CHINA CLAIMES CANADA SENT A LETTER TO CHINA FULL OF COVID.NKOREA FIRES 4TH MISSLEIN A MONTH.STORMS.RUSSIA.CURUPT FBI.

DISEASES-ANIMAL TO HUMAN

REVELATION 6:7-8 (500 MILLION DEAD EACH FROM THE 4 JUDGEMENTS)(2 BILLION TOT DEAD HERE)
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) of (8 billion) to kill with sword,(WEAPONS)(500 million) and with hunger,(FAMINE)(500 million) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES)(500 million) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE)(500 million).

THE COVID-19 TOTALS.
WORLD OVER ALL CASES 331,127,822 - DEAD 5,563,105 - AS OF MON JAN 17,2022 (PROBABLY IN THE LAST 200,000 DEAD-150,000 STILL GOT COVID AND DIED AFTER GETTING BOTH VACCINE SHOTS)
THE SNAKE OIL (NWO) BOOSTER IS CALLED A DOWNLOAD EVERY 6 MONTHS IN YOUR BODY LIKE A COMPUTER DOWN LOAD.
2 MORE NEW BOGEYMEN-FLURONA AND DELTACRON-ARE THE NEXT WAVE.AND FEB 1,22-OLD PEOPLE CAN TAKE A 4TH KILLER SHOT IF YOU WANT.

HOWS THIS FOR A BRAIN DEAD CHINA EXCUSE FOR CLAIMING COVID GOT INTO THEIR CONTRY. THE COMMIES CLAIM CANADA SENT A LETTER TO SOMEBODY IN CHINA COUNTRY. AND THAT BROUGHT COVID WITH IT. TRY AGAIN COMMIES.NO IT WAS BEST YOUR BEST PAL CHICKEN NECK FAUCI THAT SENT THE LETTER AND GOT SOMEBODY TO SEND IT FROM CANADA. ITS CALLED A FALSE FLAG BY KILLER SHOT PROPAGANDIST FAUCI TO FRAME CANADA.

Hospital releases preliminary data, without specific figures-Israeli trial, world’s first, finds 4th dose ‘not good enough’ against Omicron-Expert at Sheba Medical Center says jab raises COVID antibody levels, but there are ‘still a lot of infections’ among those who received it-By TOI staff-jan 17,22-Today, 7:40 pm

Nearly a month after Sheba Medical Center launched a landmark study to test the efficacy of a fourth COVID shot, the hospital said Monday that this fourth booster was only partially effective in protecting against the Omicron strain.“The vaccine, which was very effective against the previous strains, is less effective against the Omicron strain,” Prof. Gili Regev-Yochay, a lead researcher in the experiment said.“We see an increase in antibodies, higher than after the third dose,” Regev-Yochay said. “However, we see many infected with Omicron who received the fourth dose. Granted, a bit less than in the control group, but still a lot of infections,” she added.“The bottom line is that the vaccine is excellent against the Alpha and Delta [variants], for Omicron it’s not good enough,” she said.Regev-Yochay added that it is still probably a good idea to give a fourth shot to those at higher risk, but intimated that perhaps the current campaign, which also offers the jab to the over-60s, should be amended to only include even older groups. She did not elaborate.The hospital did not release more specific data. Regev-Yochay said the results of the research are only preliminary, but indicated that she was providing the initial information since there was high public interest in the matter.Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has pushed ahead with expanding Israel’s fourth dose program, despite the lack of data.As of Sunday night, over 500,000 Israelis have been inoculated with a fourth dose. The Health Ministry began offering fourth vaccine shots to Israelis 60 and older, the immunocompromised, and medical workers last month.Sheba’s trial program, which began in December with 150 medical staff being given the shot, is many times smaller than normal drug trials, which usually involve thousands of volunteers who results are tracked for months. But it is also the only known study of the effects of a fourth dose.Israel is pinning hopes that the extra booster may help keep the Omicron variant from overwhelming hospitals and shutting down normal life.The study, the first of its kind in the world, is being carried out in conjunction with the Health Ministry, and has been approved by the government’s senior panel on human medical trials.The World Health Organization has urged countries to delay booster programs until the whole world has access to initial vaccine doses.Around two-thirds of Israel’s population of nearly 9.5 million have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 4.4 million Israelis have received three doses, according to the latest Health Ministry figures.

Committee advances plans for new Jerusalem homes beyond Green Line-Proposed neighborhood of Lower Aqueduct would include 1,465 units, with around half of the area in East Jerusalem-By Aaron Boxerman-jan 17,22-Today, 9:09 pm

The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee advanced a 1,465-unit plan for a new neighborhood in the capital, half of which would be in the contested area over the 1967 ceasefire line.The new neighborhood — known as the Lower Aqueduct — has been planned for the land between the Jewish neighborhoods of Givat Hamatos and Har Homa, both of which are located beyond the Green Line. About half of the planned construction would be in the Mateh Yehudah Regional Council inside Israel; the rest would be in municipal East Jerusalem.Following the committee’s approval, the Lower Aqueduct plan advanced to the “deposit” stage, meaning that it only needs one more approval before ground can be broken on the construction.Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967. In 1980, the Israeli government passed a law annexing the area, an act not recognized by most of the international community.Left-wing Israeli groups and Palestinians oppose Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, which they hope will one day become the capital of a Palestinian state. Right-wing Israelis, who largely oppose full Palestinian statehood, support an undivided Jerusalem as the capital of IsraelAccording to Peace Now, the planned units would “prevent territorial contiguity between East Jerusalem Palestinian neighborhoods and Bethlehem.”“This is another way in which Israel is erasing the Green Line in Jerusalem, ending Palestinian contiguity, and expropriating the lands of Palestinians. When Palestinians tried to plan construction there, it was rejected — and now the territory will be confiscated,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at the left-wing Ir Amim nonprofit.The Jerusalem municipality did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Israeli construction over the Green Line in East Jerusalem is controversial, even among Israel’s allies in Washington. After a plan to build a new neighborhood for ultra-Orthodox Jews near the Atarot Industrial Zone was announced in December, American lawmakers and government officials responded vehemently.The Times of Israel reported at the time that United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed the administration’s firm opposition to the planned 9,000-unit project in an “intense” call with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. The Jerusalem District Committee subsequently delayed the plan, citing technical inadequacies.

Fox News-'Corrupt' FBI should be 'eliminated' for statement on Texas synagogue hostage taker: Critics-Emma Colton-Sun, January 16, 2022, 11:20 AM

The FBI is facing backlash on social media after an official said that the Texas synagogue hostage taker’s demands were "not specifically related to the Jewish community.""The FBI is now an organization solely focused on destroying the domestic enemies of the Democratic Party," conservative talk radio show Jesse Kelly tweeted Sunday morning. "Any Republican Congress or Presidential candidate who doesn’t loudly proclaim his intention to massively reform or disband this organization should not be considered."TEXAS HOSTAGE SITUATION: ALL HOSTAGES 'ALIVE AND SAFE,' GREG ABBOTT TWEETS AFTER HOURS-LONG ORDEAL-Kelly’s tweet came in response to the Associated Press reporting that FBI officials said "the Texas synagogue hostage taker's demands were specifically focused on issues not connected to the Jewish community.""We do believe from our engaging with this subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community. But we're continuing to work to find motive," FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said at a press conferenceThe hostage taker, who has been identified as British national Malik Faisal Akram, took four hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, near Fort Worth on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.TEXAS SYNAGOGUE ACCUSED HOSTAGE TAKER WAS BRITISH NATIONAL-He allegedly demanded the release of a Pakistani woman who is imprisoned in Texas on charges of trying to kill American service members in Afghanistan.The FBI and Justice Department previously described the woman, Aafia Siddiqui, as an "al-Qaida operative and facilitator" at a May 2004 news conference. She is serving an 86-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2010 on charges that she sought to shoot U.S. military members while in Afghanistan two year earlier.TEXAS OFFICIALS REACT TO NEWS OF HOSTAGE SITUATION IN COLLEYVILLE SYNAGOGUE-She has a history of anti-Semitism, including demanding that jurors in her case be DNA tested and removed "if they have a Zionist or Israeli background."The suspected hostage taker died at the scene. The hostages were released without injury.The FBI was ripped on social media for the statement that the hostage taker had no direct demands related to the Jewish community, including calling for the FBI to be "defunded and eliminated."The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment on the criticisms.Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

PROOF HALF ON EARTH DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION PERIOD (8 BILLION ON EARTH)

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.

AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)(NUKED BY SNEAK ATTACK FROM RUSSIA)

IN REVELATION 17 & 18 IS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL BABYLONS.IF YOU CAN NOT DECERN BETWEEN THE 2 BABYLONS IN REV 17 & 18.YOU WILL JUST THINK THEIR BOTH THE SAME.BUT NO-THERES A RELIGIOUS BABYLON (THE VATICAN IN REV 17)(AND THE POLITICAL BABYLON IN REV 18 (AMERICA OR NEW YORK TO BE EXACT)

ISAIAH 34:10
10  It (AMERICA-POLITICAL BABYLON) shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

JEREMIAH 51:29-32 (CYBER ATTACK 1ST)
29  And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon,(AMERICA-NEW YORK) to make the land of Babylon (AMERICA) a desolation without an inhabitant.
30  The mighty men of Babylon (AMERICA) have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken.
031  One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon (NEW YORK) that his city is taken at one end,
32  And that the passages are stopped,(THE WAR COMPUTERS HACKED OR EMP'D) and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.(DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO)

COMPLETE SILENCE AFTER AN EMP GOES OFF
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north (RUSSIA) there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon,(AMERICA) and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK CYBER,EMP ATTACK,THEN NUKE ATTACK ON AM

EZEKIEL 39:11-22
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)
13 Yea, all the people of the land (OF ISRAEL) shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I (GOD-JESUS) shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment,(NUCLEAR ATOMIC BOMB EXPERTS) passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it,(WON'T TOUCH IT) till the buriers have buried it (PROPERLY) in the valley of Hamongog.(RUSSIA/ARAB/MUSLIMS NEW BURIEL SITE)(EAST OF THE DEAD SEA IN THE JORDAN VALLEY)
16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.(OF THE ISRAEL-GOD HATERS)
17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl,(500 MILLION MIGRATING BIRDS THREW ISRAEL EVERY SPRING,FALL) 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 THE RUSSIAN/ARAB/MUSLIM ARMIES)
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.

Good Morning America-North Korea launches 4th missile test in 2 weeks-Mon, January 17, 2022, 7:13 AM

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea Monday morning, its fourth test in less than a month.“South Korea’s military detected two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles launched into the East Sea to the northeast from the Sunan Airfield in Pyongyang, North Korea, around 08:50 a.m. and 08:54 a.m.,” South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff told reporters Monday.The missiles traveled about 236 miles and reached an altitude of about 26 miles, said South Korea’s military, which was analyzing details of the launch.It was the fourth missile launch this year, following two self-claimed hypersonic missile tests on Jan. 5 and Jan. 11 and last Friday’s short-range ballistic missile that the secluded regime’s state news agency, KCNA, claimed was launched from a rail car.Pyongyang’s consecutive showcases of its military capabilities came as the United States discussed sanctions on North Korea’s nuclear program.“North Korea probably believes they pulled out a response from the U.S. by firing hypersonic missiles in the new year because the U.S. acted with new sanctions,” Moon Keun-sik, a military expert at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, told ABC News. “North Korea claims that ballistic missile test-launch is a part of the training, but it also acknowledges that their action is a UN violation.”North Korea has said its weapons development is a rightful act of self-defense. The country blames the U.S. for escalated tensions.“The DPRK's recent development of new-type weapon was just part of its efforts for modernizing its national defense capability. Nevertheless, the U.S. is intentionally escalating the situation even with the activation of independent sanctions, not content with referring the DPRK's just activity to the UN Security Council,” KCNA said on Friday, citing North Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson.North Korea expressed open discontent about the sanctions imposed last Wednesday on North Korean individuals and entities who support the country's ballistic-missile program.“We could say that the situation has escalated as the United States took out the sanctions card in response to North Korea's recent missile test launch,” Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korean studies at Seoul-based Dongguk University, told ABC News. “Through missile experiments, Kim Jong Un intends to highlight North Korea’s presence while the United States is mainly taking care of Ukraine issues, and at the same time maintain solidarity among their people.”Some experts saw the recent tests as planned drills on North Korea’s side. Kim Jong Un announced at the 8th Party Congress in January 2021 that the country planned to strengthen its weapon systems, including hypersonic missiles.“Pyongyang’s missile tests will take rounds and rounds for the next three years, not mainly intended to send a political message, which is only part of the motivation,” Bong Young-shik of Yonsei University told ABC News. “It would be a mistaken belief to think that the North Korea military can be bought out with massive immediate concessions because North Korea is moving on its own schedule by military capability.”Analysts in South Korea agreed that North Korea was following its own schedule to ramp up military capabilities in a time when there's a slim chance of negotiating with other countries in person.“North Korea is in the direction of enhancing the technical completeness of their missile program and knocking on the United States, trying to persuade them they should reach out to North Korea in any way,” Kim told ABC News.It isn’t the first time North Korea has scaled up in its weapons experiments. Back in 2019, North Korea fired over 20 short-range ballistic missiles between May and November.ABC News' Chae Young Oh contributed to this report.

The Hill-US calls on North Korea to halt 'unlawful and destabilizing' missile launchesMon, January 17, 2022, 11:58 AM

The U.S. envoy focused on North Korea called at least two ballistic missile launches by North Korea Monday "unlawful and destabilizing activities" and pushed for the nuclear-armed nation to engage in dialogue.Sung Kim, the U.S. Special Representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official name of North Korea, made his remarks in a trilateral call with officials in South Korea, formally the Republic of Korea (ROK), and Japan.North Korea's missile launches on Monday came on top of two other launches, on Jan. 10 and Jan. 5, with which Pyongyang reportedly tested advanced hypersonic missiles.South Korea's military reportedly said the missile launches are an attempt by Pyongyang to demonstrate its military might amid stalled diplomacy with the U.S. and pandemic border closures.Kim, the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia who was appointed as special envoy for North Korea in May, expressed "concern about the DPRK's missile launches, which violated multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and were the latest in a series of ballistic missile launches by the DPRK this month," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement.Kim further reiterated to South Korean and Japanese officials "the U.S. commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as well as its ironclad commitment to the defense of its allies."Kim had spoken with officials in South Korea and Japan on Jan. 11, according to a State Department readout of the call. It was "the latest in a number of calls made between the three since January 5," according to the readout.Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday spoke with South Korea's Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and stressed the U.S.'s commitment to the defense of Seoul "remains ironclad."Blinken, in an interview with NPR on Friday, called North Korea's missile tests "profoundly destabilizing."The Treasury Department last week issued sanctions on five North Korean officials residing in Russia and China for aiding North Korea's ballistic missile program in response to at least six missile launches that occurred between September and Jan. 10.North Korea has rejected offers by the Biden administration to host bilateral talks without preconditions, with Pyongyang saying that it wants Washington to address its "hostile activity" before it engages in any talks, a broad term likely to refer to sanctions imposed by the U.S. as well as military coordination it has with South Korea.

Reuters-US senators promise solidarity and weapons for Ukraine in warning to Putin-Mon, January 17, 2022, 3:28 PM

KYIV (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of United States senators promised solidarity and weapons on a visit to Kyiv on Monday while warning Russian President Vladimir Putin against launching a new military offensive against Ukraine. Kyiv and its Western allies have sounded the alarm after Russia massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders and pressed the United States for security guarantees, including a block on Ukraine joining the NATO alliance. Russia denies planning a new military offensive. The United States has been Ukraine's most powerful backer in its standoff with Moscow after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of the war in eastern Ukraine. "I think Vladimir Putin has made the biggest mistake of his career in underestimating how courageously the people of Ukraine will fight him if he invades," Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters. "And we will impose crippling economic sanctions, but more important we will give the people of Ukraine the arms, lethal arms they need to defend their lives and livelihoods," he said after the delegation met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.  These weapons could include Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles, small arms and boats, he said. "And so our message is: there will be consequences if he chooses to violate the sanctity of this democracy," Senator Amy Klobuchar added. (Reporting by Sergiy Karazy and Matthias Williams; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Disbelief in English town after local man takes hostages at Texas synagogue-Activist says Blackburn’s Muslim community is shocked by Malik Faisal Akram’s ‘unacceptable’ attack on Jewish house of worship 7,400 km away, questions why he was allowed to fly-By Paul Barker-jan 17,22Today, 10:13 pm

BLACKBURN, England (AFP) — Community leaders in Blackburn, northwest England, on Monday voiced their shock after a local man took four people hostage more than 4,500 miles (7,400 kilometers) away at a Texas synagogue.Malik Faisal Akram, 44, died after a 10-hour siege in the small town of Colleyville on Saturday. All four hostages escaped unharmed. US President Joe Biden called it an “act of terror.”Britain has promised its “full support” to US investigators. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman described the drama as a “terrible and antisemitic act of terrorism.”Counterterrorism police arrested two teenagers in Manchester, 21 miles (34 kilometers) from Blackburn, on Sunday.In Blackburn, a run-down former mill town where 28 percent of the population identify as Asian or British Asian, activist Asif Mahmud said the close-knit local Muslim community was shocked.Mahmud, 50, told AFP that Akram came from a “well-known and well-respected family,” and that he last saw him at his brother’s funeral about three months ago.He called the hostage-taking “unacceptable,” echoing similar condemnation from the Muslim Council of Britain, a national umbrella body of Islamic groups.But, he said, “questions have to be asked” about how Akram managed to get to the United States in the first place.Akram’s family have said he had mental health problems, while Mahmud said it was “well-known” that he had a criminal record.“How is it he got through immigration?” he asked.“There’s possible failing in the intelligence services. But obviously the investigation process will establish the ins and outs of why and what happened.”A man who identified himself as Akram’s brother, Gulbar, posted on Facebook that the family did not condone his actions, and apologized to everyone involved.“I’ve got friends… who are in touch with the family, and they’re obviously distraught trying to come to terms with what’s happened,” said Mahmud.“They’ve lost a son and they’ve lost a brother. They’re just struggling to understand what’s happened here.”The Muslim community of Blackburn was “in solidarity with the Jewish community, and our sympathy goes out to the hostages and the rest of the Jewish community.”“People should be allowed to live freely without fear of violence or terror,” he said.Biden declined to speculate on the motive for the hostage-taking, but indicated that Akram had been seeking the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist known as “Lady Al-Qaeda.”Detained in Afghanistan in 2008, she is serving an 86-year sentence for the attempted murder of US officers in the country, and held at a prison in Fort Worth, Texas, 20 miles from the Beth Israel synagogue Akram attacked.Her detention has become a cause celebre for global jihadists.

Interview-Says he refused to kneel: 'I was not going to die that way' Hostage: Attacker chose synagogue, thinking Jews powerful enough to free ‘sister’ Jeff Cohen recounts emotional moment he phoned family for what he thought would be last time; urges Jewish communities to take active shooter course, which helped save their lives-By Jacob Magid-18 January 2022, 1:14 am

COLLEYVILLE, Texas — Malik Faisal Akram chose to hold synagogue worshipers hostage in Colleyville, Texas Saturday because he believed in antisemitic tropes and was convinced that the Jewish worshipers inside would have the power to organize the release of a Pakistani prisoner jailed nearby, one of the four worshipers held at gunpoint told The Times of Israel on Monday.“He did not come there to kill Jews … He came here to release [Aafia Siddiqui], and he had bought into the extremely dangerous, antisemitic trope that Jews control everything, that we could call President [Joe] Biden and have him release her,” Jeffrey Cohen said in an interview over Zoom.Siddiqui is serving an 86-year sentence for terror offenses at a military prison 15 miles from Colleyville. She is known to US authorities as “Lady al-Qaeda,” but Akram referred to her throughout the standoff as his “sister,” albeit not literally, Cohen said.The 57-year-old resident of nearby Keller was among the last of the hostages to escape Saturday night after being held at gunpoint in Congregation Beth Israel, where he has been an active member for the past several years.Cohen recalled the harrowing events of the day, nonchalantly referencing acts of heroism taken by himself and others in the CBI sanctuary that allowed the day to end with all four hostages alive and unharmed.With the memories still raw, Cohen choked up several times throughout the 40-minute conversation, describing the phone calls he made to his wife and children that he thought would be his last, as well as the gratitude he had for having taken an active shooter course, which provided him with the “forethought” for how to conduct himself throughout the day and helped him stay alive.Cohen attends Sabbath services just about every weekend, but he said he was particularly excited for this past Saturday because it was Sabbath Shira when Jews read the Torah portion on God splitting the Red Sea for the Israelites after they exited Egypt.When Cohen arrived at the Reform synagogue, Akram was already inside. CBI Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker greeted Cohen and told him to say hello to their guest who had been outside in the below-freezing weather and was having a cup of tea.“All the things they tell you to look for in somebody — eyes darting about, hands being jittery or hidden, facial or body expressions being troubled — he didn’t have that,” Cohen recalled. “He was smiling, he was comfortable, he was relaxed… So I really didn’t think much of it.”The four CBI members inside began services shortly thereafter.“After the Amidah [prayer]… and I sat down and… heard that unmistakable sound of a slide on an automatic weapon,” said Cohen.Moments later, Akram pounced out of his chair and was yelling. Cohen doesn’t remember what the attacker said, but he took his phone out of his pocket, dialed 911 and turned it over so his hostage-taker couldn’t see what was on the screen.The ordeal was also unfolding on the livestream that CBI has set up each week since the pandemic to allow members uncomfortable praying indoors to do so from home. While Cytron-Walker credited the livestream from ensuring that fewer members were in the synagogue when the standoff unfolded, to Cohen, the benefit of the feed was that it allowed those watching to quickly alert the authorities.Akram would go on to order the Cytron-Walker, Cohen and the two others, whose names have not yet been disclosed, to move to a corner of the sanctuary. While there, Cohen carefully aligned himself with an exit door.He then stopped sharing the story to make the following plea: “Make an opportunity to take an active shooter class because that’s what saved our lives. That gave me the forethought to position myself where I did.”During the first half-hour of the ordeal, Cohen said he was convinced that the attacker intended to use his weapon.Akram let the hostages call their families in what the worshipers believed would be the final conversations with their loved ones.“I called my wife and children and left them each a very brief message where I basically said ‘I’m at the synagogue. We have a gunman here who says he’s got a bomb. This may not end well. I love you. Remember me,'” Cohen, a father of two, recalled, overcome by emotion.After those first 30 minutes though, Akram calmed down and focused on trying to release his “sister” Siddiqui.“He had one objective. He repeatedly said that he didn’t want to hurt us… that he would let us go, that he was the only one who was going to die… and that if the police brought his sister there, he and she would go out on the front lawn and let the authorities kill him. He kept speaking about martyrdom. He was the only one who needed to die that day,” Cohen said. “He told us that he chose the closest synagogue to the facility where [Siddiqui was] being held.”Referencing a statement issued by Akram’s brother on Sunday in which the latter insisted the gunman suffered from mental health issues, Cohen said he “believe[d] that to be true.”Regardless, the hostage recalled the attacker railing against people of varying races, sexual orientations and religions — including fellow Muslims.This continued for 11 hours inside the synagogue as Cohen and the other hostages sought to keep Akram calm.It worked for almost the entire time, and at one point mid-way through the standoff, the gunman proposed releasing all four of the hostages to go and get something to eat on the condition that they return 30 minutes later.Realizing that they likely wouldn’t return he resolved to free one of the worshipers.At around 8:30 pm. though, Akram began losing his patience as he grew tired, frustrated and hungry. He began threatening to shoot them. “Three bullets — one in each of them,” Cohen recalled the hostage-taker shouting.Finally losing his cool, Akram ordered the hostages to get down on their knees.“I was not going to die that way,” Cohen said, adding that what he did next was the first time during the entire ordeal that he acted insubordinately and aggressively toward his armed hostage-taker.He leaned forward, locked eyes with Akram and slowly mouthed the word, “no.”“He got a little scared and sat back down,” Cohen said.  Exclusive footage of the hostages being rescued after the end of a nearly 12-hour hostage situation at a synagogue in Colleyville.#HostageSituation#BethIsraelSynagogue pic.twitter.com/X9QfOrjnSe — LockharTVMedia (@LockharTVMedia) January 16, 2022-Shortly thereafter, Akram went to pour himself a cup of soda. At this point, Cohen heard Cytron-Walker yell ‘run!’ before hurling a chair at the gunman.Cohen and the other hostage bolted through the emergency exit and their rabbi followed shortly after.Moments later, the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team breached the building, engaging in a firefight with Akram and killing the 44-year-old British national.Cohen admitted it was too soon to know how the hostage crisis would impact him long-term, but he had a couple of takeaways for the time being.“Number one for me — the active shooter course is critical,” he said for the second time during the interview.“If I could do anything to help encourage anyone, any organization that is having meetings that need to do this, I would,” Cohen continued, holding back tears. “Especially Jewish organizations because we are the target because of all of these horrible tropes.”“The second thing is reaching to others, so that it’s harder for them to hate…We try to do that a lot in our community here,” he said, noting the active role Cytron-Walker and CBI play in interfaith outreach in Colleyville.“It’s no secret this area has had some problems with discrimination,” Cohen said of the Dallas suburb without specifying further. “But that’s not the majority of the people, and as more people become aware that others have been poisoned by these tropes, maybe we can help others to learn.”“As far as getting back to the synagogue, I’m obviously very comfortable with Zoom, but the habit of being in the building is important to me, so if I can, I prefer to be one of those bodies in the seats,” he added.Even next week? I asked.“Even next week.”

After years, Iran diplomats return to Saudi Arabia to take up posts in Islamic forum-Arrival of Iranian delegation to Organization of Islamic Cooperation marks first such diplomatic move between Tehran, Riyadh since ties cut in 2016-By AFP-jan 17,22-Today, 7:47 pm

TEHRAN, Iran — Iranian envoys have returned to the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in the first such diplomatic move since the two countries cut ties in 2016, the foreign ministry announced Monday.“The delegation is now in Jeddah (western Saudi Arabia) to start its work at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said at his weekly news conference.This “can be a good prelude for the two sides to send delegations to visit their embassies,” he added.The Iranian delegation have arrived in Jeddah but “haven’t attended any meetings yet,” an OIC official told AFP on condition of anonymity.Tehran’s diplomats are expected to attend a sub-ministerial meeting on January 23, he added.Shiite-majority Iran and the Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia are both members of the pan-Islamic body of 57 member states.The two regional rivals have so far held four rounds of talks aimed at improving relations, in Iraq, since April.“We have given our written points of interest to the Saudi delegation at the fourth round of negotiations in Baghdad and we are awaiting the responses,” Khatibzadeh said.Riyadh and Tehran support rival sides in several conflict zones across the region, including in Syria and Yemen.In 2016, protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran after the kingdom executed revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr.Riyadh responded at the time by cutting ties with Tehran, while OIC foreign ministers condemned the violence.Khatibzadeh reiterated Iran’s position that Tehran is “ready to open its embassy,” but that depends on what “practical steps” Saudi Arabia takes.In December, foreign ministry officials in both countries said the kingdom had granted visas to three Iranian diplomats to the OIC.

Iran arrests Khamenei’s niece after she praises widow of ousted shah-Brother of Farideh Moradkhani says the activist is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison-By AFP-JAN 17,22Today, 2:55 pm

PARIS — Iran has arrested a niece of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, her brother and activists have said, months after she took part in a celebration praising the widow of the ousted shah.Farideh Moradkhani, who has gained prominence as an anti-death penalty activist, was detained by security forces on Thursday, her brother Mahmoud Moradkhani told the London-based Iran International TV on Sunday.“We are very worried, we did not have news… we now know she is in Evin Prison” in Tehran and under the control of the ministry of intelligence, he said.The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said she was arrested on her way home and security forces then proceeded to search her house and confiscated her belongings.It said she is now in the notorious section 209 of Evin which is run by the ministry of intelligence.There were no details over why Moradkhani, the daughter of  Khamenei’s sister, had been suddenly arrested. #BREAKING Farideh Moradkhani, a human rights activist and Ali Khamenei's niece (his sister's daughter), has been arrested and transferred to Evin Prison  Her father (Khamenei's brother-in-law), a longtime critic of Islamic Republic, had also been jailed for nine years in 1990s. pic.twitter.com/x89EfWLlSY  — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) January 16, 2022-However, social media users pointed to a recent appearance in October 2021 at a video conference where Moradkhani lavishly praised Farah Diba, the widow of shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was ousted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.Moradkhani addressed the former empress, who was known as the shahbanu during her husband’s rule, as “dear queen” and called for her to return to the country to lead a “rebirth” of Iranian culture.The video conference was held to mark the 83rd birthday of Farah, who is now based in France.Moradkhani is the daughter of Khamenei’s sister Badri, who fell out with her family in the 1980s and fled to Iraq as the peak of the war with Iran’s neighbor, to join her husband, the dissident cleric Ali Tehrani who was born Ali Moradkhani Arangeh.Khamenei has three brothers, and one of his sons, Mojtaba, who was placed under sanctions by the United States in 2019, is believed to be one of the most powerful figures in Iran due to his work at the office of the supreme leader.

The Hill-UN: Libya has 12,000 people officially detained, thousands more held illegally-Mon, January 17, 2022, 7:30 PM

More than 12,000 people are officially detained in 27 prisons and detention facilities across Libya, with many more in "inhumane conditions in facilities controlled by armed groups or 'secret' facilities," United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a report obtained by The Associated Press Monday.Guterres said in the report to the U.N. Security Council that the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has documented an alarming amount of cases of arbitrary detention, sexual violence, torture and other international law violations in facilities led by various groups, including the government."I remain gravely concerned by the continuing violations of the human rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Libya," he said in the report.Guterres noted that thousands of individuals in the official statistics provided by Libyan authorities could not challenge the legality of their detention. Thousands more detainees are being held illegally, the AP reported."Female and male migrants and refugees continued to face heightened risks of rape, sexual harassment and trafficking by armed groups, transnational smuggles and traffickers as well as officials from the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration, which operates under the Ministry of Interior," the U.N. chief reportedly said.Guterres noted that multiple detention centers mentioned in the report are run by the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration, including the Mitiga prison facility. He said the U.N. mission received "credible information on trafficking and sexual abuse of around 30 Nigerian women and children," the AP reported.Many of those detained are refugees or migrants traveling across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe and were ordered to return to Libya by the nation's coast guard, the outlet reported. Guterres said that as of Dec. 14, the Libyan Coast Guard blocked 30,990 migrants and refugees from traveling and ordered them back to the country, which is "almost three times the total number of people returned in 2020 (12,000 people)."Guterres said that more than 1,300 have died or gone missing during the voyage.The U.N. previously called out crimes against humanity in Libya in October, after the nation detained more than 5,000 migrants, many of them women and children. Guterres said in the report these expulsions "did not respect the prohibition of collective expulsion," and the forced return of people "placed many asylum seekers and migrants in extremely vulnerable positions."

Associated Press-Leaders of Germany, Spain meet to align progressive agendas-Mon, January 17, 2022, 11:13 AM

MADRID (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met Monday in the Spanish capital to align their left-wing governments' agendas and plan how to boost progressive policies in the 27-nation European Union.After taking over last month from Angela Merkel as leader of the EU’s most populous nation and its largest economy, Scholz joined Sánchez in the selected group of progressive EU politicians holding office. Both leaders also head unprecedented coalition governments in their respective countries.Sánchez greeted Scholz at the stairs of the Moncloa Palace in the outskirts of Madrid, which hosts the Spanish prime minister’s office and residence. The two were expected to hold talks over lunch before holding a joint press conference.The meeting with Sánchez, a fellow member of the European Socialists’ group, marks Scholz’s first foreign trip this year, after visits to Paris, Brussels and Rome since taking office.The talks were expected to center around ways to strengthen social democratic policies in the EU as countries try to launch economic recoveries after the sharp losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.Mounting tensions along Ukraine’s border with Russia was also expected to be high on the agenda.Madrid in June is hosting a major conference of the North Atlantic Treaty, or NATO, in which members of the defense alliance are expected to introduce new strategic guidelines.

The Hill-China's Xi warns against 'Cold War mentality,' confrontation-Mon, January 17, 2022, 10:27 AM

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called on world leaders to back away from a "Cold War mentality" and advised that they seek out "win-win outcomes."Speaking at the World Economic Forum via videoconference, Xi opened his remarks by saying the world must "clear the shadow of the pandemic and boost economic and social recovery and development."In order to achieve these goals, the Chinese leader said the world must "embrace cooperation.""We need to discard Cold War mentality and seek peaceful coexistence and win-win outcomes. Our world today is far from being tranquil; rhetoric that stokes hatred and prejudice abound," Xi said."Acts of containment, suppression or confrontation arising thereof do all harm, not the least good, to world peace and security," he added. "History has proved time and again that confrontation does not solve problems; it only invites catastrophic consequences."In what could be interpreted as a swipe at European nations, Xi pointed to the creation of "exclusive small circles or blocs that polarize the world" as an example of actions that "undercut international efforts to tackle common challenges."Xi made a similar warning in November when speaking at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum."The Asia-Pacific region cannot and should not relapse into the confrontation and division of the Cold War era," said Xi.The Chinese leader's remarks come as the U.S. moves to shift its defense priorities to the Asia-Pacific region under the Biden administration.Last year, when the U.S., United Kingdom and Australia announced a trilateral deal to develop nuclear submarines, offending France in the process, China accused the West of stoking an arms race and threatening regional security.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the deal "undermined regional peace and stability, aggravated the arms race and hurt international nonproliferation efforts."Tensions between the U.S. and China were also worsened due to Beijing's increasing aggression toward Taiwan, the island nation that China claims as part of its territory.It was reported last year that the U.S. military had secretly been training Taiwanese forces and a U.S. congressional delegation also made a visit to the island, which has no official diplomatic ties to the U.S.

SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.

GENESIS 1:5,145 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS-CHEMICAL WEAPONS

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences;(BIOLOGICAL/CHEMICAL/NUCLEAR) and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON THE MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS-PROPHECY SIGNS) 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)
REVELATION 16:21 80-120LB HAIL ON HUMANS
21And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent:(80-120 LBS) and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

FAMINE

EZEKIEL 5:16
16  When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread:

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

DEUTORONOMY 28:24
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.

LOCUSTS (DEMONIC) TORTURES SINNERS 5 MONTHS
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke (DEMONIC) locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

OZONE DEPLETION JUDGEMENT ON THE EARTH DUE TO SIN
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,(7X OR 7-DEGREES HOTTER) as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people,(ISRAEL) and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:

MATTHEW 24:21-22,221 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened,(DAY LIGHT HOURS SHORTENED) there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake (ISRAELS SAKE) those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)(THE ASTEROID HITS EARTH HERE)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
 
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Reuters-Explainer-Tonga’s volcanic eruption may harm environment for years, scientists say-Mon, January 17, 2022, 7:05 PM-By Gloria Dickie

(Reuters) - Tonga’s massive underwater volcanic eruption could deliver long-lasting damage to coral reefs, erode coastlines and disrupt fisheries, say scientists studying satellite images and looking to the past to project the future of the remote region:ACID RAIN-Since the initial eruption, the volcano has been releasing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide — two gases that create acid rain when they interact with water and oxygen in the atmosphere.With Tonga’s tropical climate, “there is likely to be acid rain around Tonga for a while to come,” said volcanologist Shane Cronin at the University of Auckland.Acid rain causes widespread crop damage, and could ruin Tongan staples like taro, corn, bananas and garden vegetables. “Depending on how long the eruptions last, food security could be compromised,” Cronin said.Satellite imagery shows the plume spreading westward, which means Tonga could be spared some of this acid rain though Fiji could then be in its path.In a bulletin on Monday, the U.N. humanitarian affairs office said Fiji was monitoring its air quality, and has advised people to cover their household water tanks and stay indoors in the event of rain-FISH DIE-OFFS-Tonga’s exclusive economic zone of nearly 700,000 marine square kilometres (270,271 square miles) is 1,000 times larger than its land area. And most Tongans get their food — and livelihood — from the ocean.While scientists have yet to investigate on the ground, “the few pictures that are available seem to show a blanket ... of ash” on land, said Marco Brenna, a geologist at the University of Otago in New Zealand.In the ocean, that ash can be harmful to marine life. Weeks before Saturday’s eruption, Tonga Geological Services had warned that nearby seawater was contaminated with toxic volcanic discharge, and that fishermen should “assume fish in these waters are poisoned or poisonous.”Inevitably, the eruption has made the situation worse. Murky, ash-filled water near the volcano will deprive fish of food and wipe out spawning beds. Some fish will perish, and survivors will be forced to migrate, scientists said. Further changes in the structure of the sea floor could create new obstacles for fishing vessels.“It will be a while before the same or new fishing grounds will be restored,” Brenna said.-SMOTHERED CORALS-Falling ash can also smother coral reefs, which in Tonga are the mainstay of a tourism industry that brought in up to $5 million per year before the coronavirus pandemic.Even before the eruption, Tonga’s reefs were threatened by disease outbreaks and the effects of climate change including coral bleaching and increasingly strong cyclones.Now, “vast areas of the reefs in the immediate impact area at Hunga Tonga are probably buried and smothered by large deposits of volcanic ash,” said Tom Schils, a marine biologist at the University of Guam who has studied volcanic eruptions and corals in the Northern Mariana Islands.Such eruptions also release more iron into the water, which can boost the growth of blue-green algae and sponges that further degrade reefs.Reefs may have to start over - a process that could take years, said Brian Zgliczynski, a coral reef ecologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Species more tolerant of poor water quality will arrive first,” while hard corals and fish would take longer to return, he said.-ERODED COASTLINES-A loss of coral reefs would also affect Tonga's ability to cope with rising waters and storm surges. This is a concern for Tonga, where climate change is driving the sea level to rise by about 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) per year — double the global average.In a 2015 report https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Leanne-Fernandes/publication 317341776_ National_marine_ ecosystem_service_ valuation_summary_   Tonga/links/5bbe5828299bf1010178adac/National-marine-ecosystem-service-valuation-summary-Tonga.pdf, Tonga valued its natural storm buffers including coral reefs as well as coastal seagrasses and mangroves at some $11 million annually.With the latest eruption, a Tongan sea level gauge recorded a tsunami wave of 1.19 metres (nearly four feet) before it stopped reporting. Tsunamis are known to cause rapid coastal erosion. And before communication systems went down, videos revealed damage to manmade seawalls“Coastal defences and reclaimed land could all be strongly impacted by the tsunami waves, leaving the islands more vulnerable,” Cronin said.(Reporting by Gloria Dickie; Editing by Katy Daigle and Howard Goller)

AFP-Distress signal detected in low-lying Tongan island-Mon, January 17, 2022, 5:27 PM

A distress signal has been detected in a low-lying Tongan island following the volcanic eruption and tsunami, the United Nations said Tuesday as the first death was reported.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed concern for two islands, Mango and Fonoi, after surveillance flights confirmed "substantial property damage" from Saturday's eruption but there had been no contact with residents."An active distress beacon had been detected from Mango," the OCHA said. The island is home to more than 30 people, according to Tongan census figures.The agency said extensive damage had been reported on the western beaches of Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, with several resorts and houses either destroyed or seriously damaged and two people were missing.No details of the missing were released but the brother of a British woman who was swept away by the tsunami said his sister's body had been found.Nick Eleini said the family was "devastated" that Angela Glover had died wile trying to rescue her dogs."Earlier today my family was sadly informed that the body of my sister Angela has been found," Eleini said in a statement.Angela Glover, 50, and her husband lived in Tonga were she ran an animal welfare charity providing shelter and rehoming stray dogs."I understand that this terrible accident came about as they tried to rescue their dogs," Eleini said.Three days after the eruption, information coming out of the Pacific archipelago is scarce with most communication links severed.New Zealand MP Jenny Salesa, whose electorate has a large number of Tongan residents, said everyone was praying for the people of Tonga."They're really just worried about their safety," she told Radio New Zealand."It's basically not knowing whether they are well, not knowing whether any of their family members are missing or (have) been washed out to sea. It's basically that lack of communication that is worrying to people back here in New Zealand."The New Zealand and Australian air forces conducted surveillance flights over Tonga on Monday and were preparing further flights to carry emergency supplies to the Pacific kingdom.The OCHA said that while communication issues meant they could not fully assess the impact of the eruption and tsunami, there was concern about the contamination of drinking water and crops, and the need for safe water supplies.cf/dw.

Associated Press-Snow, ice blast through South with powerful winter storm-PAMELA SAMPSON and KIM CHANDLER-Sun, January 16, 2022, 9:14 AM

ATLANTA (AP) — A dangerous winter storm combining high winds and ice swept through parts of the U.S. Southeast on Sunday, knocking out power, felling trees and fences and coating roads with a treacherous, frigid glaze.Tens of thousands of customers were without power in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Highway patrols reported hundreds of vehicle accidents, and a tornado ripped through a trailer park in Florida. More than 1,200 Sunday flights at Charlotte Douglas International were cancelled – more than 90% of the airport’s Sunday schedule, according to the flight tracking service flightaware.com.Winter Storm Izzy dumped as much as 10 inches of snow in some areas of western North Carolina as the system moved across the southeastern U.S., said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.First Sgt. Christopher Knox, a North Carolina Highway Patrol spokesperson, said that by midafternoon, the agency had responded to 300 car crashes and nearly 800 calls for service. Two people died Sunday when their car drove off the road and into trees in a median east of Raleigh. The driver and passenger, both 41-year-old South Carolina residents, were pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle crash. Knox said investigators believe the car was driving too fast for the conditions, described as mixed winter precipitation.Durham police tweeted a photo of a tractor-trailer that slid off the N.C. Highway 147 overpass in Durham. The truck's cab appeared to have landed upright on Highway 15-501 below, while the trailer came down in a vertical position from the bridge to the highway below. Police spokesperson Kammie Michael said the driver was stable with injuries that did not appear life-threatening.Kristen Baker Morrow’s 6-year-old son made snow angels after their home in Crouse, North Carolina, got four inches of snow Sunday morning, but she said they couldn’t stay outside long because of the uncomfortable wind chill.“It took 30 to 45 minutes to get everything on for about 10 minutes in the snow, but it was definitely worth it for him, to get our pictures and make some memories,” said Morrow, a 35-year-old registered nurse.Outages, which had ballooned to a quarter-million customers earlier in the day, stood at around 130,000 customers by late Sunday, according to poweroutage.us. North Carolina was hardest hit, peaking at some 90,000 outages. Parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia and Kentucky also lost power.The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado with 118 mph winds (190 kph) struck southwest Florida. The weather service said the tornado was on the ground for almost two miles (3 kilometers) with a maximum path width of 125 yards (115 meters). Thirty mobile homes were destroyed and 51 had major damage. Three minor injuries were reported.Edward Murray, 81, told the Naples Daily News that he was inside his mobile home Sunday morning when a tornado picked it up and tossed it on top of his neighbor’s home.“That’s my house that’s turned upside down,” he told the newspaper. “The tornado took me off my feet, blew me toward the east wall and buried me under the sink, refrigerator, kitchen chairs and everything else.Murray and his daughter, Cokie, escaped unharmed, crawling from the wreckage.“I was so happy when I saw the sky,” Murray told the newspaper. “I said to the devil, ‘It’s not going to be today.’”Virginia State Police said traffic came to a standstill on Interstate 81 in Roanoke County for several hours Sunday afternoon after a tractor-trailer jackknifed and the cab of the truck disconnected from the trailer in the northbound lanes. Two additional accidents occurred in the traffic backup, one with minor injuries. “Please stay off the roads if possible. Begging again! Hazardous conditions,” read a tweet from VDOT’s Salem office.At Mountain Crossings, a hikers’ outfitting store on the Appalachian Trail near Georgia’s Blood Mountain, a handful of hikers were trekking up the mountain in the snow, employee Julia Leveille said Sunday.“We’re open, but it’s kind of a mess up here,” she said by phone. A tree fell along the highway about a mile south of the store, and crews were working to clear it, she said.Despite the heavy snow and ice in the area, several hikers had already started hiking from Georgia to Maine, Leveille said.“You’ve got to really like the snow for that, because you’re heading north and into higher mountains and you could see some nasty storms,” she said.Most of the hikers who stopped in Sunday were ascending Blood Mountain on a day hike. At 4,458 feet (1,359 meters), it’s the highest peak on Georgia’s portion of the Appalachian Trail.In Tennessee, there were multiple reports of abandoned and wrecked cars on snow-covered roads.The storm system could cause hazardous driving conditions over a large portion of the eastern U.S. through Monday as the wet roadways refreeze in southern states and the storm turns and moves northward through the Mid-Atlantic states and New England.“It’s a very expansive storm," Hurley said. “A lot of real estate is going to get four to eight inches of snow and a lot more are also going to get to get some of that ice accumulation.New York City was expected to be spared most, if not all, of the snowfall, but Long Island and Connecticut coastal areas were expecting gale conditions. Upstate New York was projected to get hit with up to a foot of snow along with high winds.Six to 13 inches (15 to 33 centimeters) of snow was expected in parts of east-central Ohio and western Pennsylvania from Sunday afternoon.___Associated Press reporters Dave Porter in New York City; Jeff Martin in Woodstock, Georgia; Rebecca Reynolds in Simpsonville, Kentucky; Terry Spencer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Ron Todt in Philadelphia; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; and Collin Binkley in Killington, Vermont contributed to this report.

USA TODAY-At least 2 dead, tens of thousands without power as brutal winter storm slams South-John Bacon and Celina Tebor, USA TODAY-Mon, January 17, 2022, 8:27 AM

The eastern United States was under a weather siege Sunday as a furious winter storm packing heavy snow, ice, gale-force winds and tornadoes rolled out of the Midwest and continued its unforgiving march across the nation.Tens of thousands of customers were without power in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. Highway patrols reported hundreds of vehicle accidents, and a tornado ripped through a trailer park in Florida. More than 1,200 Sunday flights at Charlotte Douglas International were cancelled – more than 90% of the airport’s Sunday schedule, according to the tracking website flightaware.com.The impact of the storm varied greatly from neighborhood to neighborhood. Jackson, Mississippi, saw trace amounts of snow early Sunday while 25 miles to the northeast, the hamlet of Goshen Springs was blasted by more than 8 inches.Southern cities were on alert. Nashville could get 3 inches of snow, other parts of Tennessee a foot of snow. A tractor-trailer crash near the Tennessee River closed I-40 eastbound in Humphreys County. The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported a backup stretching several miles.The streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, were covered early Sunday, and the National Weather Service called for snow accumulations of 2 to 7 inches in parts of the state."Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice," the weather service warned. "Travel could be nearly impossible."Thundersnow was reported near Waynesville, North Carolina. Accuweather said a strike of lightning was detected during heavy snowfall. Thundersnow is unusual but can happen in strong snowstorms, Accuweather said. Some of the state was blanketed in a foot of snow.First Sgt. Christopher Knox, a spokesman for the North Carolina Highway Patrol, said that by midafternoon, the agency had responded to 300 car crashes and nearly 800 calls for service.Two people died Sunday when their car drove off the road and into trees in a median east of Raleigh, North Carolina.The driver and passenger, both 41-year-old South Carolina residents, were pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle crash. Knox said investigators believe the car was driving too fast for the conditions, described as mixed winter precipitation.60M+ AMERICANS IN STORM'S PATH: Snow and ice to cause major travel disruptions-Elsewhere, 1 to 4 inches of sleet, snow and ice was forecast for the Atlanta area as well as other parts of Georgia and South Carolina.“Hopefully, the storm will underdeliver, but it could overdeliver. We just don’t know,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who declared a state of emergency.A tornado with 118 mph winds touched down in southwest Florida on Sunday and traveled almost two miles, the National Weather Service confirmed.Lee County Commission Chairman Cecil Pendergrass said 62 homes in the tornado’s path were suffered major damage to the point where they were unlivable. Three minor injuries were reported.Edward Murray, 81, was in his mobile home at Windcrest and Point Breeze in Cottage Point Trailer Park on Sunday morning when a tornado picked up the structure and tossed it on top of a neighbor's home."That’s my house that’s turned upside down," he said. “The tornado took me off my feet blew me toward the east wall and buried me under the sink, refrigerator, kitchen chairs and everything- The storm, dubbed a "Saskatchewan screamer" because it originated in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, left more than a foot of snow in Des Moines, Iowa, over the weekend. The Ozarks town of Canaan in Arkansas saw a foot of snow.WHAT IS THUNDERSNOW? How this weather phenomenon happensThe storm headed into the Northeast, dropping snow, sleet and rain around the densely populated Eastern Seaboard. Washington was forecast to see up to 3 inches of snow followed by a round of ice. Parts of the metro area already saw more snow in one week this month than in the past two years.Parts of Western Pennsylvania could get a foot of snow, forecasters said. Officials across New England warned residents to stay indoors Saturday as a blast of Arctic air drives wind chill temperatures as low as minus 35 degrees.Contributing: The Associated Press, Naples Daily News