JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
7.1-magnitude earthquake hits southern Alaska-AP 7:27 a.m. EST January 24, 2016-AP ALASKA DAILY LIFE A FEA USA AK
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake knocked items off shelves and walls in south-central Alaska and jolted the nerves of residents in this earthquake prone region, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.The earthquake struck about 1:30 a.m. Alaska time and was centered 53 miles west of Anchor Point and 160 miles southwest of Anchorage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In its initial report, the agency had classified the earthquake as a magnitude-7.1 event.The earthquake was widely felt by residents of Anchorage, and there are reports of scattered power outages from the Matanuska Electric Association and Chugach Electric in the Anchorage area. But the Anchorage and Valdez police departments say they have not received any reports of injury or significant damage.Anchorage resident Ron Barta says his house shook about 1:34 a.m. when the earthquake hit. Barta, 55, says the pictures on the walls started moving, but there was no damage to his house and no one was hurt.“I was sitting here with the dogs getting ready to go to bed about 1:34 local time. … I felt a little rumble that didn’t quit for about 30 to 45 seconds. It felt like the house moved,” said Barta, who is married to an Associated Press reporter.The KSRM (Radio Kenai) radio station in the Kenai peninsula reported that about 2:30 a.m. the Kenai Fire Department was on the scene of a gas leak and explosion at a home. Fire departments in Kenai, Anchorage and other communities were getting calls about the quake.The violent shaking woke up Associated Press reporter Mark Thiessen, who had been asleep for about two hours when then quake struck.“I remember the bed swaying back and forth, and loud noises, enough to wake me up even after taking sleeping pills,” said Thiessen, 53. “My husband came into the bedroom forcefully saying, ‘Get up! Get up!’ “ he said. “But I was already awake, trying to figure out what was happening.”Barta, who has lived in Anchorage for about 10 years, says Alaskans on social media say the earthquake woke them up.People were saying on social media that the earthquake “was the biggest I ever felt as long as I have lived here,” Barta said.One Twitter user wrote: “Everyone in Anchorage is awake and on Twitter right? Biggest longest #earthquake of my entire life. Family is all hanging in our bed now.”A tsunami is not expected as a result of the earthquake, the National Weather Service said.———Associated Press writer Tarek Hamada in Phoenix contributed to this report.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
Jerusalem hunkers down as snow storm set to blow in-Flurries fall in Golan, Galilee and Etzion bloc, expected to reach capital Monday night-By Sue Surkes January 24, 2016, 8:02 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Some 100 snow plows were at the ready in Jerusalem and dozens more were on standby Sunday as residents hunkered down for heavy winds and snow expected to buffet the capital over the next several days.Municipal workers were on call to operate tractors and heavy equipment and were preparing to distribute 400 tons of salt to community centers and to 500 educational institutions throughout the city.The Education Ministry was meanwhile preparing to open special situation rooms to monitor deteriorating weather conditions across the country, as snow spread southward from the Golan Heights and Galilee to the Etzion bloc and Kiryat Arba in the West Bank south of Jerusalem.The Israel Meteorological Service predicted snow in Jerusalem and the Negev mountains starting Monday night and continuing into Tuesday and Wednesday, along with strong winds and the risk of flooding and flash floods in lower-lying areas. Temperatures are expected to rise only on Thursday.Forecasters said a low-pressure system across the eastern Mediterranean has been driving the stormy weather against Israel’s shores.Heavy winds were reported in the coastal city of Ashdod on Sunday while authorities in the southern seaside town of Ashkelon ensured machinery was ready in the event of flooding. The town suffered serious floods in November and December, setting a new meteorological record for the most rain in a single hour.Snow began dusting Mount Hermon’s ski slopes Sunday morning, and the site was closed to visitors, while thunderstorms and even hail were predicted as far south as the northern Negev.In the hills around Jerusalem, the Israel Electric Corporation set up four generators to ensure that residents of the high-elevation Etzion bloc, south Hebron Hills and Kiryat Arba received continued supply, should power cuts affect locations that are difficult to access during heavy snow.The Jerusalem Municipality announced Sunday that it had stockpiled thousands of tons of food, thousands of spades, heaters, generators, heat packs, emergency lighting, hundreds of blankets and sleeping bags. Food suppliers have been told to stock up before the storm arrives in force.The municipality warned residents that the closure of entrances to Jerusalem could be expected, and announced it was setting up a special internet page with updates on roads, public transport and education.Some 10 off-road vehicles have been equipped with shovels to help clear snow from the city’s light rail tracks and Citypass, which operates the light rail in Jerusalem, has called on drivers not to abandon cars on the tracks as they did during snowfalls in years gone by. The company reminded passengers that the trains can operate in snow up to five centimeters deep.Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat told staff to intensify efforts to identify homeless people and teenagers sleeping rough and to take them to accommodation until the storm has passed.“Snow in Jerusalem is a cause for celebration for Jerusalemites, and we expect to see the most beautiful city in the world covered in white,” he said in a statement. “We call on all residents to prepare for the snow, prepare as necessary, demonstrate responsibility, and follow the instructions of the Municipality and Rescue Services.”The municipality canceled tree-planting ceremonies to mark the festival of Tu B’Shvat, the Nrg website reported, while the Education Ministry ordered school trips to be diverted to places not expecting snow or floods.
Broadway's back; power's still out for thousands in South-[Associated Press]-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Broadway turned the stage lights back on, rail service was expected to resume in New York, and emergency travel bans were lifted Sunday in Washington, D.C., and Maryland following a historic snowstorm that dumped 2 feet or more on some major cities. But thousands were still without power in the Carolinas and major roadways such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike had not completely reopened. More than 45 million people, meanwhile, had watched a video of one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's four pandas enjoying the snow. A look at the storm's impact by state:___DELAWARE-Delaware Gov. Jack Markell has lifted a driving ban he had imposed as a winter storm brought blizzard conditions to the mid-Atlantic region. The ban was lifted at 10 a.m. Sunday, but Markell said a state of emergency remains in effect. He urged residents to stay off the road unless they have a compelling reason to drive, so that snow plows could continue working without interference. With the passage of the storm, hazardous weather warnings have been lifted, but a coastal flood advisory was in effect for New Castle County until 1 p.m. Sunday, with minor flooding possible at high tide. Meanwhile, Markell planned to take an aerial view by helicopter Sunday afternoon of southern Delaware areas that were affected by coastal flooding during the storm.___GEORGIA-Northeast Georgia began thawing out Sunday after getting blanketed with 8 inches of snow, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Leary. The snow hadn't completely disappeared, however, because temperatures were still close to freezing, he said. Across the state, 945 customers were still without power Sunday, according to Georgia Power spokeswoman Ashley Stukes. The bulk of the outages were in the northeast part of the state due to constant snowfall and freezing rain. Since the storm began early Friday, crews have restored power to more than 125,000 customers statewide, Stukes said.___KENTUCKY-Motorists got stuck overnight Friday on Interstate 75 south of Lexington as wrecks and blowing snow brought traffic to a halt. Officials went from vehicle to vehicle, checking on marooned drivers; distributing water, fuel and snacks; and helping people get to shelters set up at churches and public schools along the highway. But some drivers said they were too far away to make it to the shelters. The road reopened early Saturday. Elsewhere, a transportation worker died while plowing snow-covered highways near Bowling Green, and a man died when his car collided with a salt truck.___MARYLAND-Despite the high winds and tremendous volume of snowfall there was only one reported death in Baltimore, and officials aren't even sure it's snow-related, said Bob Maloney, Baltimore Director of the Office of Emergency Management. A travel ban in the city and along a 34.7-mile stretch of interstates has been lifted, but officials still urged residents to not venture out onto the roads if not necessary. Maryland Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ed McDonough said I-270 and I-70 from I-81 in Washington County to the Baltimore Beltway had reopened as of 7 a.m. Sunday.In western Maryland, meanwhile, a barn roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow Saturday morning in the unincorporated community of Ijamsville, killing some of the several dozen beef cattle that had been herded inside to ride out the storm, said cattle owner Douglas Fink. Fink said he wasn't sure how many had died. He said most of the cattle escaped before the collapse, but he hasn't been able to count them because they're huddling close together.___NEW JERSEY-Most major highways in New Jersey had been cleared by early Sunday, including the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. Nonetheless, reduced speed limits were in place on most of those roadways, and drivers were being urged to use extra caution and to avoid travel if possible. Officials say roads should be in good shape for the Monday morning commute.___NEW YORK-All rail service in and out of New York's Grand Central Terminal is expected to resume Sunday afternoon after a record-setting blizzard hammered the city. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says service on the Metro-North lines at outlying terminals in New York and Connecticut is scheduled to begin after noon. Service on the Long Island Rail Road remains suspended. The MTA says the goal is to bring back service for the Monday morning commute. Three people died while shoveling snow in New York City, where over 25 inches of snow in Central Park marked the third-largest snowfall since record-keeping began in 1869, police and weather officials said. All Broadway shows — both matinees and evening performances — were given the green light to go on as normal Sunday after New York state officials lifted their travel ban. Bruce Springsteen postponed a show set for Sunday at Madison Square Garden.___NORTH CAROLINA/SOUTH CAROLINA-About 50,000 customers in the Carolinas remain without power as the sun is creeping out across two states hit by the first wave of the massive winter storm. On Sunday morning, Duke Energy reports that about 48,000 customers are without electricity in North Carolina, and another 1,700 in South Carolina. Forecasters expect some of the accumulation to thaw Sunday afternoon as temperatures climb above 32 degrees. But overnight, temperatures will dip back below freezing in many areas. In North Carolina, a man was charged with killing a motorist who stopped to help after the suspect's car slid off an ice-covered road. Jail records show 27-year-old Marvin Jacob Lee of Claremont was at the Catawba County jail Saturday on a murder charge pending a court appearance Monday. Multiple news media organizations reported Lee had run off an icy road when a passing truck with three men stopped to help around nightfall Friday. Sheriff Coy Reid said Lee became agitated and the men called police to come help Lee, who then started shooting.___OHIO-A teenager sledding behind an all-terrain vehicle was hit by a truck and killed Friday, the State Highway Patrol said. The truck failed to yield at a traffic light and hit the sled, which the ATV was pulling in Wheelersburg, the highway patrol said.___PENNSYLVANIA-State authorities say they hope to quickly reopen a section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Pittsburgh where hundreds of vehicles were stranded during the massive winter storm. More than 500 cars, trucks and buses — including those carrying the Duquesne (doo-KAYN') University men's basketball team and the Temple University gymnastics squad — got stuck there Friday night as the storm hit. Officials hoped to have the turnpike section reopened by mid-afternoon Sunday, said Turnpike chief executive officer Mark Compton. Only 20 tractor-trailers remained on the turnpike section in Somerset County, Gov. Tom Wolf said Sunday. He said the drivers voluntarily stayed with their trucks and were "all safe and ready to get going." vowed "an extensive after-action review" of how the situation developed and how officials responded to it.___TENNESSEE-Two people were killed as cars slid off icy roads. One vehicle plummeted down a 300-foot embankment Wednesday night, killing the driver, whose husband survived and climbed up over several hours to report the wreck. Nashville saw its heaviest snowfall in nearly 20 years as the storm caused gridlock on streets and highways in Middle Tennessee. Eight inches of snow fell at Nashville International Airport, the most since Nashville logged 8.7 inches of snow on March 19, 1996.___VIRGINIA-Firefighters evacuated tenants from 24 apartments in two northern Virginia apartment buildings after one partially collapsed and the other showed signs of weakening early Sunday, Prince William County officials said. They said the cause of the collapse appeared to be snowfall of approximately 28 inches during the past 36 hours in Manassas. No residents were hurt. One firefighter suffered a cut to the face, and about 65 people were displaced. The county says arrangements are being made to shelter them. A man was killed on Saturday in a single-vehicle crash in Virginia Beach that police blamed on speed and icy road conditions, and Virginia Tech filmmaker Jerry Scheeler died Friday while shoveling snow outside his new house in Daleville, local news media reported Sunday. On Saturday, the state medical examiner's office confirmed three other storm deaths. Snow, ice and gusting winds made the roof collapse at a Donk's Theater, a historic venue near the Chesapeake Bay, building officials said. The theater opened in 1947 and was known as Home of Virginia's Lil' Ole Opry.___WASHINGTON, D.C.-Transportation crews in the nation's capital were hoping to make major roads passable Sunday and also to tackle secondary roads, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said. Bowser said the city's public schools, attended by nearly 49,000 students, would be closed Monday. She said officials were still assessing whether city government offices would open. Mass transit in the nation's capital was still shut down; officials expected to have an update by Sunday afternoon. The federal government closed its offices at noon Friday, and it wasn't immediately clear what the plans were for Monday. President Barack Obama, hunkered down at the White House, was one of many who stayed home. But a video of one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's four pandas enjoying the snow there was a bright spot amid the storm clouds, drawing 45 million views on Facebook as of Sunday.___WEST VIRGINIA-The massive blizzard that dumped several feet of snow in parts of West Virginia has been a blessing for the state's ski industry. Nearly 90 percent of the trails are open at three ski areas, with a snow base ranging from 2 feet to more than 3 feet. The resorts were reporting strong business Sunday, with downhill skiers and snowboarders flocking to the slopes. Excellent conditions were also reported for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
New York travel ban lifted, Washington at standstill after storm-[Reuters]-By Frank McGurty and Ian Simpson-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York lifted a travel ban and mass transit started getting back to normal on Sunday after a record-setting blizzard in the U.S. Northeast, but Washington remained at a standstill following storms that killed at least 19 people across the country.The blizzard was the second-biggest snowstorm in New York City history, with 26.8 inches of snow in Central Park by midnight on Saturday, just shy of the record 26.9 inches set in 2006, the National Weather Service said.Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia on Saturday. One person died in Maryland and three in New York while shoveling snow. Two died of hypothermia in Virginia, officials said.New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday would be a major cleanup day. He urged residents to stay off streets so city crews could clear roads.“The snow pile is going to be with us for a while, but I think we'll be in good shape in the next 24 hours," he said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous."After the storm moved out into the Atlantic Ocean, much of the Northeast was expected to see a mix of sun and clouds on Sunday with temperatures just above freezing.New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo lifted a travel ban on New York City-area roads and on Long Island at 7 a.m. on Sunday. A state of emergency declared by Cuomo was still in place.Most bus and subway services operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were up and running again by 9 a.m., officials said. The agency was working on restoring full service on Sunday.The Metro-North rail line, which serves suburbs north and east of New York City, expected to have commuter train service running into and out of New York by 3 p.m. on Sunday.A spokeswoman for the New York Stock Exchange said the market planned to open as usual on Monday. City schools also were set to open on Monday.The New York Sanitation Department had plowed all streets at least once, and was focusing on Sunday on secondary and side streets, the mayor's office said in a statement.The city was deploying more than 2,300 pieces of snow-clearing equipment and keeping sanitation workers on 12-hour shifts, it said.-RECORDS SET-The National Weather Service said 17.8 inches fell in Washington, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport notched a record 29.2 inches. The deepest regional total was 42 inches at Glengarry, West Virginia.Peter Hoeppe, head of reinsurer Munich Re's Geo Risks research unit, said in a statement that it was too early to estimate possible losses from the storm.Washington was a dazzling white under a bright sun, and walkers, sledders, some cars and the occasional cross-country skier were out on Sunday.Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a call for 4,000 people to help dig the city out, above the 2,000 volunteers already signed up.The House of Representatives canceled its voting until Feb. 1.The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority had suspended operations through Sunday. Public schools were closed on Monday across much of the Washington and Baltimore region, with some shuttered through Tuesday.One Washington food store, Broad Branch Market, opened with a handful of employees, and was trying to organize volunteers to shovel the sidewalks of the elderly and others who needed help.“I have a lot of people on the list (who want shoveling) but I have yet to have any kids sign up to work today,” said the owner, Tracy Stannard.The market is out of firewood, snowmelt chemical and bread - but is baking baguettes, she said. A snow plow stuck on a nearby street late on Saturday was still there on Sunday.At Dupont Circle, hundreds of people gathered to pelt each other with snowballs. Jomel Nichols, a tourist from Kansas City, Missouri, accompanying three exchange students and her daughter, was plastered with snow."They all turned on me, as teenagers will do," she told Reuters Television.-FLIGHTS CANCELED-About 3,500 flights were canceled on Sunday, and 700 were called off for Monday, according to aviation website FlightAware.com.Among New York-area airports, John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia were open, with limited flight activity expected on Sunday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.About 150,000 customers in North Carolina and 90,000 in New Jersey lost electricity during the storm.More than 20,000 residential and business customers in New Jersey remained without power on Sunday, mostly along the Jersey Shore, which was hit with major flooding..In North Carolina, about 4,000 Duke Energy customers had no power on Sunday, mostly in the eastern part of the state.On Sunday, moderate coastal flooding was still a concern in the Jersey Shore's Atlantic County, said Linda Gilmore, a county public information officer.The storm developed along the Gulf Coast when warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean collided with cold air to form the massive winter system, meteorologists said.(Additional reporting by Lisa Lambert, David Gaffen and Susan Cornwell; Writing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool; Editing by Andrew Bolton and Jonathan Oatis)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)
US official seeks support for European trade deal in Poland-[Associated Press]-VANESSA GERA-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman received a welcome reception Sunday from Polish entrepreneurs as he worked to finalize a free trade pact between the United States and the European Union.Froman said he hopes the deal, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, will finally be completed in 2016 after nearly three years of negotiations.Still, there is strong resistance among some Europeans to the planned agreement, which aims to eliminate tariffs and create common regulatory standards between the world's two biggest economies. Opponents fear a lowering in food safety standards and the undermining of local regulations by giving international arbitration panels the power to rule over disputes.In Warsaw, Froman told a group of young Poles with startups, among them software developers, that the deal would be especially helpful to small and medium-sized businesses like theirs. He said they would benefit from a harmonizing of regulatory standards and intellectual property protection."It's small and medium-sized businesses that are driving the economy. And if we can make life easier for them, it's good for all of our economies," Froman said.While Polish farmers and many other Poles oppose the deal, those invited to meet with Froman seemed convinced that they could benefit from it."Good competition will be beneficial to both sides," said Krzysztolf Gogol, president of the management board of WealthArc, a financial technology startup.The most visible opposition to the deal was seen in Berlin last October, when 150,000 people demonstrated against it.Froman said Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that neither side has any interest in lowering standards, whether that be regulatory protections, safety standards or environmental requirements.During his visit Froman is also meeting with Polish leaders.
Cyprus leaders 'believe' in 2016 solution to division By Peter Teffer-euobserver
Brussels, 22. Jan, 09:15-The leaders of the two parts of divided Cyprus gave a message of optimism about the island's reunification talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday (21 January).The two shared a stage at a panel debate at the conference in the Swiss Alps. At its close they were convinced by the debate's host to shake hands as “a symbolic gesture and photo opportunity”.“I believe that 2016 could be the year that we end the unacceptable status quo”, said Cypriot president Nikos Anastiades, who leads the Greek part of the island, which is a member state of the European Union and the eurozone.Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci leads the northern part of the Mediterranean island, where EU law is suspended until a final settlement is reached. Northern Cyprus is recognised as an independent state only by Turkey.According to Akinci, negotiations have entered a “crucial phase”.“I wish to reiterate the strong determination of Turkish Cypriots to reach a settlement based on bi-zonal federation with political equality, as well as European values and principles we all share”, said Akinci.Cyprus became a divided island in 1974, just fourteen years after it gained independence from the United Kingdom. Following a coup d'etat by the Greek military junta, the Turkish army invaded the island.In 2004, a peace plan failed after a large majority of Greek Cypriots voted it down in a referendum. As a result, Cyprus entered the EU that year de facto without the Turkish Cypriots.-EU prism-“I am adamant that Europe and the European project holds many of the answers to the puzzle, that is the solution to the Cyprus problem,” said Anastiades.“Let us not forget that Cyprus is, and will continue to be, a member state of the European Union. We must therefore approach all issues on the negotiating table through the prism of the EU”, the president added.“A reunited Cyprus needs to be able to effectively participate and constructively facilitate the EU decision-making rather than hinder it”, Anastiades noted, adding that reunification would have “significant ramifications for Europe”.One such consequence may be in the field of energy. The discovery of offshore gas near the island “will act as a source of peace and cooperation rather than conflict and tension”, according to Akinci.“United Cyprus will be able to serve as a hub for pipelines, transferring natural gas to European Union, through Cyprus and Turkey, which seems to be the most feasible route”, said Akinci.“It will also improve the relations between all relevant actors, including EU, Turkey, Greece and the future united Cyprus”, the Turkish Cypriot leader added.Anastiades said a united Cyprus “can be a decisive factor to achieving energy security for the European Union”.-World Economic Forum event on Cyprus.
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Merkel and Turkish PM in show of support By Eric Maurice-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 22. Jan, 19:21-Contested at home, even in her own party, and criticised in other European countries over her migration policy, German chancellor Angela Merkel received on Friday (22 January) the support of her Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu.Merkel in return hinted at a further contribution from the EU to help Turkey assist the Syrian refugees."Germany and Ms Merkel are not alone," said Davutoglu at a joint press conference after the first German-Turkish "government consultations" in Berlin.The Turkish PM praised Merkel's policy, saying she had made "a historic step" when she accepted to receive all Syrian refugees coming to Germany.In a joint communiqué published after the press conference, the two prime ministers said that Davutoglu "emphasised the commitment of the government of Turkey to undertaking all possible efforts to substantially reduce the number of irregular migrants in the near future".-'Deal with it together'-Turkey also "pledged to facilitate the readmission of irregular migrants not in need of protection," the statement said.Asked if she felt alone amid the growing contestation over her decisions and failure to achieve results in the management of the crisis, Merkel told reporters that she didn't "have the impression, especially now".The main item on the meeting's agenda was the cooperation between Turkey and the EU, especially Germany, to try to reduce the number of migrants coming to Europe.Davutoglu came to Berlin to ask for more money to address the presence of more than two million refugees in Turkey. In an interview with the DPA press agency on Thursday, he said that the €3 billion the EU agreed to give were "just to show the political will to share the burden. We will review it again."Turkey has done "all according to humanity to help these people", he said at the press conference about the refugees.But, he added, "Turkey cannot manage the problem alone. We must deal with it together."In response, Merkel said that "of course, we must make a burden sharing"."The three billion will be made available from the European side. I assured that again today," she said.The joint communiqué, the two leaders went further and described the €3 billion package as an "initial financial support … to assist Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey".Merkel and Davutoglu also agreed to "meaningfully advanc[e] the negotiations between Turkey and the EU on visa liberalisation with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens to the Schengen area by October 2016," according to the German statement.About Turkey's EU membership negotiations, they said that "the accession process needs to be re-energised".On that last issue, Davutoglu said that Merkel's efforts were "very important" for Turkey.
Anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker gains support amid migrant crisis-[Associated Press]-MIKE CORDER-January 23, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch debate on asylum-seekers has come to this: Firebrand lawmaker Geert Wilders handing out self-defense sprays to women fearful of what he describes as "Islamic testosterone bombs" in the wake of the New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Cologne.Wilders, surrounded by bodyguards and police, visited a market Saturday in the largely blue-collar town of Spijkenisse to hand out the sprays, which contained red paint. Amid stalls selling vegetables, fish, flowers and bicycle parts, Wilders got a rock-star welcome from dozens of supporters, while others protested his visit, waving placards including one that read, "Refugees are welcome, racism is not."The publicity stunt fits into Wilders' uncompromising anti-immigrant, anti-Islam rhetoric that has propelled him to the top of Dutch opinion polls, just over a year away from the parliamentary election.In between shaking hands and posing for selfies with supporters, the Freedom Party leader said that, if elected, he would, "close the borders immediately and have no more asylum-seekers. We just cannot afford to have more. The Dutch people in a big majority don't want it and we cannot afford it and it makes our people and women only more unsafe."His message is gaining traction here amid a surge of refugees to Europe and following deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in Paris last year. It echoes Republican front-runner Donald Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and is similar to other populist, nationalist groups in Europe like Marine Le Pen's National Front in France."The tendencies across Europe are very similar," said University of Amsterdam political science professor Wouter van der Brug. "Across Europe, right-wing populist parties are picking up support as a result of the asylum crisis that we're facing now, and also as a result of terrorist attacks."Leontine Maris was one of the first women to get a spray from Wilders. The 53-year-old said she votes for him though she disagrees with some of his more extreme comments. She said she was afraid not just of migrants, but also Dutch men."The whole society is going down the drain," she said.As Wilders' popularity soars on the back of such disenchantment, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's two-party coalition is in a slump, losing ground mainly to Wilders."Wilders is getting support across different layers of society," Van der Brug said.Whether Wilders is able to parlay his current popularity into parliamentary seats next year and a tilt at power in the splintered Dutch parliament remains to be seen. He propped up Rutte's first administration, a minority coalition of the Liberal Party and Christian Democrats, from 2010-2012, but walked out amid drawn-out negotiations over austerity measures. Two days later, the government collapsed.That decision could yet come back to haunt Wilders."The only logical coalition he could form would be with the same parties again. And I think it's quite unlikely they will do this again with him," Van der Brug said. "They don't really trust him."Even if Wilders' party wins the next election, he would struggle to become prime minister without the support of other parties in this country where the electoral system all but guarantees coalition governments.Rutte has ruled out cooperating with Wilders unless the Freedom Party leader takes back comments made in 2014 that he would see to it that there were fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. Those same comments also landed Wilders in trouble with Dutch prosecutors, who plan to put him on trial on charges of discrimination.That kind of criticism is not new to Wilders, who has made his name with inflammatory anti-Islam rhetoric. He was acquitted in 2011 on hate speech charges for comments including likening Islam to fascism and calling for a ban on the Quran.Wilders' party currently holds 12 seats in the 150-member lower house, but a poll by Ipsos on Thursday suggested the Freedom Party would win 32 seats now. Rutte's Liberals were second with 26 seats, down from its current tally of 40. The online survey of 1,061 voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent. Other polls have Wilders even further ahead.While Wilders is riding high, Rutte and his coalition partner are hoping to survive the next year and reap the electoral rewards of tough economic reforms that are beginning to bear fruit.The government has slashed spending and driven through an austerity package that has revived the ailing Dutch economy and is beginning to cut into unemployment. The number of Dutch workers without jobs last month was 588,000 in a nation of around 17 million, down from 700,000 early in 2014.Wilders' opponents are hoping that popular opinion shifts before the national vote."It is hard to talk about a tipping point, because we have seen this phenomenon in the polls before," Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher, a Labor Party member, told reporters recently. "Geert Wilders has lost the last three elections. That is something we tend to forget."
Syrian opposition says Kerry applies pressure over peace talks-[Reuters]-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The lead negotiator in the Syrian opposition said on Sunday it was coming under pressure from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to attend peace talks in Geneva this week in order to negotiate over steps including a halt to air strikes.The opposition's High Negotiation Committee, which groups political and armed opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, has said it will not attend negotiations until the government halts bombardments, lifts blockades, and releases detainees - steps mentioned in a United Nations Security Council resolution passed last month.Negotiator Mohamad Alloush said Kerry, who met HNC officials on Saturday, had "come to pressure us to forgo our humanitarian rights ... and to go to negotiate for them"."There will be a big response to these pressures," he told Reuters, without giving further details. Asked if the peace talks would go ahead this week, he said "we leave this to the coming hours".The government has meanwhile said it is ready to attend the talks. They had been due to begin in Geneva on Monday, but a Western diplomat said earlier on Sunday that they were unlikely to begin before Wednesday.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Sanctions lifted, Iran's Rouhani heads to Europe to drum up business-[Reuters]-By John Irish and Crispian Balmer-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
PARIS/ROME (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani brings the case to Europe this week for Iran as a potential investment bonanza, after the lifting of financial sanctions brought his country of 80 million people back into the world of global commerce.Rouhani, a pragmatist elected in 2013 on a platform to reduce Iran's isolation, championed the deal under which Iran curbed its nuclear program in return for the lifting of U.S., EU and United Nations sanctions this month.On his first trip abroad since the accord took effect, he will lead a 120-strong delegation that includes Iranian entrepreneurs as well as the oil and gas minister and other government officials for five days in Paris and Rome. He will meet Pope Francis and French President Francois Hollande.A week after nearly all sanctions were lifted, French and Italian officials still do not expect major deals to be signed yet during the trip. Rouhani himself has spoken of a "long road" to Iran's economic integration with the world.Nevertheless, Iran already demonstrated its hunger for Western goods at an aviation conference on the eve of the visit, announcing plans on Sunday to buy eight A-380 superjumbo jets from Airbus and eventually buy up to 100 planes from Boeing.The visit also comes as global diplomats are trying to arrange the first peace talks in two years to end the Syrian civil war. Shi'ite Muslim Iran is the strongest ally of President Bashar al-Assad, while European countries back his mainly Sunni Muslim opponents. Recent months have also seen an increase in hostility between Iran and traditional Western ally Saudi Arabia."This is a very important visit," said a senior Iranian official. "It's time to turn the page and open the door to cooperation between our countries in different areas."The visit to France, the first by an Iranian president since 1999, will provide opportunities to smooth over particularly awkward relations with a country that has historically been comparatively friendly.Paris took a hard line towards Iran among the six powers that were party to the nuclear negotiations, and has been outspoken in its condemnation of Iran's support for Assad and skeptical of Tehran's other Middle East interventions."Trust needs to be built. It's like love. It is only the proof of love that counts," said a senior French diplomat."On the nuclear accord the relationship is relaxed, but not on the other subjects. There is no change on the Iranian position for now on a number of regional issues ... so the idea (of the visit) is to open a new page," the diplomat said.Since July, Paris has appeared more conciliatory. A senior French economic and political delegation traveled in September to Tehran. Some 130 firms took part ranging in sectors from agriculture to construction and tourism to lay the groundwork for the first business accords between the two countries since the nuclear deal.Companies such as oil major , planemaker Airbus and car manufacturer Peugeot are all interested in the new opportunities.-PAPAL BUSINESS-"We're far from when everyone was saying we would suffer economically because of our stance on the nuclear file. There will be some accords and progress on deals," said another French diplomat. "But I do sense some prudence among companies."Without the same diplomatic constraints as France, Italian officials appear more upbeat. Italy has traditionally had close economic ties with Tehran and is rubbing its hands at the prospect of a possible surge in new contracts following the demise of the sanctions regime.Italy’s export credit agency, Sace, has said Italian exports to Iran might rise by some 3 billion euros in the 4-year period between 2015-2018. Exports totaled an estimated 1.56 billion euros last year.But like in Paris, an industrial source said no major contracts were expected to be signed during the visit. An official with a major energy company said it was still not clear what contracts Iran had in mind for the sector.After speaking to business leaders, Rouhani will head to the Vatican for talks with Pope Francis. After the nuclear deal, the Pope said he hoped it would be the start of "a definitive step toward a more secure and fraternal world".The plight of Christians in the Middle East is likely to be discussed, as well as human rights. The Vatican strongly opposes executions, which have increased since Rouhani took office."European countries are rushing head first to get into Tehran, but they are bargaining with human rights for short-term commercial and economic interests" said Tahar Boumedra, a former U.N. human rights official in Iraq.(Editing by Peter Graff)
Iran to buy 114 Airbuses to revamp ageing fleet-[AFP]-Ali Noorani-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Tehran (AFP) - Iran said Sunday it will buy 114 Airbus planes to revitalise its ageing fleet, in the first major commercial deal announced since the lifting of sanctions under its nuclear agreement.Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi said a deal on the purchase would be signed between national carrier Iran Air and Airbus during a visit to Paris this week by President Hassan Rouhani.Rouhani will travel to Italy and France from Monday to Wednesday, on his first visit to Europe since the implementation of the deal curbing Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of punishing economic sanctions.Rouhani has hailed the agreement as a "new chapter" for Iran as its economy returns to global markets.Modernising the country's air fleet and infrastructure is a top priority, with Akhoundi saying Sunday that only 150 of the country's 250 planes are operational."We have been negotiating for 10 months" for the purchase of planes but "there was no way to pay for them because of banking sanctions", state media quoted Akhoundi as saying."We need 400 long- and mid-range and 100 short-range planes," he said.He said the first batch of new planes would arrive in Iran by March 19 but provided no financial details of the deal with Airbus.An Airbus spokesman declined to comment.Akhoundi's deputy, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, told AFP that Iran "essentially wants to buy Airbus A320s, A321s and A330s"."We will take delivery in 2016 and 2017 of Airbus A320s and A321s, with the A330s coming later," he said."From 2020, we will take delivery of Airbus A350s and A380s. We want eight A380s and 16 A350s."The A380 is the world's largest passenger plane, a twin-deck four-engined long-haul aircraft.On the cost of the contract, the deputy minister said the basic price had been fixed but it would be necessary to "add options for each aircraft".Iran, with a population 79 million, has a good road network but still needs major transport upgrades, which Tehran hopes will boost tourism and trade.- Talks with Boeing -Iran's airports also need $250 million (230 million euros) worth of upgrades in navigation systems, Akhoundi said.Only nine of Iran's 67 airports are currently operational.Iran has suffered several air crashes in recent years blamed on ageing planes, poor maintenance and a shortage of new parts.News of the Airbus deal came as aviation industry representatives from 85 companies met in Tehran on Sunday to assess opportunities in the Islamic republic after sanctions were removed."It's a really exciting time, there's never been a situation like this," said Peter Harbison, the head of the CAPA consultancy which organised the conference."A whole array of different aviation services and new jobs obviously are going to be created," Harbison told AFP."Aviation is one of those industries that creates massive economic flow-on benefits, so tourism will expand, so you'll need more infrastructure growth in hotels and right across the board."Akhoundi said Sunday Iran was also negotiating with US plane manufacturer Boeing, but provided no details.He said Iran was in talks with the United States on the possibility of reopening direct air routes, which were cut after the 1979 hostage crisis that ended all diplomatic ties between the two countries.Rouhani's European tour will see him seeking to restore commercial ties with Italy and France, which were among Tehran's main economic partners before the tightening of international sanctions in January 2012.Competition to tap the Iranian market has been fierce as it emerges from international isolation.Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, Rouhani said the two countries aim to build up economic ties worth up to $600 billion in the next 10 years.They signed a slew of trade agreements, including a $2 billion contract for China to electrify the railway line linking Tehran with second city Mashhad.
Egypt's president praises 2011 uprising, urges patience-[Associated Press]-HAMZA HENDAWI-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's president paid tribute on Sunday to the country's 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak, saying that protesters killed during the 18-day revolt had sought to revive "noble principles" and found a "new Egypt."President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's praise of the uprising, delivered via a televised speech on the eve of its fifth anniversary, followed a recent spate of arrests and a heightened security presence in the capital Cairo that reflected his government's resolve that the occasion will not be marked by popular demonstrations— or militant attacks.They also came just one day after el-Sissi, a soldier-turned-politician who won office in 2014 following a landslide election victory, praised the country's police and vowed a firm response to any threat to the country's stability. His nod to the police ran against growing complaints by rights activists that the force has returned to Mubarak-era practices like torture, random arrests and, more recently, forced disappearances. Police brutality was among the complaints that drove Egyptians to take part in the 2011 uprising.El-Sissi said the 2011 uprising had deviated from its course and was forcibly hijacked for "personal gains and narrow interests." That was a thinly veiled reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been banned and declared a terror group after el-Sissi, as military chief, led the ouster in July 2013 of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood. The "June 30 revolution" — a reference to the day in 2013 when millions of Egyptians demonstrated on the streets against the rule of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood — corrected the course of the 2011 uprising, el-Sissi said.That revolution, he said, took place to "restore the free will of Egyptians and continue to realize their legitimate aspirations and deserved ambitions." "Egypt today is not the Egypt of yesterday. We are building together a modern, developed and civilian state that upholds the values of democracy and freedom," he said of the 2 ½ years since the removal of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president."Democratic experiences don't mature overnight, but rather through a continuing and accumulative process," he said, before emphasizing the need to exercise "responsible freedom" to avoid "destructive chaos." The rhetoric, and insistence that gradual democratization is key to stability, mirrored that of Mubarak during his 29-year authoritarian rule.El-Sissi has since 2013 presided over what the human rights group Amnesty International describes as an "unprecedented" crackdown on dissenters. Thousands of Brotherhood supporters, as well as scores of liberal, pro-democracy activists have been detained. In the recent days, security forces have questioned residents and searched over 5000 apartments in Cairo's downtown, an area whose cafes, theatres and art galleries have been popular with young, pro-democracy activists. Administrators of Facebook pages organizing protests have also been detained.El-Sissi's supporters, including several high-profile TV presenters and talk show hosts, have often justified actions by the police and security agencies as necessary to spare Egypt the chaos and bloodshed roiling regional neighbors like Libya, Syria and Iraq.
Ted Cruz Tells Reporters "I'm a Christian First, American Second"-[Mic]-Tom McKay-January 23, 2016-YAHOONEWS
According to presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, there's one thing that more important to him than the country he's running to lead: his God.In a remarkable exchange in New Hampshire, Politico reports, Cruz told reporters "I'm a Christian first, American second, conservative third and Republican fourth.""I'll tell ya, there are a whole lot of people in this country that feel exactly the same way," he added.Cruz, currently ranked second in GOP candidate polls according to RealClearPolitics, enjoys wide support among evangelical Christians in important, early-voting primary states like Iowa, where Cruz is locked in a tight race with current frontrunner Donald Trump. Cruz repeatedly accused Trump and his support of "more deal-making" and enjoying the support of unpopular "establishment" Republicans.By proclaiming himself a Christian first and an American second, Cruz is professing higher loyalties than the United States — odd for a candidate who has repeatedly accused Muslims of doing much the same thing.Cruz has avoided some of the most hot-headed Islamophobic rhetoric to come out of fellow candidates, such as Trump. But he's been careful to frame Islam as an existential threat to the Western world, and Muslims as of mixed loyalty and a pool of potential terrorists.After Trump called for the U.S. to reject all Muslims from entering the country following terrorist attacks in Paris in November, Cruz did not go that far, but instead called for the U.S. to only assist or resettle Christian refugees, saying they did not pose any such terror threat.With anti-Muslim sentiment in the country at disturbing highs, as well as anti-Muslim hate crimes on the rise, it's hard to imagine a prominent follower of that faith proclaiming themselves a Muslim first and and American second without being labeled an extremist and third columnist. It's only due to the enormous privilege Christians in the U.S. have historically enjoyed, as well as Christianity's major (if waning) influence on partisan politics, that Cruz will likely escape similar accusations.More generally, the remark also indicates that Cruz has mostly given up the pretense of considering his non-Christian fellow citizens equal partners in the American project. That might make sense for his campaign, which needs evangelicals to beat Trump. But it's going to make life harder for him in a theoretical general election campaign, where Cruz will have to explain why his faith is more important to him than many of the Americans who he will need to vote him into office.
Michael Bloomberg may launch independent U.S. presidential bid: source-[Reuters]-By Dustin Volz and Steve Holland-January 23, 2016-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, has told his aides to draw up plans for an independent campaign for the U.S. presidency, according to a source familiar with the situation.Bloomberg has advised friends and associates that he would be willing to spend at least $1 billion of his own money on a campaign for the November 2016 election, according to the source, who spoke on condition on anonymity to discuss the former mayor's thinking.News of Bloomberg mulling a presidential run was first reported Saturday by the New York Times.Bloomberg, 73, has given himself an early March deadline for entering the race, the source said, after commissioning a poll in December to see how he would fare against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the Republican and Democratic frontrunners.No third-party candidate has ever won a U.S. presidential election. But Bloomberg, who has close Wall Street ties and liberal social views, sees an opening for his candidacy if Republicans nominate Trump or Texas Senator Ted Cruz and the Democrats nominate Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the source said.Bloomberg, who has long privately flirted with the idea of mounting a presidential run, served as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent in 2007 and in recent years has spent millions on national campaigns to tighten U.S. gun laws and reform immigration.One unnamed Bloomberg adviser told the Times the former mayor believes voters want "a non-ideological, bipartisan, results-oriented vision" that has not been offered in the 2016 election cycle by either political party.A well-financed presidential run by Bloomberg would likely disrupt the dynamics of the election, but the billionaire would face significant hurdles in a race that has been in full swing for nearly a year.-SPLITTING THE VOTE-Though no third-party candidate has ever claimed the White House, several previous bids have affected the overall makeup of the race. In 1992 Texas businessman Ross Perot ran as an independent, a decision that some believe helped Democrat Bill Clinton defeat incumbent Republican George H. W. Bush.Bloomberg earned 13 percent support when facing a hypothetical three-way race against Clinton and Trump, according to a poll of 4,060 registered voters conducted January 14-17 by Morning Consult. Trump and Clinton were virtually tied at 37 and 36 percent, respectively, the survey found.Part of Bloomberg's motivation to enter the race stems from a frustration with Clinton's campaign, the source said. Clinton has been dogged by questions about her honesty amid an ongoing investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state.Sanders, Clinton's chief rival, has recently surged in polling in key early voting states Iowa and New Hampshire. That development has made Bloomberg increasingly worried about a general election between Sanders, a self-described socialist, and Trump or Cruz, both of whom have staked out far-right positions on issues like immigrationAt the New Hampshire Republican Party "First in the Nation Presidential Town Hall” in Nashua, Senator Rand Paul, who is lagging badly in opinion polls, seemed unfazed by the possibility of a Bloomberg third-party run. He even saw a bright side for his party."If he splits the Democrat vote - those for gun control - that might be good for Republicans," Paul told reporters.Representatives for Bloomberg declined to comment on the former mayor's plans for the presidential race.(Additional reporting by Alana Wise in New Hampshire; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Mary Milliken)
Police charge 17-year-old boy in Canada after 4 shot dead-[Associated Press]-ROB GILLIES-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
TORONTO (AP) — A 17-year-old boy was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in a mass shooting at a school and home in a remote aboriginal community in western Canada, officials said.Police said the male suspect can't be named under Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Supt. Grant St. Germaine said nine people were shot in the school, including a female teacher's aide who died at the scene and a male teacher who died in a hospital. He said seven people wounded in Friday's shooting at the school are hospitalized.Two brothers, 17-year-old Dayne Fountaine and 13-year-old Drayden, were shot and killed in a home before the gunman headed to the grade 7-12 La Loche Community School, police said. Police responded to a call of shots fired at the school shortly after the lunch hour.Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commanding Officer Brenda Butterworth-Carr said when officers arrived at the school they saw the front door had been shot open. They entered the school, spotted the suspect and gave chase before apprehending him. He is due in court next week.Police said Saturday that they were not aware of a motive and declined to say what type of gun was used.The school is in the remote Dene aboriginal community of La Loche in Saskatchewan Province. La Loche is a community of less than 3,000 where just about everybody knows everybody else."This is a significant event for Canada," St. Germaine said. "It's a huge impact on the community of La Loche. It's a part of changing times. We are seeing more violence."Residents lighted candles and placed flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the school.Shootings at schools or on university campuses are rare in Canada. However, the country's bloodiest mass shooting occurred on Dec. 6, 1989, at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, when Marc Lepine entered a college classroom at the engineering school, separated the men from the women, told the men to leave and opened fire, killing 14 women before killing himself.The educational assistant killed at the Saskatchewan school was identified as 21-year-old Marie Janvier. Deegan Park, her boyfriend of three years, said he would have given up the rest of his life just to spend another year with her."I grew up not a good guy, but she turned me right," Park told The Associated Press. "She was that much of a great person to turn me right from all the wrongdoings I used to do. ... She was a fantastic person.""I loved her, I really did," said Park, who remembered her smile and how she would blush when she was happy.Kevin Janvier said his daughter was an only child. "I'm just so sad," he said.Ashton Lemaigre, a teacher at the school and friend of Marie Janvier, said she worked as a teacher's aide in his classroom. He said she was kind and patient with children and planned to get her teaching degree someday."The kids loved having her around," Lemaigre said. "They would just come running to her. And she was just a friend to everybody."A second victim was identified as 35-year-old Adam Wood, a new teacher at the school. His family in Ontario issued a statement describing him as an adventurer with a passion for life who made people laugh until their stomachs hurt."Adam had just begun his teaching career in La Loche last September and was enjoying his time," his family said. "He was always up for a good challenge and lived each day joyously."Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, called it "every parent's worst nightmare."A student who was just returning from lunch when the shots were fired Friday said his friends ran past him urging him to get out."'Run, bro, run!" Noel Desjarlais-Thomas, 16, recalled his friends saying to him as they fled La Loche's junior and senior high school. "There's a shotgun! There's a shotgun! They were just yelling to me. And then I was hearing those shots too, so of course I started running."The RCMP said the first reports of shots being fired at the school came in around 1 p.m. Friday, and parents and residents were warned to stay away. Witnesses said some students hid in gym dressing rooms for hours. A nearby elementary school was also placed on lockdown as a precaution.Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said he is in a state of disbelief. He planned to visit La Loche on Sunday and promised to provide crisis support and counseling services. La Loche, like a number of aboriginal communities in Canada's prairie provinces, has been plagued by high suicide rates and poverty.Wall added that U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman had offered the counsel of U.S. communities that have experienced school shootings."He noted that quite tragically the United States has more experience with the likes of what we saw in La Loche," Wall said.___Associated Press writer Charmaine Noronha in Toronto contributed to this report.
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Spain: Magnitude 6.3 earthquake felt in African enclave-Originally published January 24, 2016 at 11:38 pm-The Associated Press-JAN 25,16
MADRID (AP) — A pre-dawn earthquake has sent people running into the streets and caused damage to buildings in Spain’s north African enclave Melilla.The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale had its epicenter in the Mediterranean Sea about 77 kilometers (48miles) northwest of Melilla, a small Spanish city surrounded by Morocco and the sea.Spain’s state-owned TVE television says there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths following the earthquake at 5:22 a.m. (0422 GMT).Television images showed chunks of concrete on the ground that fell from apartment buildings in Melilla and residents who ran outside in their pajamas following the quake.
MADRID (AP) — A pre-dawn earthquake has sent people running into the streets and caused damage to buildings in Spain’s north African enclave Melilla.The U.S. Geological Survey says the quake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale had its epicenter in the Mediterranean Sea about 77 kilometers (48miles) northwest of Melilla, a small Spanish city surrounded by Morocco and the sea.Spain’s state-owned TVE television says there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths following the earthquake at 5:22 a.m. (0422 GMT).Television images showed chunks of concrete on the ground that fell from apartment buildings in Melilla and residents who ran outside in their pajamas following the quake.
7.1-magnitude earthquake hits southern Alaska-AP 7:27 a.m. EST January 24, 2016-AP ALASKA DAILY LIFE A FEA USA AK
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A magnitude 6.8 earthquake knocked items off shelves and walls in south-central Alaska and jolted the nerves of residents in this earthquake prone region, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.The earthquake struck about 1:30 a.m. Alaska time and was centered 53 miles west of Anchor Point and 160 miles southwest of Anchorage, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In its initial report, the agency had classified the earthquake as a magnitude-7.1 event.The earthquake was widely felt by residents of Anchorage, and there are reports of scattered power outages from the Matanuska Electric Association and Chugach Electric in the Anchorage area. But the Anchorage and Valdez police departments say they have not received any reports of injury or significant damage.Anchorage resident Ron Barta says his house shook about 1:34 a.m. when the earthquake hit. Barta, 55, says the pictures on the walls started moving, but there was no damage to his house and no one was hurt.“I was sitting here with the dogs getting ready to go to bed about 1:34 local time. … I felt a little rumble that didn’t quit for about 30 to 45 seconds. It felt like the house moved,” said Barta, who is married to an Associated Press reporter.The KSRM (Radio Kenai) radio station in the Kenai peninsula reported that about 2:30 a.m. the Kenai Fire Department was on the scene of a gas leak and explosion at a home. Fire departments in Kenai, Anchorage and other communities were getting calls about the quake.The violent shaking woke up Associated Press reporter Mark Thiessen, who had been asleep for about two hours when then quake struck.“I remember the bed swaying back and forth, and loud noises, enough to wake me up even after taking sleeping pills,” said Thiessen, 53. “My husband came into the bedroom forcefully saying, ‘Get up! Get up!’ “ he said. “But I was already awake, trying to figure out what was happening.”Barta, who has lived in Anchorage for about 10 years, says Alaskans on social media say the earthquake woke them up.People were saying on social media that the earthquake “was the biggest I ever felt as long as I have lived here,” Barta said.One Twitter user wrote: “Everyone in Anchorage is awake and on Twitter right? Biggest longest #earthquake of my entire life. Family is all hanging in our bed now.”A tsunami is not expected as a result of the earthquake, the National Weather Service said.———Associated Press writer Tarek Hamada in Phoenix contributed to this report.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun,(HEATING UP-SOLAR ECLIPSES) and in the moon,(MAN ON MOON-LUNAR ECLIPSES) and in the stars;(ASTEROIDS ETC) and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)
Jerusalem hunkers down as snow storm set to blow in-Flurries fall in Golan, Galilee and Etzion bloc, expected to reach capital Monday night-By Sue Surkes January 24, 2016, 8:02 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Some 100 snow plows were at the ready in Jerusalem and dozens more were on standby Sunday as residents hunkered down for heavy winds and snow expected to buffet the capital over the next several days.Municipal workers were on call to operate tractors and heavy equipment and were preparing to distribute 400 tons of salt to community centers and to 500 educational institutions throughout the city.The Education Ministry was meanwhile preparing to open special situation rooms to monitor deteriorating weather conditions across the country, as snow spread southward from the Golan Heights and Galilee to the Etzion bloc and Kiryat Arba in the West Bank south of Jerusalem.The Israel Meteorological Service predicted snow in Jerusalem and the Negev mountains starting Monday night and continuing into Tuesday and Wednesday, along with strong winds and the risk of flooding and flash floods in lower-lying areas. Temperatures are expected to rise only on Thursday.Forecasters said a low-pressure system across the eastern Mediterranean has been driving the stormy weather against Israel’s shores.Heavy winds were reported in the coastal city of Ashdod on Sunday while authorities in the southern seaside town of Ashkelon ensured machinery was ready in the event of flooding. The town suffered serious floods in November and December, setting a new meteorological record for the most rain in a single hour.Snow began dusting Mount Hermon’s ski slopes Sunday morning, and the site was closed to visitors, while thunderstorms and even hail were predicted as far south as the northern Negev.In the hills around Jerusalem, the Israel Electric Corporation set up four generators to ensure that residents of the high-elevation Etzion bloc, south Hebron Hills and Kiryat Arba received continued supply, should power cuts affect locations that are difficult to access during heavy snow.The Jerusalem Municipality announced Sunday that it had stockpiled thousands of tons of food, thousands of spades, heaters, generators, heat packs, emergency lighting, hundreds of blankets and sleeping bags. Food suppliers have been told to stock up before the storm arrives in force.The municipality warned residents that the closure of entrances to Jerusalem could be expected, and announced it was setting up a special internet page with updates on roads, public transport and education.Some 10 off-road vehicles have been equipped with shovels to help clear snow from the city’s light rail tracks and Citypass, which operates the light rail in Jerusalem, has called on drivers not to abandon cars on the tracks as they did during snowfalls in years gone by. The company reminded passengers that the trains can operate in snow up to five centimeters deep.Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat told staff to intensify efforts to identify homeless people and teenagers sleeping rough and to take them to accommodation until the storm has passed.“Snow in Jerusalem is a cause for celebration for Jerusalemites, and we expect to see the most beautiful city in the world covered in white,” he said in a statement. “We call on all residents to prepare for the snow, prepare as necessary, demonstrate responsibility, and follow the instructions of the Municipality and Rescue Services.”The municipality canceled tree-planting ceremonies to mark the festival of Tu B’Shvat, the Nrg website reported, while the Education Ministry ordered school trips to be diverted to places not expecting snow or floods.
Broadway's back; power's still out for thousands in South-[Associated Press]-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Broadway turned the stage lights back on, rail service was expected to resume in New York, and emergency travel bans were lifted Sunday in Washington, D.C., and Maryland following a historic snowstorm that dumped 2 feet or more on some major cities. But thousands were still without power in the Carolinas and major roadways such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike had not completely reopened. More than 45 million people, meanwhile, had watched a video of one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's four pandas enjoying the snow. A look at the storm's impact by state:___DELAWARE-Delaware Gov. Jack Markell has lifted a driving ban he had imposed as a winter storm brought blizzard conditions to the mid-Atlantic region. The ban was lifted at 10 a.m. Sunday, but Markell said a state of emergency remains in effect. He urged residents to stay off the road unless they have a compelling reason to drive, so that snow plows could continue working without interference. With the passage of the storm, hazardous weather warnings have been lifted, but a coastal flood advisory was in effect for New Castle County until 1 p.m. Sunday, with minor flooding possible at high tide. Meanwhile, Markell planned to take an aerial view by helicopter Sunday afternoon of southern Delaware areas that were affected by coastal flooding during the storm.___GEORGIA-Northeast Georgia began thawing out Sunday after getting blanketed with 8 inches of snow, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Leary. The snow hadn't completely disappeared, however, because temperatures were still close to freezing, he said. Across the state, 945 customers were still without power Sunday, according to Georgia Power spokeswoman Ashley Stukes. The bulk of the outages were in the northeast part of the state due to constant snowfall and freezing rain. Since the storm began early Friday, crews have restored power to more than 125,000 customers statewide, Stukes said.___KENTUCKY-Motorists got stuck overnight Friday on Interstate 75 south of Lexington as wrecks and blowing snow brought traffic to a halt. Officials went from vehicle to vehicle, checking on marooned drivers; distributing water, fuel and snacks; and helping people get to shelters set up at churches and public schools along the highway. But some drivers said they were too far away to make it to the shelters. The road reopened early Saturday. Elsewhere, a transportation worker died while plowing snow-covered highways near Bowling Green, and a man died when his car collided with a salt truck.___MARYLAND-Despite the high winds and tremendous volume of snowfall there was only one reported death in Baltimore, and officials aren't even sure it's snow-related, said Bob Maloney, Baltimore Director of the Office of Emergency Management. A travel ban in the city and along a 34.7-mile stretch of interstates has been lifted, but officials still urged residents to not venture out onto the roads if not necessary. Maryland Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ed McDonough said I-270 and I-70 from I-81 in Washington County to the Baltimore Beltway had reopened as of 7 a.m. Sunday.In western Maryland, meanwhile, a barn roof collapsed under the weight of heavy snow Saturday morning in the unincorporated community of Ijamsville, killing some of the several dozen beef cattle that had been herded inside to ride out the storm, said cattle owner Douglas Fink. Fink said he wasn't sure how many had died. He said most of the cattle escaped before the collapse, but he hasn't been able to count them because they're huddling close together.___NEW JERSEY-Most major highways in New Jersey had been cleared by early Sunday, including the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. Nonetheless, reduced speed limits were in place on most of those roadways, and drivers were being urged to use extra caution and to avoid travel if possible. Officials say roads should be in good shape for the Monday morning commute.___NEW YORK-All rail service in and out of New York's Grand Central Terminal is expected to resume Sunday afternoon after a record-setting blizzard hammered the city. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says service on the Metro-North lines at outlying terminals in New York and Connecticut is scheduled to begin after noon. Service on the Long Island Rail Road remains suspended. The MTA says the goal is to bring back service for the Monday morning commute. Three people died while shoveling snow in New York City, where over 25 inches of snow in Central Park marked the third-largest snowfall since record-keeping began in 1869, police and weather officials said. All Broadway shows — both matinees and evening performances — were given the green light to go on as normal Sunday after New York state officials lifted their travel ban. Bruce Springsteen postponed a show set for Sunday at Madison Square Garden.___NORTH CAROLINA/SOUTH CAROLINA-About 50,000 customers in the Carolinas remain without power as the sun is creeping out across two states hit by the first wave of the massive winter storm. On Sunday morning, Duke Energy reports that about 48,000 customers are without electricity in North Carolina, and another 1,700 in South Carolina. Forecasters expect some of the accumulation to thaw Sunday afternoon as temperatures climb above 32 degrees. But overnight, temperatures will dip back below freezing in many areas. In North Carolina, a man was charged with killing a motorist who stopped to help after the suspect's car slid off an ice-covered road. Jail records show 27-year-old Marvin Jacob Lee of Claremont was at the Catawba County jail Saturday on a murder charge pending a court appearance Monday. Multiple news media organizations reported Lee had run off an icy road when a passing truck with three men stopped to help around nightfall Friday. Sheriff Coy Reid said Lee became agitated and the men called police to come help Lee, who then started shooting.___OHIO-A teenager sledding behind an all-terrain vehicle was hit by a truck and killed Friday, the State Highway Patrol said. The truck failed to yield at a traffic light and hit the sled, which the ATV was pulling in Wheelersburg, the highway patrol said.___PENNSYLVANIA-State authorities say they hope to quickly reopen a section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Pittsburgh where hundreds of vehicles were stranded during the massive winter storm. More than 500 cars, trucks and buses — including those carrying the Duquesne (doo-KAYN') University men's basketball team and the Temple University gymnastics squad — got stuck there Friday night as the storm hit. Officials hoped to have the turnpike section reopened by mid-afternoon Sunday, said Turnpike chief executive officer Mark Compton. Only 20 tractor-trailers remained on the turnpike section in Somerset County, Gov. Tom Wolf said Sunday. He said the drivers voluntarily stayed with their trucks and were "all safe and ready to get going." vowed "an extensive after-action review" of how the situation developed and how officials responded to it.___TENNESSEE-Two people were killed as cars slid off icy roads. One vehicle plummeted down a 300-foot embankment Wednesday night, killing the driver, whose husband survived and climbed up over several hours to report the wreck. Nashville saw its heaviest snowfall in nearly 20 years as the storm caused gridlock on streets and highways in Middle Tennessee. Eight inches of snow fell at Nashville International Airport, the most since Nashville logged 8.7 inches of snow on March 19, 1996.___VIRGINIA-Firefighters evacuated tenants from 24 apartments in two northern Virginia apartment buildings after one partially collapsed and the other showed signs of weakening early Sunday, Prince William County officials said. They said the cause of the collapse appeared to be snowfall of approximately 28 inches during the past 36 hours in Manassas. No residents were hurt. One firefighter suffered a cut to the face, and about 65 people were displaced. The county says arrangements are being made to shelter them. A man was killed on Saturday in a single-vehicle crash in Virginia Beach that police blamed on speed and icy road conditions, and Virginia Tech filmmaker Jerry Scheeler died Friday while shoveling snow outside his new house in Daleville, local news media reported Sunday. On Saturday, the state medical examiner's office confirmed three other storm deaths. Snow, ice and gusting winds made the roof collapse at a Donk's Theater, a historic venue near the Chesapeake Bay, building officials said. The theater opened in 1947 and was known as Home of Virginia's Lil' Ole Opry.___WASHINGTON, D.C.-Transportation crews in the nation's capital were hoping to make major roads passable Sunday and also to tackle secondary roads, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser said. Bowser said the city's public schools, attended by nearly 49,000 students, would be closed Monday. She said officials were still assessing whether city government offices would open. Mass transit in the nation's capital was still shut down; officials expected to have an update by Sunday afternoon. The federal government closed its offices at noon Friday, and it wasn't immediately clear what the plans were for Monday. President Barack Obama, hunkered down at the White House, was one of many who stayed home. But a video of one of the Smithsonian National Zoo's four pandas enjoying the snow there was a bright spot amid the storm clouds, drawing 45 million views on Facebook as of Sunday.___WEST VIRGINIA-The massive blizzard that dumped several feet of snow in parts of West Virginia has been a blessing for the state's ski industry. Nearly 90 percent of the trails are open at three ski areas, with a snow base ranging from 2 feet to more than 3 feet. The resorts were reporting strong business Sunday, with downhill skiers and snowboarders flocking to the slopes. Excellent conditions were also reported for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
New York travel ban lifted, Washington at standstill after storm-[Reuters]-By Frank McGurty and Ian Simpson-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New York lifted a travel ban and mass transit started getting back to normal on Sunday after a record-setting blizzard in the U.S. Northeast, but Washington remained at a standstill following storms that killed at least 19 people across the country.The blizzard was the second-biggest snowstorm in New York City history, with 26.8 inches of snow in Central Park by midnight on Saturday, just shy of the record 26.9 inches set in 2006, the National Weather Service said.Thirteen people were killed in weather-related car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia on Saturday. One person died in Maryland and three in New York while shoveling snow. Two died of hypothermia in Virginia, officials said.New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday would be a major cleanup day. He urged residents to stay off streets so city crews could clear roads.“The snow pile is going to be with us for a while, but I think we'll be in good shape in the next 24 hours," he said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopolous."After the storm moved out into the Atlantic Ocean, much of the Northeast was expected to see a mix of sun and clouds on Sunday with temperatures just above freezing.New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo lifted a travel ban on New York City-area roads and on Long Island at 7 a.m. on Sunday. A state of emergency declared by Cuomo was still in place.Most bus and subway services operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority were up and running again by 9 a.m., officials said. The agency was working on restoring full service on Sunday.The Metro-North rail line, which serves suburbs north and east of New York City, expected to have commuter train service running into and out of New York by 3 p.m. on Sunday.A spokeswoman for the New York Stock Exchange said the market planned to open as usual on Monday. City schools also were set to open on Monday.The New York Sanitation Department had plowed all streets at least once, and was focusing on Sunday on secondary and side streets, the mayor's office said in a statement.The city was deploying more than 2,300 pieces of snow-clearing equipment and keeping sanitation workers on 12-hour shifts, it said.-RECORDS SET-The National Weather Service said 17.8 inches fell in Washington, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport notched a record 29.2 inches. The deepest regional total was 42 inches at Glengarry, West Virginia.Peter Hoeppe, head of reinsurer Munich Re's Geo Risks research unit, said in a statement that it was too early to estimate possible losses from the storm.Washington was a dazzling white under a bright sun, and walkers, sledders, some cars and the occasional cross-country skier were out on Sunday.Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a call for 4,000 people to help dig the city out, above the 2,000 volunteers already signed up.The House of Representatives canceled its voting until Feb. 1.The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority had suspended operations through Sunday. Public schools were closed on Monday across much of the Washington and Baltimore region, with some shuttered through Tuesday.One Washington food store, Broad Branch Market, opened with a handful of employees, and was trying to organize volunteers to shovel the sidewalks of the elderly and others who needed help.“I have a lot of people on the list (who want shoveling) but I have yet to have any kids sign up to work today,” said the owner, Tracy Stannard.The market is out of firewood, snowmelt chemical and bread - but is baking baguettes, she said. A snow plow stuck on a nearby street late on Saturday was still there on Sunday.At Dupont Circle, hundreds of people gathered to pelt each other with snowballs. Jomel Nichols, a tourist from Kansas City, Missouri, accompanying three exchange students and her daughter, was plastered with snow."They all turned on me, as teenagers will do," she told Reuters Television.-FLIGHTS CANCELED-About 3,500 flights were canceled on Sunday, and 700 were called off for Monday, according to aviation website FlightAware.com.Among New York-area airports, John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia were open, with limited flight activity expected on Sunday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.About 150,000 customers in North Carolina and 90,000 in New Jersey lost electricity during the storm.More than 20,000 residential and business customers in New Jersey remained without power on Sunday, mostly along the Jersey Shore, which was hit with major flooding..In North Carolina, about 4,000 Duke Energy customers had no power on Sunday, mostly in the eastern part of the state.On Sunday, moderate coastal flooding was still a concern in the Jersey Shore's Atlantic County, said Linda Gilmore, a county public information officer.The storm developed along the Gulf Coast when warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean collided with cold air to form the massive winter system, meteorologists said.(Additional reporting by Lisa Lambert, David Gaffen and Susan Cornwell; Writing by Mary Milliken and Grant McCool; Editing by Andrew Bolton and Jonathan Oatis)
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(THE EU (EUROPEAN UNION) TAKES OVER IRAQ WHICH HAS SPLIT INTO 3-SUNNI-KURD-SHIA PARTS-AND THE REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE IS BROUGHT BACK TOGETHER-THE TWO LEGS OF DANIEL WESTERN LEG AND THE ISLAMIC LEG COMBINED AS 1)
US official seeks support for European trade deal in Poland-[Associated Press]-VANESSA GERA-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman received a welcome reception Sunday from Polish entrepreneurs as he worked to finalize a free trade pact between the United States and the European Union.Froman said he hopes the deal, the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, will finally be completed in 2016 after nearly three years of negotiations.Still, there is strong resistance among some Europeans to the planned agreement, which aims to eliminate tariffs and create common regulatory standards between the world's two biggest economies. Opponents fear a lowering in food safety standards and the undermining of local regulations by giving international arbitration panels the power to rule over disputes.In Warsaw, Froman told a group of young Poles with startups, among them software developers, that the deal would be especially helpful to small and medium-sized businesses like theirs. He said they would benefit from a harmonizing of regulatory standards and intellectual property protection."It's small and medium-sized businesses that are driving the economy. And if we can make life easier for them, it's good for all of our economies," Froman said.While Polish farmers and many other Poles oppose the deal, those invited to meet with Froman seemed convinced that they could benefit from it."Good competition will be beneficial to both sides," said Krzysztolf Gogol, president of the management board of WealthArc, a financial technology startup.The most visible opposition to the deal was seen in Berlin last October, when 150,000 people demonstrated against it.Froman said Friday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that neither side has any interest in lowering standards, whether that be regulatory protections, safety standards or environmental requirements.During his visit Froman is also meeting with Polish leaders.
Cyprus leaders 'believe' in 2016 solution to division By Peter Teffer-euobserver
Brussels, 22. Jan, 09:15-The leaders of the two parts of divided Cyprus gave a message of optimism about the island's reunification talks at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday (21 January).The two shared a stage at a panel debate at the conference in the Swiss Alps. At its close they were convinced by the debate's host to shake hands as “a symbolic gesture and photo opportunity”.“I believe that 2016 could be the year that we end the unacceptable status quo”, said Cypriot president Nikos Anastiades, who leads the Greek part of the island, which is a member state of the European Union and the eurozone.Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci leads the northern part of the Mediterranean island, where EU law is suspended until a final settlement is reached. Northern Cyprus is recognised as an independent state only by Turkey.According to Akinci, negotiations have entered a “crucial phase”.“I wish to reiterate the strong determination of Turkish Cypriots to reach a settlement based on bi-zonal federation with political equality, as well as European values and principles we all share”, said Akinci.Cyprus became a divided island in 1974, just fourteen years after it gained independence from the United Kingdom. Following a coup d'etat by the Greek military junta, the Turkish army invaded the island.In 2004, a peace plan failed after a large majority of Greek Cypriots voted it down in a referendum. As a result, Cyprus entered the EU that year de facto without the Turkish Cypriots.-EU prism-“I am adamant that Europe and the European project holds many of the answers to the puzzle, that is the solution to the Cyprus problem,” said Anastiades.“Let us not forget that Cyprus is, and will continue to be, a member state of the European Union. We must therefore approach all issues on the negotiating table through the prism of the EU”, the president added.“A reunited Cyprus needs to be able to effectively participate and constructively facilitate the EU decision-making rather than hinder it”, Anastiades noted, adding that reunification would have “significant ramifications for Europe”.One such consequence may be in the field of energy. The discovery of offshore gas near the island “will act as a source of peace and cooperation rather than conflict and tension”, according to Akinci.“United Cyprus will be able to serve as a hub for pipelines, transferring natural gas to European Union, through Cyprus and Turkey, which seems to be the most feasible route”, said Akinci.“It will also improve the relations between all relevant actors, including EU, Turkey, Greece and the future united Cyprus”, the Turkish Cypriot leader added.Anastiades said a united Cyprus “can be a decisive factor to achieving energy security for the European Union”.-World Economic Forum event on Cyprus.
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her,(HAGAR) Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael;(FATHER OF THE ARAB/MUSLIMS) because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he (ISHMAEL-FATHER OF THE ARAB-MUSLIMS) will be a wild (DONKEY-JACKASS) man;(ISLAM IS A FAKE AND DANGEROUS SEX FOR MURDER CULT) his hand will be against every man,(ISLAM HATES EVERYONE) and every man's hand against him;(PROTECTING THEMSELVES FROM BEING BEHEADED) and he (ISHMAEL ARAB/MUSLIM) shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.(LITERAL-THE ARABS LIVE WITH THEIR BRETHERN JEWS)
ISAIAH 14:12-14
12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,(SATAN) son of the morning!(HEBREW-CRECENT MOON-ISLAM) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I (SATAN HAS EYE TROUBLES) will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.(AND 1/3RD OF THE ANGELS OF HEAVEN FELL WITH SATAN AND BECAME DEMONS)
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.(ISLAM MURDERS IN THE NAME OF MOON GOD ALLAH OF ISLAM)
Merkel and Turkish PM in show of support By Eric Maurice-euobserver
BRUSSELS, 22. Jan, 19:21-Contested at home, even in her own party, and criticised in other European countries over her migration policy, German chancellor Angela Merkel received on Friday (22 January) the support of her Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu.Merkel in return hinted at a further contribution from the EU to help Turkey assist the Syrian refugees."Germany and Ms Merkel are not alone," said Davutoglu at a joint press conference after the first German-Turkish "government consultations" in Berlin.The Turkish PM praised Merkel's policy, saying she had made "a historic step" when she accepted to receive all Syrian refugees coming to Germany.In a joint communiqué published after the press conference, the two prime ministers said that Davutoglu "emphasised the commitment of the government of Turkey to undertaking all possible efforts to substantially reduce the number of irregular migrants in the near future".-'Deal with it together'-Turkey also "pledged to facilitate the readmission of irregular migrants not in need of protection," the statement said.Asked if she felt alone amid the growing contestation over her decisions and failure to achieve results in the management of the crisis, Merkel told reporters that she didn't "have the impression, especially now".The main item on the meeting's agenda was the cooperation between Turkey and the EU, especially Germany, to try to reduce the number of migrants coming to Europe.Davutoglu came to Berlin to ask for more money to address the presence of more than two million refugees in Turkey. In an interview with the DPA press agency on Thursday, he said that the €3 billion the EU agreed to give were "just to show the political will to share the burden. We will review it again."Turkey has done "all according to humanity to help these people", he said at the press conference about the refugees.But, he added, "Turkey cannot manage the problem alone. We must deal with it together."In response, Merkel said that "of course, we must make a burden sharing"."The three billion will be made available from the European side. I assured that again today," she said.The joint communiqué, the two leaders went further and described the €3 billion package as an "initial financial support … to assist Syrians under temporary protection in Turkey".Merkel and Davutoglu also agreed to "meaningfully advanc[e] the negotiations between Turkey and the EU on visa liberalisation with a view to lifting the visa requirements for Turkish citizens to the Schengen area by October 2016," according to the German statement.About Turkey's EU membership negotiations, they said that "the accession process needs to be re-energised".On that last issue, Davutoglu said that Merkel's efforts were "very important" for Turkey.
Anti-Islam Dutch lawmaker gains support amid migrant crisis-[Associated Press]-MIKE CORDER-January 23, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch debate on asylum-seekers has come to this: Firebrand lawmaker Geert Wilders handing out self-defense sprays to women fearful of what he describes as "Islamic testosterone bombs" in the wake of the New Year's Eve sexual assaults in Cologne.Wilders, surrounded by bodyguards and police, visited a market Saturday in the largely blue-collar town of Spijkenisse to hand out the sprays, which contained red paint. Amid stalls selling vegetables, fish, flowers and bicycle parts, Wilders got a rock-star welcome from dozens of supporters, while others protested his visit, waving placards including one that read, "Refugees are welcome, racism is not."The publicity stunt fits into Wilders' uncompromising anti-immigrant, anti-Islam rhetoric that has propelled him to the top of Dutch opinion polls, just over a year away from the parliamentary election.In between shaking hands and posing for selfies with supporters, the Freedom Party leader said that, if elected, he would, "close the borders immediately and have no more asylum-seekers. We just cannot afford to have more. The Dutch people in a big majority don't want it and we cannot afford it and it makes our people and women only more unsafe."His message is gaining traction here amid a surge of refugees to Europe and following deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in Paris last year. It echoes Republican front-runner Donald Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States and is similar to other populist, nationalist groups in Europe like Marine Le Pen's National Front in France."The tendencies across Europe are very similar," said University of Amsterdam political science professor Wouter van der Brug. "Across Europe, right-wing populist parties are picking up support as a result of the asylum crisis that we're facing now, and also as a result of terrorist attacks."Leontine Maris was one of the first women to get a spray from Wilders. The 53-year-old said she votes for him though she disagrees with some of his more extreme comments. She said she was afraid not just of migrants, but also Dutch men."The whole society is going down the drain," she said.As Wilders' popularity soars on the back of such disenchantment, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's two-party coalition is in a slump, losing ground mainly to Wilders."Wilders is getting support across different layers of society," Van der Brug said.Whether Wilders is able to parlay his current popularity into parliamentary seats next year and a tilt at power in the splintered Dutch parliament remains to be seen. He propped up Rutte's first administration, a minority coalition of the Liberal Party and Christian Democrats, from 2010-2012, but walked out amid drawn-out negotiations over austerity measures. Two days later, the government collapsed.That decision could yet come back to haunt Wilders."The only logical coalition he could form would be with the same parties again. And I think it's quite unlikely they will do this again with him," Van der Brug said. "They don't really trust him."Even if Wilders' party wins the next election, he would struggle to become prime minister without the support of other parties in this country where the electoral system all but guarantees coalition governments.Rutte has ruled out cooperating with Wilders unless the Freedom Party leader takes back comments made in 2014 that he would see to it that there were fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. Those same comments also landed Wilders in trouble with Dutch prosecutors, who plan to put him on trial on charges of discrimination.That kind of criticism is not new to Wilders, who has made his name with inflammatory anti-Islam rhetoric. He was acquitted in 2011 on hate speech charges for comments including likening Islam to fascism and calling for a ban on the Quran.Wilders' party currently holds 12 seats in the 150-member lower house, but a poll by Ipsos on Thursday suggested the Freedom Party would win 32 seats now. Rutte's Liberals were second with 26 seats, down from its current tally of 40. The online survey of 1,061 voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent. Other polls have Wilders even further ahead.While Wilders is riding high, Rutte and his coalition partner are hoping to survive the next year and reap the electoral rewards of tough economic reforms that are beginning to bear fruit.The government has slashed spending and driven through an austerity package that has revived the ailing Dutch economy and is beginning to cut into unemployment. The number of Dutch workers without jobs last month was 588,000 in a nation of around 17 million, down from 700,000 early in 2014.Wilders' opponents are hoping that popular opinion shifts before the national vote."It is hard to talk about a tipping point, because we have seen this phenomenon in the polls before," Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher, a Labor Party member, told reporters recently. "Geert Wilders has lost the last three elections. That is something we tend to forget."
Syrian opposition says Kerry applies pressure over peace talks-[Reuters]-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The lead negotiator in the Syrian opposition said on Sunday it was coming under pressure from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to attend peace talks in Geneva this week in order to negotiate over steps including a halt to air strikes.The opposition's High Negotiation Committee, which groups political and armed opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, has said it will not attend negotiations until the government halts bombardments, lifts blockades, and releases detainees - steps mentioned in a United Nations Security Council resolution passed last month.Negotiator Mohamad Alloush said Kerry, who met HNC officials on Saturday, had "come to pressure us to forgo our humanitarian rights ... and to go to negotiate for them"."There will be a big response to these pressures," he told Reuters, without giving further details. Asked if the peace talks would go ahead this week, he said "we leave this to the coming hours".The government has meanwhile said it is ready to attend the talks. They had been due to begin in Geneva on Monday, but a Western diplomat said earlier on Sunday that they were unlikely to begin before Wednesday.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Sanctions lifted, Iran's Rouhani heads to Europe to drum up business-[Reuters]-By John Irish and Crispian Balmer-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
PARIS/ROME (Reuters) - President Hassan Rouhani brings the case to Europe this week for Iran as a potential investment bonanza, after the lifting of financial sanctions brought his country of 80 million people back into the world of global commerce.Rouhani, a pragmatist elected in 2013 on a platform to reduce Iran's isolation, championed the deal under which Iran curbed its nuclear program in return for the lifting of U.S., EU and United Nations sanctions this month.On his first trip abroad since the accord took effect, he will lead a 120-strong delegation that includes Iranian entrepreneurs as well as the oil and gas minister and other government officials for five days in Paris and Rome. He will meet Pope Francis and French President Francois Hollande.A week after nearly all sanctions were lifted, French and Italian officials still do not expect major deals to be signed yet during the trip. Rouhani himself has spoken of a "long road" to Iran's economic integration with the world.Nevertheless, Iran already demonstrated its hunger for Western goods at an aviation conference on the eve of the visit, announcing plans on Sunday to buy eight A-380 superjumbo jets from Airbus and eventually buy up to 100 planes from Boeing.The visit also comes as global diplomats are trying to arrange the first peace talks in two years to end the Syrian civil war. Shi'ite Muslim Iran is the strongest ally of President Bashar al-Assad, while European countries back his mainly Sunni Muslim opponents. Recent months have also seen an increase in hostility between Iran and traditional Western ally Saudi Arabia."This is a very important visit," said a senior Iranian official. "It's time to turn the page and open the door to cooperation between our countries in different areas."The visit to France, the first by an Iranian president since 1999, will provide opportunities to smooth over particularly awkward relations with a country that has historically been comparatively friendly.Paris took a hard line towards Iran among the six powers that were party to the nuclear negotiations, and has been outspoken in its condemnation of Iran's support for Assad and skeptical of Tehran's other Middle East interventions."Trust needs to be built. It's like love. It is only the proof of love that counts," said a senior French diplomat."On the nuclear accord the relationship is relaxed, but not on the other subjects. There is no change on the Iranian position for now on a number of regional issues ... so the idea (of the visit) is to open a new page," the diplomat said.Since July, Paris has appeared more conciliatory. A senior French economic and political delegation traveled in September to Tehran. Some 130 firms took part ranging in sectors from agriculture to construction and tourism to lay the groundwork for the first business accords between the two countries since the nuclear deal.Companies such as oil major , planemaker Airbus and car manufacturer Peugeot are all interested in the new opportunities.-PAPAL BUSINESS-"We're far from when everyone was saying we would suffer economically because of our stance on the nuclear file. There will be some accords and progress on deals," said another French diplomat. "But I do sense some prudence among companies."Without the same diplomatic constraints as France, Italian officials appear more upbeat. Italy has traditionally had close economic ties with Tehran and is rubbing its hands at the prospect of a possible surge in new contracts following the demise of the sanctions regime.Italy’s export credit agency, Sace, has said Italian exports to Iran might rise by some 3 billion euros in the 4-year period between 2015-2018. Exports totaled an estimated 1.56 billion euros last year.But like in Paris, an industrial source said no major contracts were expected to be signed during the visit. An official with a major energy company said it was still not clear what contracts Iran had in mind for the sector.After speaking to business leaders, Rouhani will head to the Vatican for talks with Pope Francis. After the nuclear deal, the Pope said he hoped it would be the start of "a definitive step toward a more secure and fraternal world".The plight of Christians in the Middle East is likely to be discussed, as well as human rights. The Vatican strongly opposes executions, which have increased since Rouhani took office."European countries are rushing head first to get into Tehran, but they are bargaining with human rights for short-term commercial and economic interests" said Tahar Boumedra, a former U.N. human rights official in Iraq.(Editing by Peter Graff)
Iran to buy 114 Airbuses to revamp ageing fleet-[AFP]-Ali Noorani-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
Tehran (AFP) - Iran said Sunday it will buy 114 Airbus planes to revitalise its ageing fleet, in the first major commercial deal announced since the lifting of sanctions under its nuclear agreement.Transport Minister Abbas Akhoundi said a deal on the purchase would be signed between national carrier Iran Air and Airbus during a visit to Paris this week by President Hassan Rouhani.Rouhani will travel to Italy and France from Monday to Wednesday, on his first visit to Europe since the implementation of the deal curbing Tehran's nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting of punishing economic sanctions.Rouhani has hailed the agreement as a "new chapter" for Iran as its economy returns to global markets.Modernising the country's air fleet and infrastructure is a top priority, with Akhoundi saying Sunday that only 150 of the country's 250 planes are operational."We have been negotiating for 10 months" for the purchase of planes but "there was no way to pay for them because of banking sanctions", state media quoted Akhoundi as saying."We need 400 long- and mid-range and 100 short-range planes," he said.He said the first batch of new planes would arrive in Iran by March 19 but provided no financial details of the deal with Airbus.An Airbus spokesman declined to comment.Akhoundi's deputy, Asghar Fakhrieh Kashan, told AFP that Iran "essentially wants to buy Airbus A320s, A321s and A330s"."We will take delivery in 2016 and 2017 of Airbus A320s and A321s, with the A330s coming later," he said."From 2020, we will take delivery of Airbus A350s and A380s. We want eight A380s and 16 A350s."The A380 is the world's largest passenger plane, a twin-deck four-engined long-haul aircraft.On the cost of the contract, the deputy minister said the basic price had been fixed but it would be necessary to "add options for each aircraft".Iran, with a population 79 million, has a good road network but still needs major transport upgrades, which Tehran hopes will boost tourism and trade.- Talks with Boeing -Iran's airports also need $250 million (230 million euros) worth of upgrades in navigation systems, Akhoundi said.Only nine of Iran's 67 airports are currently operational.Iran has suffered several air crashes in recent years blamed on ageing planes, poor maintenance and a shortage of new parts.News of the Airbus deal came as aviation industry representatives from 85 companies met in Tehran on Sunday to assess opportunities in the Islamic republic after sanctions were removed."It's a really exciting time, there's never been a situation like this," said Peter Harbison, the head of the CAPA consultancy which organised the conference."A whole array of different aviation services and new jobs obviously are going to be created," Harbison told AFP."Aviation is one of those industries that creates massive economic flow-on benefits, so tourism will expand, so you'll need more infrastructure growth in hotels and right across the board."Akhoundi said Sunday Iran was also negotiating with US plane manufacturer Boeing, but provided no details.He said Iran was in talks with the United States on the possibility of reopening direct air routes, which were cut after the 1979 hostage crisis that ended all diplomatic ties between the two countries.Rouhani's European tour will see him seeking to restore commercial ties with Italy and France, which were among Tehran's main economic partners before the tightening of international sanctions in January 2012.Competition to tap the Iranian market has been fierce as it emerges from international isolation.Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, Rouhani said the two countries aim to build up economic ties worth up to $600 billion in the next 10 years.They signed a slew of trade agreements, including a $2 billion contract for China to electrify the railway line linking Tehran with second city Mashhad.
Egypt's president praises 2011 uprising, urges patience-[Associated Press]-HAMZA HENDAWI-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's president paid tribute on Sunday to the country's 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak, saying that protesters killed during the 18-day revolt had sought to revive "noble principles" and found a "new Egypt."President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's praise of the uprising, delivered via a televised speech on the eve of its fifth anniversary, followed a recent spate of arrests and a heightened security presence in the capital Cairo that reflected his government's resolve that the occasion will not be marked by popular demonstrations— or militant attacks.They also came just one day after el-Sissi, a soldier-turned-politician who won office in 2014 following a landslide election victory, praised the country's police and vowed a firm response to any threat to the country's stability. His nod to the police ran against growing complaints by rights activists that the force has returned to Mubarak-era practices like torture, random arrests and, more recently, forced disappearances. Police brutality was among the complaints that drove Egyptians to take part in the 2011 uprising.El-Sissi said the 2011 uprising had deviated from its course and was forcibly hijacked for "personal gains and narrow interests." That was a thinly veiled reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been banned and declared a terror group after el-Sissi, as military chief, led the ouster in July 2013 of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the Brotherhood. The "June 30 revolution" — a reference to the day in 2013 when millions of Egyptians demonstrated on the streets against the rule of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood — corrected the course of the 2011 uprising, el-Sissi said.That revolution, he said, took place to "restore the free will of Egyptians and continue to realize their legitimate aspirations and deserved ambitions." "Egypt today is not the Egypt of yesterday. We are building together a modern, developed and civilian state that upholds the values of democracy and freedom," he said of the 2 ½ years since the removal of Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president."Democratic experiences don't mature overnight, but rather through a continuing and accumulative process," he said, before emphasizing the need to exercise "responsible freedom" to avoid "destructive chaos." The rhetoric, and insistence that gradual democratization is key to stability, mirrored that of Mubarak during his 29-year authoritarian rule.El-Sissi has since 2013 presided over what the human rights group Amnesty International describes as an "unprecedented" crackdown on dissenters. Thousands of Brotherhood supporters, as well as scores of liberal, pro-democracy activists have been detained. In the recent days, security forces have questioned residents and searched over 5000 apartments in Cairo's downtown, an area whose cafes, theatres and art galleries have been popular with young, pro-democracy activists. Administrators of Facebook pages organizing protests have also been detained.El-Sissi's supporters, including several high-profile TV presenters and talk show hosts, have often justified actions by the police and security agencies as necessary to spare Egypt the chaos and bloodshed roiling regional neighbors like Libya, Syria and Iraq.
Ted Cruz Tells Reporters "I'm a Christian First, American Second"-[Mic]-Tom McKay-January 23, 2016-YAHOONEWS
According to presidential candidate and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, there's one thing that more important to him than the country he's running to lead: his God.In a remarkable exchange in New Hampshire, Politico reports, Cruz told reporters "I'm a Christian first, American second, conservative third and Republican fourth.""I'll tell ya, there are a whole lot of people in this country that feel exactly the same way," he added.Cruz, currently ranked second in GOP candidate polls according to RealClearPolitics, enjoys wide support among evangelical Christians in important, early-voting primary states like Iowa, where Cruz is locked in a tight race with current frontrunner Donald Trump. Cruz repeatedly accused Trump and his support of "more deal-making" and enjoying the support of unpopular "establishment" Republicans.By proclaiming himself a Christian first and an American second, Cruz is professing higher loyalties than the United States — odd for a candidate who has repeatedly accused Muslims of doing much the same thing.Cruz has avoided some of the most hot-headed Islamophobic rhetoric to come out of fellow candidates, such as Trump. But he's been careful to frame Islam as an existential threat to the Western world, and Muslims as of mixed loyalty and a pool of potential terrorists.After Trump called for the U.S. to reject all Muslims from entering the country following terrorist attacks in Paris in November, Cruz did not go that far, but instead called for the U.S. to only assist or resettle Christian refugees, saying they did not pose any such terror threat.With anti-Muslim sentiment in the country at disturbing highs, as well as anti-Muslim hate crimes on the rise, it's hard to imagine a prominent follower of that faith proclaiming themselves a Muslim first and and American second without being labeled an extremist and third columnist. It's only due to the enormous privilege Christians in the U.S. have historically enjoyed, as well as Christianity's major (if waning) influence on partisan politics, that Cruz will likely escape similar accusations.More generally, the remark also indicates that Cruz has mostly given up the pretense of considering his non-Christian fellow citizens equal partners in the American project. That might make sense for his campaign, which needs evangelicals to beat Trump. But it's going to make life harder for him in a theoretical general election campaign, where Cruz will have to explain why his faith is more important to him than many of the Americans who he will need to vote him into office.
Michael Bloomberg may launch independent U.S. presidential bid: source-[Reuters]-By Dustin Volz and Steve Holland-January 23, 2016-YAHOONEWS
(Reuters) - Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, has told his aides to draw up plans for an independent campaign for the U.S. presidency, according to a source familiar with the situation.Bloomberg has advised friends and associates that he would be willing to spend at least $1 billion of his own money on a campaign for the November 2016 election, according to the source, who spoke on condition on anonymity to discuss the former mayor's thinking.News of Bloomberg mulling a presidential run was first reported Saturday by the New York Times.Bloomberg, 73, has given himself an early March deadline for entering the race, the source said, after commissioning a poll in December to see how he would fare against Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the Republican and Democratic frontrunners.No third-party candidate has ever won a U.S. presidential election. But Bloomberg, who has close Wall Street ties and liberal social views, sees an opening for his candidacy if Republicans nominate Trump or Texas Senator Ted Cruz and the Democrats nominate Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the source said.Bloomberg, who has long privately flirted with the idea of mounting a presidential run, served as mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. He switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent in 2007 and in recent years has spent millions on national campaigns to tighten U.S. gun laws and reform immigration.One unnamed Bloomberg adviser told the Times the former mayor believes voters want "a non-ideological, bipartisan, results-oriented vision" that has not been offered in the 2016 election cycle by either political party.A well-financed presidential run by Bloomberg would likely disrupt the dynamics of the election, but the billionaire would face significant hurdles in a race that has been in full swing for nearly a year.-SPLITTING THE VOTE-Though no third-party candidate has ever claimed the White House, several previous bids have affected the overall makeup of the race. In 1992 Texas businessman Ross Perot ran as an independent, a decision that some believe helped Democrat Bill Clinton defeat incumbent Republican George H. W. Bush.Bloomberg earned 13 percent support when facing a hypothetical three-way race against Clinton and Trump, according to a poll of 4,060 registered voters conducted January 14-17 by Morning Consult. Trump and Clinton were virtually tied at 37 and 36 percent, respectively, the survey found.Part of Bloomberg's motivation to enter the race stems from a frustration with Clinton's campaign, the source said. Clinton has been dogged by questions about her honesty amid an ongoing investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state.Sanders, Clinton's chief rival, has recently surged in polling in key early voting states Iowa and New Hampshire. That development has made Bloomberg increasingly worried about a general election between Sanders, a self-described socialist, and Trump or Cruz, both of whom have staked out far-right positions on issues like immigrationAt the New Hampshire Republican Party "First in the Nation Presidential Town Hall” in Nashua, Senator Rand Paul, who is lagging badly in opinion polls, seemed unfazed by the possibility of a Bloomberg third-party run. He even saw a bright side for his party."If he splits the Democrat vote - those for gun control - that might be good for Republicans," Paul told reporters.Representatives for Bloomberg declined to comment on the former mayor's plans for the presidential race.(Additional reporting by Alana Wise in New Hampshire; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Mary Milliken)
Police charge 17-year-old boy in Canada after 4 shot dead-[Associated Press]-ROB GILLIES-January 24, 2016-YAHOONEWS
TORONTO (AP) — A 17-year-old boy was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder in a mass shooting at a school and home in a remote aboriginal community in western Canada, officials said.Police said the male suspect can't be named under Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Supt. Grant St. Germaine said nine people were shot in the school, including a female teacher's aide who died at the scene and a male teacher who died in a hospital. He said seven people wounded in Friday's shooting at the school are hospitalized.Two brothers, 17-year-old Dayne Fountaine and 13-year-old Drayden, were shot and killed in a home before the gunman headed to the grade 7-12 La Loche Community School, police said. Police responded to a call of shots fired at the school shortly after the lunch hour.Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commanding Officer Brenda Butterworth-Carr said when officers arrived at the school they saw the front door had been shot open. They entered the school, spotted the suspect and gave chase before apprehending him. He is due in court next week.Police said Saturday that they were not aware of a motive and declined to say what type of gun was used.The school is in the remote Dene aboriginal community of La Loche in Saskatchewan Province. La Loche is a community of less than 3,000 where just about everybody knows everybody else."This is a significant event for Canada," St. Germaine said. "It's a huge impact on the community of La Loche. It's a part of changing times. We are seeing more violence."Residents lighted candles and placed flowers at a makeshift memorial outside the school.Shootings at schools or on university campuses are rare in Canada. However, the country's bloodiest mass shooting occurred on Dec. 6, 1989, at Montreal's Ecole Polytechnique, when Marc Lepine entered a college classroom at the engineering school, separated the men from the women, told the men to leave and opened fire, killing 14 women before killing himself.The educational assistant killed at the Saskatchewan school was identified as 21-year-old Marie Janvier. Deegan Park, her boyfriend of three years, said he would have given up the rest of his life just to spend another year with her."I grew up not a good guy, but she turned me right," Park told The Associated Press. "She was that much of a great person to turn me right from all the wrongdoings I used to do. ... She was a fantastic person.""I loved her, I really did," said Park, who remembered her smile and how she would blush when she was happy.Kevin Janvier said his daughter was an only child. "I'm just so sad," he said.Ashton Lemaigre, a teacher at the school and friend of Marie Janvier, said she worked as a teacher's aide in his classroom. He said she was kind and patient with children and planned to get her teaching degree someday."The kids loved having her around," Lemaigre said. "They would just come running to her. And she was just a friend to everybody."A second victim was identified as 35-year-old Adam Wood, a new teacher at the school. His family in Ontario issued a statement describing him as an adventurer with a passion for life who made people laugh until their stomachs hurt."Adam had just begun his teaching career in La Loche last September and was enjoying his time," his family said. "He was always up for a good challenge and lived each day joyously."Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, called it "every parent's worst nightmare."A student who was just returning from lunch when the shots were fired Friday said his friends ran past him urging him to get out."'Run, bro, run!" Noel Desjarlais-Thomas, 16, recalled his friends saying to him as they fled La Loche's junior and senior high school. "There's a shotgun! There's a shotgun! They were just yelling to me. And then I was hearing those shots too, so of course I started running."The RCMP said the first reports of shots being fired at the school came in around 1 p.m. Friday, and parents and residents were warned to stay away. Witnesses said some students hid in gym dressing rooms for hours. A nearby elementary school was also placed on lockdown as a precaution.Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall said he is in a state of disbelief. He planned to visit La Loche on Sunday and promised to provide crisis support and counseling services. La Loche, like a number of aboriginal communities in Canada's prairie provinces, has been plagued by high suicide rates and poverty.Wall added that U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman had offered the counsel of U.S. communities that have experienced school shootings."He noted that quite tragically the United States has more experience with the likes of what we saw in La Loche," Wall said.___Associated Press writer Charmaine Noronha in Toronto contributed to this report.
US Capitol workers clear snow outside the US Capitol Building in Washington, DCPicture: Greg E. Mathieson Sr./REX/Shutterstock
Cars covered in snow on Jenifer Street in the Friendship Heights neighbourhood in Washington, DCPicture: EPA/JIM LO SCALZO 
A car spins out of control on Central Park West Avenue and West 81 street during heavy snow fall in New York CityPicture: Astrid Riecken/Getty Images
Storm Jonas hits New York CityPicture: RMV/REX/Shutterstock
A woman walks in strong winds and heavy snow fall in Central Park in New York CityPicture: Astrid Riecken/Getty Images
Workers clear snow from the East Front of the U.S. Capitol during a major blizzard in WashingtonPicture: EPA
USA: Snow slows down traffic on Interstate 40 in Nashville, Tennessee.Picture: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean via AP
The Roanoke Parks and Recreation Department shovel snow on the Martin
Luther King bridge on First Street and Salem Avenue as snow falls in
Roanoke, VirginiaPicture: Stephanie Klein-Davis/The Roanoke Times via AP
Tens of millions of people could be affected by snow, and millions more
by ice and other dangerous conditions, the National Weather Service
said.Picture: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP-EAST COAST OF AMERICA THAT BLIZZARD JONAS DOSED WITH UP TO 40 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE WEEKEND OF JAN 22-24,2016.
A satellite image of the storm moving through the central United StatesPicture: EPA/NASA Goddard Rapid Response - BLIZZARD JONAS OVER THE WEEKEND OF JAN 22-24,2016 
WATER FLOODS 5TH AVENUE IN NEW JERSEY AT HIGH TIDE-PIC-associated press