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
Outgoing Paraguay leader wants to relocate embassy to Jerusalem-Horacio Cartes seeks move before the end of his term in mid-August, but Israeli officials are reportedly skeptical he can drum up support by then-By TOI staff and Raphael Ahren-APR 29,18
The outgoing president of Paraguay on Thursday voiced support for relocating his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by mid-August.Speaking at an event marking 70 years of Israeli independence, Horacio Cartes expressed his willingness to move Paraguay’s mission to Israel’s capital before the end of his term, according to the ABC Color newspaper.The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report.Diplomatic officials told Channel 10 they were skeptical the outgoing president has the political support to advance an embassy move in under four months.On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and launching the diplomatic process to move the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.In February of this year, the US administration announced that it would open its Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.Freshly confirmed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is reported to be set to head a 250-strong US delegation to the opening, which will include the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and likely also Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump.Two days later, Guatemala will follow suit and inaugurate its new embassy at Jerusalem’s Malha Technological Park. President Jimmy Morales is set to attend that event.Earlier this month, the parliament of Honduras passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the country’s embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Other countries have also stated they will relocate their embassies. The president of the Czech Republic on Wednesday announced the beginning of a process that will move the country’s diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, though it remains unclear if and when Prague will actually open an embassy in the holy city. In private conversations, European and Israeli officials acknowledge that Milos Zeman’s announcement by no means prefaces the speedy relocation of the Czech embassy.On Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancilas and the head of the country’s Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea — both ardent proponents of the embassy move — were in Jerusalem for meetings with top government officials.Netanyahu, in his meeting with Dăncilăs, “expressed appreciation for the Romanian government’s approval of a draft decision on initiating the transfer of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and welcomed the statements of the president of the parliament in support of the move,” according to a readout his office provided.The readout issued by Dancilas’ office spoke of “a framework launching the debate on relocating Romania’s embassy.”But on Friday, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis urged Dancilas to resign as prime minister over a secret memorandum adopted by the government last week with the aim of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, saying he is opposed to the move and was not informed beforehand.AFP contributed to this report.
Romanian president urges PM to quit in row over Israel Embassy move-Klaus Iohannis says he was not informed in advance of secret memo adopted by the government last week with the aim of moving the mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem-By AFP and Raphael Ahren-TOI-APR 29,18
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis called Friday for the resignation of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila amid a row sparked by the possible move of the country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.“Mrs. Dancila is not up to the job of prime minister of Romania and as a result the government is becoming a liability for Romania. That is why I am publicly calling for Mrs. Dancila’s resignation,” Iohannis said in a short statement.Iohannis pointed to a secret memorandum adopted by the government last week with the aim of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.He is opposed to the move and says he was not informed beforehand.“This was a big error, because in foreign policy, if we’re talking about secret documents, the president should have been consulted,” Iohannis said.Iohannis has no constitutional power to fire the prime minister, who would have to be removed by parliament.Dancila is the third prime minister in less than a year after power struggles within the ruling Social Democrat party (PSD) saw her two predecessors ousted.The spat over the embassy is the latest in a serious of clashes between Iohannis, who is from the center-right, and the left-wing government.On a two-day visit to Israel this week following the surprise embassy announcement, Dancila said that at this stage she did not have “support of all parties as we would wish” to carry out the move.The Israel Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reports.Earlier this week, the president of the Czech Republic announced a three-stage plan to relocate the country’s diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, starting next month with the appointment of an honorary consul in Jerusalem and concluding at an undetermined time with the relocation of the embassy.Israeli politicians hailed Milos Zeman’s speech, despite the fact that as president, he has limited executive power. Acting Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is opposed to a full-fledged relocation of the embassy, saying he does not want to break with EU policy. It remained unclear if and when Prague’s missions would move to Jerusalem.On December 6, US President Donald Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and launching the diplomatic process 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.Trump’s decision to move his country’s embassy, 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, who claim East Jerusalem — captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War — as their capital.
3 said killed, dozens hurt in Gaza as army says ‘hundreds’ try to breach border-Army says rioters 'hurled explosives, grenades and firebombs,' tried to burn fence; Strip's Hamas-run health ministry says several people hit by live fire, others by tear gas-By TOI staff and Agencies-APR 29,18
Three people were killed and over 300 hurt Friday, the Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry said, as thousands of Palestinians converged on the border with Israel for a fifth round of weekly protests.An Israeli army spokesman said that at one point “hundreds of rioters” tried to infiltrate Israel and “burn the security fence” near the Karni Crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.“The rioters approached the security fence and hurled explosive devices, grenades, firebombs and rocks and tried to light the security fence on fire,” the spokesman said. “In response, IDF troops operated in accordance with the rules of engagement and thwarted the attempted infiltration.”The army said that in other cases protesters hurled rocks, rolled burning tires and flew kites eith flaming objects attached to them over the fence.Meanwhile a top UN official urged Israel to refrain from using “excessive force” against demonstrators.It was not immediately clear how many people were participating in Friday’s “March of Return” rally, though numbers appeared to be down from previous weeks. The number of demonstrators has progressively dwindled, with the first event on March 30 drawing around 30,000 people, and last Friday’s rally managing only around a tenth of that.The protests, which are backed and encouraged by Hamas, the terror group that rules Gaza, were originally dubbed by their Palestinian organizers as nonviolent, but Hamas, which seeks to destroy Israel, publicly supported the protests and declared that their ultimate goal was to erase the border and liberate Palestine. Rioters have burned tires, hurled firebombs and rocks at Israeli troops, flown flaming kites over the border and repeatedly attempted to sabotage the security fence.Israel says Hamas uses the marches as cover for terrorist attacks.The Israeli army says its troops only open fire at demonstrators who engage in violence, or who attempt to breach the barrier separating the territory from Israel. Palestinian videos have emerged that purport to show soldiers shooting protesters who did not pose a threat. The army has accused Hamas of fabricating video footage or releasing only partial clips.The military also says Hamas is using the protests as cover to damage the border fence and prepare to infiltrate and carry out attacks. There is considerable concern among Israelis of a mass breach, in which Gazans would stream across with terrorists among them, wreaking havoc.According to the UN 42 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30, and Gaza health officials claim over 1,500 have been injured by live fire.Hamas acknowledged that five of its terrorists were among the fatalities after the first Friday demonstration, but has since refrained for acknowledging whether its men are among the dead. Israel has identified other fatalities as members of terrorist groups.The UN rights chief on Friday urged Israeli forces to stop using “excessive force” against the protesters and called for troops who have committed abuses “to be held accountable” for them.“Every week, we witness instances of use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said in a statement.“Warnings by the United Nations and others have seemingly gone unheeded, as the approach of the security forces from week to week does not seem to have changed,” he added. “The staggering number of injuries caused by live ammunition only confirms the sense that excessive force has been used against demonstrators — not once, not twice, but repeatedly.The statement made no mention of Hamas, and did not at any point condemn violent acts by protesters.“It is difficult to see how tire-burning or stone-throwing, or even Molotov cocktails thrown from a significant distance at heavily protected security forces in defensive positions can be seen to constitute such threat,” he said.“I am extremely concerned that by the end of today — and next Friday, and the Friday after that — more unarmed Palestinians who were alive this morning will have been killed, simply because, while exercising their right to protest, they approached a fence, or otherwise attracted the attention of the soldiers on the other side,” Zeid said. “Israel’s failure to consistently prosecute violations committed by members of its security forces, encourages them to use deadly force against their fellow unarmed human beings, even when they present no threat.”The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, lashed out at Hamas Thursday, accusing the Palestinian terror group of “using children as cannon fodder” at the rallies.“Anyone who truly cares about children in Gaza should insist that Hamas immediately stop using children as cannon fodder in its conflict with Israel,” Haley told a UN Security Council meeting convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East.Ahead of the meeting, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem urged the Security Council to protect Palestinians taking part in the demonstrations on the border.B’Tselem gave a list of names and ages of Palestinians it said were killed by Israel during the demonstrations.The group described the victims as “unarmed” and said their deaths were “the predictable outcome of the manifestly illegal rules of engagement implemented during the demonstrations, of ordering soldiers to use lethal gunfire against unarmed demonstrators who pose no mortal danger.”B’Tselem singled out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot as being primarily responsible for the deaths.The group said that any Israeli investigation into the deaths was likely to be “a whitewash,” and would be solely to “forestall and prevent investigations by international bodies.”The UN’s special envoy to the region, Nickolay Mladenov, told the council that both Israel and Hamas had to do more to prevent the deaths.“There has also been an increasing number of dangerous incidents at the fence, including the planting of improvised explosive devices — at least one of which has detonated — the throwing of Molotov cocktails, and attempts to breach the fence,” he said.“Israel must calibrate its use of force and minimize the use of live fire. Lethal force should be used only as a last resort,” he continued. “Hamas and the leaders of the demonstrations must keep protesters away from the Gaza fence and prevent all violent actions and provocations.The Israeli army says it mainly uses less-lethal means, as well as pinpoint fire against chief instigators. It says its sharpshooters target only those who attack IDF soldiers with stones and Molotov cocktails, actively try to damage the security fence, or attempt to place improvised explosive devices along the security fence that could later be used in attacks against Israeli patrols.Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, also accused Hamas of using innocents as “human shields.”“Throughout the riots of the past month, Hamas has used innocent Palestinian women and children as human shields, while they cowered behind in safety,” he said. “The terrorists are hiding while allowing, even hoping, for their people to die. This is evil in its purest form.”He told the international body that Israel does everything in its power to minimize civilian deaths, but that the main goal of the army was to defend the country.“Israel has an obligation to protect our citizens and we will do so while minimizing civilian casualties to the other side but let me be clear: Israel will never apologize for defending our country,” he said. “It is Hamas that is fully responsible for every Palestinian injury and death that has resulted from these incidents.”At previous peace talks, the Palestinians have always demanded, along with sovereignty in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Old City, a “right of return” to Israel for Palestinian refugees who left or were forced out of Israel when it was established. The Palestinians demand this right not only for those of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are still alive — a figure estimated in the low tens of thousands — but also for their descendants, who number in the millions.No Israeli government would ever be likely to accept this demand, since it would spell the end of Israel as a Jewish-majority state. Israel’s position is that Palestinian refugees and their descendants would become citizens of a Palestinian state at the culmination of the peace process, just as Jews who fled or were forced out of Middle Eastern countries by hostile governments became citizens of Israel.
State of emergency briefly declared at Israel’s NY consulate; suspect detained-Security personnel feared individual loitering at building was wearing explosive belt; he wasn't-By TOI staff-APR 29,18
A state of emergency was briefly declared at Israel’s New York Consulate Friday and a suspect was detained after arousing the suspicions of security personnel.The consulate was closed off for a short time, with no one entering or leaving.The suspect was apparently loitering around the building, and his appearance and strange behavior caused personnel to suspect he could be carrying an explosive belt. He was quickly detained by guards, and that possibility was eliminated.The man was taken into custody by New York police.A security alert was declared this morning in the Israeli Consulate General in New York. A suspect is now under NYPD custody. The staff is well. The morale is high. ????????— Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) April 27, 2018-The same building also houses Israel’s UN Mission and its Defense Mission to the US.Consul-General Danny Dayan tweeted: “A security alert was declared this morning in the Israeli Consulate General in New York. A suspect is now under NYPD custody. The staff is well. The morale is high”In September the consulate was briefly closed on two occasions when envelopes with white powder were sent to the building along with a direct threat on the life of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The substance was eventually determined to be harmless.Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.
Liberman to Mattis: Iran is ‘greatest threat’ in Middle East ‘and beyond’-As he hosts Israeli counterpart, US secretary of defense warns that confrontation between Iran and Israel in Syria is becoming more likely-By TOI staff-APR 29,18
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told his American counterpart, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, that “the greatest threat to the stability of the Middle East” is Iran.The two met Thursday at the Pentagon, together with the top uniformed soldier in the US military, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, to discuss “recent developments in the Middle East, especially Iran’s efforts to entrench itself in Syria,” according to a statement from Liberman’s office.At the meeting, Liberman reportedly told Mattis, “I want to express our appreciation for the extraordinary cooperation” between the two governments, “and hope we can translate the results of this meeting into meaningful steps on the ground.”Israel is working with the Trump administration on beefing up — or canceling — the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, as well as urging the US to keep troops in Syria and help Israel fend off Iran’s growing military forces in the country.Asked by an Israeli journalist from the Walla news site if the US planned to leave the nuclear accord, Mattis replied that the US has not yet decided.Asked if he believed constant Iranian weapons shipments into Syria were intended to be used in a future conflict with Israel, Mattis suggested they were, telling reporters he could not think of another reason for the shipments.Liberman praised US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.“The greatest threat to the stability of the Middle East, and beyond, is the Iranian attempt to undermine stability in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and of course its nuclear ambitions,” Liberman told Mattis.Liberman left on a trip to the US on Tuesday night to meet top American defense officials for talks on Iran and Syria, his office said.In addition to Mattis, he met the newly appointed National Security Adviser John Bolton, as well as members of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, which has considerable influence over the US military and defense policy.At a hearing in Congress Thursday, Mattis warned that a military confrontation between Israel and Iran in Syria is becoming increasing likely. “I can see how it might start, but I am not sure when or where,” he said. “I think that it’s very likely in Syria because Iran continues to do its proxy work there through Hezbollah.”He accused Iran of “bringing advanced weapons for Hezbollah through Syria,” and noted that Israel “will not wait to see those missiles in the air. And we hope Iran would pull back.”According to a statement from Liberman earlier this week, his visit was to focus on “Iran’s expansion throughout the Middle East and on the Syria issue,” as well as Israeli-American security cooperation.“I will also take advantage of the opportunity to thank our American friends for transferring the embassy to Jerusalem — the perfect gift for the 70th anniversary celebrations,” Liberman wrote in a tweet.The defense minister’s visit to Washington comes during a period of particularly heightened tensions between Iran, Israel and the US.Iran, which has called for the destruction of the Jewish state, is considered Israel’s primary nemesis, funding terrorist groups that carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. Israel, therefore, has designated Iranian entrenchment in Syria as unacceptable, something it will work to prevent militarily if necessary.Over the past two weeks, Israeli and Iranian officials have swapped increasingly bellicose threats following an airstrike on an alleged Iranian drone facility located on a Syrian air base on April 9. Iran, Russia, and Syria have all claimed Israel was behind the attack. Israel refuses to comment on the strike.In addition, Trump is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether or not America will remain part of the nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.Trump has long criticized the agreement, most recently calling it “insane” on Tuesday.“This is a deal with decayed foundations. It’s a bad deal, it’s a bad structure. It’s falling down,” Trump said.He has set himself a May 12 deadline, by which point he must make a decision whether or not to bring back sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Trump has indicated that he will remain part of the deal if significant changes are made to it.The JCPOA required Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions — but leave most of its nuclear infrastructure intact — in exchange for relief from the crippling sanctions that had been imposed on it.The deal’s critics argue that the “sunset clauses” in the JCPOA, periods of time after which Iran can begin enriching uranium, mean that the country is not actually prevented from developing a nuclear weapon, but is merely delayed. Others argue that international inspectors are not able to freely investigate locations like military facilities, something which may be exploited by Iran in order to violate the deal without getting caught.In addition, the nuclear deal is narrowly focused and does not address the country’s ballistic missile programs or its support for terrorist groups and dictators across the Middle East.“I think we will have a great shot at doing a much bigger, maybe, deal,” said Trump. “We’re going to see what happens on the 12th.”The other signatories of the JCPOA — China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and Germany — have either expressed hesitance at these proposed changes or outright opposition.However, on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump in the White House to discuss the JCPOA and indicated that some progress has been made to keep the US part of the deal.“I can say that we have had very frank discussions on that, just the two of us,” Macron told a joint press conference with Trump at his side.“We therefore wish from now on to work on a new deal with Iran,” he said.Macron clarified that he did not mean the JCPOA would be scrapped, but rather that it would be the “first pillar” in an expanded effort to rein in Tehran, which would address the nuclear deal’s “sunset clauses,” as well as the Iranian ballistic missile program and its support of terror groups across the Middle East.Judah Ari Gross and agencies contributed to this report.
North, South Korea commit to denuclearization in historic summit-Upon signing document calling for 'a nuclear-free Korean peninsula,' the two leaders shared a warm embrace-By Sunghee Hwang-TOI-APR 29,18
GOYANG, South Korea (AFP) — The leaders of North and South Korea agreed Friday to pursue a permanent peace and the complete denuclearization of the divided peninsula, as they embraced after a historic summit laden with symbolism.In a day of bonhomie, including a highly symbolic handshake over the Military Demarcation Line that divides the two countries, the pair issued a declaration on “the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.”Upon signing the document, the two leaders shared a warm embrace, the culmination of a summit filled with smiles and displays of friendship in front of the world’s media.They also agreed that they would this year seek a permanent end to the Korean War, 65 years after the hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.Moon would visit Pyongyang in “the fall,” the two leaders said, also agreeing to hold “regular meetings and direct telephone conversations.”The so-called Panmunjom Declaration capped an extraordinary day unthinkable only months ago, as the nuclear-armed North carried out a series of missile launches and its sixth atomic blast.Kim said he was “filled with emotion” after stepping over the concrete blocks into the South, making him the first North Korean leader to set foot there since the shooting stopped in the Korean War.At Kim’s impromptu invitation the two men briefly crossed hand-in-hand into the North before walking to the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom for the summit — only the third of its kind since hostilities ceased in 1953.“I came here determined to send a starting signal at the threshold of a new history,” said Kim.After the summit, he pledged that the two Koreas will ensure they did not “repeat the unfortunate history in which past inter-Korea agreements… fizzled out after beginning.”The two previous Korean summits in 2000 and 2007, both of them in Pyongyang, also ended with displays of affection and similar pledges, but the agreements ultimately came to naught.With the North’s atomic arsenal high on the agenda, South Korean President Moon Jae-in responded that the North’s announced moratorium on nuclear testing and long-range missile launches was “very significant.”It was the highest-level encounter yet in a whirlwind of nuclear diplomacy, and intended to pave the way for a much-anticipated encounter between Kim and US President Donald Trump.Last year Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear blast, by far its most powerful to date, and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.Its actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war.Moon seized on the South’s Winter Olympics as an opportunity to broker dialogue between them, and has said his meeting with Kim will serve to set up the summit between Pyongyang and Washington.The White House said it hoped the summit would “achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula.”Trump has demanded the North give up its weapons, and Washington is pressing for it to do so in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way.Seoul had played down expectations before the summit, saying the North’s technological advances in its nuclear and missile programs made the summit “all the more difficult.”Pyongyang is demanding as yet unspecified security guarantees to discuss its arsenal.When Kim visited the North’s key backer Beijing last month in only his first foreign trip as leader, China’s state media cited him as saying that the issue could be resolved, as long as Seoul and Washington take “progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace.”In the past, North Korean support for denuclearization of the “Korean peninsula” has been code for the removal of US troops from the South and the end of its nuclear umbrella over its security ally — prospects unthinkable in Washington.Moon said he hoped they would have further meetings on both sides of the border, and Kim offered to visit Seoul “any time” he was invited.After a morning session lasting an hour and 40 minutes, Kim crossed back to the North for lunch, a dozen security guards jogging alongside his limousine.Before the afternoon session, Moon and Kim held a symbolic tree planting ceremony on the demarcation line.The soil came from Mount Paektu, on the North’s border with China, and Mount Halla, on the South’s southern island of Jeju.After signing the agreement the leaders and their wives attended a banquet before Kim was to return to the North.
Macron calls for global cooperation to combat terror financing-French president warns jihadists using modern banking tools, says time for West to 'cross a new stage' in fight against IS, al-Qaeda-By AFP-TOI-APR 29,18
PARIS, France — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for more cooperation to deny jihadist movements the financing they need to carry out attacks, as dozens of ministers met to discuss how to cut off funds for extremists.France’s top anti-terror prosecutor, Francois Molins, had revealed earlier that the country’s security services had identified 416 French donors to the Islamic State (IS) group and had also detected 320 fundraisers mainly based in Turkey and Libya who transferred the money to the jihadists.Macron warned that the jihadists “use all contemporary forms of financing” in an address at the closing of a two-day conference on combating the funding of terror groups at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which brought together around 80 ministers and 500 experts.“We have to cut off terrorism at its roots: it feeds on human trafficking, drugs and weapons. There’s always an underlying economy,” said Macron, urging global “transparency and mobilization.”“We have to cross to a new stage in the fight against Daesh (Arabic acronym for IS) and al-Qaeda.”Macron praised the “No money for terror conference” for committing to improving such measures as sharing intelligence, fighting against anonymous financial transactions and identifying sources of funding.Attacks on Western targets have become increasingly low-cost since the 9/11 atrocities in the United States in 2001, particularly in recent years when IS followers have often used only vehicles or automatic weapons to kill people.But Molins estimated that attacks in France in January 2015 targeting the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket would have cost 25,000 euros ($30,000).More deadly assaults by teams of IS jihadists in Paris in November of that year, including against the Bataclan concert hall, would have cost an estimated 80,000 euros, he said.A French presidential official briefing journalists ahead of the terror funding conference this week said that IS income was estimated at about one billion dollars (820 million euros) a year between 2014-2016.Most of this was from local taxation, oil revenues and looting, with far smaller amounts flowing in from overseas donors.French officials are concerned that the money has been transferred out of Syria and Iraq and could be used to rebuild the organization.“It has been moved since, at least in part. It’s probably somewhere,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “These groups are very skillful in using sophisticated techniques to move financial resources around.”
EU tells platforms to sort fake news by October or face new law By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 26. Apr, 12:30-The European Commission is demanding online platforms and social networks crack down on fake news by October - or face the threat of regulation being imposed at a later date.The commission on Thursday (26 April) rolled out a series of measures it hopes will weed out what it broadly describes as 'disinformation', ahead of the upcoming European elections in 2019.The plans include an EU-wide Code of Practice on Disinformation, which must produce "measurable effects" by October."Between now and July, we would like them [online platforms] to reach agreement among themselves on a code of conduct of best practice against disinformation," digital economy commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, told reporters.She said the commission will be monitoring the progress and "if necessary, we will decide in December whether we will consider it advisable to adopt additional measures."It means online platforms will have to cut advertising revenue streams for anyone who spreads fake news and restrict targeting options for political advertising.It also requires, among other things, for platforms to provide access to more reliable information, increase transparency of sponsored content when it relates to elections, and include safeguards against disinformation.The commission wants a European network of fact-checkers to monitor progress. It is not yet clear who will be part of this network of trusted flaggers."We are not going to interfere in anyway in their daily work," noted Gabriel.The network will be supported by an European online platform on disinformation, which will offer things like cross-border data collection and analysis tools.Similar schemes launched by the EU's external action service, also known as East StratComm Task Force to tackle Russian disinformation, have recently generated backlash in the Netherlands.But security commissioner Julian King, who presented the plans alongside Gabriel, described disinformation as a threat to society and democratic institutions."When such manipulation is attempted by outside, from foreign actors, it can have serious potential consequences for our security," he said, noting information warfare is part of the Russian military doctrine.The commission defines disinformation as verifiably false or misleading information that is created, presented, and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public."It is not targetting partisan journalism," noted King.The commission's plan also seeks to support what it describes as quality journalism, by launching a call sometime this year to produce and disseminate "quality news content on EU affairs through data-driven news media."It also wants to improve media literacy of online users by launching a "European Week of Media Literacy".-Free speech limit tested-But not everyone is happy, noting that such efforts risk imposing limits on free speech and privacy.Maryant Fernandez Perez, a senior policy advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi), a Brussels-based NGO, in a statement said more evidence is needed to back up the commission's plans."For the moment, we have different initiatives from the European commission that do not even agree on how to define the problem being addressed," she said.The Civil Liberties Union for Europe, another NGO, says more research is needed before imposing EU-level plans on tackling fake news because free speech could be at risk.Giovanni Buttarelli, the EU's data protection supervisor, has made similar observations, noting that the problem is also partly rooted in the "irresponsible, illegal or unethical use of personal information."In an opinion on online manipulation out earlier this year, he pointed out solutions tend to focus on transparency while neglecting accountability of those behind fake news.Buttarelli said the crisis is instead one that depends on privacy and free expression, noting that government and company surveillance has led to a chilling effect on people's ability to express themselves freely."The problem is real and urgent, and is likely to get worse as more people and things connect to the internet and the role of Artificial Intelligence systems increases," he said.Thursday's announcement also follows a separate meeting between the EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova and member state national election commissions earlier this week, where they discussed "emerging challenges related to the role of social media in the electoral process."
I didn't want him to be alone,' says woman who held Toronto van attack victim's hand as he died-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 28, 2018
A local shop manager, who held the hand of one of Toronto's van attack victims as he died, says she "didn't want him to be alone" — although they had never met before."I didn't want him to feel, like, empty," said Shanna Han, who works at NYX ECIGS, a vape store a few doors down from where the van mowed down pedestrians. Han stayed by Chul Min (Eddie) Kang's side while paramedics arrived."I was trying to talk to him just to keep him alive … I was trying to get him to respond, but he didn't," she said.Kang is one of the latest victims to be identified after a van plowed into 24 pedestrians near a busy intersection on Monday.Kang's friends told CBC Toronto he worked as a chef at the Copacabana restaurant, a Brazilian steakhouse in the city's downtown, and had a wife in South Korea. He is among 10 people killed and 14 others injured after the van driver mounted the curb and barrelled down the sidewalk along Yonge Street. Han said she was working that afternoon when she felt the floors shake and heard the windows rattle "like crazy." She looked up and recalls seeing a white van race by, just outside the shop's window."Then I saw Eddie's body just collapse on the floor," she said. "My mind was blank and my instinct was to just run out to help him." Han held his hand, trying to find a pulse while they waited for help to arrive."For a brief moment I actually thought he was going to be OK, because he was coughing and he was still breathing," she said."I tried to be there for him for as long as I can. Just to give him that comfort, and I was letting him know that I'm going to see him in the hospital when he wakes up. But I know there was not much that I could do."Kang never made it to the hospital, she said. He died on the sidewalk. "I would expect someone to give me that same comfort in my last moments, whether I knew them or not," said Han."I hope he didn't feel whatever pain he was going through, and hopefully he found peace." Meanwhile, some two kilometres away, a Toronto police officer was apprehending the alleged driver, Alek Minassian.The rental van was stopped on the sidewalk, its front end damaged, when Const. Ken Lam pulled up beside it.Video of the tense arrest has attracted international attention for how Lam handled the man.It was recorded by Clark Hua Zhang, who was driving back from the gym when he saw the van pull up along Poyntz Avenue, near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue West.The dramatic footage shows Lam confronting a man standing next to the vehicle. The driver's side door was open and the man's arm was outstretched, pointing a black object at the officer."The suspect looked like he had a gun in his hand, and he was waving it at the officer and saying, 'I have a gun,'" Asher Din told CBC Toronto. "The officer kept saying to him, 'Drop your weapon. Drop your weapon.'"Lam did not fire.Instead, the traffic response officer holstered his gun and grabbed a baton as he took strides toward the man. The suspect tossed aside the object in his hand and lay down, where he was handcuffed.The incident was over in 37 seconds.Asher said he then rushed to help the officer."He asked me to run over here and make sure there's nobody else hurt, there's no bodies, there's nothing going on," he said, noting he was unaware of what had just unfolded a few blocks north. "At first I couldn't believe it, because it's very impossible to believe that somebody would do such a horrific act."Minassian, 25, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder. Police have said a 14th count of attempted murder is expected.
Russia parades Syrian 'witnesses' to disprove gas attack-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 29, 2018
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Russia ratcheted up its efforts Thursday to try to disprove that a Syrian town was hit by a poison gas attack, bringing a group of Syrians, including an 11-year-old boy, to the global chemical weapons watchdog's headquarters to denounce the reports as fake.The U.S., Britain, France and their allies boycotted the event at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, branding it as "nothing more than a crude propaganda exercise" and an "obscene masquerade."The Syrians were flown to Europe to tell their stories at the OPCW and then ushered into a roomful of reporters at a nearby hotel where they all repeated nearly identical accounts: There was no chemical attack in Douma, near Damascus, on April 7. Patients who visited the hospital suffering from asphyxiation had inhaled only smoke and dust. There were no chemical traces or smells. Panic was sparked when first responders entered the hospital and began yelling that chemical weapons had been used.One of them told reporters that the Syrians were in The Hague of their own free will and had not been put under any pressure.The insistence by Russia and Syria that the chemical weapons attack was staged runs counter to witnesses and survivors interviewed by The Associated Press, some of them in Douma, who described being overwhelmed by a strong smell of chlorine.The survivors interviewed by the AP in Douma after government forces took control of the town blamed rebels from the Army of Islam group of being behind the attack.Other survivors who left Douma said the chlorine attack occurred amid government airstrikes and blamed the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.The OPCW sent inspectors to Syria to investigate what happened. The team is not mandated to apportion blame.The U.S., Britain and France launched airstrikes on April 14, targeting suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities.Russia has accused the Syrian opposition and its first responders, known as the White Helmets, of fabricating videos of chemical weapons attack to frame the government.Following a sarin gas attack in the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun last year, Russia dismissed U.N. accusations that the Syrian government was responsible and said photos and videos made by the White Helmets at the site show them without proper protection gear — an indication the attack was a fabrication. A joint OPCW-U.N. investigation, however, blamed Syria for the attack.Russia has never before gone to the lengths it did Thursday, including bringing Syrians to Europe to back its claims.The youngest participant was 11-year-old Hassan Diab, who was seen on video after the Douma attack being doused with water in a hospital.With little more than his head and shoulders visible above the table, he looked healthy if slightly bewildered as he briefly recounted what happened to him before returning to sit with his mother in the front row of the audience, starting to fidget and walk around during the lengthy news conference."We were in the basement; we heard cries on the street that we should go to the hospital. We got scared. We went to the hospital through the tunnel," he said, largely echoing what his father had said before him. "They started pouring water on me at the hospital. I don't know why. After that they took me to a different place. Thank you."Russian Ambassador Alexander Shulgin defended bringing the child to The Hague."Little Hassan is an eyewitness today, an extremely important witness," Shulgin said, speaking through an interpreter. "He's proving — an innocent child — he's telling the truth. You know that out of the baby's mouth comes the truth, and today that truth you don't want to hear."Shulgin said Russia has been accused repeatedly of spreading fake news."After this briefing, no one would have a shadow of a doubt who distributes fake news and who is waging an information war," he added.The United States and its allies were not convinced."The authenticity of the information gathered to date on the chemical attacks that occurred in Douma on 7 April, through numerous testimonies, is unassailable," the nations said in a statement."Medical NGOs have found traces of chemical agents on the victims. Photographs and videos, numerous and mutually reinforcing, have been authenticated. The symptoms of more than 500 patients who presented on the same day of the attack in health care facilities undoubtedly corresponded to gas intoxication," the statement said.Britain's ambassador, Peter Wilson, said he and other Western allies refused to attend the briefing."This obscene masquerade does not come as a surprise from the Syrian government, which has massacred and gassed its own people for the last seven years," said France's ambassador to the Netherlands, Philippe Lalliot.Inside Syria, government forces on Thursday pushed into a Damascus neighbourhood held by the Islamic State group from different directions, capturing buildings and tunnels used by the extremists, state media said.The state news agency SANA said dozens of IS fighters were killed in battles in the southern Damascus neighbourhood of Hajar al-Aswad, where ground troops closely co-ordinated airstrikes with the air force.The weeklong fighting in Hajar al-Aswad and the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk has killed dozens of people. The area is the last district not in government control in Damascus, and its capture would boost security in Assad's seat of power.The opposition's Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian authorities ordered rebel groups in the southern Damascus suburbs of Babila, Beit Sahm and Yalda to give up their positions along fronts lines with IS in the area or face government bombardment.The Britain-based Observatory said the fighting that started April 19 has killed 68 Syrian troops and pro-government fighters as well as 52 IS militants.___Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed.Mike Corder, The Associated Press.
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
Outgoing Paraguay leader wants to relocate embassy to Jerusalem-Horacio Cartes seeks move before the end of his term in mid-August, but Israeli officials are reportedly skeptical he can drum up support by then-By TOI staff and Raphael Ahren-APR 29,18
The outgoing president of Paraguay on Thursday voiced support for relocating his country’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by mid-August.Speaking at an event marking 70 years of Israeli independence, Horacio Cartes expressed his willingness to move Paraguay’s mission to Israel’s capital before the end of his term, according to the ABC Color newspaper.The Israeli Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the report.Diplomatic officials told Channel 10 they were skeptical the outgoing president has the political support to advance an embassy move in under four months.On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and launching the diplomatic process to move the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.In February of this year, the US administration announced that it would open its Jerusalem embassy in May 2018 to coincide with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s independence.Freshly confirmed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is reported to be set to head a 250-strong US delegation to the opening, which will include the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and likely also Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump.Two days later, Guatemala will follow suit and inaugurate its new embassy at Jerusalem’s Malha Technological Park. President Jimmy Morales is set to attend that event.Earlier this month, the parliament of Honduras passed a nonbinding resolution calling for the country’s embassy to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.Other countries have also stated they will relocate their embassies. The president of the Czech Republic on Wednesday announced the beginning of a process that will move the country’s diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, though it remains unclear if and when Prague will actually open an embassy in the holy city. In private conversations, European and Israeli officials acknowledge that Milos Zeman’s announcement by no means prefaces the speedy relocation of the Czech embassy.On Thursday, Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancilas and the head of the country’s Chamber of Deputies, Liviu Dragnea — both ardent proponents of the embassy move — were in Jerusalem for meetings with top government officials.Netanyahu, in his meeting with Dăncilăs, “expressed appreciation for the Romanian government’s approval of a draft decision on initiating the transfer of the Romanian Embassy to Jerusalem and welcomed the statements of the president of the parliament in support of the move,” according to a readout his office provided.The readout issued by Dancilas’ office spoke of “a framework launching the debate on relocating Romania’s embassy.”But on Friday, Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis urged Dancilas to resign as prime minister over a secret memorandum adopted by the government last week with the aim of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, saying he is opposed to the move and was not informed beforehand.AFP contributed to this report.
Romanian president urges PM to quit in row over Israel Embassy move-Klaus Iohannis says he was not informed in advance of secret memo adopted by the government last week with the aim of moving the mission from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem-By AFP and Raphael Ahren-TOI-APR 29,18
Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis called Friday for the resignation of Prime Minister Viorica Dancila amid a row sparked by the possible move of the country’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.“Mrs. Dancila is not up to the job of prime minister of Romania and as a result the government is becoming a liability for Romania. That is why I am publicly calling for Mrs. Dancila’s resignation,” Iohannis said in a short statement.Iohannis pointed to a secret memorandum adopted by the government last week with the aim of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.He is opposed to the move and says he was not informed beforehand.“This was a big error, because in foreign policy, if we’re talking about secret documents, the president should have been consulted,” Iohannis said.Iohannis has no constitutional power to fire the prime minister, who would have to be removed by parliament.Dancila is the third prime minister in less than a year after power struggles within the ruling Social Democrat party (PSD) saw her two predecessors ousted.The spat over the embassy is the latest in a serious of clashes between Iohannis, who is from the center-right, and the left-wing government.On a two-day visit to Israel this week following the surprise embassy announcement, Dancila said that at this stage she did not have “support of all parties as we would wish” to carry out the move.The Israel Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the reports.Earlier this week, the president of the Czech Republic announced a three-stage plan to relocate the country’s diplomatic missions from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, starting next month with the appointment of an honorary consul in Jerusalem and concluding at an undetermined time with the relocation of the embassy.Israeli politicians hailed Milos Zeman’s speech, despite the fact that as president, he has limited executive power. Acting Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is opposed to a full-fledged relocation of the embassy, saying he does not want to break with EU policy. It remained unclear if and when Prague’s missions would move to Jerusalem.On December 6, US President Donald Trump bucked decades of US foreign policy by formally recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and launching the diplomatic process 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.Trump’s decision to move his country’s embassy, 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, who claim East Jerusalem — captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six Day War — as their capital.
3 said killed, dozens hurt in Gaza as army says ‘hundreds’ try to breach border-Army says rioters 'hurled explosives, grenades and firebombs,' tried to burn fence; Strip's Hamas-run health ministry says several people hit by live fire, others by tear gas-By TOI staff and Agencies-APR 29,18
Three people were killed and over 300 hurt Friday, the Gaza Strip’s Hamas-run health ministry said, as thousands of Palestinians converged on the border with Israel for a fifth round of weekly protests.An Israeli army spokesman said that at one point “hundreds of rioters” tried to infiltrate Israel and “burn the security fence” near the Karni Crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.“The rioters approached the security fence and hurled explosive devices, grenades, firebombs and rocks and tried to light the security fence on fire,” the spokesman said. “In response, IDF troops operated in accordance with the rules of engagement and thwarted the attempted infiltration.”The army said that in other cases protesters hurled rocks, rolled burning tires and flew kites eith flaming objects attached to them over the fence.Meanwhile a top UN official urged Israel to refrain from using “excessive force” against demonstrators.It was not immediately clear how many people were participating in Friday’s “March of Return” rally, though numbers appeared to be down from previous weeks. The number of demonstrators has progressively dwindled, with the first event on March 30 drawing around 30,000 people, and last Friday’s rally managing only around a tenth of that.The protests, which are backed and encouraged by Hamas, the terror group that rules Gaza, were originally dubbed by their Palestinian organizers as nonviolent, but Hamas, which seeks to destroy Israel, publicly supported the protests and declared that their ultimate goal was to erase the border and liberate Palestine. Rioters have burned tires, hurled firebombs and rocks at Israeli troops, flown flaming kites over the border and repeatedly attempted to sabotage the security fence.Israel says Hamas uses the marches as cover for terrorist attacks.The Israeli army says its troops only open fire at demonstrators who engage in violence, or who attempt to breach the barrier separating the territory from Israel. Palestinian videos have emerged that purport to show soldiers shooting protesters who did not pose a threat. The army has accused Hamas of fabricating video footage or releasing only partial clips.The military also says Hamas is using the protests as cover to damage the border fence and prepare to infiltrate and carry out attacks. There is considerable concern among Israelis of a mass breach, in which Gazans would stream across with terrorists among them, wreaking havoc.According to the UN 42 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since March 30, and Gaza health officials claim over 1,500 have been injured by live fire.Hamas acknowledged that five of its terrorists were among the fatalities after the first Friday demonstration, but has since refrained for acknowledging whether its men are among the dead. Israel has identified other fatalities as members of terrorist groups.The UN rights chief on Friday urged Israeli forces to stop using “excessive force” against the protesters and called for troops who have committed abuses “to be held accountable” for them.“Every week, we witness instances of use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said in a statement.“Warnings by the United Nations and others have seemingly gone unheeded, as the approach of the security forces from week to week does not seem to have changed,” he added. “The staggering number of injuries caused by live ammunition only confirms the sense that excessive force has been used against demonstrators — not once, not twice, but repeatedly.The statement made no mention of Hamas, and did not at any point condemn violent acts by protesters.“It is difficult to see how tire-burning or stone-throwing, or even Molotov cocktails thrown from a significant distance at heavily protected security forces in defensive positions can be seen to constitute such threat,” he said.“I am extremely concerned that by the end of today — and next Friday, and the Friday after that — more unarmed Palestinians who were alive this morning will have been killed, simply because, while exercising their right to protest, they approached a fence, or otherwise attracted the attention of the soldiers on the other side,” Zeid said. “Israel’s failure to consistently prosecute violations committed by members of its security forces, encourages them to use deadly force against their fellow unarmed human beings, even when they present no threat.”The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, lashed out at Hamas Thursday, accusing the Palestinian terror group of “using children as cannon fodder” at the rallies.“Anyone who truly cares about children in Gaza should insist that Hamas immediately stop using children as cannon fodder in its conflict with Israel,” Haley told a UN Security Council meeting convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East.Ahead of the meeting, the Israeli rights group B’Tselem urged the Security Council to protect Palestinians taking part in the demonstrations on the border.B’Tselem gave a list of names and ages of Palestinians it said were killed by Israel during the demonstrations.The group described the victims as “unarmed” and said their deaths were “the predictable outcome of the manifestly illegal rules of engagement implemented during the demonstrations, of ordering soldiers to use lethal gunfire against unarmed demonstrators who pose no mortal danger.”B’Tselem singled out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot as being primarily responsible for the deaths.The group said that any Israeli investigation into the deaths was likely to be “a whitewash,” and would be solely to “forestall and prevent investigations by international bodies.”The UN’s special envoy to the region, Nickolay Mladenov, told the council that both Israel and Hamas had to do more to prevent the deaths.“There has also been an increasing number of dangerous incidents at the fence, including the planting of improvised explosive devices — at least one of which has detonated — the throwing of Molotov cocktails, and attempts to breach the fence,” he said.“Israel must calibrate its use of force and minimize the use of live fire. Lethal force should be used only as a last resort,” he continued. “Hamas and the leaders of the demonstrations must keep protesters away from the Gaza fence and prevent all violent actions and provocations.The Israeli army says it mainly uses less-lethal means, as well as pinpoint fire against chief instigators. It says its sharpshooters target only those who attack IDF soldiers with stones and Molotov cocktails, actively try to damage the security fence, or attempt to place improvised explosive devices along the security fence that could later be used in attacks against Israeli patrols.Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, also accused Hamas of using innocents as “human shields.”“Throughout the riots of the past month, Hamas has used innocent Palestinian women and children as human shields, while they cowered behind in safety,” he said. “The terrorists are hiding while allowing, even hoping, for their people to die. This is evil in its purest form.”He told the international body that Israel does everything in its power to minimize civilian deaths, but that the main goal of the army was to defend the country.“Israel has an obligation to protect our citizens and we will do so while minimizing civilian casualties to the other side but let me be clear: Israel will never apologize for defending our country,” he said. “It is Hamas that is fully responsible for every Palestinian injury and death that has resulted from these incidents.”At previous peace talks, the Palestinians have always demanded, along with sovereignty in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Old City, a “right of return” to Israel for Palestinian refugees who left or were forced out of Israel when it was established. The Palestinians demand this right not only for those of the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are still alive — a figure estimated in the low tens of thousands — but also for their descendants, who number in the millions.No Israeli government would ever be likely to accept this demand, since it would spell the end of Israel as a Jewish-majority state. Israel’s position is that Palestinian refugees and their descendants would become citizens of a Palestinian state at the culmination of the peace process, just as Jews who fled or were forced out of Middle Eastern countries by hostile governments became citizens of Israel.
State of emergency briefly declared at Israel’s NY consulate; suspect detained-Security personnel feared individual loitering at building was wearing explosive belt; he wasn't-By TOI staff-APR 29,18
A state of emergency was briefly declared at Israel’s New York Consulate Friday and a suspect was detained after arousing the suspicions of security personnel.The consulate was closed off for a short time, with no one entering or leaving.The suspect was apparently loitering around the building, and his appearance and strange behavior caused personnel to suspect he could be carrying an explosive belt. He was quickly detained by guards, and that possibility was eliminated.The man was taken into custody by New York police.A security alert was declared this morning in the Israeli Consulate General in New York. A suspect is now under NYPD custody. The staff is well. The morale is high. ????????— Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) April 27, 2018-The same building also houses Israel’s UN Mission and its Defense Mission to the US.Consul-General Danny Dayan tweeted: “A security alert was declared this morning in the Israeli Consulate General in New York. A suspect is now under NYPD custody. The staff is well. The morale is high”In September the consulate was briefly closed on two occasions when envelopes with white powder were sent to the building along with a direct threat on the life of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The substance was eventually determined to be harmless.Raphael Ahren contributed to this report.
Liberman to Mattis: Iran is ‘greatest threat’ in Middle East ‘and beyond’-As he hosts Israeli counterpart, US secretary of defense warns that confrontation between Iran and Israel in Syria is becoming more likely-By TOI staff-APR 29,18
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman told his American counterpart, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, that “the greatest threat to the stability of the Middle East” is Iran.The two met Thursday at the Pentagon, together with the top uniformed soldier in the US military, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford, to discuss “recent developments in the Middle East, especially Iran’s efforts to entrench itself in Syria,” according to a statement from Liberman’s office.At the meeting, Liberman reportedly told Mattis, “I want to express our appreciation for the extraordinary cooperation” between the two governments, “and hope we can translate the results of this meeting into meaningful steps on the ground.”Israel is working with the Trump administration on beefing up — or canceling — the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, as well as urging the US to keep troops in Syria and help Israel fend off Iran’s growing military forces in the country.Asked by an Israeli journalist from the Walla news site if the US planned to leave the nuclear accord, Mattis replied that the US has not yet decided.Asked if he believed constant Iranian weapons shipments into Syria were intended to be used in a future conflict with Israel, Mattis suggested they were, telling reporters he could not think of another reason for the shipments.Liberman praised US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem.“The greatest threat to the stability of the Middle East, and beyond, is the Iranian attempt to undermine stability in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and of course its nuclear ambitions,” Liberman told Mattis.Liberman left on a trip to the US on Tuesday night to meet top American defense officials for talks on Iran and Syria, his office said.In addition to Mattis, he met the newly appointed National Security Adviser John Bolton, as well as members of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, which has considerable influence over the US military and defense policy.At a hearing in Congress Thursday, Mattis warned that a military confrontation between Israel and Iran in Syria is becoming increasing likely. “I can see how it might start, but I am not sure when or where,” he said. “I think that it’s very likely in Syria because Iran continues to do its proxy work there through Hezbollah.”He accused Iran of “bringing advanced weapons for Hezbollah through Syria,” and noted that Israel “will not wait to see those missiles in the air. And we hope Iran would pull back.”According to a statement from Liberman earlier this week, his visit was to focus on “Iran’s expansion throughout the Middle East and on the Syria issue,” as well as Israeli-American security cooperation.“I will also take advantage of the opportunity to thank our American friends for transferring the embassy to Jerusalem — the perfect gift for the 70th anniversary celebrations,” Liberman wrote in a tweet.The defense minister’s visit to Washington comes during a period of particularly heightened tensions between Iran, Israel and the US.Iran, which has called for the destruction of the Jewish state, is considered Israel’s primary nemesis, funding terrorist groups that carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and troops. Israel, therefore, has designated Iranian entrenchment in Syria as unacceptable, something it will work to prevent militarily if necessary.Over the past two weeks, Israeli and Iranian officials have swapped increasingly bellicose threats following an airstrike on an alleged Iranian drone facility located on a Syrian air base on April 9. Iran, Russia, and Syria have all claimed Israel was behind the attack. Israel refuses to comment on the strike.In addition, Trump is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether or not America will remain part of the nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.Trump has long criticized the agreement, most recently calling it “insane” on Tuesday.“This is a deal with decayed foundations. It’s a bad deal, it’s a bad structure. It’s falling down,” Trump said.He has set himself a May 12 deadline, by which point he must make a decision whether or not to bring back sanctions against the Islamic Republic. Trump has indicated that he will remain part of the deal if significant changes are made to it.The JCPOA required Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions — but leave most of its nuclear infrastructure intact — in exchange for relief from the crippling sanctions that had been imposed on it.The deal’s critics argue that the “sunset clauses” in the JCPOA, periods of time after which Iran can begin enriching uranium, mean that the country is not actually prevented from developing a nuclear weapon, but is merely delayed. Others argue that international inspectors are not able to freely investigate locations like military facilities, something which may be exploited by Iran in order to violate the deal without getting caught.In addition, the nuclear deal is narrowly focused and does not address the country’s ballistic missile programs or its support for terrorist groups and dictators across the Middle East.“I think we will have a great shot at doing a much bigger, maybe, deal,” said Trump. “We’re going to see what happens on the 12th.”The other signatories of the JCPOA — China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and Germany — have either expressed hesitance at these proposed changes or outright opposition.However, on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump in the White House to discuss the JCPOA and indicated that some progress has been made to keep the US part of the deal.“I can say that we have had very frank discussions on that, just the two of us,” Macron told a joint press conference with Trump at his side.“We therefore wish from now on to work on a new deal with Iran,” he said.Macron clarified that he did not mean the JCPOA would be scrapped, but rather that it would be the “first pillar” in an expanded effort to rein in Tehran, which would address the nuclear deal’s “sunset clauses,” as well as the Iranian ballistic missile program and its support of terror groups across the Middle East.Judah Ari Gross and agencies contributed to this report.
North, South Korea commit to denuclearization in historic summit-Upon signing document calling for 'a nuclear-free Korean peninsula,' the two leaders shared a warm embrace-By Sunghee Hwang-TOI-APR 29,18
GOYANG, South Korea (AFP) — The leaders of North and South Korea agreed Friday to pursue a permanent peace and the complete denuclearization of the divided peninsula, as they embraced after a historic summit laden with symbolism.In a day of bonhomie, including a highly symbolic handshake over the Military Demarcation Line that divides the two countries, the pair issued a declaration on “the common goal of realizing, through complete denuclearization, a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.”Upon signing the document, the two leaders shared a warm embrace, the culmination of a summit filled with smiles and displays of friendship in front of the world’s media.They also agreed that they would this year seek a permanent end to the Korean War, 65 years after the hostilities ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.Moon would visit Pyongyang in “the fall,” the two leaders said, also agreeing to hold “regular meetings and direct telephone conversations.”The so-called Panmunjom Declaration capped an extraordinary day unthinkable only months ago, as the nuclear-armed North carried out a series of missile launches and its sixth atomic blast.Kim said he was “filled with emotion” after stepping over the concrete blocks into the South, making him the first North Korean leader to set foot there since the shooting stopped in the Korean War.At Kim’s impromptu invitation the two men briefly crossed hand-in-hand into the North before walking to the Peace House building on the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom for the summit — only the third of its kind since hostilities ceased in 1953.“I came here determined to send a starting signal at the threshold of a new history,” said Kim.After the summit, he pledged that the two Koreas will ensure they did not “repeat the unfortunate history in which past inter-Korea agreements… fizzled out after beginning.”The two previous Korean summits in 2000 and 2007, both of them in Pyongyang, also ended with displays of affection and similar pledges, but the agreements ultimately came to naught.With the North’s atomic arsenal high on the agenda, South Korean President Moon Jae-in responded that the North’s announced moratorium on nuclear testing and long-range missile launches was “very significant.”It was the highest-level encounter yet in a whirlwind of nuclear diplomacy, and intended to pave the way for a much-anticipated encounter between Kim and US President Donald Trump.Last year Pyongyang carried out its sixth nuclear blast, by far its most powerful to date, and launched missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.Its actions sent tensions soaring as Kim and Trump traded personal insults and threats of war.Moon seized on the South’s Winter Olympics as an opportunity to broker dialogue between them, and has said his meeting with Kim will serve to set up the summit between Pyongyang and Washington.The White House said it hoped the summit would “achieve progress toward a future of peace and prosperity for the entire Korean Peninsula.”Trump has demanded the North give up its weapons, and Washington is pressing for it to do so in a complete, verifiable and irreversible way.Seoul had played down expectations before the summit, saying the North’s technological advances in its nuclear and missile programs made the summit “all the more difficult.”Pyongyang is demanding as yet unspecified security guarantees to discuss its arsenal.When Kim visited the North’s key backer Beijing last month in only his first foreign trip as leader, China’s state media cited him as saying that the issue could be resolved, as long as Seoul and Washington take “progressive and synchronous measures for the realization of peace.”In the past, North Korean support for denuclearization of the “Korean peninsula” has been code for the removal of US troops from the South and the end of its nuclear umbrella over its security ally — prospects unthinkable in Washington.Moon said he hoped they would have further meetings on both sides of the border, and Kim offered to visit Seoul “any time” he was invited.After a morning session lasting an hour and 40 minutes, Kim crossed back to the North for lunch, a dozen security guards jogging alongside his limousine.Before the afternoon session, Moon and Kim held a symbolic tree planting ceremony on the demarcation line.The soil came from Mount Paektu, on the North’s border with China, and Mount Halla, on the South’s southern island of Jeju.After signing the agreement the leaders and their wives attended a banquet before Kim was to return to the North.
Macron calls for global cooperation to combat terror financing-French president warns jihadists using modern banking tools, says time for West to 'cross a new stage' in fight against IS, al-Qaeda-By AFP-TOI-APR 29,18
PARIS, France — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for more cooperation to deny jihadist movements the financing they need to carry out attacks, as dozens of ministers met to discuss how to cut off funds for extremists.France’s top anti-terror prosecutor, Francois Molins, had revealed earlier that the country’s security services had identified 416 French donors to the Islamic State (IS) group and had also detected 320 fundraisers mainly based in Turkey and Libya who transferred the money to the jihadists.Macron warned that the jihadists “use all contemporary forms of financing” in an address at the closing of a two-day conference on combating the funding of terror groups at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which brought together around 80 ministers and 500 experts.“We have to cut off terrorism at its roots: it feeds on human trafficking, drugs and weapons. There’s always an underlying economy,” said Macron, urging global “transparency and mobilization.”“We have to cross to a new stage in the fight against Daesh (Arabic acronym for IS) and al-Qaeda.”Macron praised the “No money for terror conference” for committing to improving such measures as sharing intelligence, fighting against anonymous financial transactions and identifying sources of funding.Attacks on Western targets have become increasingly low-cost since the 9/11 atrocities in the United States in 2001, particularly in recent years when IS followers have often used only vehicles or automatic weapons to kill people.But Molins estimated that attacks in France in January 2015 targeting the Charlie Hebdo magazine and a Jewish supermarket would have cost 25,000 euros ($30,000).More deadly assaults by teams of IS jihadists in Paris in November of that year, including against the Bataclan concert hall, would have cost an estimated 80,000 euros, he said.A French presidential official briefing journalists ahead of the terror funding conference this week said that IS income was estimated at about one billion dollars (820 million euros) a year between 2014-2016.Most of this was from local taxation, oil revenues and looting, with far smaller amounts flowing in from overseas donors.French officials are concerned that the money has been transferred out of Syria and Iraq and could be used to rebuild the organization.“It has been moved since, at least in part. It’s probably somewhere,” the official said on condition of anonymity. “These groups are very skillful in using sophisticated techniques to move financial resources around.”
EU tells platforms to sort fake news by October or face new law By Nikolaj Nielsen-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 26. Apr, 12:30-The European Commission is demanding online platforms and social networks crack down on fake news by October - or face the threat of regulation being imposed at a later date.The commission on Thursday (26 April) rolled out a series of measures it hopes will weed out what it broadly describes as 'disinformation', ahead of the upcoming European elections in 2019.The plans include an EU-wide Code of Practice on Disinformation, which must produce "measurable effects" by October."Between now and July, we would like them [online platforms] to reach agreement among themselves on a code of conduct of best practice against disinformation," digital economy commissioner, Mariya Gabriel, told reporters.She said the commission will be monitoring the progress and "if necessary, we will decide in December whether we will consider it advisable to adopt additional measures."It means online platforms will have to cut advertising revenue streams for anyone who spreads fake news and restrict targeting options for political advertising.It also requires, among other things, for platforms to provide access to more reliable information, increase transparency of sponsored content when it relates to elections, and include safeguards against disinformation.The commission wants a European network of fact-checkers to monitor progress. It is not yet clear who will be part of this network of trusted flaggers."We are not going to interfere in anyway in their daily work," noted Gabriel.The network will be supported by an European online platform on disinformation, which will offer things like cross-border data collection and analysis tools.Similar schemes launched by the EU's external action service, also known as East StratComm Task Force to tackle Russian disinformation, have recently generated backlash in the Netherlands.But security commissioner Julian King, who presented the plans alongside Gabriel, described disinformation as a threat to society and democratic institutions."When such manipulation is attempted by outside, from foreign actors, it can have serious potential consequences for our security," he said, noting information warfare is part of the Russian military doctrine.The commission defines disinformation as verifiably false or misleading information that is created, presented, and disseminated for economic gain or to intentionally deceive the public."It is not targetting partisan journalism," noted King.The commission's plan also seeks to support what it describes as quality journalism, by launching a call sometime this year to produce and disseminate "quality news content on EU affairs through data-driven news media."It also wants to improve media literacy of online users by launching a "European Week of Media Literacy".-Free speech limit tested-But not everyone is happy, noting that such efforts risk imposing limits on free speech and privacy.Maryant Fernandez Perez, a senior policy advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi), a Brussels-based NGO, in a statement said more evidence is needed to back up the commission's plans."For the moment, we have different initiatives from the European commission that do not even agree on how to define the problem being addressed," she said.The Civil Liberties Union for Europe, another NGO, says more research is needed before imposing EU-level plans on tackling fake news because free speech could be at risk.Giovanni Buttarelli, the EU's data protection supervisor, has made similar observations, noting that the problem is also partly rooted in the "irresponsible, illegal or unethical use of personal information."In an opinion on online manipulation out earlier this year, he pointed out solutions tend to focus on transparency while neglecting accountability of those behind fake news.Buttarelli said the crisis is instead one that depends on privacy and free expression, noting that government and company surveillance has led to a chilling effect on people's ability to express themselves freely."The problem is real and urgent, and is likely to get worse as more people and things connect to the internet and the role of Artificial Intelligence systems increases," he said.Thursday's announcement also follows a separate meeting between the EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova and member state national election commissions earlier this week, where they discussed "emerging challenges related to the role of social media in the electoral process."
I didn't want him to be alone,' says woman who held Toronto van attack victim's hand as he died-[CBC]-YAHOONEWS-April 28, 2018
A local shop manager, who held the hand of one of Toronto's van attack victims as he died, says she "didn't want him to be alone" — although they had never met before."I didn't want him to feel, like, empty," said Shanna Han, who works at NYX ECIGS, a vape store a few doors down from where the van mowed down pedestrians. Han stayed by Chul Min (Eddie) Kang's side while paramedics arrived."I was trying to talk to him just to keep him alive … I was trying to get him to respond, but he didn't," she said.Kang is one of the latest victims to be identified after a van plowed into 24 pedestrians near a busy intersection on Monday.Kang's friends told CBC Toronto he worked as a chef at the Copacabana restaurant, a Brazilian steakhouse in the city's downtown, and had a wife in South Korea. He is among 10 people killed and 14 others injured after the van driver mounted the curb and barrelled down the sidewalk along Yonge Street. Han said she was working that afternoon when she felt the floors shake and heard the windows rattle "like crazy." She looked up and recalls seeing a white van race by, just outside the shop's window."Then I saw Eddie's body just collapse on the floor," she said. "My mind was blank and my instinct was to just run out to help him." Han held his hand, trying to find a pulse while they waited for help to arrive."For a brief moment I actually thought he was going to be OK, because he was coughing and he was still breathing," she said."I tried to be there for him for as long as I can. Just to give him that comfort, and I was letting him know that I'm going to see him in the hospital when he wakes up. But I know there was not much that I could do."Kang never made it to the hospital, she said. He died on the sidewalk. "I would expect someone to give me that same comfort in my last moments, whether I knew them or not," said Han."I hope he didn't feel whatever pain he was going through, and hopefully he found peace." Meanwhile, some two kilometres away, a Toronto police officer was apprehending the alleged driver, Alek Minassian.The rental van was stopped on the sidewalk, its front end damaged, when Const. Ken Lam pulled up beside it.Video of the tense arrest has attracted international attention for how Lam handled the man.It was recorded by Clark Hua Zhang, who was driving back from the gym when he saw the van pull up along Poyntz Avenue, near Yonge Street and Sheppard Avenue West.The dramatic footage shows Lam confronting a man standing next to the vehicle. The driver's side door was open and the man's arm was outstretched, pointing a black object at the officer."The suspect looked like he had a gun in his hand, and he was waving it at the officer and saying, 'I have a gun,'" Asher Din told CBC Toronto. "The officer kept saying to him, 'Drop your weapon. Drop your weapon.'"Lam did not fire.Instead, the traffic response officer holstered his gun and grabbed a baton as he took strides toward the man. The suspect tossed aside the object in his hand and lay down, where he was handcuffed.The incident was over in 37 seconds.Asher said he then rushed to help the officer."He asked me to run over here and make sure there's nobody else hurt, there's no bodies, there's nothing going on," he said, noting he was unaware of what had just unfolded a few blocks north. "At first I couldn't believe it, because it's very impossible to believe that somebody would do such a horrific act."Minassian, 25, is charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder. Police have said a 14th count of attempted murder is expected.
Russia parades Syrian 'witnesses' to disprove gas attack-[The Canadian Press]-YAHOONEWS-April 29, 2018
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Russia ratcheted up its efforts Thursday to try to disprove that a Syrian town was hit by a poison gas attack, bringing a group of Syrians, including an 11-year-old boy, to the global chemical weapons watchdog's headquarters to denounce the reports as fake.The U.S., Britain, France and their allies boycotted the event at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, branding it as "nothing more than a crude propaganda exercise" and an "obscene masquerade."The Syrians were flown to Europe to tell their stories at the OPCW and then ushered into a roomful of reporters at a nearby hotel where they all repeated nearly identical accounts: There was no chemical attack in Douma, near Damascus, on April 7. Patients who visited the hospital suffering from asphyxiation had inhaled only smoke and dust. There were no chemical traces or smells. Panic was sparked when first responders entered the hospital and began yelling that chemical weapons had been used.One of them told reporters that the Syrians were in The Hague of their own free will and had not been put under any pressure.The insistence by Russia and Syria that the chemical weapons attack was staged runs counter to witnesses and survivors interviewed by The Associated Press, some of them in Douma, who described being overwhelmed by a strong smell of chlorine.The survivors interviewed by the AP in Douma after government forces took control of the town blamed rebels from the Army of Islam group of being behind the attack.Other survivors who left Douma said the chlorine attack occurred amid government airstrikes and blamed the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.The OPCW sent inspectors to Syria to investigate what happened. The team is not mandated to apportion blame.The U.S., Britain and France launched airstrikes on April 14, targeting suspected Syrian chemical weapons facilities.Russia has accused the Syrian opposition and its first responders, known as the White Helmets, of fabricating videos of chemical weapons attack to frame the government.Following a sarin gas attack in the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun last year, Russia dismissed U.N. accusations that the Syrian government was responsible and said photos and videos made by the White Helmets at the site show them without proper protection gear — an indication the attack was a fabrication. A joint OPCW-U.N. investigation, however, blamed Syria for the attack.Russia has never before gone to the lengths it did Thursday, including bringing Syrians to Europe to back its claims.The youngest participant was 11-year-old Hassan Diab, who was seen on video after the Douma attack being doused with water in a hospital.With little more than his head and shoulders visible above the table, he looked healthy if slightly bewildered as he briefly recounted what happened to him before returning to sit with his mother in the front row of the audience, starting to fidget and walk around during the lengthy news conference."We were in the basement; we heard cries on the street that we should go to the hospital. We got scared. We went to the hospital through the tunnel," he said, largely echoing what his father had said before him. "They started pouring water on me at the hospital. I don't know why. After that they took me to a different place. Thank you."Russian Ambassador Alexander Shulgin defended bringing the child to The Hague."Little Hassan is an eyewitness today, an extremely important witness," Shulgin said, speaking through an interpreter. "He's proving — an innocent child — he's telling the truth. You know that out of the baby's mouth comes the truth, and today that truth you don't want to hear."Shulgin said Russia has been accused repeatedly of spreading fake news."After this briefing, no one would have a shadow of a doubt who distributes fake news and who is waging an information war," he added.The United States and its allies were not convinced."The authenticity of the information gathered to date on the chemical attacks that occurred in Douma on 7 April, through numerous testimonies, is unassailable," the nations said in a statement."Medical NGOs have found traces of chemical agents on the victims. Photographs and videos, numerous and mutually reinforcing, have been authenticated. The symptoms of more than 500 patients who presented on the same day of the attack in health care facilities undoubtedly corresponded to gas intoxication," the statement said.Britain's ambassador, Peter Wilson, said he and other Western allies refused to attend the briefing."This obscene masquerade does not come as a surprise from the Syrian government, which has massacred and gassed its own people for the last seven years," said France's ambassador to the Netherlands, Philippe Lalliot.Inside Syria, government forces on Thursday pushed into a Damascus neighbourhood held by the Islamic State group from different directions, capturing buildings and tunnels used by the extremists, state media said.The state news agency SANA said dozens of IS fighters were killed in battles in the southern Damascus neighbourhood of Hajar al-Aswad, where ground troops closely co-ordinated airstrikes with the air force.The weeklong fighting in Hajar al-Aswad and the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk has killed dozens of people. The area is the last district not in government control in Damascus, and its capture would boost security in Assad's seat of power.The opposition's Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian authorities ordered rebel groups in the southern Damascus suburbs of Babila, Beit Sahm and Yalda to give up their positions along fronts lines with IS in the area or face government bombardment.The Britain-based Observatory said the fighting that started April 19 has killed 68 Syrian troops and pro-government fighters as well as 52 IS militants.___Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed.Mike Corder, The Associated Press.
