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)
MIGRATING BIRDS IN ISRAEL EATS HUMANS FLESH FOR COMING AGAINST ISRAEL-JERUSALEM
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.(DAMASCUS FRYED TO A PULP)
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
ISAIAH 66:15-16
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 4 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
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
Israel, US say they’ve conducted successful test of Arrow 3 in Alaska-Netanyahu lauds joint operation, saying system successfully intercepted ballistic missiles in space ‘at unprecedented altitudes and speeds’-By Jacob Magid-JUL 28,19
Israel and the United States completed a series of successful tests of their advanced Arrow 3 missile defense system in Alaska, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday.The weapon system successfully demonstrated hit-to-kill interceptions of ballistic targets in space, according to the ministry, which added that the operation was conducted in Alaska in order to test capabilities that cannot be tested in Israel. The system also proved capable of simultaneously intercepting multiple targets, Channel 12 news reported.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the joint operation at the opening of the weekly Sunday cabinet meeting, saying the “secretive” tests had been conducted over the course of the past several weeks.“They were successful beyond any imagination. The Arrow 3 – with complete success – intercepted ballistic missiles beyond the atmosphere at unprecedented altitudes and speeds,” the premier said.The Defense Ministry did not specify at what altitudes its defense system had managed to intercept the test missiles.“Today Israel has the ability to act against ballistic missiles that could be launched against us from Iran or anywhere else,” Netanyahu added.The successful tests were conducted by the Defense Ministry’s Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency, with assistance from the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Aerospace Industries, which manufactures the Arrow 3. “In addition, the fact that the tests were conducted in Alaska, tens of thousands of kilometers away from Israel, is another significant achievement that demonstrates the operational capabilities of the Arrow 3 system to successfully face any threat,” said MDO director Moshe Patel in a joint statement with the US Missile Defense Agency.Also present for the test in Alaska was Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer. On Friday, Channel 13 reported that the envoy had made a secret trip to the US’s northernmost state to discuss Israel-US defense ties and cooperation against Iran.The Arrow 3 system, a more advanced model of the Arrow and Arrow 2, was declared operational in January 2017. The air defense system, developed as a joint project with the US, is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles — like those Israel fears Iran may one day launch at it — while the incoming projectile is still outside the earth’s atmosphere.Complemented by a number of other missile defense systems designed to protect Israel from short-, medium- and long-range attacks, the Arrow 3 system represents the highest level of Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense network.The Arrow 3 was last tested in January from the Palmachim air base in central Israel. Its final test was marked a success but earlier tries in the series had failed. The system was also trialed last July as part of a broad missile defense exercise that also checked the capabilities of the short-range Iron Dome and medium-range David’s Sling.Before that, the system was successfully tested in February 2018, after months of delays and technical problems. In January, an exercise was called off because of a data transfer problem and in December a test was canceled over safety concerns.Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Iran says European naval mission in Gulf would be ‘provocative’-Government spokesman claims his country is ‘biggest agent of maritime security in the Persian Gulf,’ warns fleet from Europe would carry a ‘hostile message’-By AFP-TOI-JUL 28,19
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Sunday slammed as “provocative” a British proposal for a European-led naval mission to escort tankers in the Gulf, amid soaring tensions over the seizure of ships.“We heard that they intend to send a European fleet to the Persian Gulf which naturally carries a hostile message, is provocative and will increase tensions,” government spokesman Ali Rabiei said, quoted by ISNA news agency.Britain said on Monday it was planning a European-led force to escort tankers through the world’s busiest oil shipping lane in response to Iran’s seizure of a UK-flagged vessel on July 19.The seizure of the Stena Impero came two weeks after British authorities detained an Iranian tanker — the Grace 1 — off its overseas territory Gibraltar on allegations it was breaching EU sanctions on Syria.In his comments on Sunday, the government spokesman said Iran believed the security of the oil-rich Gulf had to be maintained by countries in the region.“We are the biggest agent of maritime security in the Persian Gulf,” said Rabiei.Britain on Thursday ordered its navy to escort UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where the Stena Impero was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.France said on Thursday it was not willing to send extra military assets to the Gulf, but would share information and coordinate its currently deployed assets.The US military has said it is already monitoring the strait, and that it is developing a “multinational maritime effort” dubbed Operation Sentinel to increase surveillance and security in key Middle East waterways.The 33-kilometer (22-mile) wide Strait of Hormuz provides the eastern entrance and exit point into the Gulf and runs between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.Iran’s high-seas standoff with Britain comes amid rising hostilities between the Islamic Republic and UK ally the United States.The arch-enemies have been locked in a battle of nerves since US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 deal aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program and began reimposing sanctions.The situation has worsened since the Trump administration began a campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran this year, with drones downed and tankers mysteriously attacked in Gulf waters.
IDF launches drill to bolster preparedness for war in Gaza-Army says 4-day training in and around southern city of Ashkelon will include exercises for ground troops and aerial maneuvers-By TOI staff-JUL 28,19
A military exercise began Sunday afternoon in the southern city of Ashkelon and in the area adjacent to the restive Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.The army said the four-day drill for its Gaza Division forces included ground troops, combat helicopters, and other aircraft.The army said the drill that is scheduled to end Wednesday morning was “another significant step in improving the IDF’s operational preparedness in the Gaza Strip.”The IDF made the announcement on Saturday night, though it said Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, ordered that the exercise be added to the 2019 training schedule, when he took office in January.Kochavi made the decision amid growing concerns in the IDF about its operational preparedness after former military ombudsman Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brick claimed that the army, especially its ground troops, were not prepared for a large-scale war.The beginning of 2019 saw dramatic increase in the level of violence along the Gaza border, with near nightly riots and airborne arson attacks, but the violence has waned in recent weeks, due to a de facto ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group.Last month, the Air Force held its first-ever exercise with new American F-35 stealth fighter jets, which simulated simultaneous fighting in the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon.
Iran says meeting with parties to nuclear deal "constructive"-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 28, 2019-By Kirsti Knolle
* Iran to continue reducing commitments under nuclear deal * Says moves "reversible" if other parties stick to deal * Parties hold emergency talks after tensions mount in Gulf * Iran wants economy shielded from U.S. sanctions (Adds detail, quotes)
VIENNA, July 28 (Reuters) - An emergency meeting with parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal was constructive but there are unresolved issues and Tehran will continue to reduce its nuclear commitments if Europeans fail to salvage the pact, Iranian official Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday."The atmosphere was constructive. Discussions were good. I cannot say that we resolved everything, I can say there are lots of commitments," Araqchi, the senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, told reporters after the meeting in Vienna.Parties to the agreement - Britain, Germany and France plus Russia and China - met Iranian officials for talks called in response to an escalation in tensions between Iran and the West that included confrontations at sea and Tehran's breaches of the nuclear accord."As we have said, we will continue to reduce our commitments to the deal until Europeans secure Iran's interests under the deal," Araqchi said.The parties have been trying to salvage the pact since the United States withdrew from it in May 2018 and re-imposed and toughened sanctions on Iran, crippling an already weak economy.The Europeans say further breaches of the agreement by Iran would escalate confrontation at a time when Tehran and Washington are at risk of a miscalculation that could lead to war.However, their efforts to protect trade with Iran against the U.S. sanctions have yielded nothing concrete so far. Earlier this month, Tehran followed through on its threat to increase its nuclear activities in breach of the agreement.Iran has said it will withdrew from the pact unless the Europeans find ways to shield its economy from the U.S. sanctions."All our steps taken so far are reversible if other parties to the deal fulfil their commitments," an Iranian diplomat told Reuters ahead of the meeting.In response to the sanctions, Iran said in May it would decrease its commitments under the nuclear pact. Under the deal, most international sanctions against Tehran were lifted in 2016, in exchange for limitations on its nuclear work.So far, Iran has breached the limit of its enriched uranium stockpile as well as enriching uranium beyond a 3.67% purity limit set by its deal with major powers, defying a warning by Europeans to stick to the deal despite U.S. sanctions.The U.N. nuclear watchdog, policing the deal, has confirmed the measures announced by Tehran.SANCTIONS-Fu Cong, director general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, who lead the Chinese delegation, said: "All sides have expressed their commitment to safeguard the JCPOA (nuclear deal) and to continue to implement the JCPOA in a balanced manner."All sides have expressed their strong opposition against the U.S. unilateral imposition of sanctions."The meeting came after Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards seized a British-flagged oil tanker on July 19, two weeks after British forces captured an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar which it said was violating sanctions on Syria.Araqchi said Britain's seizure of the Iranian tanker was a violation of the nuclear pact."The countries who are part of (the nuclear deal) shouldn't create obstacles for the export of Iranian oil," Araqchi said.Britain has called for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international oil shipping route. An Iranian government spokesman said on Sunday such a mission would send a "hostile message".Britain said on Sunday Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan had arrived in the Gulf to join a British frigate escorting British-flagged ships through the Strait.The seizure of the British tanker in the world’s most important waterway for the oil trade has deepened a crisis between Iran and the West. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Britain's seizure of the Iranian oil tanker was illegal and would be detrimental for Britain.After meeting Iranian officials in Tehran, Oman's Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah said all parties should maintain contact to avoid more incidents in the Strait.Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the waterway if the United States tries to strangle its economy with sanctions on its vital oil exports.Several oil tankers were attacked in waters near Iran’s southern coast in May and June, for which the United States blamed Iran. Tehran denied any involvement.Iran in June shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone in the Gulf, which Tehran said had violated its air space. Washington said the drone was in international skies.(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi, Aziz El Yaakoubi and Lisa Barrington in Dubai and Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva, Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Israel’s Spacecom to launch ‘most advanced’ Amos satellite to service Africa-Amos-17 satellite will be launched early Sunday, Israel time, from Cape Canaveral in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket-By Shoshanna Solomon-JUL 28,19
Almost three years after losing its Amos-6 satellite in an explosion, Israel’s Spacecom is set to launch its newest and “most advanced” satellite to provide communications services over Africa.The satellite, called Amos-17, was built by aerospace firm Boeing according to designs and specifications of the Ramat Gan-based Spacecom, also known as Space-Communication Ltd.The craft is scheduled to be launched on Sunday at around 1:50 a.m. Israel time (6:50 p.m. Saturday local time) from Cape Canaveral in Florida, where it has already been loaded atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Depending on the weather, the launch could be delayed by a day, Spacecom said at a press conference in Tel Aviv.The satellite is expected to operate for 20 years and provide services to customers in Africa. The firm has already received orders for services for a total of $58 million, said the firm in a statement, and Spacecom CEO David Pollack said at a press conference at the firm’s Ramat Gan offices that he believes more deals will be signed after the launch.“The launch of Amos 17 is a significant milestone for the continued consolidation of Israel’s position in space and the growth of the company,” Pollack said at the press conference. “Amos-17 is one of the most advanced satellites in the world.”The $250 million Amos-17 weighs 6.5 tons and will be the length of three buses, or some 35 meters (115 feet) long, once its wing-like solar panels are deployed in space. Fifty-five percent of its weight is due to the fuel it will carry, to enable it to reach its designated spot over Africa.Africa is a huge continent with the fastest growing population in the world, forecast to reach 2.5 billion in 2050, said Eran Shapiro, director, Business and Technology Ventures at Spacecom, at the press conference. It also has the highest percentage of young people, with about half of its current population under 18. The continent has a growing demand for content, with the number of households using digital TV growing some 20% year over year to 2022.The continent, however, suffers from a lack of internet access infrastructure and has vast areas that are either underserved or completely not connected to any communication infrastructure.“So the opportunity is clear,” said Shapiro. To get connectivity via the Amos-17 satellite, locals can set up a simple solar-powered terminal.The satellite will be the first over Africa that will provide high-throughput satellite services (HTS) as well as C-band frequencies, which allow high availability of service, Shapiro said. It will be suited to the African climate and send a single beam per country, as opposed to numerous narrow beams provided by other common HTS satellites. Its digital payload will provide higher service availability and easier customer adaptation and expansion, the company said, and will be able to adapt to existing C-Band terminals on the ground, so there will be no need to upgrade equipment.After its launch Amos-17 will travel in space for 11 days until it reaches its destined location, and it will take two days to deploy all of its antennas and solar panels. It will orbit the earth at a distance of 36,000 kilometers (22,360 miles), and at a speed of 11,000 kph.Spacecom is a supplier of satellite services to satellite TV operators, internet and telephone providers, governments and private data companies. The firm, which started operations in 1993, has launched satellites and deployed them around the world.The firm has three active satellites: Amos 3 and Amos 7 are located over Europe and serve Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Amos 4 is located over India and Nepal, serving Asia and Africa. In a spate of ill-fated space missions, the firm lost contact with its Amos-5 satellite in 2015, and lost its Amos-6 spacecraft in an explosion on the launchpad of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in September 2016. The failed missions raised concerns over the fate of Israel’s space industry at the time.The $300 million Amos-6 was slated to bring internet access to vast swaths of rural Africa and would have been a linchpin of an effort by social media giant Facebook to bring speedy internet access to sub-Saharan Africa.Since the loss of Amos-6, Pollack said, it has been harder to sell services to customers before the satellite is actually in place. He declined to say if the planned project with Facebook for Amos-6 will now resume with Amos-17.He added that the firm is in talks to sell services in Africa to a firm that is as big as Facebook.Spacecom shares traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange were up 1.2 percent at 1:47 p.m. in Tel Aviv, capping its 12-month decline at 1.1%.
After Taiwan buys arms, China holds military drills on southeast coast-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-14 July 2019
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military recently carried out air and naval drills along its southeast coast, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday, following the latest arms sales from the United States to self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province.In a brief statement, and without giving an exact geographical location, the ministry said that the People's Liberation Army had in "recent days" held the exercises."These drills were routine arrangements in accordance with annual plans for the military," it said, without elaborating.China's southeast coast is one of the country's most sensitive regions as it faces Taiwan across the narrow Taiwan Strait. China deems democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province, to be taken by force if needed.On Friday, China said it would impose sanctions on U.S. firms involved in a deal to sell $2.2 billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment to Taiwan, saying it harmed China's sovereignty and national security.That announcement came as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was visiting New York on a transit stop to diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, a trip that has also infuriated Beijing, further straining Sino-U.S. ties already affected by a bitter trade war.In a statement on Sunday, Taiwan's Presidential Office cited National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Ming-yen as saying President Tsai had spoken by telephone with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while she was in the United States and met with other senators and members of Congress, without naming them.President Tsai said Taiwan and the United States can both forge even closer ties, and also thanked the United States for "the importance it attaches to the security of the Taiwan Strait" and the recently announced arms sale, the statement said.President Tsai also promised the United States that in the future in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to play a responsible partnership role, and defend democratic values and peace and stability in the region with like-minded countries, the statement added.Tsai has repeatedly warned of the threat from its giant neighbor China and has vowed to defend Taiwan's security, democracy and way of life.China has in recent years stepped up its military drills around Taiwan, including regularly flying what Beijing calls "island encirclement" exercises and sending warships into the waters around Taiwan.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Christian Schmollinger)
North Korea launches 2 short-range missiles, Seoul says-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 31, 2019
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's military said North Korea conducted its second weapons test in less than a week Wednesday, firing two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast in a move observers said could be aimed at boosting pressure on the United States as the rivals struggle to set up fresh nuclear talks.South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missiles were launched from Wonsan, a city the North pushes as a vacation destination but that it also uses as a regular launch site.It said both missiles were believed to have flown about 250 kilometers (155 miles) at a maximum altitude of 30 kilometers (19 miles), and that the South Korean and U.S. militaries were trying to gather more details.The test, which would be yet another North Korean violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, comes as the country's negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear weapons program are at a stalemate and as Pyongyang has expressed anger over planned U.S.-South Korean military drills."The North's repeated missile launches are not helpful to efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and we urge (North Korea) to stop this kind of behavior," the South Korean statement said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that the launches were "no threat to Japanese national security."Last Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles that Seoul officials said flew 600 kilometers (370 miles) and as high as 50 kilometers (30 miles) before landing in the sea.North Korea's state media said those tests were supervised by leader Kim Jong Un and were designed to deliver a "solemn warning" to South Korea over its purchase of high-tech U.S.-made fighter jets and the planned military drills, which Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal.Even though North Korea is banned by the U.N. from using ballistic technology in any weapons launches, it's unlikely that the nation, already under 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions, will be hit with more punitive measures. Past sanctions were imposed only when the North conducted long-range ballistic launches.Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Wednesday that the most recently launched weapons did not reach Japan's exclusive economic zone and that officials were still analyzing details, including the flight distance and trajectory."It is extremely regrettable that North Korea continues firing the missiles that violate the U.N. resolutions," Iwaya said.Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman from the Chinese foreign ministry, said that China noted the launches and the responses of all sides, and that the "political settlement on the (Korean) Peninsula is currently in a critical stage." China is North Korea's most important economic and diplomatic ally."We hope that all parties concerned will cherish the hard-won alleviations and jointly make positive efforts to promote denuclearization and realize lasting peace on the peninsula and in the region," Hua told reporters at a daily news briefing.Observers say a low altitude flight by the missiles indicate North Korea may have been testing their ability to avoid being intercepted.Earlier last week, Kim visited a newly built submarine and expressed his satisfaction with its weapons system. North Korea said its deployment was "near at hand."In a private briefing to lawmakers Wednesday, South Korean military intelligence officers said they've determined that the submarine likely has three launch tubes for missiles, according to Lee Hye-hoon, head of parliament's intelligence committee. If confirmed, it would be North Korea's first operational submarine with missile launch tubes, some experts said.North Korea acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development because such missiles are harder to detect in advance. Experts say the submarine North Korea used to test-fire missiles in recent years should be regarded as a test platform with a single launch tube. They say other North Korean submarines only have torpedo launch tubes.Wednesday's launches came hours after a senior U.S. official said President Donald Trump sent Kim mementos from his brief visit to an inter-Korean border town late last month.The official said a top staffer from the National Security Council hand-delivered photographs from the leaders' June meeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone to a North Korean official last week. The Trump administration official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly.The DMZ meeting was the third summit between Trump and Kim. At their second meeting, in Vietnam in February, Trump rejected Kim's demand for widespread sanctions relief in return for dismantling the North's main nuclear complex, a partial disarmament step.During the DMZ meeting, Trump and Kim agreed to resume nuclear diplomacy in coming weeks, but there hasn't been any known meeting between the countries.Speaking to reporters accompanying him to an Asian security forum in Thailand, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he's "very hopeful" for a quick resumption in the nuclear talks.Despite a recent lack of progress in nuclear diplomacy, both Trump and Kim have said they have maintained good relations with each other. After last Thursday's missile launches, Trump tried to downplay the significance of the tests, saying that "short-range" was the most important detail. He said North Korea fired "standard" missiles that many countries possess.South Korea's military said the flight data of the weapon launched last week showed similarities to the Russian-made Iskander, a short-range, nuclear-capable missile. A North Korean version could likely reach all of South Korea — and the 28,500 U.S. forces stationed there — and would be extremely hard to intercept.Before last week's launches, North Korea last fired missiles into the sea in early May, and experts said those were also Iskander-like missiles. During Wednesday's briefing, the South Korean military intelligence officers said that an analysis of North Korea-dispatched photos showed that the North fired four missiles on two days, according to Lee, the lawmaker. South Korea earlier said the North fired a total of three missiles at the time.After entering talks with Washington, North Korea has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests, and Trump has said that is proof that his North Korea policy is working well and has eased the danger of a war with the North.___Associated Press journalists Zeke Miller in Washington, Matthew Lee in Bangkok and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
EZEKIEL 39:11-12,18
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog (RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS) a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers (EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN JORDAN VALLEY) on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog (RUSSIAN) and all his multitude:(ARAB/MUSLIM HORDE) and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.(BURIEL SITE OF THE 300 MILLION,RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS)
12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.(OF ISRAEL)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
EZEKIEL 39:17-21
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.(OF RUSSIAN/ISLAMIC HORDES AGAINST ISRAEL)
18 Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
REVELATION 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;(AGAINST ALL NATIONS ARMIES THAT COME AGAINST JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL)
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
EZEKIEL 38:1-7
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:TOBOLSK)
4 And I (GOD) will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY) of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.(AFRICAN MUSLIMS,SUDAN,TUNESIA ETC)
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back,(RUSSIA-ARAB MUSLIM ISRAEL HATERS) and leave but the sixth part of thee,(5/6TH OR 300 MILLION DEAD RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIMS I BELIEVE) and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
ISAIAH 17:1,11-14
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.(DAMASCUS FRYED TO A PULP)
11 In the day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.
12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations,(USELESS U.N) that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!
13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
14 And behold at evening tide trouble; and before the morning he is not.(ASSAD KILLED IN OVERNIGHT RAID) This is the portion of them that spoil us,(ISRAEL) and the lot of them that rob us.
PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)
ISAIAH 66:15-16
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire,(NUKES) and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity:(GOD/ISRAEL HATE AND BRAKING OF HIS COMMANDMENTS) the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die - 4 BILLION).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
REVELATION 6:7-8 (8 BILLION- 2 BILLION = 6 BILLION)
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,(2 BILLION) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
REVELATION 9:15,18 (6 BILLION - 2 BILLION = 4 BILLION)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,
18 By these three was the third part of men killed,(2 BILLION) by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMBS)
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37 (8 TOTAL BILLION - 4 BILLION DEAD IN TRIB = 4 BILLION TO JESUS KINGDOM) (HALF DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD JUST LIKE THE BIBLE SAYS)(GOD DOES NOT LIE)(AND NOTICE MOST DIE IN WAR AND DISEASES-NOT COMETS-ASTEROIDS-QUAKES OR TSUNAMIS)
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other shall be left.(half earths population 4 billion die in the 7 yr trib)
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES.BECAUSE NOT HALF OF PEOPLE ON EARTH ARE CHRISTIANS.AND THE CONTEXT IN LUKE 17 IS THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION OR 7 YR TREATY PERIOD.WHICH IS JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH.NOT 50% RAPTURED TO HEAVEN.
MATTHEW 24:37-42 (THESE ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES-SURE NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken,(IN WW3 JUDGEMENT) and the other left.
42 Watch therefore:(FOR THE LAST DAYS SIGNS HAPPENING) for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
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
Israel, US say they’ve conducted successful test of Arrow 3 in Alaska-Netanyahu lauds joint operation, saying system successfully intercepted ballistic missiles in space ‘at unprecedented altitudes and speeds’-By Jacob Magid-JUL 28,19
Israel and the United States completed a series of successful tests of their advanced Arrow 3 missile defense system in Alaska, the Defense Ministry said on Sunday.The weapon system successfully demonstrated hit-to-kill interceptions of ballistic targets in space, according to the ministry, which added that the operation was conducted in Alaska in order to test capabilities that cannot be tested in Israel. The system also proved capable of simultaneously intercepting multiple targets, Channel 12 news reported.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lauded the joint operation at the opening of the weekly Sunday cabinet meeting, saying the “secretive” tests had been conducted over the course of the past several weeks.“They were successful beyond any imagination. The Arrow 3 – with complete success – intercepted ballistic missiles beyond the atmosphere at unprecedented altitudes and speeds,” the premier said.The Defense Ministry did not specify at what altitudes its defense system had managed to intercept the test missiles.“Today Israel has the ability to act against ballistic missiles that could be launched against us from Iran or anywhere else,” Netanyahu added.The successful tests were conducted by the Defense Ministry’s Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency, with assistance from the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Aerospace Industries, which manufactures the Arrow 3. “In addition, the fact that the tests were conducted in Alaska, tens of thousands of kilometers away from Israel, is another significant achievement that demonstrates the operational capabilities of the Arrow 3 system to successfully face any threat,” said MDO director Moshe Patel in a joint statement with the US Missile Defense Agency.Also present for the test in Alaska was Israel’s Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer. On Friday, Channel 13 reported that the envoy had made a secret trip to the US’s northernmost state to discuss Israel-US defense ties and cooperation against Iran.The Arrow 3 system, a more advanced model of the Arrow and Arrow 2, was declared operational in January 2017. The air defense system, developed as a joint project with the US, is designed to shoot down ballistic missiles — like those Israel fears Iran may one day launch at it — while the incoming projectile is still outside the earth’s atmosphere.Complemented by a number of other missile defense systems designed to protect Israel from short-, medium- and long-range attacks, the Arrow 3 system represents the highest level of Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense network.The Arrow 3 was last tested in January from the Palmachim air base in central Israel. Its final test was marked a success but earlier tries in the series had failed. The system was also trialed last July as part of a broad missile defense exercise that also checked the capabilities of the short-range Iron Dome and medium-range David’s Sling.Before that, the system was successfully tested in February 2018, after months of delays and technical problems. In January, an exercise was called off because of a data transfer problem and in December a test was canceled over safety concerns.Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Iran says European naval mission in Gulf would be ‘provocative’-Government spokesman claims his country is ‘biggest agent of maritime security in the Persian Gulf,’ warns fleet from Europe would carry a ‘hostile message’-By AFP-TOI-JUL 28,19
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran on Sunday slammed as “provocative” a British proposal for a European-led naval mission to escort tankers in the Gulf, amid soaring tensions over the seizure of ships.“We heard that they intend to send a European fleet to the Persian Gulf which naturally carries a hostile message, is provocative and will increase tensions,” government spokesman Ali Rabiei said, quoted by ISNA news agency.Britain said on Monday it was planning a European-led force to escort tankers through the world’s busiest oil shipping lane in response to Iran’s seizure of a UK-flagged vessel on July 19.The seizure of the Stena Impero came two weeks after British authorities detained an Iranian tanker — the Grace 1 — off its overseas territory Gibraltar on allegations it was breaching EU sanctions on Syria.In his comments on Sunday, the government spokesman said Iran believed the security of the oil-rich Gulf had to be maintained by countries in the region.“We are the biggest agent of maritime security in the Persian Gulf,” said Rabiei.Britain on Thursday ordered its navy to escort UK-flagged ships through the Strait of Hormuz, where the Stena Impero was seized by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.France said on Thursday it was not willing to send extra military assets to the Gulf, but would share information and coordinate its currently deployed assets.The US military has said it is already monitoring the strait, and that it is developing a “multinational maritime effort” dubbed Operation Sentinel to increase surveillance and security in key Middle East waterways.The 33-kilometer (22-mile) wide Strait of Hormuz provides the eastern entrance and exit point into the Gulf and runs between the United Arab Emirates and Iran.Iran’s high-seas standoff with Britain comes amid rising hostilities between the Islamic Republic and UK ally the United States.The arch-enemies have been locked in a battle of nerves since US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a landmark 2015 deal aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program and began reimposing sanctions.The situation has worsened since the Trump administration began a campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran this year, with drones downed and tankers mysteriously attacked in Gulf waters.
IDF launches drill to bolster preparedness for war in Gaza-Army says 4-day training in and around southern city of Ashkelon will include exercises for ground troops and aerial maneuvers-By TOI staff-JUL 28,19
A military exercise began Sunday afternoon in the southern city of Ashkelon and in the area adjacent to the restive Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.The army said the four-day drill for its Gaza Division forces included ground troops, combat helicopters, and other aircraft.The army said the drill that is scheduled to end Wednesday morning was “another significant step in improving the IDF’s operational preparedness in the Gaza Strip.”The IDF made the announcement on Saturday night, though it said Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, ordered that the exercise be added to the 2019 training schedule, when he took office in January.Kochavi made the decision amid growing concerns in the IDF about its operational preparedness after former military ombudsman Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brick claimed that the army, especially its ground troops, were not prepared for a large-scale war.The beginning of 2019 saw dramatic increase in the level of violence along the Gaza border, with near nightly riots and airborne arson attacks, but the violence has waned in recent weeks, due to a de facto ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas terror group.Last month, the Air Force held its first-ever exercise with new American F-35 stealth fighter jets, which simulated simultaneous fighting in the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon.
Iran says meeting with parties to nuclear deal "constructive"-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-July 28, 2019-By Kirsti Knolle
* Iran to continue reducing commitments under nuclear deal * Says moves "reversible" if other parties stick to deal * Parties hold emergency talks after tensions mount in Gulf * Iran wants economy shielded from U.S. sanctions (Adds detail, quotes)
VIENNA, July 28 (Reuters) - An emergency meeting with parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal was constructive but there are unresolved issues and Tehran will continue to reduce its nuclear commitments if Europeans fail to salvage the pact, Iranian official Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday."The atmosphere was constructive. Discussions were good. I cannot say that we resolved everything, I can say there are lots of commitments," Araqchi, the senior Iranian nuclear negotiator, told reporters after the meeting in Vienna.Parties to the agreement - Britain, Germany and France plus Russia and China - met Iranian officials for talks called in response to an escalation in tensions between Iran and the West that included confrontations at sea and Tehran's breaches of the nuclear accord."As we have said, we will continue to reduce our commitments to the deal until Europeans secure Iran's interests under the deal," Araqchi said.The parties have been trying to salvage the pact since the United States withdrew from it in May 2018 and re-imposed and toughened sanctions on Iran, crippling an already weak economy.The Europeans say further breaches of the agreement by Iran would escalate confrontation at a time when Tehran and Washington are at risk of a miscalculation that could lead to war.However, their efforts to protect trade with Iran against the U.S. sanctions have yielded nothing concrete so far. Earlier this month, Tehran followed through on its threat to increase its nuclear activities in breach of the agreement.Iran has said it will withdrew from the pact unless the Europeans find ways to shield its economy from the U.S. sanctions."All our steps taken so far are reversible if other parties to the deal fulfil their commitments," an Iranian diplomat told Reuters ahead of the meeting.In response to the sanctions, Iran said in May it would decrease its commitments under the nuclear pact. Under the deal, most international sanctions against Tehran were lifted in 2016, in exchange for limitations on its nuclear work.So far, Iran has breached the limit of its enriched uranium stockpile as well as enriching uranium beyond a 3.67% purity limit set by its deal with major powers, defying a warning by Europeans to stick to the deal despite U.S. sanctions.The U.N. nuclear watchdog, policing the deal, has confirmed the measures announced by Tehran.SANCTIONS-Fu Cong, director general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, who lead the Chinese delegation, said: "All sides have expressed their commitment to safeguard the JCPOA (nuclear deal) and to continue to implement the JCPOA in a balanced manner."All sides have expressed their strong opposition against the U.S. unilateral imposition of sanctions."The meeting came after Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards seized a British-flagged oil tanker on July 19, two weeks after British forces captured an Iranian oil tanker near Gibraltar which it said was violating sanctions on Syria.Araqchi said Britain's seizure of the Iranian tanker was a violation of the nuclear pact."The countries who are part of (the nuclear deal) shouldn't create obstacles for the export of Iranian oil," Araqchi said.Britain has called for a European-led naval mission to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international oil shipping route. An Iranian government spokesman said on Sunday such a mission would send a "hostile message".Britain said on Sunday Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan had arrived in the Gulf to join a British frigate escorting British-flagged ships through the Strait.The seizure of the British tanker in the world’s most important waterway for the oil trade has deepened a crisis between Iran and the West. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Britain's seizure of the Iranian oil tanker was illegal and would be detrimental for Britain.After meeting Iranian officials in Tehran, Oman's Foreign Minister Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah said all parties should maintain contact to avoid more incidents in the Strait.Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipments through the waterway if the United States tries to strangle its economy with sanctions on its vital oil exports.Several oil tankers were attacked in waters near Iran’s southern coast in May and June, for which the United States blamed Iran. Tehran denied any involvement.Iran in June shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone in the Gulf, which Tehran said had violated its air space. Washington said the drone was in international skies.(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi, Aziz El Yaakoubi and Lisa Barrington in Dubai and Babak Dehghanpisheh in Geneva, Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Israel’s Spacecom to launch ‘most advanced’ Amos satellite to service Africa-Amos-17 satellite will be launched early Sunday, Israel time, from Cape Canaveral in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket-By Shoshanna Solomon-JUL 28,19
Almost three years after losing its Amos-6 satellite in an explosion, Israel’s Spacecom is set to launch its newest and “most advanced” satellite to provide communications services over Africa.The satellite, called Amos-17, was built by aerospace firm Boeing according to designs and specifications of the Ramat Gan-based Spacecom, also known as Space-Communication Ltd.The craft is scheduled to be launched on Sunday at around 1:50 a.m. Israel time (6:50 p.m. Saturday local time) from Cape Canaveral in Florida, where it has already been loaded atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Depending on the weather, the launch could be delayed by a day, Spacecom said at a press conference in Tel Aviv.The satellite is expected to operate for 20 years and provide services to customers in Africa. The firm has already received orders for services for a total of $58 million, said the firm in a statement, and Spacecom CEO David Pollack said at a press conference at the firm’s Ramat Gan offices that he believes more deals will be signed after the launch.“The launch of Amos 17 is a significant milestone for the continued consolidation of Israel’s position in space and the growth of the company,” Pollack said at the press conference. “Amos-17 is one of the most advanced satellites in the world.”The $250 million Amos-17 weighs 6.5 tons and will be the length of three buses, or some 35 meters (115 feet) long, once its wing-like solar panels are deployed in space. Fifty-five percent of its weight is due to the fuel it will carry, to enable it to reach its designated spot over Africa.Africa is a huge continent with the fastest growing population in the world, forecast to reach 2.5 billion in 2050, said Eran Shapiro, director, Business and Technology Ventures at Spacecom, at the press conference. It also has the highest percentage of young people, with about half of its current population under 18. The continent has a growing demand for content, with the number of households using digital TV growing some 20% year over year to 2022.The continent, however, suffers from a lack of internet access infrastructure and has vast areas that are either underserved or completely not connected to any communication infrastructure.“So the opportunity is clear,” said Shapiro. To get connectivity via the Amos-17 satellite, locals can set up a simple solar-powered terminal.The satellite will be the first over Africa that will provide high-throughput satellite services (HTS) as well as C-band frequencies, which allow high availability of service, Shapiro said. It will be suited to the African climate and send a single beam per country, as opposed to numerous narrow beams provided by other common HTS satellites. Its digital payload will provide higher service availability and easier customer adaptation and expansion, the company said, and will be able to adapt to existing C-Band terminals on the ground, so there will be no need to upgrade equipment.After its launch Amos-17 will travel in space for 11 days until it reaches its destined location, and it will take two days to deploy all of its antennas and solar panels. It will orbit the earth at a distance of 36,000 kilometers (22,360 miles), and at a speed of 11,000 kph.Spacecom is a supplier of satellite services to satellite TV operators, internet and telephone providers, governments and private data companies. The firm, which started operations in 1993, has launched satellites and deployed them around the world.The firm has three active satellites: Amos 3 and Amos 7 are located over Europe and serve Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and Amos 4 is located over India and Nepal, serving Asia and Africa. In a spate of ill-fated space missions, the firm lost contact with its Amos-5 satellite in 2015, and lost its Amos-6 spacecraft in an explosion on the launchpad of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in September 2016. The failed missions raised concerns over the fate of Israel’s space industry at the time.The $300 million Amos-6 was slated to bring internet access to vast swaths of rural Africa and would have been a linchpin of an effort by social media giant Facebook to bring speedy internet access to sub-Saharan Africa.Since the loss of Amos-6, Pollack said, it has been harder to sell services to customers before the satellite is actually in place. He declined to say if the planned project with Facebook for Amos-6 will now resume with Amos-17.He added that the firm is in talks to sell services in Africa to a firm that is as big as Facebook.Spacecom shares traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange were up 1.2 percent at 1:47 p.m. in Tel Aviv, capping its 12-month decline at 1.1%.
After Taiwan buys arms, China holds military drills on southeast coast-[Reuters]-YAHOONEWS-14 July 2019
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's military recently carried out air and naval drills along its southeast coast, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday, following the latest arms sales from the United States to self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province.In a brief statement, and without giving an exact geographical location, the ministry said that the People's Liberation Army had in "recent days" held the exercises."These drills were routine arrangements in accordance with annual plans for the military," it said, without elaborating.China's southeast coast is one of the country's most sensitive regions as it faces Taiwan across the narrow Taiwan Strait. China deems democratic Taiwan to be a wayward province, to be taken by force if needed.On Friday, China said it would impose sanctions on U.S. firms involved in a deal to sell $2.2 billion worth of tanks, missiles and related equipment to Taiwan, saying it harmed China's sovereignty and national security.That announcement came as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was visiting New York on a transit stop to diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, a trip that has also infuriated Beijing, further straining Sino-U.S. ties already affected by a bitter trade war.In a statement on Sunday, Taiwan's Presidential Office cited National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Tsai Ming-yen as saying President Tsai had spoken by telephone with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while she was in the United States and met with other senators and members of Congress, without naming them.President Tsai said Taiwan and the United States can both forge even closer ties, and also thanked the United States for "the importance it attaches to the security of the Taiwan Strait" and the recently announced arms sale, the statement said.President Tsai also promised the United States that in the future in the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to play a responsible partnership role, and defend democratic values and peace and stability in the region with like-minded countries, the statement added.Tsai has repeatedly warned of the threat from its giant neighbor China and has vowed to defend Taiwan's security, democracy and way of life.China has in recent years stepped up its military drills around Taiwan, including regularly flying what Beijing calls "island encirclement" exercises and sending warships into the waters around Taiwan.(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; editing by Christian Schmollinger)
North Korea launches 2 short-range missiles, Seoul says-[Associated Press]-YAHOONEWS-July 31, 2019
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's military said North Korea conducted its second weapons test in less than a week Wednesday, firing two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast in a move observers said could be aimed at boosting pressure on the United States as the rivals struggle to set up fresh nuclear talks.South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missiles were launched from Wonsan, a city the North pushes as a vacation destination but that it also uses as a regular launch site.It said both missiles were believed to have flown about 250 kilometers (155 miles) at a maximum altitude of 30 kilometers (19 miles), and that the South Korean and U.S. militaries were trying to gather more details.The test, which would be yet another North Korean violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, comes as the country's negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear weapons program are at a stalemate and as Pyongyang has expressed anger over planned U.S.-South Korean military drills."The North's repeated missile launches are not helpful to efforts to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and we urge (North Korea) to stop this kind of behavior," the South Korean statement said.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that the launches were "no threat to Japanese national security."Last Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles that Seoul officials said flew 600 kilometers (370 miles) and as high as 50 kilometers (30 miles) before landing in the sea.North Korea's state media said those tests were supervised by leader Kim Jong Un and were designed to deliver a "solemn warning" to South Korea over its purchase of high-tech U.S.-made fighter jets and the planned military drills, which Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal.Even though North Korea is banned by the U.N. from using ballistic technology in any weapons launches, it's unlikely that the nation, already under 11 rounds of U.N. sanctions, will be hit with more punitive measures. Past sanctions were imposed only when the North conducted long-range ballistic launches.Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Wednesday that the most recently launched weapons did not reach Japan's exclusive economic zone and that officials were still analyzing details, including the flight distance and trajectory."It is extremely regrettable that North Korea continues firing the missiles that violate the U.N. resolutions," Iwaya said.Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman from the Chinese foreign ministry, said that China noted the launches and the responses of all sides, and that the "political settlement on the (Korean) Peninsula is currently in a critical stage." China is North Korea's most important economic and diplomatic ally."We hope that all parties concerned will cherish the hard-won alleviations and jointly make positive efforts to promote denuclearization and realize lasting peace on the peninsula and in the region," Hua told reporters at a daily news briefing.Observers say a low altitude flight by the missiles indicate North Korea may have been testing their ability to avoid being intercepted.Earlier last week, Kim visited a newly built submarine and expressed his satisfaction with its weapons system. North Korea said its deployment was "near at hand."In a private briefing to lawmakers Wednesday, South Korean military intelligence officers said they've determined that the submarine likely has three launch tubes for missiles, according to Lee Hye-hoon, head of parliament's intelligence committee. If confirmed, it would be North Korea's first operational submarine with missile launch tubes, some experts said.North Korea acquiring the ability to launch missiles from submarines would be an alarming development because such missiles are harder to detect in advance. Experts say the submarine North Korea used to test-fire missiles in recent years should be regarded as a test platform with a single launch tube. They say other North Korean submarines only have torpedo launch tubes.Wednesday's launches came hours after a senior U.S. official said President Donald Trump sent Kim mementos from his brief visit to an inter-Korean border town late last month.The official said a top staffer from the National Security Council hand-delivered photographs from the leaders' June meeting at the Korean Demilitarized Zone to a North Korean official last week. The Trump administration official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak publicly.The DMZ meeting was the third summit between Trump and Kim. At their second meeting, in Vietnam in February, Trump rejected Kim's demand for widespread sanctions relief in return for dismantling the North's main nuclear complex, a partial disarmament step.During the DMZ meeting, Trump and Kim agreed to resume nuclear diplomacy in coming weeks, but there hasn't been any known meeting between the countries.Speaking to reporters accompanying him to an Asian security forum in Thailand, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he's "very hopeful" for a quick resumption in the nuclear talks.Despite a recent lack of progress in nuclear diplomacy, both Trump and Kim have said they have maintained good relations with each other. After last Thursday's missile launches, Trump tried to downplay the significance of the tests, saying that "short-range" was the most important detail. He said North Korea fired "standard" missiles that many countries possess.South Korea's military said the flight data of the weapon launched last week showed similarities to the Russian-made Iskander, a short-range, nuclear-capable missile. A North Korean version could likely reach all of South Korea — and the 28,500 U.S. forces stationed there — and would be extremely hard to intercept.Before last week's launches, North Korea last fired missiles into the sea in early May, and experts said those were also Iskander-like missiles. During Wednesday's briefing, the South Korean military intelligence officers said that an analysis of North Korea-dispatched photos showed that the North fired four missiles on two days, according to Lee, the lawmaker. South Korea earlier said the North fired a total of three missiles at the time.After entering talks with Washington, North Korea has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests, and Trump has said that is proof that his North Korea policy is working well and has eased the danger of a war with the North.___Associated Press journalists Zeke Miller in Washington, Matthew Lee in Bangkok and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
