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)
FALSE INTERNET PREACHERS -ESPECIALLY END OF THE WORLD DATE SETTING CULTS-GIANT-ANTICHRIST HALF DEMON HALF MAN CULTS. AND THESE CULTS USE OTHER BOOKS THAN THE BIBLE TO PROOVE THEIR FALSE END OF THE WORLD-NO RAPTURE-PRE WRATH-DEMON WORSHIPPING CULT. THIS CROWDS PRIDE IS IN HITS AND KNOWLEDGE AND MONEY GRABBING. JUST LIKE HOW SATAN FELL FROM PRIDE AND BEING A KNOW IT ALL.
Australia Votes 'Yes' To Same-Sex Marriage In Landmark Step Towards Equality-[HuffPost UK]-Graeme Demianyk-November 14, 2017
A majority of Australians have voted in support of same-sex marriage after a lengthy and often ugly debate.After weeks of campaigning, months of planning and years debate, the results of the controversial three-month-long postal survey revealed 61.6 per cent of people voted ‘yes’ and 38.4 per cent ‘no’.The question asked simply: “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?”However, the poll, carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is not legally binding and voluntary, which is not typical in the country.While it is purely a guide for politicians on how to treat the issue in Parliament, the huge 80 per cent turn-out and the clear majority will put pressure on the Government to act.Legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry could come forward as early as today. Polling had suggested the ‘yes’ camp would win by well over 60 per cent.24 hours. That's all and that's everything...... #voteyespic.twitter.com/5nrZxOQCHb— Tiernan Brady (@Tiernanbrady) November 13, 2017-The campaign has been marked by negative campaigning by the ‘No’ campaign that critics have condemned as bordering on hysterical, with conservative politicians lining up with churches fearing religion is under attack.One advert attacking gay marriage depicted a woman claiming it could lead to her son wearing a dress to school, which was dismissed as “patently ridiculous”.But a United Nations committee last week criticised Australia for putting gays and lesbians “through an unnecessary and divisive public opinion poll”, and called on Australia to legislate for marriage equality regardless of the survey’s outcome.-What happens now Australia has voted ‘yes’ to gay marriage?-The marriage equality process will then return to Canberra, and require the parliament to agree to allow same-sex marriage.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised that, in the event of a yes vote, his Government “will facilitate a private member’s Bill to make same-sex marriage legal before the end of the year”.Most of the Parliament has promised to vote ‘yes’ on any parliamentary vote if the result was ‘yes’, so any legislation should easily pass.However, around 30 per cent of the politicians in both houses either failed to tell pollsters their voting intention or said they had reservations about legalising same-sex marriage, while seven MPs flat out said they would vote no even if the entire country voted yes.What is the history of the vote? More than a decade ago, Australia’s federal parliament defined marriage explicitly as a union between a man and a woman, after citizens who had married in Canada sought to get Australian courts to validate them. Battle-lines between traditionalists and progressives have since been drawn.In 2015, then Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a same-sex marriage opponent, committed his conservative government to holding a compulsory nationwide vote to decide whether the unions should be legal.He was replaced weeks later by current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who supports marriage equality and opposed the public vote but eventually agreed to it in a deal with party powerbrokers.The Senate refused to fund a compulsory vote, however, so the government opted for a voluntary postal ballot. Critics say it is unlikely to accurately reflect public opinion.Almost 79 percent of more than 16 million Australian voters posted ballots before the two-month survey closed.The result will be announced on Wednesday. If a majority calls for marriage equality, Parliament will vote on a bill in the final two-week session of the year.Passage is by no means certain even if a vote goes ahead.-What did the polls say?-A survey commissioned by Sydney University’s U.S. Studies Center found support for gay marriage was stronger in Australia than in the United States, where it has been legal since 2015.The poll by survey company YouGov found 60 percent of Australians support same-sex marriage, 32 per cent oppose it and 8 percent were undecided.In the United States, 48 per cent of respondents supported marriage equality, 40 percent oppose it and 12 per cent were undecided.The online survey of 1,009 Australians and 1,107 Americans in late October has a 3 per centage point margin of error.
Transgender service member gets gender reassignment surgery-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 14, 2017
WASHINGTON — An active-duty service member has received gender-reassignment surgery, the Pentagon said Tuesday, amid ongoing debate over whether transgender troops should be allowed to continue to serve in the military, Defence Department spokeswoman Dana White said the surgery was done Tuesday in a private hospital and was paid for by the military's health coverage because the doctor deemed it was medically necessary."''Military hospitals do not have the surgical expertise to perform this type of surgery, therefore it was conducted in a private hospital," White said, adding that because this service member "had already begun a sex-reassignment course of treatment, and the treating doctor deemed this surgery medically necessary, a waiver was approved by the director of the Defence Health Agency."Army Maj. Dave Eastburn said that waivers are required and routinely approved for medical procedures that military facilities don't have the expertise to perform.The surgery was first reported by NBC News.The Obama administration last year eliminated the longstanding ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. But President Donald Trump tweeted in July that the federal government "will not accept or allow" transgender troops to serve "in any capacity" in the military. He followed that a month later with a formal order telling the Pentagon to extend the ban. He gave the department six months to determine what to do about those currently serving.Trump also directed Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to halt the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgeries and medications, except in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition.In September, Mattis sent out a memo making clear that transgender service members can continue to enlist, as the Pentagon grapples with how to implement Trump's ban. A high-level panel is studying the issue, and Trump's order was quickly condemned by key members of Congress and has been challenged in court.A federal judge last month barred the Trump administration from proceeding with the plan.Because the ban on transgender service members was only removed last year, gender reassignment surgeries have so far been relatively rare.The Pentagon did not provide additional details on Tuesday's surgery, due to privacy restrictions.Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Opinion-EU's eastern partnership needs revival-By Margot Wallstroem and Witold Waszczykowski-euobserver
Stockholm and Warsaw, 14. Nov, 09:26-Eight years ago, the EU's Eastern Partnership (EaP) was launched. It was jointly initiated by Poland and Sweden, and meant that the EU deepened its relations with six of its closest neighbours, the home of 75 million people: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.The EaP has been one of the most successful foreign policy initiatives of the EU. For instance, since 2009, the European Union provided €1.5 billion for the development of companies across the region.Last year, more than 4,000 students from the region received scholarships in the EU, and almost 10,000 young people took part in exchange programmes. Citizens of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine now travel without a visa to Schengen countries.A majority of people in the region (61 percent) believe that developing stronger relations with the EU is a good thing. More than 70 percent of people in the region view the EU as a bearer of core values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law, civil liberties and economic prosperity, peace, stability and security.-Summit in Brussels-Despite past successes, the EaP needs a revival to remain relevant in the future.On 24 November, European leaders will meet for the EaP summit in Brussels. We now want to propose a way ahead for the development of the EaP. It needs to be more focused on the needs of people, in particular young people, and produce more concrete results in the four following areas:Ownership. We believe that all countries that are engaged in the EaP policies should be mutually responsible for carrying out its goals and priorities. Those who declare higher ambitions should also deliver on the reforms they have committed to.Georgia is a good example.Resilience. The policy dialogue between the EU and the Partner countries should focus on things that make our societies stronger. This means strengthening democratic institutions, supporting human rights and fundamental freedoms, fighting corruption, increasing transparency, making bureaucracy more efficient and increasing equality between men and women.It also means focusing on environmental issues and meeting the challenges posed by climate change.Public engagement. There is a link between building more resilient societies and the level of trust people have in institutions; one cannot be achieved without the other.The EaP must make sense to people, and we must make sure that any reforms can be felt by ordinary people.Young people are particularly important here, and we have asked the European Commission for a youth package to be prepared for the Summit.Connectivity. We should give priority to all measures that bring people closer together. These could include visa-free travel, exchange programmes, roads, railroads, broadband internet and lower roaming tariffs.The EU has already decided to extend its connection grids to EaP countries.This will not only be beneficial for trade, but also for building stronger ties between people in our countries. Since infrastructure is costly, we need to combine grants and loans from European and other international financial institutions.-Stability and resilience-While the EaP does not deal with hard security, it can be instrumental in building stability and resilience. It can also be a platform for cooperation among regional partners.Next year, both Poland and Sweden will be represented at the UN Security Council as non-permanent members. We want to use this opportunity to promote conflict resolution and crisis management, especially in the EaP region.Poland and Sweden remain committed to the EaP. And, as Sweden and Poland have always emphasised, the door should be kept open to potential membership for those countries that truly transform.We take responsibility for this relationship and are convinced that building stronger relations between the EU and its Eastern Partners will lead to better lives for the people in our countries.Margot Wallstroem and Witold Waszczykowski are Swedens's and Poland's foreign affairs ministers.
EU Commission to target fake news By Nikolaj Nielsen-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 13. Nov, 16:59-The European Commission plans on tackling fake news as part of a broader effort to protect democracy."Fake news is a direct threat to the very foundations of our democratic society," EU commissioner for digital economy, Mariya Gabriel said on Monday (13 November).Speaking at a conference on fake news in Brussels, Gabriel announced plans to set up an expert panel that will feed into possible legislation later on."European citizens need to have the skills and tools at their disposal to manage the ocean of information available online, that is our challenge," she said.The commissioner is asking people from the world of academia and civil society to take part.The idea is to have the panel, or so-called expert group, up and running at the start of next year ahead of an upcoming European Commission communication on fake news.A separate European Commission public consultation was also launched on how to deal with fake news.Her comments follow a growing debate on fake news in Europe, and comes amid a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday on expanding a counter-propaganda cell within the EU's foreign affairs branch, the European External Action Service (EEAS).Most internet traffic is spread through Google, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Fake news is easily disseminated with little effort via these US-based platforms.Gabriel said people can purchase 20,000 comments for €5,000 and another €2,600 will buy up to 300,000 social media followers."This type of manipulation is possible because there is an offer to provide these services," she said.But regulators are facing a tricky debate on balancing fake news, which may not be illegal, and fundamental rights like the freedom of expression.The issue has created its own industry.Over 100 pro-Donald Trump websites are registered in a small town in Macedonia where young adults, some only teenagers, are earning huge sums of money to spread false news. Pro-Russian websites have also made wide inroads into the Czech Republic.Earlier last month, Twitter slapped an ad ban on Russian pro-government media outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik. According to US intelligence, both had attempted to interfere with the US presidential elections.The same two media outlets are also behind a series of Spanish language articles, some of which were designed to inflame tensions in the lead up to Catalan independence referendum on 20 October. There are similar allegations of interference in the UK's 2016 Brexit referendum.Hackers had also dumped a huge cache of campaign emails, two days before the French presidential election, in an bid to scare voters away from Emmanuel Macron.The email dump stoked further fears of Russian meddling, given that the far-right Marine Le Pen presidential contender, was favoured by Moscow.Lisa-Maria Neudert, an Oxford University researcher, says that for every piece of professional content, one piece of fake news junk content was being shared in the United States."Information to misinformation had a ratio of one to one, which I think was a dramatic finding," she said.Her findings were part of a study that looked at 28 million feeds shared in political debates and elections in the US, UK, France, and Germany."In France we have had a ratio of seven-to-one and in the UK and also in Germany we had a ratio of four-to-one, so roughly 20 percent of fake news content that was being shared," she said.
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)
UN criticises EU policy in Libya as 'inhuman' By Nikolaj Nielsen-nov 15,17-euobserver
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:17-The head of human rights at the United Nations has lashed out at the EU's migration policy towards Libya.In a statement on Tuesday (14 November), UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said forcing rescued people at sea to return to Libya for detention was inhuman."The suffering of migrants detained in Libya is an outrage to the conscience of humanity," he said.The EU has helped broker deals with Libyan authorities as part of a broader plan to prevent people from leaving the country.It includes, among others, training the Libyan coast guard to take migrants and refugees from the sea and then returning them to the war-torn country.Many but not all are then sent to detention centres, which are often ruled by armed militia groups.The EU's naval operation, Sophia, as of earlier this month has trained some 142 Libyans.A first training package included 93 Libyan trainees, which had spent 14 weeks on board the Italian ship San Giorgio and the first two weeks on board the Dutch ship Rotterdam.Another 20 senior officers at the rank of captain or commodore were trained in Greece. Malta hosted 20 trainees and a module in Italy has been started for another 66 personnel.The Libyan coast guard has since intercepted almost 19,000 people since the start of the year until October.Those interceptions were supposed to take place within Libyan territorial waters but charity rescue boats say the coast guard is also operating in international waters.German-based rescue ship Mission Lifeline said in late September the Libyan coast guard fired shots, boarded it, and demanded they handed over the people it had rescued at sea.Libya's department of combating illegal migration (DCIM) says some 19,900 people are held in detention centres as of early November, up from around 7,000 in mid-September.The spike is due in part to the thousands of people left stranded in the smuggling hub city of Sabratha following fighting among rival Libyan militia factions in October.Both the EU-funded International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) at the time stepped in to help the migrants. Many were sent to detention centres.The same centres, which also house women and children, are ripe with abuse, including rapes and murders."The international community cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the unimaginable horrors endured by migrants in Libya," said Hussein.He noted that efforts to improve the conditions in the detention centres was not enough and that more needed to be done to ensure the protection of migrant's human rights.Similar comments were made earlier this year by the president of Doctors without Borders (MSF), a medical NGO, Joanne Liu, who accused the EU of "feeding a criminal system of abuse" by forcing migrants back to Libya.The EU has in the past said that it is working to protect migrants in Libya.The EU over the summer set aside some €46 million to boost Libya borders and step up support for the Libyan border and coast guard.The EU backed programme, implemented by the Italians, includes giving the Libyans both training and equipment in terms of maritime surveillance and rescues.
Syrian Kurdish party backs longer U.S. role in Syria-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The main Syrian Kurdish political party, the PYD, said on Wednesday the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State should continue to operate in Syria while is no political solution to the Syrian crisis.PYD's co-president, Shahoz Hasan, in a written message to Reuters, was responding to comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday that described a longer-term role for U.S. troops long after Islamic State militants lose control of all the territory they hold."Without achieving a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and with the continuation of the Turkish and Iranian intervention in Syria, and with the continued presence of al Qaeda groups in Syria, the continued operation of the coalition is better," Hasan said.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
China sending envoy to North Korea following Trump visit-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
BEIJING — Following President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, China said Wednesday that it would send a high-level special envoy to North Korea amid an extended chill in relations between the neighbours over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs.Song Tao, the head of China's ruling Communist Party's International Department, will travel to Pyongyang on Friday to report on outcomes of the party's national congress held last month, the official Xinhua News Agency said.Xinhua said Song, as president and party leader Xi Jinping's special envoy, would carry out a "visit" in addition to delivering his report, but gave no details about his itinerary or meetings. It also made no mention of Trump's trip to Beijing or the North's weapons programs, although Trump has repeatedly called on Beijing to do more to use its influence to pressure Pyongyang into altering its behaviour .Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang downplayed any connection between Song's trip and Trump's visit, saying it was "common practice" for the Communist Party and North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to exchange views."The purpose of this visit is to brief about the party congress and exchange views on issues of common interest and bilateral interest," Geng said at a regularly scheduled briefing.Song would be the first ministerial-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015, when Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan met with leader Kim Jong Un. Liu delivered a letter to Kim from Xi expressing hopes for a strong relationship, although the respite in frosty ties proved short-lived. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Pyongyang in October of last year.The two ruling parties have long-standing ties that often supersede formal diplomacy, even while Beijing has long been frustrated with Pyongyang's provocations and unwillingness to reform its economy.However, Song is not directly connected to China's efforts to convince Pyongyang to cease its nuclear weapons program and return to talks, downplaying the chances for a breakthrough in that highly contentious area.China is also North Korea's largest trading partner and chief source of food and fuel aid, although it says its influence with Kim's regime is often exaggerated by the U.S. and others. While it is enforcing harsh new U.N. sanctions targeting the North's sources of foreign currency, Beijing has called for steps to renew dialogue.Beijing is also opposed to measures that could bring down Kim's regime, possibly depriving it of a buffer with South Korea and the almost 30,000 U.S. troops stationed there, and leading to a refugee crisis and chaos along its border with the North.In Beijing last week, Trump urged Xi to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.China can fix the problem "easily and quickly," Trump said in remarks to journalists alongside Xi. He urged Xi to "hopefully work on it very hard.""If he works on it hard, it will happen. There's no doubt about it," Trump said.While calling the visit significant, a top Chinese expert on North Korea relations downplayed any connection with Trump's statements in Beijing, saying it fit a pattern of traditional exchanges between the two parties following significant events such as national congresses."Representatives are dispatched to brief the other side at a chosen time and chosen level. It is a tradition and it is unnecessary to connect it with Trump's visit to China," said Guo Rui, researcher at the Institute for North Korean and South Korean Studies at Jilin University in northeastern China.However, he said the visit "shows China's willingness to see a continuous development of the friendly relations between the two sides.""Although the Korean Peninsula situation has been evolving fast with worrisome indications, the two parties are maintaining normal exchanges, and that is of significance for stabilizing the bilateral relations and the peninsular situation," Guo said.The nature of Song's visit as a party-to-party exchange rather than one between the two governments appears to paint it as a bilateral attempt to strengthen relations, said John Delury, a professor at Seoul's Yonsei University who specializes in Korea and China.The fact that Song was identified as Xi's special envoy also suggests that Xi is personally making a push to open the channel at a higher level and engage more constructively with Kim, Delury said."This is a chance to see if he can open things up," he said. "The relationship has been so frosty, it will be interesting to see if there's some improvement in the bilateral ties."North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3, detonating what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb, and last launched a ballistic missile on Sept. 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.Since then, there has been a lull in such activity, leading to some hopes in Beijing that Pyongyang might be responding to international pressure and becoming more amenable to talks.Song's visit to Pyongyang also comes as China and South Korea are repairing their relations, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in scheduled to visit next month for talks with Xi.Previously warm ties soured last year over Seoul's decision to deploy a sophisticated U.S. missile defence system aimed at guarding against North Korean threats.Beijing claimed the THAAD system damaged its own security because its radars could observe military movements within northeastern China and retaliated by banning Chinese tour groups from visiting and interfering in the China operations of South Korean companies.While South Korea resisted China's demands to withdraw the system, Beijing appeared satisfied with a pledge from Seoul not to expand it, among other commitments.___Associated Press writer Foster Klug in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.Christopher Bodeen, The Associated Press.
Russia passes 'foreign agents' media law on second reading: RIA-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading a law that would allow the Russian authorities to designate foreign media operating in Russia as "foreign agents", RIA news agency reported.The U.S. Department of Justice has required RT America, which has ties with the Kremlin-backed TV station RT, to register as a "foreign agent" after accusations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in last year's presidential election.Russia, which denies interference in the election, has said it would respond in kind to the U.S. action. A third reading is still required before the legislation passes on to the upper house of parliament for approval.(writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Christian Lowe)
5.4 quake in southeast South Korea causes some minor damage-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook South Korea's southeastern coastal region Wednesday afternoon, breaking some windows and crumbling walls near the epicenter. No casualties were reported.The quake was centred off the coast about 9.3 kilometres (5.8 miles) northwest of the port city of Pohang, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. South Korea's state-run Korea Meteorological Administration measured the quake at the same strength but said the epicenter was inside Pohang.Residents in the capital, more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) away, felt tremors and said their buildings shook.South Korean media showed crumbled walls piled on parked cars, broken windows from some buildings and elementary school students taking shelter on a playground.No injuries or major damage has been reported, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.It's the strongest quake in South Korea since a 5.8-magnitude occurred near the ancient city of Gyeongju, which is close to Pohang, in September 2016, Korea Meteorological Administration officials said.South Korea has relatively little seismic activity, unlike neighbouring Japan.The Associated Press.
A majority of Australians have voted in support of same-sex marriage after a lengthy and often ugly debate.After weeks of campaigning, months of planning and years debate, the results of the controversial three-month-long postal survey revealed 61.6 per cent of people voted ‘yes’ and 38.4 per cent ‘no’.The question asked simply: “Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?”However, the poll, carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is not legally binding and voluntary, which is not typical in the country.While it is purely a guide for politicians on how to treat the issue in Parliament, the huge 80 per cent turn-out and the clear majority will put pressure on the Government to act.Legislation to allow same-sex couples to marry could come forward as early as today. Polling had suggested the ‘yes’ camp would win by well over 60 per cent.24 hours. That's all and that's everything...... #voteyespic.twitter.com/5nrZxOQCHb— Tiernan Brady (@Tiernanbrady) November 13, 2017-The campaign has been marked by negative campaigning by the ‘No’ campaign that critics have condemned as bordering on hysterical, with conservative politicians lining up with churches fearing religion is under attack.One advert attacking gay marriage depicted a woman claiming it could lead to her son wearing a dress to school, which was dismissed as “patently ridiculous”.But a United Nations committee last week criticised Australia for putting gays and lesbians “through an unnecessary and divisive public opinion poll”, and called on Australia to legislate for marriage equality regardless of the survey’s outcome.-What happens now Australia has voted ‘yes’ to gay marriage?-The marriage equality process will then return to Canberra, and require the parliament to agree to allow same-sex marriage.Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised that, in the event of a yes vote, his Government “will facilitate a private member’s Bill to make same-sex marriage legal before the end of the year”.Most of the Parliament has promised to vote ‘yes’ on any parliamentary vote if the result was ‘yes’, so any legislation should easily pass.However, around 30 per cent of the politicians in both houses either failed to tell pollsters their voting intention or said they had reservations about legalising same-sex marriage, while seven MPs flat out said they would vote no even if the entire country voted yes.What is the history of the vote? More than a decade ago, Australia’s federal parliament defined marriage explicitly as a union between a man and a woman, after citizens who had married in Canada sought to get Australian courts to validate them. Battle-lines between traditionalists and progressives have since been drawn.In 2015, then Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott, a same-sex marriage opponent, committed his conservative government to holding a compulsory nationwide vote to decide whether the unions should be legal.He was replaced weeks later by current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who supports marriage equality and opposed the public vote but eventually agreed to it in a deal with party powerbrokers.The Senate refused to fund a compulsory vote, however, so the government opted for a voluntary postal ballot. Critics say it is unlikely to accurately reflect public opinion.Almost 79 percent of more than 16 million Australian voters posted ballots before the two-month survey closed.The result will be announced on Wednesday. If a majority calls for marriage equality, Parliament will vote on a bill in the final two-week session of the year.Passage is by no means certain even if a vote goes ahead.-What did the polls say?-A survey commissioned by Sydney University’s U.S. Studies Center found support for gay marriage was stronger in Australia than in the United States, where it has been legal since 2015.The poll by survey company YouGov found 60 percent of Australians support same-sex marriage, 32 per cent oppose it and 8 percent were undecided.In the United States, 48 per cent of respondents supported marriage equality, 40 percent oppose it and 12 per cent were undecided.The online survey of 1,009 Australians and 1,107 Americans in late October has a 3 per centage point margin of error.
Transgender service member gets gender reassignment surgery-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 14, 2017
WASHINGTON — An active-duty service member has received gender-reassignment surgery, the Pentagon said Tuesday, amid ongoing debate over whether transgender troops should be allowed to continue to serve in the military, Defence Department spokeswoman Dana White said the surgery was done Tuesday in a private hospital and was paid for by the military's health coverage because the doctor deemed it was medically necessary."''Military hospitals do not have the surgical expertise to perform this type of surgery, therefore it was conducted in a private hospital," White said, adding that because this service member "had already begun a sex-reassignment course of treatment, and the treating doctor deemed this surgery medically necessary, a waiver was approved by the director of the Defence Health Agency."Army Maj. Dave Eastburn said that waivers are required and routinely approved for medical procedures that military facilities don't have the expertise to perform.The surgery was first reported by NBC News.The Obama administration last year eliminated the longstanding ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. But President Donald Trump tweeted in July that the federal government "will not accept or allow" transgender troops to serve "in any capacity" in the military. He followed that a month later with a formal order telling the Pentagon to extend the ban. He gave the department six months to determine what to do about those currently serving.Trump also directed Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to halt the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgeries and medications, except in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition.In September, Mattis sent out a memo making clear that transgender service members can continue to enlist, as the Pentagon grapples with how to implement Trump's ban. A high-level panel is studying the issue, and Trump's order was quickly condemned by key members of Congress and has been challenged in court.A federal judge last month barred the Trump administration from proceeding with the plan.Because the ban on transgender service members was only removed last year, gender reassignment surgeries have so far been relatively rare.The Pentagon did not provide additional details on Tuesday's surgery, due to privacy restrictions.Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI5_pMvLZd8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytWmPqY8TE0&feature=player_embedded
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 DIVSION REGION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT-NEW AGE MOVEMENT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies,(UNITED NATIONS TROOPS) gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Opinion-EU's eastern partnership needs revival-By Margot Wallstroem and Witold Waszczykowski-euobserver
Stockholm and Warsaw, 14. Nov, 09:26-Eight years ago, the EU's Eastern Partnership (EaP) was launched. It was jointly initiated by Poland and Sweden, and meant that the EU deepened its relations with six of its closest neighbours, the home of 75 million people: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.The EaP has been one of the most successful foreign policy initiatives of the EU. For instance, since 2009, the European Union provided €1.5 billion for the development of companies across the region.Last year, more than 4,000 students from the region received scholarships in the EU, and almost 10,000 young people took part in exchange programmes. Citizens of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine now travel without a visa to Schengen countries.A majority of people in the region (61 percent) believe that developing stronger relations with the EU is a good thing. More than 70 percent of people in the region view the EU as a bearer of core values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law, civil liberties and economic prosperity, peace, stability and security.-Summit in Brussels-Despite past successes, the EaP needs a revival to remain relevant in the future.On 24 November, European leaders will meet for the EaP summit in Brussels. We now want to propose a way ahead for the development of the EaP. It needs to be more focused on the needs of people, in particular young people, and produce more concrete results in the four following areas:Ownership. We believe that all countries that are engaged in the EaP policies should be mutually responsible for carrying out its goals and priorities. Those who declare higher ambitions should also deliver on the reforms they have committed to.Georgia is a good example.Resilience. The policy dialogue between the EU and the Partner countries should focus on things that make our societies stronger. This means strengthening democratic institutions, supporting human rights and fundamental freedoms, fighting corruption, increasing transparency, making bureaucracy more efficient and increasing equality between men and women.It also means focusing on environmental issues and meeting the challenges posed by climate change.Public engagement. There is a link between building more resilient societies and the level of trust people have in institutions; one cannot be achieved without the other.The EaP must make sense to people, and we must make sure that any reforms can be felt by ordinary people.Young people are particularly important here, and we have asked the European Commission for a youth package to be prepared for the Summit.Connectivity. We should give priority to all measures that bring people closer together. These could include visa-free travel, exchange programmes, roads, railroads, broadband internet and lower roaming tariffs.The EU has already decided to extend its connection grids to EaP countries.This will not only be beneficial for trade, but also for building stronger ties between people in our countries. Since infrastructure is costly, we need to combine grants and loans from European and other international financial institutions.-Stability and resilience-While the EaP does not deal with hard security, it can be instrumental in building stability and resilience. It can also be a platform for cooperation among regional partners.Next year, both Poland and Sweden will be represented at the UN Security Council as non-permanent members. We want to use this opportunity to promote conflict resolution and crisis management, especially in the EaP region.Poland and Sweden remain committed to the EaP. And, as Sweden and Poland have always emphasised, the door should be kept open to potential membership for those countries that truly transform.We take responsibility for this relationship and are convinced that building stronger relations between the EU and its Eastern Partners will lead to better lives for the people in our countries.Margot Wallstroem and Witold Waszczykowski are Swedens's and Poland's foreign affairs ministers.
EU Commission to target fake news By Nikolaj Nielsen-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 13. Nov, 16:59-The European Commission plans on tackling fake news as part of a broader effort to protect democracy."Fake news is a direct threat to the very foundations of our democratic society," EU commissioner for digital economy, Mariya Gabriel said on Monday (13 November).Speaking at a conference on fake news in Brussels, Gabriel announced plans to set up an expert panel that will feed into possible legislation later on."European citizens need to have the skills and tools at their disposal to manage the ocean of information available online, that is our challenge," she said.The commissioner is asking people from the world of academia and civil society to take part.The idea is to have the panel, or so-called expert group, up and running at the start of next year ahead of an upcoming European Commission communication on fake news.A separate European Commission public consultation was also launched on how to deal with fake news.Her comments follow a growing debate on fake news in Europe, and comes amid a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday on expanding a counter-propaganda cell within the EU's foreign affairs branch, the European External Action Service (EEAS).Most internet traffic is spread through Google, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Fake news is easily disseminated with little effort via these US-based platforms.Gabriel said people can purchase 20,000 comments for €5,000 and another €2,600 will buy up to 300,000 social media followers."This type of manipulation is possible because there is an offer to provide these services," she said.But regulators are facing a tricky debate on balancing fake news, which may not be illegal, and fundamental rights like the freedom of expression.The issue has created its own industry.Over 100 pro-Donald Trump websites are registered in a small town in Macedonia where young adults, some only teenagers, are earning huge sums of money to spread false news. Pro-Russian websites have also made wide inroads into the Czech Republic.Earlier last month, Twitter slapped an ad ban on Russian pro-government media outlets like Russia Today and Sputnik. According to US intelligence, both had attempted to interfere with the US presidential elections.The same two media outlets are also behind a series of Spanish language articles, some of which were designed to inflame tensions in the lead up to Catalan independence referendum on 20 October. There are similar allegations of interference in the UK's 2016 Brexit referendum.Hackers had also dumped a huge cache of campaign emails, two days before the French presidential election, in an bid to scare voters away from Emmanuel Macron.The email dump stoked further fears of Russian meddling, given that the far-right Marine Le Pen presidential contender, was favoured by Moscow.Lisa-Maria Neudert, an Oxford University researcher, says that for every piece of professional content, one piece of fake news junk content was being shared in the United States."Information to misinformation had a ratio of one to one, which I think was a dramatic finding," she said.Her findings were part of a study that looked at 28 million feeds shared in political debates and elections in the US, UK, France, and Germany."In France we have had a ratio of seven-to-one and in the UK and also in Germany we had a ratio of four-to-one, so roughly 20 percent of fake news content that was being shared," she said.
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)
UN criticises EU policy in Libya as 'inhuman' By Nikolaj Nielsen-nov 15,17-euobserver
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:17-The head of human rights at the United Nations has lashed out at the EU's migration policy towards Libya.In a statement on Tuesday (14 November), UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said forcing rescued people at sea to return to Libya for detention was inhuman."The suffering of migrants detained in Libya is an outrage to the conscience of humanity," he said.The EU has helped broker deals with Libyan authorities as part of a broader plan to prevent people from leaving the country.It includes, among others, training the Libyan coast guard to take migrants and refugees from the sea and then returning them to the war-torn country.Many but not all are then sent to detention centres, which are often ruled by armed militia groups.The EU's naval operation, Sophia, as of earlier this month has trained some 142 Libyans.A first training package included 93 Libyan trainees, which had spent 14 weeks on board the Italian ship San Giorgio and the first two weeks on board the Dutch ship Rotterdam.Another 20 senior officers at the rank of captain or commodore were trained in Greece. Malta hosted 20 trainees and a module in Italy has been started for another 66 personnel.The Libyan coast guard has since intercepted almost 19,000 people since the start of the year until October.Those interceptions were supposed to take place within Libyan territorial waters but charity rescue boats say the coast guard is also operating in international waters.German-based rescue ship Mission Lifeline said in late September the Libyan coast guard fired shots, boarded it, and demanded they handed over the people it had rescued at sea.Libya's department of combating illegal migration (DCIM) says some 19,900 people are held in detention centres as of early November, up from around 7,000 in mid-September.The spike is due in part to the thousands of people left stranded in the smuggling hub city of Sabratha following fighting among rival Libyan militia factions in October.Both the EU-funded International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) at the time stepped in to help the migrants. Many were sent to detention centres.The same centres, which also house women and children, are ripe with abuse, including rapes and murders."The international community cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the unimaginable horrors endured by migrants in Libya," said Hussein.He noted that efforts to improve the conditions in the detention centres was not enough and that more needed to be done to ensure the protection of migrant's human rights.Similar comments were made earlier this year by the president of Doctors without Borders (MSF), a medical NGO, Joanne Liu, who accused the EU of "feeding a criminal system of abuse" by forcing migrants back to Libya.The EU has in the past said that it is working to protect migrants in Libya.The EU over the summer set aside some €46 million to boost Libya borders and step up support for the Libyan border and coast guard.The EU backed programme, implemented by the Italians, includes giving the Libyans both training and equipment in terms of maritime surveillance and rescues.
Syrian Kurdish party backs longer U.S. role in Syria-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The main Syrian Kurdish political party, the PYD, said on Wednesday the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State should continue to operate in Syria while is no political solution to the Syrian crisis.PYD's co-president, Shahoz Hasan, in a written message to Reuters, was responding to comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday that described a longer-term role for U.S. troops long after Islamic State militants lose control of all the territory they hold."Without achieving a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and with the continuation of the Turkish and Iranian intervention in Syria, and with the continued presence of al Qaeda groups in Syria, the continued operation of the coalition is better," Hasan said.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
China sending envoy to North Korea following Trump visit-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
BEIJING — Following President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, China said Wednesday that it would send a high-level special envoy to North Korea amid an extended chill in relations between the neighbours over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missile programs.Song Tao, the head of China's ruling Communist Party's International Department, will travel to Pyongyang on Friday to report on outcomes of the party's national congress held last month, the official Xinhua News Agency said.Xinhua said Song, as president and party leader Xi Jinping's special envoy, would carry out a "visit" in addition to delivering his report, but gave no details about his itinerary or meetings. It also made no mention of Trump's trip to Beijing or the North's weapons programs, although Trump has repeatedly called on Beijing to do more to use its influence to pressure Pyongyang into altering its behaviour .Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang downplayed any connection between Song's trip and Trump's visit, saying it was "common practice" for the Communist Party and North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to exchange views."The purpose of this visit is to brief about the party congress and exchange views on issues of common interest and bilateral interest," Geng said at a regularly scheduled briefing.Song would be the first ministerial-level Chinese official to visit North Korea since October 2015, when Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan met with leader Kim Jong Un. Liu delivered a letter to Kim from Xi expressing hopes for a strong relationship, although the respite in frosty ties proved short-lived. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin visited Pyongyang in October of last year.The two ruling parties have long-standing ties that often supersede formal diplomacy, even while Beijing has long been frustrated with Pyongyang's provocations and unwillingness to reform its economy.However, Song is not directly connected to China's efforts to convince Pyongyang to cease its nuclear weapons program and return to talks, downplaying the chances for a breakthrough in that highly contentious area.China is also North Korea's largest trading partner and chief source of food and fuel aid, although it says its influence with Kim's regime is often exaggerated by the U.S. and others. While it is enforcing harsh new U.N. sanctions targeting the North's sources of foreign currency, Beijing has called for steps to renew dialogue.Beijing is also opposed to measures that could bring down Kim's regime, possibly depriving it of a buffer with South Korea and the almost 30,000 U.S. troops stationed there, and leading to a refugee crisis and chaos along its border with the North.In Beijing last week, Trump urged Xi to pressure North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program.China can fix the problem "easily and quickly," Trump said in remarks to journalists alongside Xi. He urged Xi to "hopefully work on it very hard.""If he works on it hard, it will happen. There's no doubt about it," Trump said.While calling the visit significant, a top Chinese expert on North Korea relations downplayed any connection with Trump's statements in Beijing, saying it fit a pattern of traditional exchanges between the two parties following significant events such as national congresses."Representatives are dispatched to brief the other side at a chosen time and chosen level. It is a tradition and it is unnecessary to connect it with Trump's visit to China," said Guo Rui, researcher at the Institute for North Korean and South Korean Studies at Jilin University in northeastern China.However, he said the visit "shows China's willingness to see a continuous development of the friendly relations between the two sides.""Although the Korean Peninsula situation has been evolving fast with worrisome indications, the two parties are maintaining normal exchanges, and that is of significance for stabilizing the bilateral relations and the peninsular situation," Guo said.The nature of Song's visit as a party-to-party exchange rather than one between the two governments appears to paint it as a bilateral attempt to strengthen relations, said John Delury, a professor at Seoul's Yonsei University who specializes in Korea and China.The fact that Song was identified as Xi's special envoy also suggests that Xi is personally making a push to open the channel at a higher level and engage more constructively with Kim, Delury said."This is a chance to see if he can open things up," he said. "The relationship has been so frosty, it will be interesting to see if there's some improvement in the bilateral ties."North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3, detonating what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb, and last launched a ballistic missile on Sept. 15, firing it over the Japanese island of Hokkaido into the Pacific Ocean.Since then, there has been a lull in such activity, leading to some hopes in Beijing that Pyongyang might be responding to international pressure and becoming more amenable to talks.Song's visit to Pyongyang also comes as China and South Korea are repairing their relations, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in scheduled to visit next month for talks with Xi.Previously warm ties soured last year over Seoul's decision to deploy a sophisticated U.S. missile defence system aimed at guarding against North Korean threats.Beijing claimed the THAAD system damaged its own security because its radars could observe military movements within northeastern China and retaliated by banning Chinese tour groups from visiting and interfering in the China operations of South Korean companies.While South Korea resisted China's demands to withdraw the system, Beijing appeared satisfied with a pledge from Seoul not to expand it, among other commitments.___Associated Press writer Foster Klug in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.Christopher Bodeen, The Associated Press.
Russia passes 'foreign agents' media law on second reading: RIA-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's lower house of parliament on Wednesday passed on second reading a law that would allow the Russian authorities to designate foreign media operating in Russia as "foreign agents", RIA news agency reported.The U.S. Department of Justice has required RT America, which has ties with the Kremlin-backed TV station RT, to register as a "foreign agent" after accusations by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in last year's presidential election.Russia, which denies interference in the election, has said it would respond in kind to the U.S. action. A third reading is still required before the legislation passes on to the upper house of parliament for approval.(writing by Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Christian Lowe)
5.4 quake in southeast South Korea causes some minor damage-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-November 15, 2017
SEOUL, Korea, Republic Of — A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook South Korea's southeastern coastal region Wednesday afternoon, breaking some windows and crumbling walls near the epicenter. No casualties were reported.The quake was centred off the coast about 9.3 kilometres (5.8 miles) northwest of the port city of Pohang, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. South Korea's state-run Korea Meteorological Administration measured the quake at the same strength but said the epicenter was inside Pohang.Residents in the capital, more than 300 kilometres (186 miles) away, felt tremors and said their buildings shook.South Korean media showed crumbled walls piled on parked cars, broken windows from some buildings and elementary school students taking shelter on a playground.No injuries or major damage has been reported, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.It's the strongest quake in South Korea since a 5.8-magnitude occurred near the ancient city of Gyeongju, which is close to Pohang, in September 2016, Korea Meteorological Administration officials said.South Korea has relatively little seismic activity, unlike neighbouring Japan.The Associated Press.
