as of midday Sunday, according to official tallies. Skrepnek said he believed the extent of the devastation was significantly higher."We pray for rain, but our prayers aren't always answered,” British Columbia Premier Christy Clark said while touring regional evacuation facilities in Kamloops, a town some 250 kilometers (155 miles) northeast of Vancouver.She announced a C$100 million ($78 million) fund for victims that the Canadian Red Cross will administer.It is modeled after one set up after last year's Fort McMurray fire in the neighboring province of Alberta, one the worst natural disasters in Canadian history. It provides stipends of C$600 to help victims displaced by the fires as well as money to help rebuild after the blaze is extinguished, Clark said.Other assistance poured in from across Canada.Canada's military agreed to supply airplanes and helicopters. Other jurisdictions agreed to send some 260 personnel to help.Survivors of the May 2016 Fort McMurray blaze, which displaced 88,000 people and burned 590,000 hectares, organized a drive to send water, fuel and other supplies to British Columbia."We've been through it. We know what it's like," Marty Frost, a former Fort McMurray firefighter, told broadcaster CBC News Network.(Reporting by Dennis Owen in Kamloops, British Columbia; Writing by Jim Finkle in Toronto; Editing by Mary Milliken)
Power restored to thousands in Los Angeles after fire-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-JULY 9, 2017
(Reuters) - Power was restored to tens of thousands of residents in Los Angeles on Sunday after a fire damaged an electricity receiving station during a heat wave the previous day, authorities said.The fire broke out on Saturday at Receiving Station J, in the North San Fernando Valley, during a second straight day with temperatures that exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).At the height of the outage, 140,000 customers were without power, but service was eventually restored to all affected customers by Sunday morning after crews worked overnight at the electrical facility, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power said in a statement.The fire damaged conductors, circuit breakers and transformers at the electrical facility, according to the LADWP, which provides power to 1.6 million customers in the city of Los Angeles.Although power was restored, crews continued to work repairing the damage on Sunday, LADWP said.(Reporting by Chris Michaud and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Robert Birsel and Chris Reese)
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)
In Spain, 1,000-year-old court settles water disputes-lvaro VILLALOBOS-Agence France-Presse-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
Valencia (Spain) (AFP) - Eight men in black robes, sitting in a circle on chairs in the street outside a cathedral look on, stony-faced, as a bailiff calls the accused. They form the Water Court of Valencia, a millennial institution in Spain.In just a few minutes and without any paperwork, this tribunal settles irrigation conflicts that erupt in the fertile plain that surrounds Valencia, Spain's third largest city, a Mediterranean region of orchards.UN cultural body UNESCO has included the court -- which bills itself as "the oldest institution of justice in existence in Europe" -- on its list celebrating the world's "intangible cultural heritage" which deserves protection.The tribunal's existence dates back at least to the 10th century when this region was ruled by Muslims and the Gothic cathedral where the tribunal meets today was a mosque.It deals with cases of stolen water, a precious resource in drought-prone Spain, or disagreements over the interpretation of rules managing the irrigation system.Disputes can happen at any time of the year but they are more frequent during droughts when special rules governing irrigation are imposed and "supervision is enforced to control the availability of water," said historian Daniel Sala, an expert on the Water Court.- 'No choice' -One recent case was brought forward by Vicent Marti, who has operated an ecological farm for over 30 years.He turned to the tribunal after noticing that the water arriving at his farm was polluted with traces of cement and paint thrown into the irrigation system by workers renovating a neighbour's house.After hearing both sides, and a brief debate among the tribunal members, the president of the court announced that Marti's neighbour was at fault.Following tradition, he indicated his acceptance of the ruling by saying "correct" and was later fined 2,000 euros ($2,285)."I felt bad reporting it because we are neighbours, but I did not have much choice," Marti told AFP.His farm produces ecological produce, which is subject to strict quality controls, and the "survival" of his business was at stake, he added.- Every Thursday -The court in its current form is made up of eight members, all of them men, who are elected by the roughly 10,000 farmers who use the irrigation system set up in the plains around Valencia.Each member of the tribunal represents one of Valencia's eight communities of irrigators, known as "acequias", which grow vegetables and tubers, such as tiger nuts that are pounded to make horchata, a popular Spanish drink.The court meets every Thursday at noon outside the Door of the Apostles of Valencia's cathedral, which houses a gold chalice said to be the one used by Jesus at the Last Supper.Its members wear a black robe similar to those used by judges but that only goes down to their waists.The proceedings, which are watched by a crowd of locals and tourists, are carried out in Valencian, the local language.All decisions are final and cannot be appealed. The tribunal's rulings "have been respected by dictators, presidents, kings, everybody," said Sala.- 'Preventing a fossilised institution' -Two factors are threatening farming on the plains of Valencia -- and by extension the survival of the tribunal: the reduction in the amount of land that is farmed due to urbanisation and the ageing of the population.Enrique Navarro, a 44-year-old farmer, criticises the fact that the majority of tribunal members are over the age of 60.He says a "generational renewal" is needed so that the court "does not end up becoming a fossilised institution."Of the hundreds of water disputes that arise each year, just 20-25 actually reach the tribunal. On some Thursdays no one appears at the door of the cathedral with a case.The crowds, which turn out to watch the proceedings held in the historic centre of Valencia, also dissuade many farmers from bringing forward a case."For a labourer it is almost an offence to come here," said Jose Antonio Monzo, who enforces irrigation rules at a community of irrigators called Quart.Enrique Aguilar, the vice president of the tribunal, said that 90 percent of all disputes are solved through mediation, sometimes just a few minutes before the tribunal's weekly session."We try to make it so nobody makes it here," he said, in front of the cathedral door where the tribunal meets.And sometimes just the prospect of being brought before the tribunal can be enough to settle a dispute."Out in the fields, the accused is proud, claims he is not at fault. But when he presents himself here, he asks for mediation," added Manuel Ruiz, the president of the tribunal.
Canadians brace for higher interest rates after years of cheap debt-[Reuters]-By Leah Schnurr-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
OTTAWA (Reuters) - After years of debt-happy Canadians being warned that borrowing costs would have to rise eventually, they may be about to face a reckoning if the Bank of Canada hikes interest rates next week, as many expect.Canada's likely "lift off" on Wednesday - which would bring the country's first interest rate increase in nearly seven years - comes at a time when the economy still faces a number of headwinds, including weak inflation and the expected renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).But with the economy and labor markets growing, the Bank of Canada began laying the groundwork for hikes with a sharp shift in tone last month. Markets are pricing in more than 90 percent odds of a quarter-percentage point increase on July 12, while a second hike is expected by the end of the year.Economists in a Reuters poll were more divided on whether the bank would move next week, with the median forecast pointing to a hike in the fourth quarter. [CA/POLL]Cindy Fuailefau is six months into a debt repayment plan after she accumulated more than C$41,000 ($31,847) in debt and was unable to keep up the payments after her husband stopped working due to a back injury."That was all just trying to live, not vacations or anything," the 56-year-old said.Canadians as a whole owe C$1.67 for every dollar of income, a near record high. TransUnion said in a report last year that more than 700,000 consumers would struggle with even a quarter-point hike in interest rates.Where the average person seeking help 20 years ago owed about C$12,000, now it is not uncommon to see people with C$100,000 in unsecured debt, said Scott Hannah, president of the Credit Counseling Society."We've just become very comfortable over the past decade carrying debt," Hannah said. "No one is paying attention because ... rates have remained low."ALREADY FEELING THE PAIN-Canadians may already be feeling a squeeze.Canada's 5-year yield has soared more than 50 basis points to 1.47 percent since hawkish comments from top Bank of Canada officials last month. Royal Bank of Canada, the country's biggest bank, has already raised rates on fixed-term mortgages ahead of the central bank announcement. Mortgage rates are typically based on 5-year bonds.That is an important signal to Canadian households that their situation may be about to change, said Frances Donald, senior economist at Manulife Asset Management."It also, critically, implies that the economy is already going to feel higher interest rates, even if the Bank of Canada holds (on) Wednesday," Donald said.While a 50-basis point increase would still leave rates at a relatively low 1 percent, it could be enough to prolong the recent cooling in the Vancouver and Toronto housing markets. It could also slow demand in cities that have not seen the same rapid price increases and are therefore more interest rate sensitive, such as Ottawa and Montreal."On the lower end of the market, entry level product may be impacted a little bit more because they're a bit more sensitive to those rate hikes," said Adil Dinani, Royal LePage realtor in Vancouver.The biggest question of all remains whether the Bank of Canada plans to stop after two rate hikes, thereby removing the stimulus it added in 2015, or whether it is embarking on a longer tightening cycle."If this is the beginning of a tightening cycle that will persist for several years, that will have a pronounced impact on homebuyers, business investors and general households," said Donald.But for those who were able to get ahead of the curve and pay down debts, the potential higher interest rates will be more bearable.Over four years ago, Charis Sweet-Speiss found herself laden with C$67,000 in debt across 13 credit cards as she struggled to meet mortgage payments on her British Columbia's Okanagan Valley house despite the low rates.Now, Sweet-Speiss, who is on a repayment plan, plans to finish paying the last of her credit card debt in August, and hopes to have her house, and the line of credit she borrowed against it, paid off in three years so she can retire."The rates now, I've heard they're going up, and I am so grateful I'm not in that situation any more."($1 = $1.2877 Canadian)(Additional reporting by Fergal Smith in Toronto; Editing by Denny Thomas and Diane Craft)
Interview-Italy needs time to recover from decline, says former leader By Eric Maurice-JULY 10,17-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 17:46-Italy "needs time" to recover from its "decline" amid an "unpredictable" domestic political situation, said former prime minister Massimo D'Alema."It's difficult for Italy to come back to the 90s," when the country was "influential" and "unexpectedly" joined the euro, he told EUobserver in a recent interview."The former centre-left represented the most respected kind of [Italian] leadership in the last 30 years," he said, citing former prime ministers Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Romano Prodi. D'Alema himself was the head of government from 1998 until 2000.He said that with the election of conservative politician Silvio Berlusconi, Italy entered an "economic, social and cultural decline," which it still has to exit.D'Alema, a member of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said that his party leader, Matteo Renzi, who resigned as prime minister in December, is also responsible for the current situation."Italy is the last to benefit from the EU recovery," he noted, pointing to the country's high unemployment, especially for young people. Youth unemployment is now around 38 percent, following a peak level of 42 percent in 2014."Renzi's story started with great success and expectations," D'Alema said, referring to Renzi's rise to power in February 2014. But "progressively, the PD has been losing ground, losing power, losing the confidence of citizens."If we take stock of the so-called Renzi reforms, the final outcome is not so brilliant," he said.In addition to the failed constitutional reform, which led to Renzi's resignation after it was rejected in a referendum, he said that Renzi's school reforms where "not accepted" and that the so-called job acts created inequalities between young and older workers.Now, ahead of a general election that could take place in February next year, the former Italian leader said that the political situation is "fragile" and public opinion is "uncertain".In June, local elections were marked by a low turnout and good results for right-wing parties at the expense of the PD and the populist Five Star Movement (M5S).Despite its good performance, "the right is recovering, but is still divided" between the far-right Northern League and Berlusconi's Forza Italia," D'Alema noted.The M5S, led by former comedian Beppe Grillo, performed badly in the local vote because of some scandals involving its mayors, like in Rome. But it is still first or second in opinion polls."Its better to be careful. Grillo's movement is not finished," D'Alema said.'M5S is unable to deliver'-"They are very strong in collecting discontent, but they seem to be unable to deliver," he said, warning that M5S is "unable to run the country, which is a big problem for Italy."He said that their programme is "partially unrealistic"."It's a mix of issues and ideas close to the left, and other close to the right. It's very difficult to classify," he said. "It is very ambiguous and contradictory."Grillo's party, which runs on an anti-establishment platform, has suggested holding a referendum on Italy's membership of the euro, but has taken no clear position on the issue."It is a political move. They hope to have the support of the Northern League," D'Alema said."The League's support could be a decisive support for M5S in order to run the country," he added. "Alone they can't [govern], but with the Northern League, they could.""It's a possibility – it would be a disaster," he said.D'Alema, a former member of Italy's Communist Party before it became the Democratic Party, is in the left-wing of the PD, whereas Renzi represents a more centrist trend.On 1 July, D'Alema participated in a meeting in Rome organised by Milan's former mayor, Giuliano Pisapia, to launch a new movement in the left of the PD."We are working to build a new political force on the left of the party," he said. "There is probably a space to be a strong enough political party."He said that despite Renzi being re-elected party leader in May, there is a "still strong and very active" opposition within the party.'More free to give my contribution'-Until the end of June, D'Alema was the president of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), an association of think-tanks and foundations linked to social-democratic parties in Europe.He was beaten by Portuguese MEP Maria Joao Rodrigues in a FEPS internal election, which he told EUobserver was "brutal and arrogant".He said it was "in the style of a political leader" – a clear reference to Renzi, who he said put pressure on the FEPS to put him aside.But now, he added: "[I am] more free to give my contribution, my experience, my work" to the new anti-Renzi movement."If they think that my contribution is needed, I am ready to give it," he said, suggesting he would try to run in the next elections.
Column / Brexit Briefing-May's call to compromise helps mask party disunity-By Benjamin Fox-JULY 10,17-EUOBSERVER
London, Today, 18:18-One of the messages Britons sent on 8 June was that they didn’t want to give Theresa May a blank cheque on Brexit.A survey published by Survation shortly after the election found that 55% believed that a coalition of all political parties would be best placed to negotiate Brexit. Only 32 percent wanted the Conservative party to go it alone.That message appears to have been heard. In a speech on Tuesday (11 July), May is expected to urge Labour and other opposition parties to “come forward with your own views and ideas” on what post-Brexit Britain should look like.“No political party has the complete monopoly of wisdom,” May’s de facto deputy prime minister, Damian Green, said on Monday.May’s unprecedented "call for consensus" comes in the week that the government publishes its repeal bill on Thursday, the first part in the process of reversing the 1972 European Communities Act that took Britain into the bloc.This will be the start of a hugely complicated process of Brexit negotiation in Westminster. The repeal bill will transpose all EU law into a single consolidated UK law. Brexiteers had hoped that the bill would allow them to scrap swathes of EU law. Shorn of a Conservative majority, that looks unlikely. The government will have to compromise.The first concession is likely to be over the status of Britain’s membership of the Euratom treaty, the little-known agreement on nuclear power.According to the May government’s position that the UK cannot remain subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice, Brexit also means leaving Euratom, the regulator which covers the transportation of nuclear materials around Europe.However, nine Conservative MPs are prepared to defy this government position, enough to deprive May of her majority. They also have allies from an unlikely source. ‘Those in government wanting to leave Euratom are morons,’ offered Vote Leave’s campaign director, Dominic Cummings.A cross-party group on EU relations led by two arch-Remainers: Labour’s Chuka Umunna, often touted as a possible party leader, and Conservative former minister Anna Soubry will also be launched this week.“We won’t accept MPs being treated as spectators in the Brexit process, when we should be on the pitch as active players representing our constituents,” said Umunna. He will hope to use the group to keep alive the flame of single market membership.But the room for manoeuvre is limited for the moment. A la carte is only available to politicians who accept the line of both the Conservatives and Labour: that leaving the EU and the single market must be part of the menu.Unity on these points allows both parties to paper over their internal divisions on Brexit. Ministers who, deep-down, support single market membership are still taking to the airwaves to propose a lengthy post-Article 50 transition period.Labour, meanwhile, is also sticking to its pre-election stance. Jeremy Corbyn sacked three shadow ministers who were among 49 Labour MPs to vote in favour of an amendment demanding continued single market membership two weeks ago.The dilemma for Corbyn, who is instinctively Eurosceptic, is that the surge in support for Labour on June 8 was, in large part, based on an unprecedented turnout by Remain supporting under 25s. University towns and constituencies which voted ‘Remain’ in 2016 produced large swings to Labour in June.At the same time, Labour’s heartlands in the north of England were promised an end to freedom of movement, which means leaving the single market.If the anti-Brexit coalition cannot yet explicitly challenge the referendum result, they can play the long game. The weakness of the May government and volatility of voters means that no option can be ruled out.Vince Cable, who will become the next leader of Liberal Democrats, hinted at this on Sunday when he opined that he was “beginning to think Brexit may never happen". A future election in the next two years could yet provide a mandate for that.Given how entrenched the political fault-lines are across Britain – on a range of social and economic issues besides Brexit – seeking some kind of cross-party coalition is a sensible act of self-preservation by Theresa May. For the Conservatives, regardless of whether they decide to replace May in the coming weeks, compromise is the only way of avoiding another election which they would probably lose.But only a mortally wounded politician asks for support from their opponents. May’s offer is yet another reminder of how spectacularly her election gamble backfired.Benjamin Fox, a former reporter for EUobserver, is a freelance writer.
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)
Iraqi declares 'total victory' over Islamic State in Mosul-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
MOSUL, Iraq — Iraq on Monday declared "total victory" over the Islamic State group in Mosul, retaking full control of the country's second-largest city three years after it was seized by extremists bent on building a global caliphate."This great feast day crowned the victories of the fighters and the Iraqis for the past three years," said Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, flanked by his senior military leadership at a small base on the edge of the Old City, where the final battles for Mosul unfolded.Al-Abadi alluded to the brutality of the battle for Mosul — Iraq's longest yet in the fight against IS — saying the triumph had been achieved "by the blood of our martyrs."While Mosul fell to IS in a matter of days in 2014, the campaign to retake the city lasted nearly nine months. The fight, closely backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition, brought an end to the extremists' so-called territorial caliphate, but has also left thousands dead, entire neighbourhoods in ruins and nearly 900,000 displaced from their homes.Shortly after al-Abadi's speech, the coalition congratulated him on the victory but noted that parts of the Old City still "must be back-cleared of explosive devices and possible ISIS fighters in hiding." ISIS, ISIL and Daesh are alternative acronyms for the Islamic State group."The victory in Mosul, a city where ISIS once proclaimed its so-called 'caliphate,' signals that its days in Iraq and Syria are numbered," President Donald Trump said in a statement.Earlier in the day, airstrikes pounded the last IS-held territory on the western edge of the Tigris, Humvees rushed wounded to field hospitals and soldiers hurriedly filled bags with hand grenades to ferry to the front.Iraqi troops had slowly pushed through the narrow alleys of the Old City during the past week, punching holes through walls and demolishing houses to carve supply routes and fighting positions in a district where many of the buildings date back centuries.For days, the remaining few hundred militants held an area measuring less than a square kilometre (less than half a square mile), and Iraqi commanders described victory as imminent.Al-Abadi also visited Mosul on Sunday, congratulating the troops on recent gains but stopping short of declaring an outright victory as clashes continued.The drawn-out endgame in Iraq's fight for Mosul highlighted the resilience of the extremists and the continued reliance of Iraqi forces on air support to retake territory.Iraqi commanders said gains slowed to a crawl in recent days as IS fighters used their families — including women and children — as human shields. As the battle space constricted, the coalition began approving airstrikes dropping bombs of 200 pounds or more on IS targets within 50 metres (yards) of friendly forces.Plumes of smoke Monday grew larger than the strip of territory under IS control."This used to be a beautiful city, tourists used to come here," said Iraqi army Capt. Marwan Hadi based inside the Old City. The last days of the fight for Mosul were the fiercest, he said."All along the front line, there are so many families under the rubble," he said. "I saved two children and their mother, but one daughter, we couldn't reach her."Reports of civilian casualties spiked as Iraqi forces punched into Mosul's western half in February. Residents fleeing the fighting reported that entire families sheltering in the basements of their homes were killed by airstrikes targeting small teams of IS fighters.Thousands of civilians were estimated to have been killed in the fight for Mosul, according to Nineveh's provincial council. A toll that does not include those still believed buried under collapsed buildings.Also Monday, the United Nations said there was no end in sight to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq despite the conclusion of the fighting. Of the more than 897,000 people displaced from Mosul, the U.N. said thousands of residents will probably not be able to return to the city because of "extensive damage caused during the conflict."The infrastructure in western Mosul, where the fighting was fiercest, has been decimated. Iraq's civil defence rescue teams — a branch of the Interior Ministry — said about 65 per cent of the buildings in the Old City were severely damaged or destroyed. In other western neighbourhoods , destruction was estimated to be higher: some 70 per cent of all houses, buildings and infrastructure."Daesh, when they came to Iraq, their goal was to destroy everything," said Hisham Hatem, an officer with the federal police stationed at Mosul's main hospital complex, a series of buildings that was shredded by weeks of artillery and airstrikes. Hatem said IS used tactics to draw out the fight for Mosul to ensure little of the city would be left after the group's defeat.Regardless of the victory's heavy toll, a number of celebrations broke out across Mosul's east and west as victory appeared imminent.Iraq's special forces held a flag-raising ceremony on the Tigris river bank and Iraqi army soldiers danced and sang to patriotic music Sunday.Muhammad Abdul Abbas, a 20-year-old solider sat on the sidelines of the revelry. He said he was happy the fight was over, but explained that his unit, like many others, suffered significant losses. Over the past nine months, 15 of his close friends were killed fighting for Mosul, he said.Iraq's special forces, who largely led many of the assaults in Mosul, faced casualty rates of 40 per cent , according to a report in May from the office of the U.S. secretary of defence ."Honestly, all this death and all this destruction — I don't believe it was worth it," Abbas said.___Associated Press writer Salar Salim in Mosul contributed to this report.Susannah George, The Associated Press.
Al Qaeda supporter pleads guilty to seeking Ohio judge's murder-[Reuters]-By Chris Kenning-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
(Reuters) - An Indian citizen pleaded guilty in a U.S. court on Monday to conspiring to aid an al Qaeda leader in Yemen and attempting to pay an undercover FBI agent $15,000 to murder a U.S. federal judge, authorities said.Yahya Farooq Mohammad, 39, who studied engineering at Ohio State University from 2002 to 2004 and married a U.S. citizen in 2008, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Toledo to one count of conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists and one count of solicitation to commit a crime of violence, the Department of Justice said in a statement.Mohammad is expected to be sentenced to 27-1/2 years in prison and then deported under the terms of his plea agreement, according to the department.Mohammad and three co-defendants were charged in 2015 with conspiring to funnel money to Anwar al Awlaki and a Yemen-based affiliate of al Qaeda to support of attacks on U.S. forces.Awlaki, a cleric, was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011. U.S. intelligence had identified him as the head of external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an offshoot of the militant group.In July 2009, Mohammad traveled with others to Yemen to deliver $22,000 that they had raised to Awlaki, according to prosecutors. The case against three other defendants is pending, and they have pleaded not guilty.While awaiting trial in April 2016, Mohammad admitted soliciting an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman to kidnap and murder U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, who was assigned to his terrorism case. He was introduced to an undercover agent by another prisoner at the Lucas County Corrections Center in Toledo, and he told the agent he would pay him $15,000 for the job.He provided $1,000 as a down payment though a family member and said the rest of the money was coming, according to court documents.(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Fighting persists east of Libya capital, residents displaced: town official-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 10, 2017
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Clashes between rival Libyan factions east of Tripoli extended into a second day on Monday, keeping the coastal road shut and preventing residents from returning to their homes, a local town council spokesman said.The fighting began on Sunday when armed groups opposed to the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli tried to approach the capital and met resistance from rival groups that have aligned themselves with the government.It is the latest in a series of attacks by armed opponents of the Government of National Accord (GNA), which have continued despite the GNA's attempts to win the cooperation of militias operating in the city and to calm bouts of violence inside or close to the capital."At the moment we can hear heavy gunfire," said Al-Shareef Jaballah, a spokesman for the municipality of Garabulli, about 50 km (30 miles) from Tripoli, speaking to Reuters by telephone shortly after midday."The clashes have resulted in severe damage to houses and shops because of indiscriminate shelling, and forced a large number of residents ... to flee," he said."The coastal road is still closed. The residents who have fled their homes are trapped because of the closure of the road."The health ministry later confirmed that at least four people including two foreign workers had been killed and 21 wounded over two days of fighting.The GNA has struggled to impose its authority since arriving in Tripoli in March last year. It has been rejected by factions that control eastern Libya, where military commander Khalifa Haftar has been consolidating his position and installing military-appointed mayors.As temperatures have climbed this month, parts of western Libya have once again been suffering from power and water cuts that residents have criticised the GNA for failing to resolve.(Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Gareth Jones and James Dalgleish)
