Tuesday, August 07, 2018

EGYPT COPTIC CHURCH HALTS ENTRY OF MONKS AFTER MYSTERY DEATH.

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

EU completes Gaza’s largest solar energy field-Plant will provide 0.5 megawatts of electricity per day to desalination plant that by 2020 will provide water to 250,000 people-By TOI staff-AUG 6,18

The European Union announced Thursday that it had completed construction of the largest solar energy field in Gaza, which will power the Southern Gaza Desalination Plant, providing water to residents of the coastal enclave.The desalination plant currently provides clean water to 75,000 inhabitants of Khan Younis and Rafah. The new energy field’s output of 0.5 megawatts and further investment from the EU will increase the output, so that it will provide drinking water to 250,000 people in Southern Gaza by 2020, the EU said.Johannes Hahn, the EU commissioner for European neighborhood policy and enlargement negotiations, said that electricity shortages create a serious challenge to providing Gazans with water.He said that improving living conditions for the people of Gaza will lead to “mitigating tensions in a highly conflict sensitive area.”#Water for #Gaza:????????#EU switches on the biggest #solar #energy field to improve dire drinking #water conditions in Gaza ???? https://t.co/GGWfYx8H4C The new energy field & #investments will reach 250 000 #people in Southern Gaza by 2020. pic.twitter.com/Ge3TtdKNTh— EU NEAR???????? (@eu_near) August 2, 2018-The EU is also working on other projects to ease the water crisis in Gaza. These include supporting an Oxfam plan to rehabilitate brackish desalination plants; working to reduce the amount of water that leaks out of the system, currently a staggering 40 percent; and assisting the Palestinian Water Authority.In March an international coalition pledged €456 million ($520 million) to construct a central desalination plant. It will be the biggest-ever infrastructure project in the Gaza strip, and will provide drinking water to 2 million people.The Gaza Strip suffers from a serious shortage in sanitation services, electric power, and drinking water. Its problems have been made worse by an ongoing rift between the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and its rival, the terror group Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007.Additionally, Israel and Egypt are imposing a sea blockade on the territory that they said is designed to prevent arms smuggling by Gaza terror groups. Goods arrive at Israeli ports, where they are screened for weapons or military-capable material, and then transferred to Gaza.Israel says Hamas, the terror group that controls the coastal enclave and seeks to destroy Israel, has diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in international financial aid and materials toward building its military forces and infrastructure.Agencies contributed to this report.

Egypt Coptic Church halts entry of monks after mystery death-As police investigate possible murder of bishop, monastery bans media appearance, unauthorized financial transactions and social media-By AFP-TOI-AUG 6,18

CAIRO, Egypt — Egypt’s Coptic Church said Thursday that it will stop accepting any new monks for a year after the mysterious death of a bishop at a monastery northwest of Cairo.The body of Bishop Epiphanius, the 68-year-old abbot of Saint Macarius monastery in Wadi el-Natrun, was found with head injuries on Sunday in what a security official said was being investigated as a possible murder.The church announced a dozen measures Thursday related to monks’ activities after a meeting called “to discuss monastic order in light of the painful incident and martyrdom of Bishop Epiphanius,” a church statement said.It said the number of monks at each monastery would be limited “to ensure monastic order” and they would be restricted from going outside without the abbot’s permission.They are being warned against making media appearances “in any form” or involvement in unauthorized financial transactions.Monks are also being given one month “to deactivate and close any social media pages or accounts and voluntarily renounce these behaviors that are not true to monastic life.”It did not elaborate on why it decided the measures — which were ratified by Coptic Pope Tawadros II — were necessary in response to the bishop’s death.Coptic Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s predominantly Sunni Muslim population of 100 million.They have long complained of discrimination and have been previously targeted by the Islamic State group although there is no evidence suggesting the bishop’s death was related to sectarian tensions.

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH IN NOAHS DAY(BECAUSE OF SIN,VIOLENCE AND GODLESS PEOPLE)

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

HOSEA 4:1-3
1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3 Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

DEUTORONOMY 28:22-24
22  The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
23  And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
24  The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

THE FIRST JUDGEMENT OF THE EARTH STARTED WITH WATER-IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THE LAST GENERATION WILL BE HAVING FLOODING
GENESIS 7:6-12
6 And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.
10 And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.
GOD PROMISED BY A RAINBOW-THE EARTH WOULD NEVER BE DESTROYED TOTALLY WITH A FLOOD AGAIN.BUT FLOODIING IS A SIGN OF JUDGEMENT.

Swiss Re CFO says multiple hurricanes an increasing threat-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-August 6, 2018

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss Re's finance chief expects multiple, powerful hurricanes to become more common as climate change warms the world's oceans, he said on Friday."Last year's three hurricanes together -- the 135 billion (dollars) of losses -- (were) a one-in-10-year event, not a one- in-a-100-year event. We see the possibility for repetition of these kinds of losses in the foreseeable future," John Dacey told CNBC in an interview.He played down the financial impact of large wildfires this summer."The actual losses from large fires -- whether in California, Portugal (or) most recently the tragic ones in Greece -- are tragic in their local content but actually are not particularly large losses for a group like Swiss Re," he said.(Reporting by Michael Shields; editing by Jason Neely)

India set to receive average rainfall in August-September: weather office-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-August 6, 2018

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is set to receive average rainfall during the last two months of the crucial monsoon season that stretches between June and September, the country's weather office said on Friday."The rainfall for the country as a whole during the second half of the season is likely to be 95 percent of a long period average," the India meteorological department (IMD) said in a statement.India had received below average rainfall during the first two months of its annual monsoon, according to IMD data.(Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Vyas Mohan)

WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)

EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18

WORLD TERRORISM

OH BY THE WAY WHEN THE MEDIA SAYS ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS GOD IS GREAT LIE. IN ISLAM ALLU-AK-BAR MEANS OUR GOD IS GREATER OR GREATEST. THIS IS HOW THE MEDIA SUCK HOLES UP TO ISLAMIC-QURANIC-MUSLIMS. BY WATERING DOWN THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEX FOR MURDER DEATH CULT ISLAM. TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE A PEACEFUL RELIGION (CULT OF DEATH AND WORLD DOMINATION).

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)

ISAIAH 14:12-14
12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14  I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)

JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)

Trump steps up attacks on ‘disgusting’ media, prompts crowd to jeer at reporters-President's Inflammatory performance at Pennsylvania rally comes after White House refuses to distance itself from his claim that media is 'enemy' of American people.-By Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin-TOI-AUG 6,18

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — President Donald Trump ratcheted up his campaign against the media, claiming at a Pennsylvania rally that the media is the “fake, fake disgusting news” and casting journalists as his true political opponent.Trump barnstormed Thursday night in a state that he swiped from the Democrats in 2016 and that is home to a Senate seat he is trying to place in the Republicans’ column this fall. But the race between GOP U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta and two-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey took a back seat to Trump’s invectives against the media, which came amid a backdrop of antagonism to journalists from the White House and hostility from the thousands packed into a loud, overheated Wilkes-Barre arena.“Whatever happened to the free press? Whatever happened to honest reporting?” Trump asked, pointing to the media in the back of the hall. “They don’t report it. They only make up stories.”Time and time again, Trump denounced the press for underselling his accomplishments and doubting his political rise.He tore into the media for diminishing what he accomplished at his Singapore summit with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un. He tore into the tough questioning he received in Helsinki when he met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin last month. And he began the speech with a 10-minute remembrance of his 2016 election night victory, bemoaning that Pennsylvania wasn’t the state to clinch the White House for him only because “the fake news refused to call it.”“They were suffering that night, they were suffering,” Trump said of the election night pundits. He then promised that the Keystone State would deliver his margin of victory “next time.”“Only negative stories from the fakers back there,” the president declared.With each denunciation, the crowd jeered and screamed at the press in the holding pen at the back of the arena.The inflammatory performance came just hours after White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders refused to distance herself from Trump’s previous assertions that the media is the “enemy” of the American people. Pressed during a White House briefing on the issue, Sanders said Trump “has made his position known.”In a heated exchange with reporters, she recited a litany of complaints against the press and blamed the media for inflaming tensions in the country.“As far as I know, I’m the first press secretary in the history of the United States that’s required Secret Service protection,” she said, accusing the media of continuing “to ratchet up the verbal assault against the president and everyone in this administration.”Though Barletta’s bid was an undercard to the Trump’s main event, savaging his opponents, the president did bless the congressman’s bid. Trump, who has accelerated his campaign schedule in recent weeks to help the Republicans he favors both in primaries and November’s midterms, was the first Republican to win Pennsylvania since 1988.“For years and years, they said Republicans should win the state of Pennsylvania,” Trump said. “It always got away. But we won the state of Pennsylvania.”He and Barletta, who is trailing by double digits in the polls, share hard-line immigration views, and Trump lashed Casey with his own derogatory nickname: “Sleeping Bob.”But Trump’s focus was defending his own accomplishments and beliefs. He pushed for tougher borders, overstating the threat posed by violent gangs like MS-13 and making the murderous group a stand-in for all immigrants in the United States illegally.He defended his kid-glove approach to both Kim and Putin, saying, “it would be a good thing, not a bad thing” to have warmer relations with the hostile powers and dismissing the talk that meeting with the autocrats elevated them on the world stage.He bashed the Democratic leadership of Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and, curiously, suggested that his frequent foe Rep. Maxine Waters of California was “a new star” of the party.He raved about the booming economy and said, without evidence, that his blue-collar supporters in states like Pennsylvania were the biggest beneficiaries.And he looked ahead to his 2020 re-election campaign, touting his new slogan, “Keep America Great Again” while musing whether he wanted Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, whom he decried as “Pocahontas,” or Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom he flatly deemed “crazy,” as his opponent.The rally came at a perilous time for Trump, who the day before bluntly declared his attorney general should terminate “right now” the federal probe into the campaign that took him to the White House, a newly fervent attack on the special counsel investigation that could imperil his presidency.Sanders scrambled to explain that Trump’s tweet was “not an order” and the president was not directing his attorney general to do anything.“It’s the president’s opinion,” she said.But Trump’s tweetstorm again raised the specter that he could try to more directly bring special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia-Trump election-collusion probe to a premature end. And it revived the idea that the president’s tweets themselves might be used as evidence that he is attempting to obstruct justice.Negotiations have also started again about a possible presidential interview as Mueller’s team has offered the White House format changes, perhaps willing to limit some questions asked of Trump or accept some answers in writing, according to a person briefed on the proposal who wasn’t authorized to discuss private talks and spoke on condition of anonymity.-Ivanka keeps her distance-Earlier Thursday, Ivanka Trump had distanced herself from some of her father’s most controversial policies and strident rhetoric, saying she was “vehemently against” family separations and that journalists are not the enemy.Speaking publicly for the first time since she shuttered her eponymous fashion brand last week, the president’s daughter and senior adviser said she had “sensitivity” about why some people who feel targeted have gripes with reporters, but that the name which the president has bestowed on them was misplaced.“No, I do not feel that the media is the enemy of the people,” Ivanka said at a conference organized by news website Axios.Before the rally, Trump took to Twitter in an attempt to qualify his daughter’s statement on the media.They asked my daughter Ivanka whether or not the media is the enemy of the people. She correctly said no. It is the FAKE NEWS, which is a large percentage of the media, that is the enemy of the people!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2018-Ivanka also took a decidedly different approach than her combative father on immigration, stressing that the separation of families at the border has caused her anxiety.“That was a low point for me as well,” said Trump, referring to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy that led to the stripping of thousands of children from their migrant parents.“I am very vehemently against family separation and the separation of parents and children, so I would agree with that sentiment.”Ivanka’s position aligns with the opinion of everyday Americans, who polls show are largely opposed to the separations.The immigration crisis, which swelled further when audio emerged of detained toddlers crying for their mothers, caused a firestorm and in June the president reversed course.But as of last week’s deadline, 711 of the roughly 2,500 separated children were still not reunited with their parents, and officials were unable to clarify when they would see their family.-‘Incredibly difficult issues’-Many observers at the start of Trump’s presidency expressed confidence that Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, formed a compassionate camp in the White House and would act as a check on her father’s cruder instincts.That has largely failed to materialize. While Trump was said to have discouraged her father privately from the border policy, she said nothing publicly until after his reversal, when she thanked him for “taking critical action ending family separation.”Last year, she urged him to keep the United States in the Paris climate accord, but her prodding fell on deaf ears and the president pulled out.In November, as Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore faced accusations of misconduct with teen girls when he was in his 30s, Ivanka Trump declared “there’s a special place in hell for people who prey on children.”But two weeks later, the president endorsed Moore, who ultimately lost to a Democrat.As first daughter, Ivanka, 36, has traveled overseas representing the United States, attended meetings with visiting heads of state and traveled domestically, fueling speculation she may harbor future political ambitions of her own.“I’m really passionate about the work that I’m doing here and I’m really committed to it,” she said Thursday.So much so that last week she announced she was closing her fashion brand, following criticism about potential conflicts of interest and flagging sales.In discussing the immigration crisis, Ivanka described herself as “the daughter of an immigrant” — her mother was born and raised in the former Czechoslovakia, and came to the US legally.“So we have to be very careful about incentivizing behavior that puts children at risk of being trafficked,” said Trump, a mother of three.“These are incredibly difficult issues, and like the rest of the country I experience them in a very emotional way.”AFP contributed to this report.

Suspected Russian spy worked at US embassy for decade — report-Woman who had access to sensitive information let go after probe found she regularly met with Russian intel; Secret Service accused of cover-up-By AFP-TOI-AUG 6,18

WASHINGTON — A suspected Russian spy worked at the US embassy in Moscow for a decade before being quietly dismissed last year, reports said Thursday.The woman, a Russian national, was hired by the Secret Service and came under suspicion following a routine security sweep carried out by the State Department, according to sources quoted by the Guardian, which broke the story, and CNN.The probe found she was having regular unauthorized meetings with the main Russian intelligence agency, the FSB.“We figure that all of them are talking to the FSB, but she was giving them way more information than she should have,” an official told CNN.The woman had access to the Secret Service’s intranet and email systems, the reports said, giving her a window into potentially sensitive data including the schedules of the US president and vice president.But “she did not have access to highly classified information,” the source told CNN.-Cover-up allegation-The Guardian meanwhile reported the Secret Service attempted to contain the embarrassment by letting her go when Russia ordered the removal of 750 personnel from the American embassy during a diplomatic spat that followed allegations of Moscow’s interference in the 2016 US presidential election.“The Secret Service is trying to hide the breach by firing [her],” a source told the British newspaper.“The damage was already done but the senior management of the Secret Service did not conduct any internal investigation to assess the damage and to see if [she] recruited any other employees to provide her with more information.”Relations between the US and Russia have been particularly fraught since the election of Donald Trump, despite the president’s personal warmth with his counterpart Vladimir Putin.The Cold War era rivals are also deeply divided on issues ranging from the conflict in Syria to the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and the Iran nuclear deal.

US says Russia still carrying out ‘pervasive’ election meddling-'Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs,' says homeland security chief and intel leaders, even as Trump appears to minimize threat-By AFP-TOI-AUG 6,18

WASHINGTON — The US government on Thursday accused Russia of carrying out a “pervasive” campaign to influence public opinion and elections, in a warning just months before crucial legislative polls.“We continue to see a pervasive messaging campaign from Russia to try to weaken and divide the United States,” said Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence.A slew of top US officials including Coats, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security chief Kirstjen Nielsen vowed to investigate and prosecute those who were trying to sway US opinion or carrying out what Wray described as “information warfare.”“Our democracy itself is in the crosshairs,” Nielsen said in an unusually stark warning.“This is not just an election cycle threat,” Wray said. “Our adversaries are trying to undermine our country on a persistent and regular basis, whether it’s election season or not.”The comments came in jarring contrast to the positions of US President Donald Trump, but the two men dismissed suggestions the president — who has repeatedly denied Russia moved to tilt the election in his favor — is not taking the issue seriously.In a letter to Congress, National Security Advisor John Bolton said the administration had taken “extensive, historic action” to stop the threat.Trump has mulled easing sanctions against Moscow, held warm meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and refused to criticize him over the meddling in the 2016 election.He has also repeatedly called for an end to the investigation into Moscow’s meddling, which has seen more than 20 Russians indicted so far.Asked whether the American people could trust the administration to do its job, Wray responded: “I can assure the American people that the men and the women of the FBI, from the director all the way on down, are going to follow our oaths and do our jobs.”

U.S., Turkey agree to try to resolve issues: State Department-[Reuters]-By David Brunnstrom-YAHOONEWS-August 6, 2018

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, agreed at a meeting in Singapore on Friday to continue to try to resolve issues between the two countries, the State Department said.Washington has imposed sanctions on two of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's ministers over the trial of Andrew Brunson, a U.S. pastor accused of backing terrorism. Turkey has said the sanctions are unacceptable.Pompeo met Cavusoglu on the margins of a meeting of regional ministers in Singapore. "They spoke about a number of issues, and had a constructive conversation. They agreed to continue to try to resolve the issues between our two countries," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.Cavusoglu said he repeated Turkey's message that "the threatening language and sanctions does not achieve anything", but that he and Pompeo would take steps to resolve their differences when they returned home."It was a very constructive meeting. Of course you can't expect all issues to be resolved in a single meeting," he said in remarks broadcast by Turkish television channels. "But we have agreed to work together, closely cooperate and keep the dialogue in the coming period."Pompeo told reporters traveling with him to Singapore the United States had put Turkey on notice "that the clock had run and it was time for Pastor Brunson to be returned"."I hope they'll see this for what it is, a demonstration that we’re very serious," Pompeo said of the sanctions. "We consider this one of the many issues that we have with the Turks.""Brunson needs to come home. As do all the Americans being held by the Turkish government. Pretty straightforward. They’ve been holding these folks for a long time. These are innocent people," he said. "We are going to work to see if we can find a way forward; I am hopeful that we can."The United States has also been seeking the release of three locally employed embassy staff detained in Turkey.The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Wednesday. It said they played leading roles in organizations responsible for the arrest and detention of Brunson, an evangelical Christian who has lived in Turkey for more than two decades.Turkey's lira tumbled to a record low beyond 5 to the dollar after the sanctions move. The sell-off, which also hammered Turkey's stocks and debt risk profile, reflected deepening investor concern over tensions with the United States, a NATO ally and major trading partner.ATTEMPTED COUP-Brunson is charged with supporting a group Ankara blames for orchestrating an attempted coup in 2016. He denies the charges but faces up to 35 years in jail.He was accused of helping supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric who Turkish authorities say masterminded a 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan in which 250 people were killed. He was also charged with supporting outlawed Kurdish PKK militants. Gulen denies the allegations.Turkey has been trying to have Gulen extradited from the United States for two years.Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, who is also Erdogan's son-in-law, said the sanctions were unacceptable and would have a limited impact on the Turkish economy. The Foreign Ministry said it would retaliate against what it called Washington's hostile action.Relations between the United States and Turkey have plummeted over Brunson, who was in custody for 21 months in a Turkish prison until he was transferred to house arrest last week. On Tuesday, a court rejected his appeal to be released altogether during his trial on terrorism charges.The NATO allies are also at odds over the Syrian war, Turkey's plan to buy missile defenses from Russia and the U.S. conviction of a Turkish state bank executive on Iran sanctions-busting charges this year.Brunson's case has resonated with U.S. President Donald Trump and more particularly with Vice President Mike Pence, who has close ties to the evangelical Christian community. Pence has been following proceedings since Brunson was arrested and pressing behind the scenes for action, aides said.(Reporting by David Brunnstrom in Singapore and Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul; Editing by Nick Macfie, Paul Tait and David Stamp)

China says it hopes U.S.-North Korea talks can move toward results, peace-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-August 6, 2018

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - China's top diplomat, State Councilor Wang Yi, said on Friday that he hopes North Korea-U.S. talks continue to move forward toward results and peace.Wang, who is also China's foreign minister, said on the sidelines of a regional forum in Singapore that he hopes the United States can respond to North Korea's legitimate requests.(Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Writing by Michael Martina; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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