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)
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people(ISRAEL) and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.(UPROOTED ISRAELIS AND DIVIDED JERUSALEM)(THIS BRINGS ON WW3 BECAUSE JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED,WARNING TO ARABS-MUSLIMS AND THE WORLD).
THE WEEK OF DANIEL 9:27 WE KNOW ITS 7 YRS
Heres the scripture 1 week = 7 yrs Genesis 29:27-29
27 Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week:(7 YEARS) and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
DANIEL 11:21-23
21 And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.
23 And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people.
24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he ( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant (PEACE TREATY) with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE ANIMAL SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
JEREMIAH 6:14
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
JEREMIAH 8:11
11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
1 THESSALONIANS 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
ISAIAH 33:8
8 The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant,(7 YR TREATY) he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.(THE WORLD LEADER-WAR MONGER CALLS HIMSELF GOD)
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
GENESIS 25:20-26
20 And Isaac was forty years old (A BIBLE GENERATION NUMBER=1967 + 40=2007+) when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister to Laban the Syrian.
21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 And the children (2 NATIONS IN HER-ISRAEL-ARABS) struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.
23 And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;(ISRAEL AND THE ARABS) and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;(ISRAEL STRONGER THAN ARABS) and the elder shall serve the younger.(LITERALLY ISRAEL THE YOUNGER RULES (ISSAC)(JACOB-LATER NAME CHANGED TO ISRAEL) OVER THE OLDER ARABS (ISHMAEL)(ESAU)
24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.(THE OLDER AN ARAB)
26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob:(THE YOUNGER-ISRAELI) and Isaac was threescore (60) years old when she bare them.(1967 + 60=2027)(COULD BE THE LAST GENERATION WHEN JERUSALEM IS DIVIDED AMOUNG THE 2 TWINS)(THE 2 TWINS WANT JERUSALEM-THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM TODAY)(AND WHOS IN CONTROL OF JERUSALEM TODAY-THE YOUNGER ISSAC-JACOB-ISRAEL)(AND WHO WANTS JERUSALEM DIVIDED-THE OLDER,ESAU-ISHMAEL (THE ARABS)
ISAIAH 28:14-19 (THIS IS THE 7 YR TREATY COVENANT OF DANIEL 9:27)
14 Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.
15 Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:
16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
17 Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.
18 And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.
19 From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report.
Opinion-Breaking the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock By Alon Ben Meir and Gilles Pargneaux-MAY 12,16-EUOBSERVER
NEW YORK AND BRUSSELS, 11. May, 09:29-The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has rarely been so far from finding a resolution.Since the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas during the summer of 2014, the desire to seek peace has been diminishing, and instead growing tensions have prevailed, punctuated by stabbings and car-ramming attacks by the Palestinians, and violent acts including arson by the settlers.The despair of both peoples has rarely taken such a dispiriting face than with this daily violence. Moreover, the attention of the international community has been diverted from the Palestinian question by the Syrian conflict and the murderous activities of Daesh (Islamic State), which are the main focuses of diplomatic efforts and public opinion.-A state of tension favourable to peace-Yet, the climate has rarely been so favourable to a resolution of the conflict. The chaos that is sweeping the Middle East has been a game-changer in relation to Israel and the Arab countries.Many Palestinians and Israelis are worried about the possible breakout of Islamic State in Gaza and the West Bank.Hamas' policy failures and the insistence of the Israeli government to return to dialogue under its own terms provide a breeding ground for more hostile activities that will prevent pacific coexistence. Terrorist sparks are everywhere in Palestine; no country in the Middle East has an interest in letting a new conflict emerge.However, a majority of Israelis and Palestinians seek peace, and the desire of Arab countries to normalise their relations with Israel offers fertile ground for the resumption of peace negotiations.In 2002, the Arab Peace Initiative was proposed by the Arab League to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the proposed framework, all Arab and Muslim countries would establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel after the successful conclusion of the peace process with the Palestinians.For the Arab countries, truce with Israel would enable the emergence of an arc of stability from the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula. This could prove useful for these countries who want to rally against the regional influence of Iran.-Leadership from Europe-In this complex situation of intertwined interests, Europe has a prominent role to play as the US is currently unable to commit to the peace process.Distracted by the upcoming presidential elections, concerned about the absence of a real prospect to reach an agreement, and its preference to assume a wait-and-see attitude, the US may well be ready to back an EU initiative for peace.-Such an opportunity exists.France has been trying for months to rekindle the peace process and is considering an international conference involving all the stakeholders in this conflict. The European Union as well as its member states have to give their unmitigated support to this initiative.However, some diplomatic conditions have to be met, drawing on the lessons of past failures. Otherwise, we would at best get temporary truces, a mere respite before the next outbreak of violence. The Arab Peace Initiative has to be the basis of all negotiations.On the one hand, it stresses the principle of coexistence between the Arab and Israeli peoples. On the other hand, it shows a spirit of compromise to end the conflict with mutually agreed upon land swaps.The role of the European Union is to support the peace process. In this context, we have to affirm that the Middle East Quartet is now more a burden than a help in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Their demands towards Hamas are outdated and don't take into account the new realities.All those who have an interest in the status quo are supporting the Quartet. We need to get rid of the Quartet, revitalise the Arab Peace Initiative and promote the latest French initiative.-Preparing peace-However, 70 years of failures in the attempts to bring peace between Israel and Palestine have taught us that diplomacy alone is not enough.Seven decades of suffering, the loss of Palestinian dignity as well as the political opportunism from the leaders of the two sides have built psychological barriers which are almost impossible to overcome in the current situation unless a process of people-to-people interactions for a period of time precedes the peace negotiations.There is a need for mutual understanding to accept the obvious: the destruction of Israel or the vanishing of the Palestinians are impossible scenarios. Coexistence between the two peoples is the inevitable historical horizon.This entails ending the poisonous narratives delivered by leaders from both sides, ending rampant settlement construction, changing school textbooks that demonise the Other, supporting common initiatives like Ecopeace to protect shared environmental heritage ... all conditions that will pave the way for peace.In Human, All Too Human, Nietzsche stated: "Whoever lives for the sake of combating an enemy has an interest in the enemy's staying alive." His words resonate with this conflict where the Other is reduced to their role as a hereditary enemy. Breaking this cycle is our ambition.With this favourable climate, the current diplomatic efforts and some mutual confidence-building, we have the will to solve once and for all the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the EU has the capacity to assume the leadership role.This is our roadmap to reach peace.Alon Ben Meir is a professor at New York University specialising in the Middle East and in conflict resolution. Gilles Pargneaux is a French socialist MEP who chairs its delegation to Mashreq countries
Malaysia: 2 more pieces 'almost certainly' from Flight 370-[The Canadian Press]-Eileen Ng, The Associated Press-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's government said Thursday that two more pieces of debris, discovered in South Africa and Rodrigues Island off Mauritius, are "almost certainly" from Flight 370, bringing the total number of pieces believed to have come from the missing Malaysian jet to five.The aircraft mysteriously disappeared more than two years ago with 239 people on board, and so far an extensive underwater search of a vast area of the Indian Ocean off Australia's west coast has turned up empty.Though the discovery of the debris has bolstered authorities' assertion that the plane went down somewhere in the Indian Ocean, none of the parts thus far has yielded any clues into exactly where and why the aircraft crashed. Those elusive answers lie with the flight data recorders, or black boxes, which may never be found, said Geoff Dell, a specialist in accident investigation at Central Queensland University in Australia."It shows they're looking in the right ocean — that's about it," Dell said.The two newly identified pieces of debris were found in March. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said one is an engine cowling piece with a partial Rolls-Royce logo, and the other is an interior panel piece from an aircraft cabin — the first interior part found from the missing plane.An international team of experts in Australia who examined the debris concluded that both pieces were consistent with panels found on a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft, Liow said."As such, the team has confirmed that both pieces of debris from South Africa and Rodrigues Island are almost certainly from MH370," he said in a statement.All five pieces have been found in various spots around the Indian Ocean. Last year, a wing part from the plane washed ashore on France's Reunion Island. In March, investigators confirmed two pieces of debris found along Mozambique's coast were almost certainly from the aircraft.The jet, which vanished on March 8, 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, is believed to have crashed somewhere in a remote stretch of the southern Indian Ocean about 1,800 kilometres (1,100 miles) off Australia's west coast. Authorities had predicted that any debris from the plane that isn't on the ocean floor would eventually be carried by currents to the east coast of Africa.Most of the passengers on the plane were Chinese, and many of their families have refused to give up hope that they could somehow still be alive despite the discoveries of debris."I just don't believe what they said and no matter how many pieces of debris they've found, I just don't think it is true," Zhang Qian, whose husband Wang Houbin was on the flight, said in Beijing. "Unless we have a clear and full explanation of what has really happened from the beginning to the end, solving all the puzzles, we just feel they are still trying to trick us."Investigators are examining marine life attached to the debris to see if it could somehow help them narrow down where the plane entered the ocean, but haven't discovered anything useful yet.The interior part, identified by its decorative laminate, is a panel from the main cabin and is believed to be part of a door closet, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said in a technical report.But even this interior piece is also unlikely to prove very helpful to investigators, said Dell, the accident investigation expert. It won't, for example, answer the question that some have raised about whether anyone was still at the controls of the plane at the end of its flight, or whether the plane spiraled uncontrollably into the water after running out of fuel."I wouldn't hang your hat too much on what it says, other than it's got to come out of the airplane somehow and that suggests there was a structural failure in the fuselage that allowed it to get out," he said. "But how, exactly — who knows?"That part was found by tourists on Rodrigues Island, while the piece with part of a Rolls-Royce logo was found by an archaeologist while walking along South Africa's southern coast.Ron Bishop, head of aviation at Central Queensland University, said the debris may help the investigation in a less direct way: by leading to more debris discoveries."The best part about it is, it makes it where now anytime anyone finds something on a beach that's weird-looking ... they'll turn it in," Bishop said. "I'm sure there's tons of this lying on beaches — we're just not noticing it that much."Not all this stuff is going to look like a wing; it's just going to look like garbage."As for the underwater search, crews have combed more than 105,000 square kilometres (40,000 square miles) of the Indian Ocean to no avail. They expect to complete their sweep of what they have determined to be the plane's most likely location by the end of June.___Associated Press writers Kristen Gelineau in Sydney and Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.
Kremlin: U.S. missile shield in Romania threat to Russia-[Reuters]-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Activation of a U.S.-backed missile shield in Romania constitutes a threat to Russia's national security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday." ... Without doubt, the deployment of the PRO system really is a threat to the security of the Russian Federation," Peskov told reporters on a conference call."Measures are being taken to ensure the necessary level of security for Russia. The president himself (Vladimir Putin), let me remind you, has repeatedly asked who the system will work against?"The United States is due to switch on the $800 million missile shield in Romania on Thursday, a step it sees as vital to defend itself and Europe from so-called rogue states.(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
Australia defends U.S. in latest South China Sea dispute-[Reuters]-May 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia backed the United States on Thursday in its so-called freedom of navigation operation close to a disputed reef in the South China Sea, a patrol China has denounced as an illegal threat to peace.U.S. guided missile destroyer the USS William P. Lawrence traveled within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of Chinese-occupied Fiery Cross Reef on Tuesday.The operation was undertaken to challenge what a U.S. Defense Department spokesman described as excessive maritime claims by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, which were seeking to restrict navigation rights in the South China Sea.Australia has consistently supported U.S.-led freedom of navigation activities in the South China Sea, where Beijing has been adding land reclamation to islands and reefs in waters claimed by several regional countries.Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters he had reiterated that support in a phone call with U.S. President Barack Obama early on Thursday."We ... talked about security issues in our region and confirmed our strong commitment to freedom of navigation throughout the region and the importance of any territorial disputes being resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law," Turnbull said.China and the United States have traded accusations of militarizing the South China Sea as China undertakes large-scale land reclamation to create artificial islands and construction on disputed features while the United States has increased its patrols and exercises.Facilities on Fiery Cross Reef include a 3,000-metre (10,000-foot) runway that the United States worries China will use to press its extensive territorial claims at the expense of weaker rivals.(Additional reporting by Swati Pandey in SYDNEY; Editing by Leslie Adler and Paul Tait)
WORLD POWERS IN THE LAST DAYS (END OF AGE OF GRACE NOT THE WORLD)
EUROPEAN UNION-KING OF WEST-DAN 9:26-27,DAN 7:23-24,DAN 11:40,REV 13:1-10
EGYPT-KING OF THE SOUTH-DAN 11:40
RUSSIA-KING OF THE NORTH-EZEK 38:1-2,EZEK 39:1-3
CHINA-KING OF THE EAST-DAN 11:44,REV 9:16,18
VATICAN-RELIGIOUS LEADER-REV 13:11-18,REV 17:4-5,9,18
WORLD TERRORISM
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)
EU asking Turkey to stop its struggle on terrorism, Erdogan says-[Reuters]-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
ANKARA (Reuters) - By telling Turkey to soften its counter-terror laws, the European Union is asking it to stop its struggle against terrorism, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.Erdogan also said in a speech in Ankara that Turkey will not refrain from taking steps on its own as it is unable to get desired support from allies in the struggle against Islamic State.(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by David Dolan)
Islamic State group claims suicide bombing in southern Yemen-[The Canadian Press]-Ahmed Al-Haj, The Associated Press-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SANAA, Yemen - Yemen's Islamic State affiliate has claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that struck a naval base in the southern port city of Mukalla, killing at least six troops.The claim came in an online statement posted by the group's supporters on Twitter. IS says a suicide bomber detonated his vehicle at the headquarters of "Hadi's apostate militias" on Thursday, a reference to forces loyal to Yemen's internationally-recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.The IS group did not claim two other blasts, which targeting a military compound in Mukalla on Thursday.Officers from the Saudi-led coalition were seen visiting the sites the recent days, after the coalition — with U.S. help routed al-Qaida nearly a year after it seized Mukalla.
Juncker says EU-Turkey deal won't happen if Ankara doesn't budge-[Reuters]-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BERLIN (Reuters) - A combative European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Thursday that a landmark migrants deal between the EU and Turkey would collapse unless Ankara fulfilled its commitments, including making agreed changes to its anti-terror law."We fixed criteria for visa liberalisation, there are 72 of them and number 65 says that the Turkish government must review the anti-terror law," Juncker told a conference on Europe at the German foreign ministry."We are counting on this, we agreed this with the Turkish government and it can't be that the exit of the prime minister leads to agreements between the EU and Turkey being ignored," he said, referring to the departure of Ahmet Davutoglu."We put great value in the conditions being met. Otherwise this deal, the agreement between the EU and Turkey, won't happen. If Mr. Erdogan decides to deny Turks the right to free travel to Europe, then he must explain this to the Turkish people. It will not be my problem, it will be his problem."(Reporting by Paul Carrel; Writing by Noah Barkin)
More refugees arriving in Italy than Greece By Eszter Zalan-MAY 12,16-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, Today, 09:29-More migrants trying to make their way into Europe are arriving in Italy than Greece for the first time in a year, according to the latest UN figures.While 9,149 migrants arrived to the shores of Italy in April, Greece received 3,462 people, figures of the UN's refugee agency show.In March, before the EU-Turkey deal came into force, under which Ankara pledged to take back migrants from Greece, 26,971 people arrived to Greece, while 9,676 arrived to Italy.Arrivals through the Aegean Sea have dropped after the EU-Turkey deal kicked in.Last year in April, 13,556 migrants made their way to Greece, while 16,063 people made their way to Italy from Africa in the hope of seeking asylum in the EU.But migrants arriving in Italy are not coming from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, the three major groups trying their luck through Greece.Asylum seekers making their way through the Mediterranean are primarily from Nigeria, Gambia, Somalia and other Sub-Saharan African nations.Concerns that migrants will increasingly take the Italian route have prompted fears of another mass influx, leading Austria to plan to restrict access through the its Brenner border crossing with Italy.The EU Commission has expressed concern over the effect this could have on the viability of the passport-free Schengen zone.-Merkel under pressure-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country has accepted more than one million asylum seekers since last summer, was instrumental in pushing the EU-Turkey deal.Since the deal was put in place, arrivals in Germany have rapidly declined. About 16,000 migrants arrived in April, compared with 120,000 arrivals last December.But despite the deal's apparent success at stemming the flow of migrants, two-thirds of Germans oppose a fourth term for Merkel.Only 36 percent of respondents to a poll carried out by Insa for the German magazine Cicero said they wanted Merkel and her Christian Democrats (CDU) party to lead the government following federal elections in 2017.Merkel has also been under fire for what her critics say is a submissive attitude towards Turkey.She allowed the prosecution of German comedian Jan Boehmermann following Ankara's request, for insulting the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a satirical poem.Support for the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), has fallen to 33 percent.German magazine Der Spiegel reported that the CSU, which has been critical of Merkel's refugee policy, might run a separate campaign from the CDU in the 2017 election.Merkel's coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), have also seen a drop in their approval rating to 20 percent.The party making gains is the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) that moved from a marginal party to having 15 percent support nationally.Meanwhile, German authorities are investigating claims that 40 Islamist militants were among the asylum seekers who have travelled to the country.Police said they had received 369 reports of possible extremism, and found that roughly one-tenth of the cases needed to be investigated.Hans-Georg Maassen, the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, had warned that the Islamic State militant group was attempting to “send a political signal” by using the refugee route to stoke fears in Europe.
Fighting erupts north of Aleppo as ceasefire expires-[Reuters]-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces battled rebels north of Aleppo on Thursday as a ceasefire expired in the city itself, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and rebels sources said.The fighting was focused around the rebel-held Handarat area which is important because it is near the last route into opposition-held areas of Aleppo, Syria's biggest city before the conflict and now divided between the government and rebels.The Observatory said pro-government forces had launched an attack in the area, supported by air strikes targeting Handarat in addition to the only road into rebel-held areas of the city.The rebel sources said government forces had initially captured some ground, but this was later recovered. Syrian army officials could not immediately be reached for comment.The 48-hour truce in the city of Aleppo announced by the Syrian military on Monday ended at 1 a.m. (2200 GMT).There was no immediate announcement of an extension of the truce which was brokered by the United States and Russia with the aim of reviving a wider cessation of hostilities agreement that has broken down in much of western Syria.The acceleration of fighting in the Aleppo area contributed to the collapse of peace talks in Geneva last month.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Toby Chopra)
Nigeria lifts gas subsidy, nearly doubling the price of fuel-[Associated Press]-MICHELLE FAUL-May 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's government announced Wednesday it is lifting a controversial subsidy on gas, nearly doubling the price amid a massive fuel shortage and militant attacks on oil installations in Africa's biggest petroleum producer.Previous attempts to end the subsidy have provoked riots and, in 2012, the biggest demonstrations ever seen, forcing the government to retract.The 4-million-strong Nigeria Labour Congress immediately announced that it and its civil society allies will fight the "most audacious and cruel" move that will "make life more miserable" for Nigerians struggling with spiraling inflation and increases in electricity tariffs despite more blackouts.The year-old government of President Muhammadu Buhari said the decision was taken at a meeting that included legislators, labor leaders and Enough Is Enough Nigeria, which helped lead the 2012 protests. The congress said this implied an agreement that never happened as it advised the meeting that current prices should stand.Petroleum Minister Ibe Kachikwu announced the new price of a maximum of 145 naira (73 U.S. cents) a liter, up from 86.5 naira (43 cents). He noted that the months-long scarcity has meant Nigerians already are paying up to 250 naira ($1.26) a liter on the black market.Kachikwu said importers have had difficulty sourcing foreign currency because of a huge decline in foreign exchange earnings caused by low oil prices. Nigeria refines only enough crude to provide half its needs.He said the government is liberalizing the market, allowing any Nigerian entity to import fuel using foreign currency from any source. That would include foreign exchange bureaus where the naira recently has traded at up to double the official rate of 199 naira to the dollar.The meeting was led by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who has said that the subsidy costs the government $5 billion a year.Eighty percent of Nigeria's foreign currency comes from the petroleum industry, hit by renewed militant attacks that have cut production from 2.2 million barrels a day to about 1.68 million.
Vietnam says would welcome U.S. accelerating lifting of arms ban-[Reuters]-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam would welcome the United States "accelerating" the lifting of a lethal arms embargo, which would reflect trust between the two countries and recognition of its needs to defend itself, its foreign ministry said on Thursday.Vietnam's comments on a topic that has long been a source of friction with the United States comes just over a week ahead of a visit by President Barack Obama, and amid debate in Washington over whether to remove the ban, which was eased in late 2014.The arms embargo is one of the last major vestiges of the Vietnam War era. The United States has not indicated publicly it would remove the embargo and has long said such a move would depend on Vietnam showing progress on human rights."We welcome the United States' acceleration to fully lift the lethal arms sales ban on Vietnam," the ministry said in response to Reuters questions."This is consistent with the development trend of the comprehensive partnership ... demonstrating trust between the two countries."Lifting the embargo would mark a major step forward in ties 21 years after normalization began.The ministry said it welcomed the "many supporting voices" in the United States that had called for the removal of the embargo.U.S. engagement with Vietnam was stepped up rapidly during 2014, in what experts say was a calibrated move by the United States to seize on deteriorating ties between Vietnam and communist neighbor China over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea.Vietnam is hosting a defense symposium this week attended by top American arms manufacturers including Boeing and Lockheed Martin.Secrecy has surrounded the event, which is part of efforts by Vietnam to build a military deterrent as China intensifies its fortification of South China Sea islands it controls or has built from scratch.Vietnam has been in talks with Western and U.S. arms manufacturers to boost its fleets of fighter jets, helicopters and maritime patrol aircraft, although Russia, its traditional supplier, has a dominant position.The foreign ministry said Vietnam had no intention of forming military alliances "against other countries" and its policy was about self-defense."The procurement of defense equipment by Vietnam from partner countries is completely normal, in accordance with the a defense policy of peace," it said."We are not allied or linking militarily with any country against other countries."(Reporting by Hanoi bureau; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Defiant Trump brushes off GOP critics on eve of Ryan meeting-[Associated Press]-STEVE PEOPLES and THOMAS BEAUMONT-May 11, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump brushed off his Capitol Hill critics Wednesday, declaring he doesn't need House Speaker Paul Ryan or other leery Republican leaders, even as he prepared to sit down with them. His defiant message came amid new signs that he might be right, with GOP voters becoming more willing to embrace him."If we make a deal, that will be great," Trump told Fox News Channel when asked about Thursday's meeting with Ryan, who has so far refused to endorse him. "And if we don't, we will trudge forward like I've been doing and winning all the time."Trump's allies and advisers echoed his contention that he can claim the White House with or without leading congressional Republicans, who continue to express reservations about his tone and inconsistent policy prescriptions. Their public differences are overshadowing Trump's efforts to broaden his political appeal as the next phase of the 2016 contest begins.His likely November opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton, still has Sen. Bernie Sanders opposing her for her party's nomination. But she all but ignored him Wednesday as she campaigned in Blackwood, New Jersey.She focused instead on Trump's statement in an Associated Press interview that he doesn't plan to release his tax returns until an ongoing audit is completed. Should Trump not release his returns before the November election it would mark a break from precedent for presidential nominees."So you've got to ask yourself why doesn't he want to release it? Yeah, well, we're going to find out," Clinton told supporters.Meanwhile, more Republican voters appear to be moving behind Trump, despite big-name holdouts such as Ryan, both former president Bushes and the party's 2012 nominee Mitt Romney.Almost two in three Republican-leaning voters now view Trump favorably, compared to 31 percent who view him unfavorably, according to a national Gallup Poll taken last week. The numbers represent a near reversal from Gallup's survey in early March."Despite the contentious primary process, the party is healing itself and scabbing over," said Republican pollster Greg Strimple.Ryan insisted Wednesday that Republican Party unity is paramount, even if he's not yet willing to endorse the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee."What we're trying to do is be as constructive as possible and have a real unification," Ryan said at a Capitol Hill news conference. "We have to be at full strength to win this election."Trump is to meet with Republican leaders Thursday morning at the Republican National Committee headquarters. The private meetings represent his first tangible steps toward repairing his strained relationships with the nation's most powerful elected Republicans.While Thursday's meetings may highlight party divisions, Trump's team sees them as a win-win.They'd like to secure Ryan's support, but believe that signs of continued opposition from congressional Republicans would simply reinforce his outsider appeal. Additionally, Trump's team doesn't believe Ryan or the GOP's other congressional leaders have any significant influence on the majority of general election voters."Donald Trump is unifying the party already," said Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trump's chief Washington ally. "The party is the people who vote."New York Rep. Chris Collins, also a Trump supporter, said the billionaire businessman would be stronger with Ryan's support, "but frankly, Donald Trump is going to win regardless of who supports him and who doesn't support him."Wednesday night, Trump's campaign released an endorsement signed by the chairs of seven House committees. "It is paramount that we coalesce around the Republican nominee, Mr. Donald J. Trump," the GOP lawmakers wrote.While Trump's team is prepared to shrug off much of the party's establishment, that does not include the Republican National Committee.The political novice plans to rely heavily on the committee's expansive political operation to supplement his bare-bones campaign, which has so far ignored seemingly vital functions such as voter data collection, swing-state staffing and fundraising infrastructure."As we turn our focus toward the general election, we want to make sure there's the strongest partnership," said Sean Spicer, the Republican National Committee's chief strategist.Absent a viable Republican alternative, there were new signs on Capitol Hill that Trump's conservative critics were beginning to fall in line."As a conservative, I cannot trust Donald Trump to do the right thing, but I can deeply trust Hillary Clinton to do the wrong thing every time," said Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., adding that he would vote for Trump if that's the choice he has.Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho., said he will support Trump, although "I'm not enthusiastic about it.""He can get us enthusiastic if he comes to talk to us," continued Labrador, who is part of the House's conservative "Freedom Caucus." ''These are the people who are going to go out to the districts that he needs to win overwhelmingly so he can win the nominations."Trump on Thursday is to meet first with Ryan and RNC chairman Reince Priebus, then have a second meeting with Ryan, this time with his House leadership team. Trump is also expected to meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Senate Republicans.Another Trump supporter, Rep. John Fleming, R-La., predicted it was "very unlikely" that Ryan would not ultimately back the Republican nominee."He wants to unify the Republican Party, and it all sort of begins tomorrow," Fleming said of Ryan.___Associated Press writers Erica Werner, Alan Fram, Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Lerer contributed to this report.
Insurers shun risk as oil-linked quakes soar in Oklahoma-[Reuters]-By Luc Cohen-May 12, 2016-YAHOONEWS
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - As the number of earthquakes in Oklahoma exploded into the hundreds in the last few years, nearly a dozen insurance companies moved to limit their exposure, often at the expense of homeowners, a Reuters examination has found.Nearly 3,000 pages of documents from the Oklahoma Insurance Commission reviewed by Reuters show that insurers and the reinsurers who cover them grew increasingly concerned about exposure to earthquake risks because of heightened frequency of seismic activity, which scientists link to disposal of saltwater that is a byproduct of oil and gas production.Even as they insured more and more properties against earthquakes in the past two years, six insurers hiked premiums by as much as 260 percent and three increased deductibles. Three companies stopped writing new earthquake insurance altogether, state regulatory filings obtained by Reuters show. Several insurers took more than one of those steps.In addition, the insurers would consider suing oil and gas companies for reimbursement in instances where they would have to pay damages to homeowners, according to several sources, including two insurance company officials.So far Oklahoma's biggest earthquake was a 5.6 magnitude temblor in Prague in 2011 that buckled road pavement and damaged dozens of homes.However, the push to limit earthquake exposure reflects insurers' fear that the surge in small quakes is a portent of a 'big one' in coming years, given the relationship between the magnitude and a total number of earthquakes in a certain area.The filings show many insurers explicitly stated they were concerned about exposure to earthquake risk. In late March, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) warned that 7 million Americans were at risk of so-called induced seismicity.The warning further heightened insurers' and reinsurers' concerns, Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak said.Because earthquakes were rare in Oklahoma before shale oil and gas production soared in the past decade, very few residents carried earthquake insurance back then.-OIL, WATER AND QUAKES-That has changed as the number of quakes of magnitude 3.0 and higher recorded in the state soared from a handful in 2008 to 103 in 2013 and 890 last year, according to USGS. The value of coverage, usually offered as an add-on to standard homeowners' policy, also spiked to $19 million in 2015 from less than $5 million in 2009, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group.Scientists link the quakes to the injection of wastewater generated from the oil and gas production process deep underground. Volumes of so-called "produced water" have ballooned as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, boosted output in Oklahoma.Monthly injection volumes in Oklahoma doubled between 1997 and 2013, according to a 2015 Stanford University study.The Oklahoma Oil & Gas Association has said state regulators' efforts to work with producers to limit the amount of wastewater injected would reduce seismicity.So far, relatively few homeowners have filed claims, in part because the damages were not big enough to exceed the deductibles. Some who did say they had trouble getting compensation.Julie Allison said the cumulative effects of the 39 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 and above that had struck within two miles of her home in Edmond, Oklahoma, had caused $70,000-80,000 in damages, but Farmers Insurance denied her claim in April."They did not deny that we had damage," Allison said. The insurance company, however, blamed it on ground erosion and settlement, she said.Farmers said it relied on outside engineering experts for the assessment and that the Allisons have accepted the company's offer to pay for a second opinion by an expert of their choice.-HIGHER EXPOSURE-For some insurers and reinsurers the risks have proven too big. Responding to the pull-back and premium hikes Oklahoma's Insurance Commission has scheduled a "fact-finding hearing" in late May, Doak said.Travelers Insurance Company , the sixth-largest provider of earthquake insurance in the state, stopped allowing existing policyholders to add earthquake coverage in November 2014. In a filing, it said it was making the change "to manage our exposure to earthquake in the state."The Hartford stopped writing earthquake insurance in Oklahoma in late 2014. Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company removed earthquake coverage from their existing homeowner policies in February 2011, filings show.The Oklahoma Farm Bureau said it made a "business decision" to remove coverage in 2010. Travelers declined to comment beyond its filing. Hartford declined to comment.Other companies raised deductibles or premiums. Andrew Walter, manager of underwriting research and development at Country Mutual Insurance Company, which raised its deductible last year, said the step aimed to "protect our financial strength in case of a large scale earthquake in the state."Others that hiked premiums include Chubb Ltd , which said it kept providing coverage to existing and new customers, but would not discuss premium rates, and EMCASCO Insurance Company , which did not respond to requests for comment.Risk modelers fear that insurers are too exposed in the event of a "big one," even though claims have been few thus far.If they do end up with substantial claims for a large quake, insurers could sue the oil companies for reimbursement. At the Oklahoma insurance regulator's request, several insurance companies clarified last fall that they did cover man-made quakes, which provided an incentive to try to recoup payouts from oil and gas companies.Two insurers - the United Servicemembers Automobile Association and Palomar Specialty - said they could consider such action.(Additional reporting by Liz Hampton and Terry Wade in Houston; Editing by David Gaffen and Tomasz Janowski)
