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)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Honduras, Paraguay said ready to open Jerusalem embassies if Netanyahu visits-Latin American countries reportedly prepared to follow US and Guatemala in making controversial move-By Michael Bachner-TOI-MAR 12,18
After the United States, Guatemala and possibly the Czech Republic, two more countries were said on Sunday to be prepared to move their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem.Paraguay and Honduras are both ready “in principle” to take the step, provided that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first makes an official visit to their country, Army Radio reported, quoting a “senior Israeli diplomatic source.”In December, sources in Jerusalem were quoted by the Ynet new website as saying that according to “initial assessments,” the two Latin American countries were expected to be among the small group of countries following the US in moving their embassies from Tel Aviv to the capital.Last month, Honduras was one of only eight countries that opposed a UN General Assembly resolution condemning US President Donald Trump’s December recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, along with Guatemala, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.Paraguay abstained, despite having previously displayed a pro-Israel slant on several occasions.Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign minister, visited South and Central America last year, but did not stop in either Honduras or Paraguay. He does not have any travel to the region planned in the near future. The Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report.The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, heaped fulsome praise on Honduras for its UN vote during a visit this month, saying it showed the two countries’ bonds were evident.“That was not an easy decision for any country to have to vote on, but the people of Honduras stood with us in being able to make that decision for ourselves and decide where we want our embassy and to know that is our right,” Haley said in a joint news conference with newly re-elected Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy with his December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and setting in motion of plans to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. In February the US administration announced that it would open its Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.Last week, Guatemala announced that, like the US, it would be moving its embassy to Jerusalem in May.“In May of this year, we will celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary, and under my instructions two days after the US will move its embassy, Guatemala will return and permanently move its embassy to Jerusalem,” President Jimmy Morales told a crowd of more than 18,000 gathered in Washington, DC, for the annual AIPAC policy conference.On Thursday, the president of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, was quoted by local media as saying that moving his country’s embassy to Jerusalem is a top priority and that he wanted to speed up the process. However, the Czech foreign minister was said to object to the move.After Trump’s announcement, the Czech foreign ministry said it recognizes the pre-1967 West Jerusalem as the country’s capital, while noting the city should be a shared capital with the Palestinians.“The Ministry can start considering moving of the Czech embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem only based on results of negotiations with key partners in the region and in the world,” it said.Trump’s decision, welcomed by Israel, has been condemned by many leaders and foreign ministers across the world, who have said the city’s status should be determined through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.The move enraged the Palestinians, who have since boycotted the US administration and staged a number of protests against the decision, some of them violent.Raphael Ahren and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Netanyahu said to tell cabinet still no ‘concrete’ US peace plan-Despite many reported leaks of details from Trump's proposal, PM reportedly says nothing on the table 'at the moment'-By TOI staff -MAR 12,18
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told cabinet ministers on Sunday that there is still no “concrete” US peace plan.“At the moment, there is no concrete American peace plan on the table. I’m not saying there won’t be, but at the moment there isn’t,” Channel 10 quoted him as saying.Though there have been many reported leaks of the Trump administration’s peace plan, as yet no details have been officially released and there has been no date for when it will be presented.Speaking after he met last week with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu told reporters that very little time was spent discussing a peace plan.“The issue of the Palestinians came up in the terms I described — the security question,” Netanyahu said. “Not more than quarter of the time [we discussed] the Palestinians.”In a report in the UAE-based Al Khaleej Times earlier this month, a Palestinian Authority official said that top Israeli and Saudi Arabian officials had held a series of secret meetings in Cairo, ahead of Trump’s expected unveiling of his long-awaited plan.The US administration is expected to announce the main points of its peace plan in the coming weeks, the Egyptian newspaper said. Administration officials have said the plan is close to completion, but have also refused to give a timeline for when it might be published.The privately owned Egyptian newspaper Al Shorouk reported that the Americans have notified some Arab capitals that Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is “part of an American effort to persuade Israel, especially the hardliners, to agree to possible concessions to the Palestinians.”Trump has repeatedly said Israel will have to “pay a price” for the dramatic December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as its capital, though he has not detailed the concessions entailed. Netanyahu told reporters after meeting Trump last week that the issue had never come up between them.
Argentinian TV show confused about Israel’s capital-Quiz show cancels question asking ''which country has Tel Aviv as its capital,' eventually admitting the correct answer is 'none'-By TOI staff-MAR 12,18
A television quiz show in Argentina was forced to take an unscheduled break from its live broadcast Thursday while it ruled on which city was Israel’s capital.Playing in the final round to win a car in the show “La Tribuna de Guido,” two contestants were asked, “Which country has Tel Aviv as its capital?”One contestant, Rocío, didn’t know the answer, suggesting it was perhaps Iran. The other contestant, Lucas, wrote down “Israel” as his answer, but questioned whether it was in fact correct, given that there has been much discussion about whether Jerusalem is in fact the capital of Israel.The host was forced to take an unscheduled break while staff considered the issue. Eventually it was decided to invalidate the question.The show’s judges said they needed to “continue checking” since “different sources confirm both” cities as Israel’s capital.Rocio went on to win the car with the next question.Eventually the host said that the correct answer to the Tel Aviv question should have been “none,” as Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.The Spanish-language clip was uploaded to YouTube:Argentina was one of 35 countries that abstained in December’s United Nations vote condemning the US President Donald Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and calling on countries not to move their diplomatic missions to the city.Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy with his recognition earlier that month of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and setting in motion of plans to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. In February the US administration announced that it would open its Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.Last week, Guatemala announced that, like the US, it would be moving its embassy to Jerusalem in May.On Thursday, the president of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, was quoted by local media as saying that moving his country’s embassy to Jerusalem is a top priority and that he wanted to speed up the process. However, the Czech foreign minister was said to object to the move.On Sunday Army Radio, quoting a “senior Israeli diplomatic source,” reported that Paraguay and Honduras are both ready “in principle” to take the step, provided that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first makes an official visit to their country.Buenos Aires has not yet officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or discussed moving its embassy from its current site in Herzliya Pituach, 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Tel Aviv.
Abbas warns officials not to lash out at Arab countries-PA leader's statement comes after Palestinian sources are quoted accusing regional allies of colluding with Trump-By Khaled Abu Toameh-MAR 12,18
Any Palestinian official who speaks out against Arab governments or leaders will be held accountable for “harming Palestinian and Arab national security,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Sunday.The warning came following a series of critical statements, attributed to senior Palestinian officials, claiming that some Arab countries have been pressuring Abbas to accept US President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-unveiled peace plan.Most of the criticism, which appeared in various Arab media outlets, was directed at Egypt and Saudi Arabia, two countries that some PA officials have claimed are “colluding” with the Trump administration to “impose” the peace plan on the Palestinians.Other Palestinian officials have also accused the Arab countries of failing to take a tougher stance toward Trump’s December 6 announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his recent decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Abbas’s decision may also be linked to recent statements by top Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, who recently criticized Egypt’s mediation efforts between Fatah and Hamas.In a statement published by the PA’s official news agency Wafa on Sunday, Abbas “affirmed the fixed Palestinian position of non-interference in the internal affairs of the Arab countries or offending them.”Abbas said it was forbidden to offend or slander any of the leaders of the Arab countries, according to the statement.“Any member of the Palestinian leadership who does so will be held accountable for causing harm to the Palestinian and Arab national security,” he cautioned.Abbas expressed “appreciation” for Arab countries’ support for the Palestinians and their rejection of the Trump decisions on Jerusalem and the embassy.He also hailed Arab countries for endorsing his own February 20 address to the United Nations Security Council. In that speech, Abbas called for a “multilateral international mechanism” to pave the way for Palestinian statehood.Arab League foreign ministers last week expressed full support for Abbas’s vision and called for convening an international peace conference.The announcement came at the end of a meeting in Cairo, where the Arab ministers also expressed support for Abbas in his standoff with the Trump administration.
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Russia test-fires ‘ideal’ hyper-sonic missile-Moscow says new Kinzhal missile launched from MiG-31 jet can fly 10 times the speed of sound, overcome air defense systems-By AFP-TOI-MAR 12,18
MOSCOW, Russia — Russia said Sunday it successfully launched a hyper-sonic missile which President Vladimir Putin called “an ideal weapon” as he unveiled a new array of next-generation arms earlier this month.The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia’s southwest, the defense ministry said.“The launch went according to plan, the hyper-sonic missile hit its target,” the ministry added.The ministry released video footage showing two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running towards a jet with a large missile slung beneath its underbelly.Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the dark sky, leaving a fiery trail behind.The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month, ahead of a presidential election on March 18 that he is all but guaranteed to win.Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defense systems.The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added.Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Facebook that work had also been done to modernize the “unique” MiG-31 supersonic jet that will carry the missile.Since the start of the year, more than 250 sorties have been carried out by the aircraft to perfect the work of the missile systems, the defense ministry said.
Netanyahu warns of Mideast nuclear arms race-After reportedly urging Trump to nix agreement with Saudi Arabia to provide reactors, PM says region could be 'nuclearized' following Iran deal-By TOI staff-MAR 12,18
Echoing reports that he warned US President Donald Trump against selling Saudi Arabia nuclear reactors last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday against “nuclearizing the Middle East,” saying that the Iran nuclear deal, in its current form, could lead to a dangerous arms race.“Many countries in the Middle East say that they too should be allowed to enrich uranium if Iran is allowed to,” Netanyahu said at the opening of his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem detailing his meetings with US officials, including Trump, during his five day-trip to the US.“The diplomatic discussions focused primarily on Iran,” he said. “I said that buried within the Iran nuclear deal are many dangers to the world, including a specific danger of the nuclearization of the Middle East.”In recent months Saudi Arabia has announced its intentions of embarking on a massive program to become “self-sufficient” in producing nuclear fuel. Preliminary plans suggest the Saudis may be looking to build as many as 17 reactors in all.In his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump reportedly refused to commit to halting an emerging deal to sell reactors to Saudi Arabia, telling the prime minister that if the US did not supply the reactors, then the Russians or Chinese would, Channel 10 news said last week, citing unnamed senior Israeli officials.Netanyahu and his team reportedly requested that, if the Americans insist on going ahead with building the reactors, Saudi Arabia be prevented from enriching uranium by itself. They demanded that this be a precondition for the entire deal, the report added.The Saudis meanwhile, are reportedly demanding the right to enrich uranium and have made it a condition to awarding the contracts — expected to be worth tens of billions of dollars — to US companies.The Israeli and Americans agreed that senior officials would continue to discuss the issue, the report said.Netanyahu’s efforts to prevent Saudi enrichment come despite an apparent ongoing improvement in behind-the-scene ties between Jerusalem and Riyadh, ironically spurred by a joint desire to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to alter the Iran nuclear deal.Last week, the Saudis granted Air India permission to fly through Saudi airspace to Israel, a first in 70 years.During a visit to the UN in New York on Thursday, Netanyahu said he was asked in Washington about his position on other Middle East countries seeking to enrich uranium. He said he responded by asking why they would want to do that.US officials, he said, told him “the reason that they’re asking to enrich uranium is because Iran has received the right to enrich uranium under the dubious nuclear agreement.”“The best way to prevent the nuclearization of the Middle East is to either fully fix the Iran deal, or fully nix it,” he then said. “This is the only way to prevent the inevitable spread of nuclear technology and nuclear weapons in the Middle East.”Throughout his trip, Netanyahu repeatedly said he supports Trump’s vow to abrogate the nuclear deal if Congress does not modify it — by ending its sunset provisions, incorporating a ban on ballistic missile tests and granting inspectors greater access to Iran’s military sites.The American legislature is now on a deadline of less than two months to reach an agreement.On Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated his belief that that the way to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is “to fix the deal from its roots or annul it.”
Pakistan activists say court ruling threatens minorities-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
ISLAMABAD — Rights activists in Pakistan expressed concern Sunday over a court ruling that would require people to declare their religion on all official documents, saying it could lead to the persecution of minorities, particularly adherents of the Ahmadi faith.The Islamabad High Court ruling on Friday also requires that citizens take a religious oath upon joining the civil service, armed forces or judiciary.Zohra Yusuf, a board member at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, called the ruling "very dangerous." She said her group would issue a statement in the coming days."Religion is someone's personal affair, not a matter of public display," she said. "The oath thing is nothing but discrimination, and would show the government has no belief that minorities too are patriotic."The ruling appeared to be aimed at Ahmadis, who revere the 19th century founder of their faith as a prophet. Pakistan declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974. They already face widespread discrimination and are often targeted by extremists.The oath would require people to testify that the Prophet Muhammad was the last messenger sent by God, the repudiation of a core Ahmadi belief."The court should have given us a chance to present our point of view before the verdict, which has increased our vulnerability as a community," said Saleem Uddin, a spokesman for Pakistan's Ahmadi community.He noted that several Ahmadis have been killed by religious extremists in recent years, and that their property and places of worship have been attacked. He said the community is consulting legal experts and may challenge the ruling.Zia Awan, another rights activist, said the court ruling would encourage extremists."I am afraid this will further endanger minorities and increase discrimination," he said.The Associated Press.
Pentagon head warns Syrian forces on chemical weapons-US defense secretary says Assad regime would be 'very unwise' to consider deploying chlorine gas-By Robert Burns-TOI-MAR 12,18
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has warned the Syrian government not to use chemical weapons in its civil war and says the Trump administration has made it clear that it would be “very unwise to use gas” in attacks.Mattis told reporters traveling with him to the Middle East that he was disturbed by reports of civilian casualties from bombings by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.“Right now we’re getting reports — I don’t have evidence that I can show you — but I’m aware of the reports of chlorine gas use,” he said before arriving Sunday in Oman.The US responded militarily last year to reported Syrian government use of sarin gas, and Mattis was asked whether the administration is now considering retaliating for chlorine gas use.“I’m not going to strictly define it. We have made it very clear that it would be very unwise to use gas” as a weapon, Mattis said.He said the latest reports of Syrian government forces killing civilians show that troops are “at best, indiscriminately” attacking and “at worst, targeting hospitals. I don’t know which it is, whether they’re incompetent or whether they’re committing illegal acts, or both.”The Pentagon chief said Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria to support the Assad government, could be complicit in the civilian casualties.Syria’s deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad, denied opposition charges that government forces used poison gas in their attacks on some suburbs of Damascus, the capital.Mekdad said at a news conference Saturday that insurgents groups in the eastern Ghouta are preparing “to fabricate” more such attacks to blame the Syrian army.While in Oman, Mattis planned to meet with the country’s supreme ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said on Monday. Oman is a longtime security partner of the US, although some question whether it is facilitating, or turning a blind eye to, the movement of Iranian weapons to Yemen to aid Houthi rebels.Asked whether Oman is assisting Iran in this respect, Mattis said, “I’m not willing to say that.” He said he expects to discuss Yemen with Qaboos. Oman has longstanding commercial and political ties to Iran, an Omani neighbor but a US nemesis.Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Saturday that Oman’s role in the Persian Gulf is important to the US at a time of sharp divisions among the Gulf Arab states, civil wars in Yemen and Syria, and growing Iranian influence in Iraq.“The pattern in the Gulf is one of deep concern for the US,” Cordesman said.Mattis said he also will visit Bahrain this week. It is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Palestinian killed during clash with Israelis in West Bank: officials-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - A Palestinian was shot and killed on Saturday in what began as a clash between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said.Both sides blamed the other for instigating the violence that erupted between residents of a Jewish settlement and a nearby Palestinian village.The Israeli military said soldiers arrived at the scene and "used riot dispersal means and fired live rounds."The incident, it said, would be reviewed.Palestinian officials said a 19-year-old was killed and a second person was wounded, but it was unclear whether they were shot by Israeli soldiers or settlers.Some 550,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem, areas that are home to more than 2.6 million Palestinians.(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Putin order for bomb threat plane to be downed in 2014 canceled after false alarm-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Vladimir Putin in 2014 ordered a passenger aircraft which was reported to be carrying a bomb and targeting the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi to be downed, the president said in a film shown on Sunday.In a 2-hour documentary titled "Putin" and available on Russian social media, Putin told reporter Andrey Kondrashov he received a telephone call from security officers responsible for the Sochi Olympics on Feb. 7, 2014, shortly before the opening ceremony was due to start."I was told: a plane en route from Ukraine to Istanbul was seized, captors demand landing in Sochi," Putin said in the film seen by Reuters.The pilots of a Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Kharkiv to Istanbul reported that one of the passengers had a bomb and the plane had to change course to Sochi, Kondrashov said in the film.There were 110 passengers onboard, while over 40,000 people had gathered at the stadium to watch the opening ceremony, the reporter said.Putin said he sought advice from security officers and was told the emergency plan for that type of situation called for the plane to be shot down."I told them: act according to the plan," Putin said, adding that shortly afterwards he arrived at the Olympic venue with the International Olympic Committee officials.After several minutes Putin received another call, he said, informing him that it was a false alarm - the passenger was drunk and the plane would continue its flight to Turkey.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday confirmed the comments in the film.Putin runs for the presidency next Sunday, March 18.The country is on a high alert ahead of the soccer World Cup from June 14 to July 15, with matches in a number of cities.(Reporting by Katya Golubkova, editing by David Evans)
Saudi king establishes anti-corruption prosecution units-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's king has established special anti-corruption units of prosecutors to pursue embezzlement cases in the kingdom after a recent crackdown.King Salman's decision was announced Sunday in a report on the state-run Saudi Press Agency.The report said the king's decision came from "his concern over combating corruption in all its forms aiming to protect the homeland and its resources, maintain public money and protect the integrity of the public employment."The decision comes after Saudi Arabia arrested dozens of princes, business leaders and government officials in early November in a push led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Authorities say the arrests netted more than $106 billion in exchange for the release most of the detainees.Critics say the arrests were more to consolidate Crown Prince Mohammed's power.The Associated Press.
Le Pen wants French far-right party renamed National Rally-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
PARIS — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen proposed renaming the National Front party co-founded by her father 46 years ago to National Rally on Sunday to put it in a win mode for future elections.Le Pen's proposal to open a new era for the anti-immigration party with a new name culminated Le Pen's closing speech at the party's two-day congress in Lille, the capital of the National Front's northern heartland.The name National Rally must be approved by party members in a mail vote for it to be adopted.In another decisive change, the party severed the final ties to Le Pen's firebrand father, National Front co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. He was not allowed to attend the congress. The move was part of the broader makeover designed to revive the nationalist party's fortunes after Marine Le Pen failed to win the French presidency last year.In a nod to the apparently large contingent of members opposed to a name change, Le Pen noted that the National Front name, which the party has had since its founding in 1972, is linked to a "glorious" past. However, she said it serves as a psychological barrier for potential new members and voters, notably the word "front," which connotes opposition.A questionnaire to members showed only 52 per cent wanted a new name for the party.The changes are part of a broader makeover Le Pen hopes will help boost the party to power. Le Pen has worked since taking over in 2011 to remove the stigma of racism and anti-Semitism attached to the National Front under her father's leadership.The party has fallen into the political netherworld since Marine Le Pen's loss to Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election 10 months ago.Despite her troubles, Marine Le Pen was re-elected to a new term as party president at the congress — the only candidate for the post. National Front members also approved a new leadership structure and a 100-member governing council was named.The Associated Press.
Ethiopian soldiers kill nine civilians mistaken for militants-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian soldiers killed nine civilians and injured 12 after mistaking them for rebels near a town along the country's border with Kenya, state media said on Sunday.The soldiers were deployed to the Moyale area of the country's Oromiya region in pursuit of Oromo Liberation Front fighters who had crossed into Ethiopia from three locations, the Ethiopian News Agency said."Nine civilians were killed and 12 others were injured during an operation that was launched with faulty intelligence," members of the armed forces told the agency.Several soldiers have been suspended and are under investigation, it said, adding that a high-level military delegation had been dispatched to the area to launch an inquiry.The Oromo Liberation Front is a secessionist group which the government has branded as terrorist.The incident took place at a time when outbreaks of violence have continued to plague the country, mostly in Oromiya.Last month, Addis Ababa imposed a six-month, nationwide state of emergency to tamp down unrest in Africa’s second most populous nation.The move was made a day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation in what he said was a bid to smooth the way for reforms.His replacement is expected to be named this month.(Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Mark Potter)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
After visiting North Korea, South Korea officials to meet China, Japan leaders-[Reuters]-By Christine Kim-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
SEOUL (Reuters) - Two senior South Korean officials who met with North Korea's Kim Jong Un last week will split up to visit the leaders of China and Japan this week to update them on the talks, a South Korean presidential official said on Sunday.Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a mobile message that National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong will meet with China's Xi Jinping on Monday, while spy agency chief Suh Hoon, accompanied by one of Chung's deputies Nam Gwan-pyo, will speak with Japan's Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.Chung and Suh will leave for China and Japan separately on Monday to discuss their visit to North Korea with officials there. Chung is also scheduled to visit Russia after his trip to Beijing, but the details of that have yet to be announced.The two officials returned on Sunday from a visit to the United States where an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for dialogue on his nuclear program was delivered to U.S. President Donald Trump.Trump agreed to meet with Kim and the two are expected to have the meeting some time before the end of May, although a time and place has not been set.A Blue House official told reporters earlier on Sunday the truce village of Panmunjom at the inter-Korean border is a strong candidate for the U.S.-North Korea summit. Kim will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Panmunjom before the end of April for the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.Other locations being floated in the media for the meeting between Trump and Kim include Switzerland, Sweden and the South Korean resort island of Jeju.Officials from North Korea and the United States will speak directly with each other, while South Korea will be asked to consult with both, the South Korean official said.Trump said on Saturday his planned meeting with Kim Jong Un could end quickly without an agreement or could result in "the greatest deal for the world" to ease nuclear tensions between the two countries."I may leave fast" if progress does not seem possible, Trump said at a campaign rally for Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone in western Pennsylvania. Trump said he believed North Korea wanted to make peace and that: "I think it's time."(Reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Mark Potter)
Historic vote in China will let president rule for life-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
BEIJING — Xi Jinping, already China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, received a vastly expanded mandate Sunday as lawmakers abolished presidential term limits that have been in place for more than 35 years and wrote his political philosophy into the country's constitution.In one swift vote, the rubber-stamp legislature opened up the possibility of Xi serving as president for life, returning China to the one-man-rule system that prevailed during the era of Mao and the emperors who came before him.The package of constitutional amendments passed the nearly 3,000-member National People's Congress almost unanimously, with just two opposing votes and three abstentions. The vote further underscored the total dominance of Chinese politics possessed by the 64-year-old Xi, who serves simultaneously as the head of state, leader of the ruling Communist Party and commander of the powerful 1 million-member armed forces.The move upends a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao's chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution."This marks the biggest regression in China's legal system since the reform and opening-up era of the 1980s," said Zhang Lifan, an independent Beijing-based political commentator."I'm afraid that this will all be written into our history in the future," Zhang said.The change is widely seen as the culmination of Xi's efforts since being appointed leader of the party in 2012 to concentrate power in his own hands and defy norms of collective leadership established over the past two decades. Xi has appointed himself to head bodies that oversee national security, finance, economic reform and other major initiatives, effectively sidelining the Communist Party's No. 2 figure, Premier Li Keqiang.In addition to scrapping the limitation that presidents can serve only two consecutive terms, the amendments also inserted Xi's personal political philosophy into the preamble of the constitution, along with phrasing that emphasizes the party's leadership."It is rare nowadays to see a country with a constitution that emphasizes the constitutional position of any one political party," Zhang said.Voting among the legislature's hand-picked delegates began in the mid-afternoon, with Xi leading members of the party's seven-member all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee in casting their ballots on a stage inside a cavernous hall. He placed his orange ballot paper in a red box bearing the official seal of state.Rank-and-file deputies then rose to vote on the floor of the hall as jaunty instrumental music played. The process was over in 10 minutes, and delegates returned to their seats while the votes were counted.Shortly after 3:50 p.m., the results were read over the public-address system and flashed briefly on a screen in the hall."The constitutional amendment item has passed," the announcer declared to polite applause.Xi showed little emotion, remaining in his seat with other deputies to listen to a report on the work of the congress delivered by its outgoing chairman.The slide toward one-man rule under Xi has fueled concern that Beijing is eroding efforts to guard against the excesses of autocratic leadership.The head of the legislature's legal affairs committee, Shen Chunyao, dismissed those worries as "speculation that is ungrounded and without basis."Shen told reporters that the party's 90-year history has led to a system of orderly succession to "maintain the vitality and long-term stability of the party and the people.""We believe in the future that we will continue with this path and discover an even brighter future," Shen said.In a sign of the issue's sensitivity, government censors have aggressively scrubbed social media of expressions ranging from "I disagree" to "Xi Zedong." A number of prominent Chinese figures have publicly protested the move, despite the risk of retaliation.Officials have said the elimination of presidential term limits is aimed only at bringing the office of the president in line with Xi's other positions atop the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission, which do not impose term limits.While some scholars questioned the wisdom of the move, others said they saw value in sending the message that Xi would be setting policy for many years to come."In fact, the more Xi Jinping's position is consolidated and the longer his governing time is to last, the more secure it is for the continuity of the policies," said Liu Jiangyong, a professor at Renmin University's School of International Relations.The move has crushed faint hopes for political reforms among China's embattled liberal scholars and activists, who now fear even greater repression. China allows no political opposition in any form and has relentlessly persecuted independent groups seeking greater civic participation. Leading Chinese officials have repeatedly rejected any chance of adopting Western-style separation of powers or multiparty democracy.Nevertheless, Xi's confident, populist leadership style and tough attitude toward corruption have won him significant popular support.Zhao Minglin, 32, a vice-president of a Beijing investment firm, said it would be easier for Xi to carry out his ambitious vision of raising living standards if more power were concentrated in his hands."I will definitely support this constitutional amendment and this government. This is a powerful and strong government," Zhao said. He added, however, that he was concerned that the public discourse lacked a space for dissenting voices.___Associated Press researchers Fu Ting and Shanshan Wang contributed to this report.Christopher Bodeen, The Associated Press.
Turkish plane with 11 on board crashes in Iran: state TV-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
DUBAI (Reuters) - A private Turkish plane traveling from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul with 11 people on board crashed in southwestern Iran on Sunday, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said."We can confirm that a Turkish private jet ... while passing through our airspace disappeared from the radar and crashed near Shahr-e Kord," Reza Jafarzadeh told state television.Iran's ISNA news agency quoted Jafarzadeh as saying 11 people were believed to be on board, but there was no word on their fate.An emergency services spokesman was quoted by ISNA as saying the plane was on fire.Emergency crews were attempting to reach the crash site but the terrain was mountainous, making their approach difficult, the spokesman said.(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Peter Graff and John Stonestreet)
Syrian army splinters rebel enclave in Ghouta onslaught-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army broke apart the rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta on Sunday, cutting off two major towns from the rest of the area, state media said, after a fierce battle waged under cover of an unrelenting bombardment.State television on Sunday broadcast from the eastern Ghouta town of Mudeira, which state television and a war monitor said the army had captured to link up with units on the other side of the enclave.A military media unit run by the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an ally of the Syrian government, said the army had also entirely surrounded the town of Douma.Footage showed several massive plumes of smoke in the distance behind a war-ravaged townscape with big holes in walls and roofs, and yet more smoke wafting across the streets. The sound of blasts could be heard.More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in the onslaught on the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus since it began three weeks ago with a withering bombardment, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.It said there was intense fighting on several fronts accompanied by a government artillery barrage, continuous air raids and attacks by helicopters.The advance on Mudeira, after the capture of the neighboring town of Mesraba on Saturday, has driven a wedge deep inside the insurgent territory, leaving the major towns of Douma and Harasta cut off.Rebel groups in eastern Ghouta have vowed they will fight on. A statement issued by Free Syrian Army factions there late on Saturday said they had taken a decision not to accept a surrender and negotiated withdrawal.After the army advances split up the enclave, Jaish al-Islam emerged as the strongest group in the town of Douma, Ahrar al-Sham in the town of Harasta and Failaq al-Rahman in the new southern pocket of eastern Ghouta.Syrian state media also reported army advances near Jisreen and Aftaris in the southeastern part of the rebel-held territory.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally Russia see the rebels as terrorist groups, and say their offensive is needed to end the rebels' rule over eastern Ghouta's large population.But the violence of their assault has prompted condemnation from Western countries and repeated calls by United Nations aid agencies for a humanitarian ceasefire.Activists and fighters in eastern Ghouta in recent days have said the bombardment has included incendiary material that causes fires and burn injuries. Local doctors have also reported several incidents of bomb attacks followed by the smell of chlorine and choking symptoms.The government denies using either incendiary weapons or chlorine gas bombs, and said on Saturday it had information that the rebels were planning to stage a fake chemical attack to discredit the army.GUNFIRE-In Muscat, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said it would be "very unwise" for Syrian government forces to use weaponized gas, citing unconfirmed reports of chlorine attacks in eastern Ghouta.Visiting Oman, Mattis stopped short of threatening to retaliate against Syrian forces if a chlorine attack were confirmed. But he noted America's cruise missile strike on April 6, 2017, on a Syrian air base over a sarin gas attack and said President Donald Trump had "full political maneuver room" to take whatever decision he believed was appropriate.While the government and Russia say they have set up safe routes into government-held territory, no civilians are known to have crossed through them yet.Damascus and Moscow accuse rebels of firing on anybody who tries to leave, something the insurgents deny though a Reuters witness said there was shelling and gunfire near one exit route on Friday.Rebels and some eastern Ghouta residents contacted by Reuters have said people there do not want to come back under Assad's rule for fear of persecution, an idea the government says is groundless.On Saturday, the army found 60 civilians cowering in a basement in Mesraba. Activists in eastern Ghouta said thousands of people from Mesraba had already fled into Douma, further into the rebel territory, before the army took it.Syrian state television reported on Sunday that rebel mortar fire had killed four people after hitting a taxi. Assad has sworn to end insurgent shelling of the capital.Defeat in eastern Ghouta would deliver the rebels their biggest blow since December 2016, when a government offensive drove them from Aleppo, their largest urban stronghold.Backed by Russian war planes and other military assistance since 2015, Assad has gained momentum on several fronts across the country, driving rebels from numerous pockets and recapturing swathes of the east from Islamic State.But he is still far from regaining control over the entire country. Rebel groups hold large areas of the northwest and southwest, while northeastern Syria is in the hands of Kurdish fighters and allied militias.Meanwhile, the increasingly global nature of the war means that military attempts to regain several of those areas could pit Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers against forces that are also directly supported by powerful foreign countries.(Reporting by Angus McDowall and Suleiman al-Khalidi, additional reporting from Phil Stewart in Muscat, Editing by Mark Potter, William Maclean)
At least 44 militants killed in clash with Philippine troops: army-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
MANILA (Reuters) - At least 44 pro-Islamic State militants were killed and 26 more were wounded when Philippine soldiers shelled positions held by the rebels in southern Maguindanao province, the army said on Sunday.The fighting, initially with about 50 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), broke out in a remote village in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town from Thursday morning and lasted the following day, said Lt. Col. Gerry Besana.A soldier was slightly wounded, the army said in a separate statement.The number of BIFF members killed and wounded was based on intelligence information, Besana said. The military did not recover any enemy bodies, he said.Besana said the military launched artillery attacks with air support as the number of BIFF fighters had risen to about one hundred during the fighting.The military classifies the BIFF, which it said has about 300 members, as a terrorist organization, along with the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups."Seventy were killed and injured (on the BIFF side), we are still pursuing about 200 more," Besana said, adding that the clash had displaced about 500 families.The militants in southern Philippines were regrouping, retraining and recruiting new members for another attack elsewhere after occupying the southern city of Marawi for five months last year, according to the army.(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz, editing by Louise Heavens)
Turkish warplanes destroy 18 Kurdish militant targets in Iraq: Anadolu-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes destroyed at least 18 targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq over the weekend, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday.The strikes, carried out on Saturday and Sunday, targeted the Hakurk, Zap, Metina, Gara and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, Anadolu said, citing the Turkish military.Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq, where the group is based in the Qandil mountains.The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey, has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast that has killed some 40,000 people.Turkey in January launched a separate military operation in northern Syria's Afrin region to sweep Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters from its southern border. Turkey considers the YPG an extension of the PKK.U.S. support for the YPG in the fight against Islamic State in Syria has strained ties between Ankara and Washington, both members of the NATO military alliance.(Reporting by David Dolan, Editing by William Maclean)
UK police identify over 200 witnesses in nerve agent attack: minister-[Reuters]-By Peter Nicholls-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
SALISBURY, England (Reuters) - British police have identified more than 200 witnesses and are looking at more than 240 pieces of evidence in their investigation into a nerve agent attack on a Russian ex-spy and his daughter, interior minister Amber Rudd said on Saturday.Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since Sunday, when they were found unconscious on a bench in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury."The two victims remain in hospital and they're critical but stable," Rudd told reporters after chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra security committee.Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.Many in British media and politics have speculated that Russia could have played a part in the attack on Skripal, but Rudd reiterated that it was too early to say who was responsible, and police should be given the time and space to determine the facts.The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident and accused the British media of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria.In Salisbury, normally a quiet city, military vehicles and troops in protective suits and gas masks were seen working at several of the sites associated with the Skripal investigation.At an ambulance station a short distance from the city centre, troops in light grey overalls, purple gloves and gas masks covered ambulances with black tarpaulins as they prepared to remove them.At the hospital where the Skripals were being treated another team used an army truck to remove a police car.TRACES OF NERVE AGENT-The BBC reported late on Saturday that traces of the nerve agent had been found at Zizzi, an Italian restaurant where the Skripals had a meal before they were found unconscious. A police spokesman declined to comment on the report.The restaurant, which has been closed to the public since Sunday, was one of the sites being investigated by forensic teams. The BBC, without citing a source, reported that the authorities did not think anyone else who had been there was at risk from the nerve agent.Rudd said that Nick Bailey, a police officer who became unwell after taking part in the early response to the attack, remained seriously ill but was talking and engaging with his family.Wiltshire Police, the local force, issued a statement on Bailey's behalf in which he thanked the public for messages of support he had received."He does not consider himself a ‘hero’, he states he was merely doing his job," the statement said.Rudd said more than 250 counter terrorism police, from eight out of Britain's 11 specialist units, were involved in the investigation, which was proceeding with "speed and professionalism".The military have been providing support since Friday and Rudd said the police would continue to be given all the resources they needed to conduct the investigation.There was also a flurry of activity at the cemetery in Salisbury where Skripal's wife and son are buried, with forensic teams active in several parts of the site.Skripal's son, Alexander, died in July last year at the age of 43. British media reported that he died while in St Petersburg, Russia. Skripal's wife, Liudmila, died of cancer at 60, in 2012.British police have previously said they knew which exact nerve agent was used against Skripal and his daughter, but they have not made that information public.The attack has been likened to the assassination of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.A British public inquiry found that Putin had probably ordered Litvinenko's murder. Britain has named two Russian suspects but Russia has refused to extradite them.(Reporting by Peter Nicholls in Salisbury and Estelle Shirbon in London; Editing by Peter Graff, Toby Chopra and David Gregorio)
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
Honduras, Paraguay said ready to open Jerusalem embassies if Netanyahu visits-Latin American countries reportedly prepared to follow US and Guatemala in making controversial move-By Michael Bachner-TOI-MAR 12,18
After the United States, Guatemala and possibly the Czech Republic, two more countries were said on Sunday to be prepared to move their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem.Paraguay and Honduras are both ready “in principle” to take the step, provided that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first makes an official visit to their country, Army Radio reported, quoting a “senior Israeli diplomatic source.”In December, sources in Jerusalem were quoted by the Ynet new website as saying that according to “initial assessments,” the two Latin American countries were expected to be among the small group of countries following the US in moving their embassies from Tel Aviv to the capital.Last month, Honduras was one of only eight countries that opposed a UN General Assembly resolution condemning US President Donald Trump’s December recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, along with Guatemala, Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.Paraguay abstained, despite having previously displayed a pro-Israel slant on several occasions.Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign minister, visited South and Central America last year, but did not stop in either Honduras or Paraguay. He does not have any travel to the region planned in the near future. The Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the report.The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, heaped fulsome praise on Honduras for its UN vote during a visit this month, saying it showed the two countries’ bonds were evident.“That was not an easy decision for any country to have to vote on, but the people of Honduras stood with us in being able to make that decision for ourselves and decide where we want our embassy and to know that is our right,” Haley said in a joint news conference with newly re-elected Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez.Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy with his December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and setting in motion of plans to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. In February the US administration announced that it would open its Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.Last week, Guatemala announced that, like the US, it would be moving its embassy to Jerusalem in May.“In May of this year, we will celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary, and under my instructions two days after the US will move its embassy, Guatemala will return and permanently move its embassy to Jerusalem,” President Jimmy Morales told a crowd of more than 18,000 gathered in Washington, DC, for the annual AIPAC policy conference.On Thursday, the president of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, was quoted by local media as saying that moving his country’s embassy to Jerusalem is a top priority and that he wanted to speed up the process. However, the Czech foreign minister was said to object to the move.After Trump’s announcement, the Czech foreign ministry said it recognizes the pre-1967 West Jerusalem as the country’s capital, while noting the city should be a shared capital with the Palestinians.“The Ministry can start considering moving of the Czech embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem only based on results of negotiations with key partners in the region and in the world,” it said.Trump’s decision, welcomed by Israel, has been condemned by many leaders and foreign ministers across the world, who have said the city’s status should be determined through negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.The move enraged the Palestinians, who have since boycotted the US administration and staged a number of protests against the decision, some of them violent.Raphael Ahren and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Netanyahu said to tell cabinet still no ‘concrete’ US peace plan-Despite many reported leaks of details from Trump's proposal, PM reportedly says nothing on the table 'at the moment'-By TOI staff -MAR 12,18
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told cabinet ministers on Sunday that there is still no “concrete” US peace plan.“At the moment, there is no concrete American peace plan on the table. I’m not saying there won’t be, but at the moment there isn’t,” Channel 10 quoted him as saying.Though there have been many reported leaks of the Trump administration’s peace plan, as yet no details have been officially released and there has been no date for when it will be presented.Speaking after he met last week with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu told reporters that very little time was spent discussing a peace plan.“The issue of the Palestinians came up in the terms I described — the security question,” Netanyahu said. “Not more than quarter of the time [we discussed] the Palestinians.”In a report in the UAE-based Al Khaleej Times earlier this month, a Palestinian Authority official said that top Israeli and Saudi Arabian officials had held a series of secret meetings in Cairo, ahead of Trump’s expected unveiling of his long-awaited plan.The US administration is expected to announce the main points of its peace plan in the coming weeks, the Egyptian newspaper said. Administration officials have said the plan is close to completion, but have also refused to give a timeline for when it might be published.The privately owned Egyptian newspaper Al Shorouk reported that the Americans have notified some Arab capitals that Trump’s decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is “part of an American effort to persuade Israel, especially the hardliners, to agree to possible concessions to the Palestinians.”Trump has repeatedly said Israel will have to “pay a price” for the dramatic December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as its capital, though he has not detailed the concessions entailed. Netanyahu told reporters after meeting Trump last week that the issue had never come up between them.
Argentinian TV show confused about Israel’s capital-Quiz show cancels question asking ''which country has Tel Aviv as its capital,' eventually admitting the correct answer is 'none'-By TOI staff-MAR 12,18
A television quiz show in Argentina was forced to take an unscheduled break from its live broadcast Thursday while it ruled on which city was Israel’s capital.Playing in the final round to win a car in the show “La Tribuna de Guido,” two contestants were asked, “Which country has Tel Aviv as its capital?”One contestant, Rocío, didn’t know the answer, suggesting it was perhaps Iran. The other contestant, Lucas, wrote down “Israel” as his answer, but questioned whether it was in fact correct, given that there has been much discussion about whether Jerusalem is in fact the capital of Israel.The host was forced to take an unscheduled break while staff considered the issue. Eventually it was decided to invalidate the question.The show’s judges said they needed to “continue checking” since “different sources confirm both” cities as Israel’s capital.Rocio went on to win the car with the next question.Eventually the host said that the correct answer to the Tel Aviv question should have been “none,” as Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.The Spanish-language clip was uploaded to YouTube:Argentina was one of 35 countries that abstained in December’s United Nations vote condemning the US President Donald Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and calling on countries not to move their diplomatic missions to the city.Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy with his recognition earlier that month of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and setting in motion of plans to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. In February the US administration announced that it would open its Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.Last week, Guatemala announced that, like the US, it would be moving its embassy to Jerusalem in May.On Thursday, the president of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, was quoted by local media as saying that moving his country’s embassy to Jerusalem is a top priority and that he wanted to speed up the process. However, the Czech foreign minister was said to object to the move.On Sunday Army Radio, quoting a “senior Israeli diplomatic source,” reported that Paraguay and Honduras are both ready “in principle” to take the step, provided that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu first makes an official visit to their country.Buenos Aires has not yet officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or discussed moving its embassy from its current site in Herzliya Pituach, 15 kilometers (9 miles) north of Tel Aviv.
Abbas warns officials not to lash out at Arab countries-PA leader's statement comes after Palestinian sources are quoted accusing regional allies of colluding with Trump-By Khaled Abu Toameh-MAR 12,18
Any Palestinian official who speaks out against Arab governments or leaders will be held accountable for “harming Palestinian and Arab national security,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned on Sunday.The warning came following a series of critical statements, attributed to senior Palestinian officials, claiming that some Arab countries have been pressuring Abbas to accept US President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-unveiled peace plan.Most of the criticism, which appeared in various Arab media outlets, was directed at Egypt and Saudi Arabia, two countries that some PA officials have claimed are “colluding” with the Trump administration to “impose” the peace plan on the Palestinians.Other Palestinian officials have also accused the Arab countries of failing to take a tougher stance toward Trump’s December 6 announcement recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his recent decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Abbas’s decision may also be linked to recent statements by top Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, who recently criticized Egypt’s mediation efforts between Fatah and Hamas.In a statement published by the PA’s official news agency Wafa on Sunday, Abbas “affirmed the fixed Palestinian position of non-interference in the internal affairs of the Arab countries or offending them.”Abbas said it was forbidden to offend or slander any of the leaders of the Arab countries, according to the statement.“Any member of the Palestinian leadership who does so will be held accountable for causing harm to the Palestinian and Arab national security,” he cautioned.Abbas expressed “appreciation” for Arab countries’ support for the Palestinians and their rejection of the Trump decisions on Jerusalem and the embassy.He also hailed Arab countries for endorsing his own February 20 address to the United Nations Security Council. In that speech, Abbas called for a “multilateral international mechanism” to pave the way for Palestinian statehood.Arab League foreign ministers last week expressed full support for Abbas’s vision and called for convening an international peace conference.The announcement came at the end of a meeting in Cairo, where the Arab ministers also expressed support for Abbas in his standoff with the Trump administration.
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Russia test-fires ‘ideal’ hyper-sonic missile-Moscow says new Kinzhal missile launched from MiG-31 jet can fly 10 times the speed of sound, overcome air defense systems-By AFP-TOI-MAR 12,18
MOSCOW, Russia — Russia said Sunday it successfully launched a hyper-sonic missile which President Vladimir Putin called “an ideal weapon” as he unveiled a new array of next-generation arms earlier this month.The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia’s southwest, the defense ministry said.“The launch went according to plan, the hyper-sonic missile hit its target,” the ministry added.The ministry released video footage showing two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running towards a jet with a large missile slung beneath its underbelly.Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the dark sky, leaving a fiery trail behind.The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month, ahead of a presidential election on March 18 that he is all but guaranteed to win.Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defense systems.The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added.Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Facebook that work had also been done to modernize the “unique” MiG-31 supersonic jet that will carry the missile.Since the start of the year, more than 250 sorties have been carried out by the aircraft to perfect the work of the missile systems, the defense ministry said.
Netanyahu warns of Mideast nuclear arms race-After reportedly urging Trump to nix agreement with Saudi Arabia to provide reactors, PM says region could be 'nuclearized' following Iran deal-By TOI staff-MAR 12,18
Echoing reports that he warned US President Donald Trump against selling Saudi Arabia nuclear reactors last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Sunday against “nuclearizing the Middle East,” saying that the Iran nuclear deal, in its current form, could lead to a dangerous arms race.“Many countries in the Middle East say that they too should be allowed to enrich uranium if Iran is allowed to,” Netanyahu said at the opening of his weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem detailing his meetings with US officials, including Trump, during his five day-trip to the US.“The diplomatic discussions focused primarily on Iran,” he said. “I said that buried within the Iran nuclear deal are many dangers to the world, including a specific danger of the nuclearization of the Middle East.”In recent months Saudi Arabia has announced its intentions of embarking on a massive program to become “self-sufficient” in producing nuclear fuel. Preliminary plans suggest the Saudis may be looking to build as many as 17 reactors in all.In his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump reportedly refused to commit to halting an emerging deal to sell reactors to Saudi Arabia, telling the prime minister that if the US did not supply the reactors, then the Russians or Chinese would, Channel 10 news said last week, citing unnamed senior Israeli officials.Netanyahu and his team reportedly requested that, if the Americans insist on going ahead with building the reactors, Saudi Arabia be prevented from enriching uranium by itself. They demanded that this be a precondition for the entire deal, the report added.The Saudis meanwhile, are reportedly demanding the right to enrich uranium and have made it a condition to awarding the contracts — expected to be worth tens of billions of dollars — to US companies.The Israeli and Americans agreed that senior officials would continue to discuss the issue, the report said.Netanyahu’s efforts to prevent Saudi enrichment come despite an apparent ongoing improvement in behind-the-scene ties between Jerusalem and Riyadh, ironically spurred by a joint desire to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to alter the Iran nuclear deal.Last week, the Saudis granted Air India permission to fly through Saudi airspace to Israel, a first in 70 years.During a visit to the UN in New York on Thursday, Netanyahu said he was asked in Washington about his position on other Middle East countries seeking to enrich uranium. He said he responded by asking why they would want to do that.US officials, he said, told him “the reason that they’re asking to enrich uranium is because Iran has received the right to enrich uranium under the dubious nuclear agreement.”“The best way to prevent the nuclearization of the Middle East is to either fully fix the Iran deal, or fully nix it,” he then said. “This is the only way to prevent the inevitable spread of nuclear technology and nuclear weapons in the Middle East.”Throughout his trip, Netanyahu repeatedly said he supports Trump’s vow to abrogate the nuclear deal if Congress does not modify it — by ending its sunset provisions, incorporating a ban on ballistic missile tests and granting inspectors greater access to Iran’s military sites.The American legislature is now on a deadline of less than two months to reach an agreement.On Sunday, Netanyahu reiterated his belief that that the way to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East is “to fix the deal from its roots or annul it.”
Pakistan activists say court ruling threatens minorities-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
ISLAMABAD — Rights activists in Pakistan expressed concern Sunday over a court ruling that would require people to declare their religion on all official documents, saying it could lead to the persecution of minorities, particularly adherents of the Ahmadi faith.The Islamabad High Court ruling on Friday also requires that citizens take a religious oath upon joining the civil service, armed forces or judiciary.Zohra Yusuf, a board member at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, called the ruling "very dangerous." She said her group would issue a statement in the coming days."Religion is someone's personal affair, not a matter of public display," she said. "The oath thing is nothing but discrimination, and would show the government has no belief that minorities too are patriotic."The ruling appeared to be aimed at Ahmadis, who revere the 19th century founder of their faith as a prophet. Pakistan declared Ahmadis non-Muslims in 1974. They already face widespread discrimination and are often targeted by extremists.The oath would require people to testify that the Prophet Muhammad was the last messenger sent by God, the repudiation of a core Ahmadi belief."The court should have given us a chance to present our point of view before the verdict, which has increased our vulnerability as a community," said Saleem Uddin, a spokesman for Pakistan's Ahmadi community.He noted that several Ahmadis have been killed by religious extremists in recent years, and that their property and places of worship have been attacked. He said the community is consulting legal experts and may challenge the ruling.Zia Awan, another rights activist, said the court ruling would encourage extremists."I am afraid this will further endanger minorities and increase discrimination," he said.The Associated Press.
Pentagon head warns Syrian forces on chemical weapons-US defense secretary says Assad regime would be 'very unwise' to consider deploying chlorine gas-By Robert Burns-TOI-MAR 12,18
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has warned the Syrian government not to use chemical weapons in its civil war and says the Trump administration has made it clear that it would be “very unwise to use gas” in attacks.Mattis told reporters traveling with him to the Middle East that he was disturbed by reports of civilian casualties from bombings by Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.“Right now we’re getting reports — I don’t have evidence that I can show you — but I’m aware of the reports of chlorine gas use,” he said before arriving Sunday in Oman.The US responded militarily last year to reported Syrian government use of sarin gas, and Mattis was asked whether the administration is now considering retaliating for chlorine gas use.“I’m not going to strictly define it. We have made it very clear that it would be very unwise to use gas” as a weapon, Mattis said.He said the latest reports of Syrian government forces killing civilians show that troops are “at best, indiscriminately” attacking and “at worst, targeting hospitals. I don’t know which it is, whether they’re incompetent or whether they’re committing illegal acts, or both.”The Pentagon chief said Russia, which intervened militarily in Syria to support the Assad government, could be complicit in the civilian casualties.Syria’s deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad, denied opposition charges that government forces used poison gas in their attacks on some suburbs of Damascus, the capital.Mekdad said at a news conference Saturday that insurgents groups in the eastern Ghouta are preparing “to fabricate” more such attacks to blame the Syrian army.While in Oman, Mattis planned to meet with the country’s supreme ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said on Monday. Oman is a longtime security partner of the US, although some question whether it is facilitating, or turning a blind eye to, the movement of Iranian weapons to Yemen to aid Houthi rebels.Asked whether Oman is assisting Iran in this respect, Mattis said, “I’m not willing to say that.” He said he expects to discuss Yemen with Qaboos. Oman has longstanding commercial and political ties to Iran, an Omani neighbor but a US nemesis.Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Saturday that Oman’s role in the Persian Gulf is important to the US at a time of sharp divisions among the Gulf Arab states, civil wars in Yemen and Syria, and growing Iranian influence in Iraq.“The pattern in the Gulf is one of deep concern for the US,” Cordesman said.Mattis said he also will visit Bahrain this week. It is home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet.
Palestinian killed during clash with Israelis in West Bank: officials-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - A Palestinian was shot and killed on Saturday in what began as a clash between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian health officials said.Both sides blamed the other for instigating the violence that erupted between residents of a Jewish settlement and a nearby Palestinian village.The Israeli military said soldiers arrived at the scene and "used riot dispersal means and fired live rounds."The incident, it said, would be reviewed.Palestinian officials said a 19-year-old was killed and a second person was wounded, but it was unclear whether they were shot by Israeli soldiers or settlers.Some 550,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements and East Jerusalem, areas that are home to more than 2.6 million Palestinians.(Reporting by Ali Sawafta and Nidal al-Mughrabi; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Putin order for bomb threat plane to be downed in 2014 canceled after false alarm-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's Vladimir Putin in 2014 ordered a passenger aircraft which was reported to be carrying a bomb and targeting the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi to be downed, the president said in a film shown on Sunday.In a 2-hour documentary titled "Putin" and available on Russian social media, Putin told reporter Andrey Kondrashov he received a telephone call from security officers responsible for the Sochi Olympics on Feb. 7, 2014, shortly before the opening ceremony was due to start."I was told: a plane en route from Ukraine to Istanbul was seized, captors demand landing in Sochi," Putin said in the film seen by Reuters.The pilots of a Turkish Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Kharkiv to Istanbul reported that one of the passengers had a bomb and the plane had to change course to Sochi, Kondrashov said in the film.There were 110 passengers onboard, while over 40,000 people had gathered at the stadium to watch the opening ceremony, the reporter said.Putin said he sought advice from security officers and was told the emergency plan for that type of situation called for the plane to be shot down."I told them: act according to the plan," Putin said, adding that shortly afterwards he arrived at the Olympic venue with the International Olympic Committee officials.After several minutes Putin received another call, he said, informing him that it was a false alarm - the passenger was drunk and the plane would continue its flight to Turkey.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Sunday confirmed the comments in the film.Putin runs for the presidency next Sunday, March 18.The country is on a high alert ahead of the soccer World Cup from June 14 to July 15, with matches in a number of cities.(Reporting by Katya Golubkova, editing by David Evans)
Saudi king establishes anti-corruption prosecution units-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's king has established special anti-corruption units of prosecutors to pursue embezzlement cases in the kingdom after a recent crackdown.King Salman's decision was announced Sunday in a report on the state-run Saudi Press Agency.The report said the king's decision came from "his concern over combating corruption in all its forms aiming to protect the homeland and its resources, maintain public money and protect the integrity of the public employment."The decision comes after Saudi Arabia arrested dozens of princes, business leaders and government officials in early November in a push led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.Authorities say the arrests netted more than $106 billion in exchange for the release most of the detainees.Critics say the arrests were more to consolidate Crown Prince Mohammed's power.The Associated Press.
Le Pen wants French far-right party renamed National Rally-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
PARIS — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen proposed renaming the National Front party co-founded by her father 46 years ago to National Rally on Sunday to put it in a win mode for future elections.Le Pen's proposal to open a new era for the anti-immigration party with a new name culminated Le Pen's closing speech at the party's two-day congress in Lille, the capital of the National Front's northern heartland.The name National Rally must be approved by party members in a mail vote for it to be adopted.In another decisive change, the party severed the final ties to Le Pen's firebrand father, National Front co-founder Jean-Marie Le Pen. He was not allowed to attend the congress. The move was part of the broader makeover designed to revive the nationalist party's fortunes after Marine Le Pen failed to win the French presidency last year.In a nod to the apparently large contingent of members opposed to a name change, Le Pen noted that the National Front name, which the party has had since its founding in 1972, is linked to a "glorious" past. However, she said it serves as a psychological barrier for potential new members and voters, notably the word "front," which connotes opposition.A questionnaire to members showed only 52 per cent wanted a new name for the party.The changes are part of a broader makeover Le Pen hopes will help boost the party to power. Le Pen has worked since taking over in 2011 to remove the stigma of racism and anti-Semitism attached to the National Front under her father's leadership.The party has fallen into the political netherworld since Marine Le Pen's loss to Emmanuel Macron in the presidential election 10 months ago.Despite her troubles, Marine Le Pen was re-elected to a new term as party president at the congress — the only candidate for the post. National Front members also approved a new leadership structure and a 100-member governing council was named.The Associated Press.
Ethiopian soldiers kill nine civilians mistaken for militants-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopian soldiers killed nine civilians and injured 12 after mistaking them for rebels near a town along the country's border with Kenya, state media said on Sunday.The soldiers were deployed to the Moyale area of the country's Oromiya region in pursuit of Oromo Liberation Front fighters who had crossed into Ethiopia from three locations, the Ethiopian News Agency said."Nine civilians were killed and 12 others were injured during an operation that was launched with faulty intelligence," members of the armed forces told the agency.Several soldiers have been suspended and are under investigation, it said, adding that a high-level military delegation had been dispatched to the area to launch an inquiry.The Oromo Liberation Front is a secessionist group which the government has branded as terrorist.The incident took place at a time when outbreaks of violence have continued to plague the country, mostly in Oromiya.Last month, Addis Ababa imposed a six-month, nationwide state of emergency to tamp down unrest in Africa’s second most populous nation.The move was made a day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation in what he said was a bid to smooth the way for reforms.His replacement is expected to be named this month.(Reporting by Aaron Maasho; Editing by Mark Potter)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
After visiting North Korea, South Korea officials to meet China, Japan leaders-[Reuters]-By Christine Kim-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
SEOUL (Reuters) - Two senior South Korean officials who met with North Korea's Kim Jong Un last week will split up to visit the leaders of China and Japan this week to update them on the talks, a South Korean presidential official said on Sunday.Blue House spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a mobile message that National Security Office head Chung Eui-yong will meet with China's Xi Jinping on Monday, while spy agency chief Suh Hoon, accompanied by one of Chung's deputies Nam Gwan-pyo, will speak with Japan's Shinzo Abe on Tuesday.Chung and Suh will leave for China and Japan separately on Monday to discuss their visit to North Korea with officials there. Chung is also scheduled to visit Russia after his trip to Beijing, but the details of that have yet to be announced.The two officials returned on Sunday from a visit to the United States where an invitation from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for dialogue on his nuclear program was delivered to U.S. President Donald Trump.Trump agreed to meet with Kim and the two are expected to have the meeting some time before the end of May, although a time and place has not been set.A Blue House official told reporters earlier on Sunday the truce village of Panmunjom at the inter-Korean border is a strong candidate for the U.S.-North Korea summit. Kim will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at Panmunjom before the end of April for the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade.Other locations being floated in the media for the meeting between Trump and Kim include Switzerland, Sweden and the South Korean resort island of Jeju.Officials from North Korea and the United States will speak directly with each other, while South Korea will be asked to consult with both, the South Korean official said.Trump said on Saturday his planned meeting with Kim Jong Un could end quickly without an agreement or could result in "the greatest deal for the world" to ease nuclear tensions between the two countries."I may leave fast" if progress does not seem possible, Trump said at a campaign rally for Republican congressional candidate Rick Saccone in western Pennsylvania. Trump said he believed North Korea wanted to make peace and that: "I think it's time."(Reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Mark Potter)
Historic vote in China will let president rule for life-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
BEIJING — Xi Jinping, already China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, received a vastly expanded mandate Sunday as lawmakers abolished presidential term limits that have been in place for more than 35 years and wrote his political philosophy into the country's constitution.In one swift vote, the rubber-stamp legislature opened up the possibility of Xi serving as president for life, returning China to the one-man-rule system that prevailed during the era of Mao and the emperors who came before him.The package of constitutional amendments passed the nearly 3,000-member National People's Congress almost unanimously, with just two opposing votes and three abstentions. The vote further underscored the total dominance of Chinese politics possessed by the 64-year-old Xi, who serves simultaneously as the head of state, leader of the ruling Communist Party and commander of the powerful 1 million-member armed forces.The move upends a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao's chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution."This marks the biggest regression in China's legal system since the reform and opening-up era of the 1980s," said Zhang Lifan, an independent Beijing-based political commentator."I'm afraid that this will all be written into our history in the future," Zhang said.The change is widely seen as the culmination of Xi's efforts since being appointed leader of the party in 2012 to concentrate power in his own hands and defy norms of collective leadership established over the past two decades. Xi has appointed himself to head bodies that oversee national security, finance, economic reform and other major initiatives, effectively sidelining the Communist Party's No. 2 figure, Premier Li Keqiang.In addition to scrapping the limitation that presidents can serve only two consecutive terms, the amendments also inserted Xi's personal political philosophy into the preamble of the constitution, along with phrasing that emphasizes the party's leadership."It is rare nowadays to see a country with a constitution that emphasizes the constitutional position of any one political party," Zhang said.Voting among the legislature's hand-picked delegates began in the mid-afternoon, with Xi leading members of the party's seven-member all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee in casting their ballots on a stage inside a cavernous hall. He placed his orange ballot paper in a red box bearing the official seal of state.Rank-and-file deputies then rose to vote on the floor of the hall as jaunty instrumental music played. The process was over in 10 minutes, and delegates returned to their seats while the votes were counted.Shortly after 3:50 p.m., the results were read over the public-address system and flashed briefly on a screen in the hall."The constitutional amendment item has passed," the announcer declared to polite applause.Xi showed little emotion, remaining in his seat with other deputies to listen to a report on the work of the congress delivered by its outgoing chairman.The slide toward one-man rule under Xi has fueled concern that Beijing is eroding efforts to guard against the excesses of autocratic leadership.The head of the legislature's legal affairs committee, Shen Chunyao, dismissed those worries as "speculation that is ungrounded and without basis."Shen told reporters that the party's 90-year history has led to a system of orderly succession to "maintain the vitality and long-term stability of the party and the people.""We believe in the future that we will continue with this path and discover an even brighter future," Shen said.In a sign of the issue's sensitivity, government censors have aggressively scrubbed social media of expressions ranging from "I disagree" to "Xi Zedong." A number of prominent Chinese figures have publicly protested the move, despite the risk of retaliation.Officials have said the elimination of presidential term limits is aimed only at bringing the office of the president in line with Xi's other positions atop the Communist Party and the Central Military Commission, which do not impose term limits.While some scholars questioned the wisdom of the move, others said they saw value in sending the message that Xi would be setting policy for many years to come."In fact, the more Xi Jinping's position is consolidated and the longer his governing time is to last, the more secure it is for the continuity of the policies," said Liu Jiangyong, a professor at Renmin University's School of International Relations.The move has crushed faint hopes for political reforms among China's embattled liberal scholars and activists, who now fear even greater repression. China allows no political opposition in any form and has relentlessly persecuted independent groups seeking greater civic participation. Leading Chinese officials have repeatedly rejected any chance of adopting Western-style separation of powers or multiparty democracy.Nevertheless, Xi's confident, populist leadership style and tough attitude toward corruption have won him significant popular support.Zhao Minglin, 32, a vice-president of a Beijing investment firm, said it would be easier for Xi to carry out his ambitious vision of raising living standards if more power were concentrated in his hands."I will definitely support this constitutional amendment and this government. This is a powerful and strong government," Zhao said. He added, however, that he was concerned that the public discourse lacked a space for dissenting voices.___Associated Press researchers Fu Ting and Shanshan Wang contributed to this report.Christopher Bodeen, The Associated Press.
Turkish plane with 11 on board crashes in Iran: state TV-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
DUBAI (Reuters) - A private Turkish plane traveling from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Istanbul with 11 people on board crashed in southwestern Iran on Sunday, a spokesman for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said."We can confirm that a Turkish private jet ... while passing through our airspace disappeared from the radar and crashed near Shahr-e Kord," Reza Jafarzadeh told state television.Iran's ISNA news agency quoted Jafarzadeh as saying 11 people were believed to be on board, but there was no word on their fate.An emergency services spokesman was quoted by ISNA as saying the plane was on fire.Emergency crews were attempting to reach the crash site but the terrain was mountainous, making their approach difficult, the spokesman said.(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Peter Graff and John Stonestreet)
Syrian army splinters rebel enclave in Ghouta onslaught-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army broke apart the rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta on Sunday, cutting off two major towns from the rest of the area, state media said, after a fierce battle waged under cover of an unrelenting bombardment.State television on Sunday broadcast from the eastern Ghouta town of Mudeira, which state television and a war monitor said the army had captured to link up with units on the other side of the enclave.A military media unit run by the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, an ally of the Syrian government, said the army had also entirely surrounded the town of Douma.Footage showed several massive plumes of smoke in the distance behind a war-ravaged townscape with big holes in walls and roofs, and yet more smoke wafting across the streets. The sound of blasts could be heard.More than 1,100 civilians have been killed in the onslaught on the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus since it began three weeks ago with a withering bombardment, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.It said there was intense fighting on several fronts accompanied by a government artillery barrage, continuous air raids and attacks by helicopters.The advance on Mudeira, after the capture of the neighboring town of Mesraba on Saturday, has driven a wedge deep inside the insurgent territory, leaving the major towns of Douma and Harasta cut off.Rebel groups in eastern Ghouta have vowed they will fight on. A statement issued by Free Syrian Army factions there late on Saturday said they had taken a decision not to accept a surrender and negotiated withdrawal.After the army advances split up the enclave, Jaish al-Islam emerged as the strongest group in the town of Douma, Ahrar al-Sham in the town of Harasta and Failaq al-Rahman in the new southern pocket of eastern Ghouta.Syrian state media also reported army advances near Jisreen and Aftaris in the southeastern part of the rebel-held territory.Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally Russia see the rebels as terrorist groups, and say their offensive is needed to end the rebels' rule over eastern Ghouta's large population.But the violence of their assault has prompted condemnation from Western countries and repeated calls by United Nations aid agencies for a humanitarian ceasefire.Activists and fighters in eastern Ghouta in recent days have said the bombardment has included incendiary material that causes fires and burn injuries. Local doctors have also reported several incidents of bomb attacks followed by the smell of chlorine and choking symptoms.The government denies using either incendiary weapons or chlorine gas bombs, and said on Saturday it had information that the rebels were planning to stage a fake chemical attack to discredit the army.GUNFIRE-In Muscat, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said it would be "very unwise" for Syrian government forces to use weaponized gas, citing unconfirmed reports of chlorine attacks in eastern Ghouta.Visiting Oman, Mattis stopped short of threatening to retaliate against Syrian forces if a chlorine attack were confirmed. But he noted America's cruise missile strike on April 6, 2017, on a Syrian air base over a sarin gas attack and said President Donald Trump had "full political maneuver room" to take whatever decision he believed was appropriate.While the government and Russia say they have set up safe routes into government-held territory, no civilians are known to have crossed through them yet.Damascus and Moscow accuse rebels of firing on anybody who tries to leave, something the insurgents deny though a Reuters witness said there was shelling and gunfire near one exit route on Friday.Rebels and some eastern Ghouta residents contacted by Reuters have said people there do not want to come back under Assad's rule for fear of persecution, an idea the government says is groundless.On Saturday, the army found 60 civilians cowering in a basement in Mesraba. Activists in eastern Ghouta said thousands of people from Mesraba had already fled into Douma, further into the rebel territory, before the army took it.Syrian state television reported on Sunday that rebel mortar fire had killed four people after hitting a taxi. Assad has sworn to end insurgent shelling of the capital.Defeat in eastern Ghouta would deliver the rebels their biggest blow since December 2016, when a government offensive drove them from Aleppo, their largest urban stronghold.Backed by Russian war planes and other military assistance since 2015, Assad has gained momentum on several fronts across the country, driving rebels from numerous pockets and recapturing swathes of the east from Islamic State.But he is still far from regaining control over the entire country. Rebel groups hold large areas of the northwest and southwest, while northeastern Syria is in the hands of Kurdish fighters and allied militias.Meanwhile, the increasingly global nature of the war means that military attempts to regain several of those areas could pit Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers against forces that are also directly supported by powerful foreign countries.(Reporting by Angus McDowall and Suleiman al-Khalidi, additional reporting from Phil Stewart in Muscat, Editing by Mark Potter, William Maclean)
At least 44 militants killed in clash with Philippine troops: army-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
MANILA (Reuters) - At least 44 pro-Islamic State militants were killed and 26 more were wounded when Philippine soldiers shelled positions held by the rebels in southern Maguindanao province, the army said on Sunday.The fighting, initially with about 50 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), broke out in a remote village in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town from Thursday morning and lasted the following day, said Lt. Col. Gerry Besana.A soldier was slightly wounded, the army said in a separate statement.The number of BIFF members killed and wounded was based on intelligence information, Besana said. The military did not recover any enemy bodies, he said.Besana said the military launched artillery attacks with air support as the number of BIFF fighters had risen to about one hundred during the fighting.The military classifies the BIFF, which it said has about 300 members, as a terrorist organization, along with the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups."Seventy were killed and injured (on the BIFF side), we are still pursuing about 200 more," Besana said, adding that the clash had displaced about 500 families.The militants in southern Philippines were regrouping, retraining and recruiting new members for another attack elsewhere after occupying the southern city of Marawi for five months last year, according to the army.(Reporting by Enrico dela Cruz, editing by Louise Heavens)
Turkish warplanes destroy 18 Kurdish militant targets in Iraq: Anadolu-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes destroyed at least 18 targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq over the weekend, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Sunday.The strikes, carried out on Saturday and Sunday, targeted the Hakurk, Zap, Metina, Gara and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, Anadolu said, citing the Turkish military.Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes against PKK targets in northern Iraq, where the group is based in the Qandil mountains.The PKK, considered a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey, has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast that has killed some 40,000 people.Turkey in January launched a separate military operation in northern Syria's Afrin region to sweep Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters from its southern border. Turkey considers the YPG an extension of the PKK.U.S. support for the YPG in the fight against Islamic State in Syria has strained ties between Ankara and Washington, both members of the NATO military alliance.(Reporting by David Dolan, Editing by William Maclean)
UK police identify over 200 witnesses in nerve agent attack: minister-[Reuters]-By Peter Nicholls-YAHOONEWS-March 12, 2018
SALISBURY, England (Reuters) - British police have identified more than 200 witnesses and are looking at more than 240 pieces of evidence in their investigation into a nerve agent attack on a Russian ex-spy and his daughter, interior minister Amber Rudd said on Saturday.Former double agent Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since Sunday, when they were found unconscious on a bench in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury."The two victims remain in hospital and they're critical but stable," Rudd told reporters after chairing a meeting of the government's Cobra security committee.Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.Many in British media and politics have speculated that Russia could have played a part in the attack on Skripal, but Rudd reiterated that it was too early to say who was responsible, and police should be given the time and space to determine the facts.The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident and accused the British media of whipping up anti-Russian hysteria.In Salisbury, normally a quiet city, military vehicles and troops in protective suits and gas masks were seen working at several of the sites associated with the Skripal investigation.At an ambulance station a short distance from the city centre, troops in light grey overalls, purple gloves and gas masks covered ambulances with black tarpaulins as they prepared to remove them.At the hospital where the Skripals were being treated another team used an army truck to remove a police car.TRACES OF NERVE AGENT-The BBC reported late on Saturday that traces of the nerve agent had been found at Zizzi, an Italian restaurant where the Skripals had a meal before they were found unconscious. A police spokesman declined to comment on the report.The restaurant, which has been closed to the public since Sunday, was one of the sites being investigated by forensic teams. The BBC, without citing a source, reported that the authorities did not think anyone else who had been there was at risk from the nerve agent.Rudd said that Nick Bailey, a police officer who became unwell after taking part in the early response to the attack, remained seriously ill but was talking and engaging with his family.Wiltshire Police, the local force, issued a statement on Bailey's behalf in which he thanked the public for messages of support he had received."He does not consider himself a ‘hero’, he states he was merely doing his job," the statement said.Rudd said more than 250 counter terrorism police, from eight out of Britain's 11 specialist units, were involved in the investigation, which was proceeding with "speed and professionalism".The military have been providing support since Friday and Rudd said the police would continue to be given all the resources they needed to conduct the investigation.There was also a flurry of activity at the cemetery in Salisbury where Skripal's wife and son are buried, with forensic teams active in several parts of the site.Skripal's son, Alexander, died in July last year at the age of 43. British media reported that he died while in St Petersburg, Russia. Skripal's wife, Liudmila, died of cancer at 60, in 2012.British police have previously said they knew which exact nerve agent was used against Skripal and his daughter, but they have not made that information public.The attack has been likened to the assassination of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who died in London in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.A British public inquiry found that Putin had probably ordered Litvinenko's murder. Britain has named two Russian suspects but Russia has refused to extradite them.(Reporting by Peter Nicholls in Salisbury and Estelle Shirbon in London; Editing by Peter Graff, Toby Chopra and David Gregorio)
