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)
Trepidation lingers as Canada wildfire evacuees begin to return-[By Nia Williams]-June 1, 2016-YAHOONEWS
LAC LA BICHE, Alberta (Reuters) - Thousands of evacuees who fled a massive wildfire in the Canadian oil hub of Fort McMurray are set to return home on Wednesday, though concerns ranging from contaminated drinking water to insurance claims linger as the city seeks to rebuild.More than 80,000 residents were ordered to leave when the wildfire surged into the area four weeks ago, and officials expect the remote northern Alberta city to absorb roughly 14,000 to 15,000 residents as a re-entry plan spanning two weeks gets underway on Wednesday.The blaze was a devastating blow to a community already reeling from a two-year slump in global crude prices. It shuttered more than a million barrels per day of crude production, though some facilities had started to resume operations."We are not going to stay, we'll go back and maybe remove some items," said Brenda Waterman, her face anxious over the unknown extent of fire damage to her home and chemical containments. "I've never experienced anything like this before, it's like a dream."John Smith, 77, and his wife, Joyce, were bracing for heavy traffic on the main highway leading into the city, as well as what may lie ahead."We didn't even have time to empty the garbage," he said. "I'm going in first with a flashlight and wearing a mask, and one of us will open the doors and windows and flush the house out."Authorities have assembled extra police and emergency officials, and are urging travelers to remain patient and orderly as they grapple with traffic-snarled roads and hobbled infrastructure.Grocery stores and pharmacies among other local businesses were poised to re-open with reduced stocks, and power and gas has been restored to a majority of structures in the areas awaiting returnees.About 10 percent of the city's homes were destroyed by the blaze, which has blackened more than 580,000 hectares (2,239 square miles).Even so, some 2,000 residents who had expected to return this week were ordered to hold off because of the risks posed by debris and contaminants including "caustic" ash. [nL1N18R0XP]-Authorities have also issued a boil-water advisory and advised returnees to carry with them at least two weeks' worth of food, water and prescription medication. Deteriorating air quality could force officials to suddenly change re-entry change plans.Other challenges include limited medical services and labyrinthine insurance claims, as well as wildlife that has been scavenging the desolate neighborhoods for food. [nNL2N18H20A]."It won't really hit you until you walk into it," said Adam Tucker, a 50-year-old oil sands worker, as he prepared to drive home.(Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Calgary; Editing by Alan Crosby)
Frozen in time:' Fort McMurray residents brace for return to city starting at 8 a.m.-[The Canadian Press]-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. - Henry Velasquez wants to return to the place where his home once stood — someday, but not yet.Residents are being allowed to return in stages this week, a month after a voracious wildfire destroyed 10 per cent of Fort McMurray in northern Alberta and forced the evacuation of the entire city.But Velasquez, a chemical engineer, will be hanging back in Calgary with his wife, Olga, and son Tomas, 3.He's just not ready for the emotional punch of seeing what's left of their townhouse in the Stone Creek neighbourhood at the north end of town.In July or August, he'll re-evaluate, he said."I just want to go there before they start the demolition of everything, because I just want to see where my house is, see if there is at least one memory that I could rescue from what we have," he said through tears."The most simple, the most small thing that I could recover from that, it will be such a treasure for me and my wife."In Ian Seggie's apartment in the Timberlea neighbourhood, there's still a bag of trash waiting to be taken out and a pot of soup ready to be heated on the stove."The eerie part for me is that everything is frozen in time," he said from Calgary, where he's been staying since May 3, when more than 80,000 people were ordered out of the city.Roadblocks are to be lifted and government reception centres open for business at 8 a.m. Wednesday.Bob Couture, director of emergency management for the Wood Buffalo municipality, said it's expected that between 14,000 and 15,000 people could show up.The Red Cross is prepared to bus in as many as 2,000 residents who don't have their own cars.Returning residents are being warned that it won't be business as usual. They've been advised to bring with them two weeks worth of food, water and prescription medication as crews continue to work to get basic services restored.Seggie made arrangements with an Edmonton grocery store to have perishable food pre-frozen. He plans to pick it up on his way to Fort McMurray and load it into coolers.He doesn't know whether he'll stay once he goes up on Thursday."If the air quality goes to crap, I'm not sticking around," he said. "I need to get back and get my place dealt with, just to have a look and search things out. And if I stay, I stay."Kevin Lewis is anxious to get back into his apartment in Thickwood, a relatively undamaged neighbourhood that's slated to reopen on Friday.Lewis has been unable to run his transportation brokerage business since the evacuation and he figures he's lost some $40,000 over the last month."I definitely need to get to work," Lewis said from Lac La Biche, Alta., a small town about 2 1/2 hours southeast of Fort McMurray that's taken in thousands of evacuees.Lewis knows it's a possibility that smoke damage may have rendered his place uninhabitable."If it's not really livable there yet, I could at least be able to grab my computers and I'll be able to work."Jim Mandeville, senior project manager with Mississauga-based FirstOnSite Restoration, has been in Fort McMurray since May 8 to help critical businesses such as banks, grocery stores and pharmacies get running again.Dozens of FirstOnSite workers have been working long days disposing of spoiled food, cleaning ventilation systems and removing smoky odours from upholstery and carpets.Mandeville said provincial and municipal officials aren't underplaying how challenging it will be for residents to return."When they say to bring 14 days worth of food and water, they mean it. And when they say people with respiratory conditions shouldn't come up here, they mean it — and they have a really good reason why," he said."It is not a clean, safe, normal environment that you're walking into."— Follow @LaurenKrugel on Twitter
THE WORLD DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(EU WORLD DICTATOR) and he that sat on him had a bow;(PEACE) and a crown was given unto him:(WORLD LEADER) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU. FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he (FALSE POPE) causeth all,(WORLD SOCIALISM) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he (THE EU DICTATOR) do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by conquest or consent.James Paul Warburg appearing before the Senate on 7th February 1950
Like a famous WWII Belgian General,Paul Henry Spock said in 1957:We need no commission, we have already too many. What we need is a man who is great enough to be able to keep all the people in subjection to himself and to lift us out of the economic bog into which we threaten to sink. Send us such a man. Be he a god or a devil, we will accept him.And today, sadly, the world is indeed ready for such a man.
No one will enter the New World Order... unless he or she will make a pledge to worship Lucifer. No one will enter the New Age unless he will take a Luciferian Initiation.- David Spangler Director of Planetary Initiative United Nations.
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)
Stop dreaming of integrated EU utopia, says Tusk By Eszter Zalan-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 31. May, 09:30-More integration is not the answer to the current crises faced by Europe, EU Council president Donald Tusk has warned.He said on Monday European politicians were “confronting reality with all kinds of utopian ideas”.“A utopia of Europe without nation states, a utopia of Europe without conflicting interests and ambitions, a utopia of Europe imposing its own values on the external world, a utopia of a Euro-Asian unity," he told an event marking the 40th anniversary of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) in Luxembourg.The former Polish prime minister warned that those advocating for stronger and quicker European integration fail to understand the voice of the people."Obsessed with the idea of instant and total integration, we failed to notice that ordinary people, the citizens of Europe do not share our Euro-enthusiasm," Tusk said."Disillusioned with the great visions of the future, they demand that we cope with the present reality better than we have been doing until now."Less than a month before the UK's referendum on EU membership, Tusk warned: "The spectre of a break-up is haunting Europe and a vision of a federation doesn't seem to me like the best answer to it."Instead, Tusk called for the EPP to get back to its Christian Democratic roots, and reconcile differences within the European Parliament's largest party to counter extremist voices.He said Europe needs a synthesis of values, such as open borders and solidarity with refugees."We will either understand that the views of [German chancellor] Angela [Merkel] and [Hungarian prime minister] Viktor [Orban] are compatible with each other and only together can they provide a full answer, or people will search for other radical and brutal recipes for how to solve the crisis," he told fellow EPP members.Tusk however did not provide a vision for reconciling those differences, with Orban often criticising Merkel publicly and giving fuel to her domestic political opponents.Merkel has been struggling to stick to her welcoming policy towards asylum seekers in the face of growing criticism. Orban has been calling for reinforced external border protection and has built a fence to keep migrants out.-Juncker warns of populism-EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker hit a consolatory tone with those opposing the EU's migration policy, such as Orban, of distributing refugees across the continent.He said they should not be labelled populists."Not everyone who does not agree with certain aspects of the European refugee policy and the proposals made by the Commission is a populist," he said.But the veteran Luxembourg politician warned fellow EPP members not to try to imitate populist forces, as voters would choose the "original" populists anyway."There must be a clear line of demarcation between the EPP and the extreme right-wing forces in the European Union... and that needs to be made clear repeatedly," Juncker said.
EU hate speech deal shows mounting pressures over internet content blocking-[Reuters]-By Yasmeen Abutaleb-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - An agreement on Tuesday by four major U.S. internet companies to block illegal hate speech from their services in Europe within 24 hours shows the tight corner the companies find themselves in as they face mounting pressure to monitor and control content.The new European Union "code of conduct on illegal online hate speech" states that Facebook Inc, Google's YouTube, Twitter Inc and Microsoft will review reports of hate speech in less than 24 hours and remove or disable access to the content if necessary.European governments were acting in response to a surge in antisemitic, anti-immigrant and pro-Islamic State commentary on social media.The companies downplayed the significance of the deal, saying it was a simple extension of what they already do. Unlike in the United States, many forms of hate speech, such as pro-Nazi propaganda, are illegal in some or all European countries, and the major internet companies have the technical ability to block content on a country-by-country basis.But people familiar with the complicated world of internet content filtering say the EU agreement is part of a broad and worrisome trend toward more government restrictions."Other countries will look at this and say, 'This looks like a good idea, let's see what leverage I have to get similar agreements,'" said Daphne Keller, former associate general counsel at Google and director of intermediary liability at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society."Anybody with an interest in getting certain types of content removed is going to find this interesting."-POLICING CONTENT-The EU deal effectively requires the internet companies to be the arbiters of what type of speech is legal in each country. It also threatens to complicate the distinction between what is actually illegal, and what is simply not allowed by the companies' terms of service - a far broader category."The commission's solution is to ask the companies to do the jobs of the authorities," said Estelle Masse, policy lead in Europe for Access Now, a digital rights advocacy group that did not endorse the final EU agreement.Masse said that once companies agree to take quick action on any content that is reported to them, they will inevitably review it not only for legal violations but also terms of service violations."The code of conduct puts terms of service above national law," she said.The agreement also expands the role of civil society organizations such as SOS Racisme in France and the Community Security Trust in the UK in reporting hate speech. While governments can make formal legal requests to the companies for removal of illegal content, a more common mechanism is to use the reporting tools that the services provide for anyone to "flag" content for review.None of the companies would provide any detail on how many such organizations they work with or who they are.Facebook and Google both said in statements to Reuters that they already review the vast majority of reported content within 24 hours."This is a commitment to improve enforcement on our policies," said a Facebook representative. Facebook reviews millions of pieces of reported content each week, according to Monika Bickert, the company's head of global policy, and has multilingual teams of reviewers around the world.-'DANGEROUS PRECEDENT'-Yet free speech advocates expressed concern that the EU code of conduct would pressure companies to overcomply and remove lawful content out of an abundance of caution."This is a dangerous precedent, as any wider discussion between the EU and international human rights groups would have revealed," said Danny O'Brien, international director of the Electronic Freedom Foundation."It does not address that different speech is deemed illegal in different jurisdictions," he said.The hashtag #istandwithhatespeech was trending on Twitter Monday afternoon as rights advocates objected to the EU deal.The hate speech agreement raises some of the same issues as a European court ruling that gives EU residents the right to demand that links about them be removed from Google and other search engines, internet activists say.The so-called right to be forgotten requires Google to review removal requests and determine which ones qualify because they contain "excessive" or "irrelevant" information.According to Google's transparency report, the company has reviewed 1,522,636 Internet addresses, or URLs, since the law went into effect in 2014. It removed the links in 43 percent of the cases.(Editing by Jonathan Weber and Matthew Lewis)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3 (200 MILLION MAN ARMY)
REVELATION 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates;(WERE WW3 STARTS IN IRAQ OR SYRIA OR TURKEY) and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THE TURKEY ATATURK DAM ON THE EUPHRATES CAN BE SHUT AND DRIED UP ALREADY BY TURKEY)
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon,(SATAN) and out of the mouth of the beast,(WORLD DICTATOR) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(FALSE POPE)
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.(WERE 2 BILLION DIE FROM NUKE WAR)
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.(ITS AT THIS TIME I BELIEVE WHEN AMERICA GETS NUKED BY RUSSIA ON THE WAY TO THE MIDEAST)
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE-2 billion)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
China says first stealth fighter not yet in service, but coming soon-[Reuters]-June 1, 2016-YAHOONEWS
BEIJING (Reuters) - China is still testing its first stealth fighter, the J-20, but the warplane will soon enter service, the air force said, after pictures circulated in Chinese media suggesting it had already joined the active fleet.China expects the J-20 to help narrow the military gap with the United States, and its confirmation of the aircraft's first test flight coincided with a visit to Beijing in 2011 by then-U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates.Some analysts have said J-20 photographs suggest China may be making faster-than-expected progress in developing a rival to Lockheed Martin's radar-evading F-22 Raptor.In a statement, China's air force described as "unreliable" reports that the J-20 had appeared in training exercises, following a weekend state television broadcast that showed grainy pictures of what some viewers took to be the aircraft."At present, the J-20 has yet to be equipped for air force service," the air force said on its official microblog late on Tuesday afternoon.Both the J-20, and another new aircraft, the Y-20 transporter, are still being test flown as planned, the air force said."In the near future, the J-20 and Y-20 will, in succession, be equipped for service, effectively raising the air force's ability to fulfil its mission," it added, without giving a timeframe.However, experts say China is struggling to develop advanced engines that would allow its warplanes to match Western fighters in combat.China has rapidly been ramping up research into advanced new military equipment, including submarines, aircraft carriers and anti-satellite missiles, which has rattled nerves regionally and in Washington.There is nothing unusual about developing new technology, which every country does if it wants a modern military, China's air force said in its statement."In recent years, China has mostly been relying on its own strength to develop new armaments, one after another," it added."This is a completely reasonable requirement to protect the country's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity and protect the nation's security developments. It is a necessary guarantee of effecting peaceful development."(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
As Beijing flexes muscles in South China Sea, Malaysia eyes harder response-[Reuters]-By Joseph Sipalan-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
MIRI, Malaysia (Reuters) - Spotting a large vessel off the coast of Sarawak state in March, officers on a Malaysian patrol boat were shocked when it steamed towards them at high speed, blaring its horn before veering off to reveal "Chinese Coast Guard" emblazoned on its side.According to an officer from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been sighted several times before around the South Luconia Shoals, off the oil-rich town of Miri. But such an aggressive encounter was a first."To us, it looked like an attempt to charge at our boat, possibly to intimidate," said the officer, who was not authorised to speak publicly but showed Reuters a video of the previously unreported incident.Spurred by the incident and the appearance of some 100 Chinese fishing vessels in the area around the time, some in Malaysia are hardening the nation's previously muted responses towards their powerful neighbour China.One senior minister said Malaysia must now stand up against such maritime incursions as China flexes its muscles along dozens of disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea.China's growing assertiveness has already alarmed the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants. It has also increased U.S.-China tensions, with the two heavyweights trading accusations of militarising the vital waterways through which some $5 trillion (£3.45 trillion) in trade passes each year.But heralding its "special relationship" with China, and heavily reliant on trade and investment, Malaysia's previous responses to China's activity in the region have been described by Western diplomats as "low-key".It downplayed two naval exercises conducted by China in 2013 and 2014 at James Shoal, less than 50 nautical miles off Sarawak. And in 2015, concerns raised by Malaysian fishermen in Miri about alleged bullying by armed men aboard Chinese Coast Guard vessels were largely ignored.-FISHING FRACAS-But when scores of Chinese fishing boats were spotted in March encroaching near South Luconia Shoals, a rich fishing ground south of the disputed Spratly Islands, Malaysia sent its navy and uncharacteristically summoned China's ambassador to explain the incident.China's foreign ministry downplayed the matter, saying its trawlers were carrying out normal fishing activities in "relevant waters".Just a couple of weeks later, Malaysia announced plans to set up a naval forward operating base near Bintulu, south of Miri.The defence minister insists the base, which will house helicopters, drones and a special task force, is to protect the country's rich oil and gas assets from potential attacks by Islamic State (IS) sympathisers based in the southern Philippines, hundreds of kilometres to the northeast.Some officials and experts however say China's activities off the coast are a more important factor."If you beef up security for oil and gas assets, you are protecting yourself from non-state and state actors so there is some plausibility to what he's saying," said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute."But is it really being driven by Daesh? I don't think so," Storey added, using an alternative name for IS.Underscoring the hardening attitude, one senior federal minister told Reuters that Malaysia must take more decisive action on maritime incursions or risk being taken for granted.The minister, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, highlighted the contrast between Malaysia's response in March to a similar incident just days earlier in neighbouring Indonesia."When the Chinese entered Indonesia's waters, they were immediately chased out. When the Chinese vessels entered our waters, nothing was done," the minister said.Last month in parliament, Malaysia's deputy foreign minister also reiterated that like other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Malaysia did not recognise China's controversial Nine Dash Line, which it uses to claim over 90 percent of the South China Sea.-LIMITED OPTIONS-Asked about the incident described by the MMEA officer, China's foreign ministry said both countries had a "high degree of consensus" on dealing with maritime disputes through dialogue and consultation."We are willing to remain in close touch with Malaysia about this," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.Malaysia's reliance on China goes some way to explaining Kuala Lumpur's reluctance to react more strongly.China is Malaysia's top export destination and Malaysia is the biggest importer of Chinese goods and services in the 10-member ASEAN group.Corporations owned by the Chinese government also paid billions of dollars last year to buy assets from debt-riddled state investment firm 1MDB, which has been a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Najib Razak.China’s influence in Malaysia’s domestic affairs has always been a concern for the Malay-majority nation. Ethnic Chinese in Malaysia account for about a quarter of the population.Diplomatic ties between the two countries were tested in September when the Chinese ambassador visited China town in the capital Kuala Lumpur ahead of a pro-Malay rally, and warned that Beijing has no fear in talking against actions that affect the rights of its people.The ambassador was summoned to explain his comments but the Chinese foreign ministry defended the envoy.Seeking to balance its economic and national security interests, Malaysia is pursuing various strategies including bolstering its surveillance and defence capabilities while promoting a code of conduct between China and ASEAN countries signed in 2002.A more sensitive option is to seek closer military ties with the United States.One senior official told Reuters that Malaysia has reached out to the United States for help on intelligence gathering and to develop its coast guard capabilities, albeit quietly to avoid angering Beijing.Storey said moves to secure closer U.S. military ties could be twinned with soft diplomacy to try to convince China to be less assertive on its claims, but resolving the issue would be difficult regardless."None of these strategies work very well, but what can you do? ," Storey said. "This dispute is going to be around for a very long time."(Additional reporting by Rozanna Latiff in KUALA LUMPUR and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING.; Editing by Praveen Menon and Lincoln Feast)
North Korea's missile and nuclear projects unacceptable, Japan envoy says-[Reuters]-June 1, 2016-YAHOONEWS
TOKYO (Reuters) - North Korea's intention to carry on with its nuclear and missile programmes cannot be tolerated, Japan's chief envoy to stalled six-party talks for denuclearising North Korea said on Wednesday after talks with U.S. and South Korean counterparts.North Korea attempted to fire a missile from its east coast on Tuesday but the launch appears to have failed, South Korean officials said, the latest in a string of unsuccessful ballistic missile tests by the isolated country."We've agreed that we can by no means tolerate North Korea taking a posture of continuing its nuclear and missile development," Kimihiro Ishikane, director general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, told reporters."We've also agreed on stepping up pressure on North Korea to resolve the issues," he said.(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka; Editing by Paul Tait)
North Korea says Trump isn't screwy at all, a wise choice for president-[By Jack Kim]-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has backed presumptive U.S. Republican nominee Donald Trump, with a propaganda website praising him as "a prescient presidential candidate" who can liberate Americans living under daily fear of nuclear attack by the North.A column carried on Tuesday by DPRK Today, one of the reclusive and dynastic state's mouthpieces, described Trump as a "wise politician" and the right choice for U.S. voters in the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election.It described his most likely Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, as "thick-headed Hillary" over her proposal to apply the Iran model of wide sanctions to resolve the nuclear weapons issue on the Korean peninsula.Trump instead has told Reuters he was prepared to talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to try to stop Pyongyang's nuclear programme, and that China should also help solve the problem. [nL2N18F03Z]-North Korea, known officially as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is under U.N. sanctions over its past nuclear tests. South Korea and the United States say its calls for dialogue are meaningless until it takes steps to end its nuclear ambitions.DPRK Today also said Trump's suggestion that the United States should pull its troops from South Korea until Seoul pays more was the way to achieve Korean unification."It turns out that Trump is not the rough-talking, screwy, ignorant candidate they say he is, but is actually a wise politician and a prescient presidential candidate," said the column, written by a China-based Korean scholar identified as Han Yong Muk.DPRK Today is among a handful of news sites run by the isolated North, although its content is not always handled by the main state-run media.It said promising to resolve issues on the Korean peninsula through "negotiations and not war" was the best option for America, which it said is "living every minute and second on pins and needles in fear of a nuclear strike" by North Korea.The North has for years called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the South as the first step towards peace on the Korean peninsula and demanded Washington sign a peace treaty to replace the truce that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.Its frequently strident rhetoric also often threatens nuclear strikes against South Korea and the United States.(Editing by Tony Munroe 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)
U.S. warns of possible Europe attacks, no specific threat-[Reuters]-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States warned its citizens on Tuesday of possible summer terrorist attacks in Europe, saying targets could include the European soccer championship in France, although a State Department official said there was no specific threat information.Concern about security in Europe has increased since the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead as well as the March 22 attacks in which two suicide bombers struck Brussels airport and a third the city's metro, killing 32."We are alerting U.S. citizens to the risk of potential terrorist attacks throughout Europe, targeting major events, tourist sites, restaurants, commercial centers and transportation," the U.S. State Department said in a travel alert that extends through Aug. 31.The department routinely issues such warnings for individual countries and, at times, for an entire continent even when it does not have specific threat information about particular targets.The last U.S. warning for Europe was issued on March 22 following the Brussels attacks and was due to expire in late June. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the new warning amounted to an early extension of the previous one."We took the opportunity, because it's the beginning of summer, to make our concerns known," he told a press briefing, noting several high-profile events in Europe in June and July."I'm not aware of any specific, credible, terrorist event around these events or in any particular place in Europe. This was issued ... based on an accumulation of information," Kirby said.Responding to the U.S. alert, the head of Italy's anti-terrorism police unit, Lamberto Giannini, said there were "no specific warnings or particular evidence." But he told Italian media the situation across Europe "requires maximum attention."The British Foreign Office declined to comment but pointed to its own guidance advising of a "high threat" of terrorism in some European countries.The State Department alert noted France will host the June 10-July 10 UEFA Euro 2106 soccer championship and had extended its state of emergency, imposed after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, through July 26 to cover the July 2-24 Tour de France race."Euro Cup stadiums, fan zones, and unaffiliated entertainment venues broadcasting the tournaments in France and across Europe represent potential targets for terrorists, as do other large-scale sporting events and public gathering places throughout Europe," the department said.It also said the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day event was expected to draw up to 2.5 million visitors to Krakow, Poland, from July 26 to 31.(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington, Kate Holton in London and Isla Binnie in Rome; Editing by James Dalgleish)
EU firms free to ban Muslim headscarves, jurist says By Andrew Rettman-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 31. May, 12:07-Companies in the EU can ban Muslim employees from wearing headscarves to work, a senior jurist has said in a case involving British security firm G4S.The headscarf ban “may … be justified in order to enforce a legitimate policy of religious and ideological neutrality pursued by the employer”, Juliane Kokott, a German advocate general at the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg, said in a statement on Tuesday (31 May).She said the ban must be based on “a general company rule” on religious symbols of any type and must be “proportional”.She added that the issue is so “delicate” that national courts should have “a measure of discretion which they may exercise in strict accordance with EU rules”.Kokott’s opinion is not binding on the final verdict of the EU court, but it is a strong sign of what the final “clarification” will say.The case arose when G4S fired Samira Achbita, a Muslim receptionist at one of its offices in Belgium, because she refused to come to work without her scarf.She sued for damages in Belgian courts and won the backing of the Belgian Centre for Equal Opportunities and Combating Racism, a government agency.But judges ruled against her on two occasions. Her appeal is currently being heard by Belgium’s Court of Cassation, which asked the EU court for a “clarification” before issuing its final ruling.Kokott added that the Belgian court should look at details of the case, such as “size and conspicuousness of the religious symbol, the nature of Ms Achbita’s activity and the context in which she must perform her activity, as well as the national identity of Belgium”.Belgium is a traditionally Roman Catholic, but secular society. Five years ago, it banned wearing of the full-face Islamic veil in public.Kokott said G4S was right to have a no-symbol policy “because of the special nature of the work which G4S employees do” and because Muslim scarves or other religious paraphernalia would have “a defining impact … on the image of the firm”.She said “freedom of religion is one of the cornerstones of a democratic society”, but that people “may be expected to moderate the exercise of [their] religion in the workplace”.
MEPs fast-track EU border guard plan By Aleksandra Eriksson-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 31. May, 18:19-EU institutions are fast-tracking plans to establish a European border and coast guard (EBCG) agency.Members of the European Parliament’s committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (Libe) on Monday (30 May) endorsed a report on the proposal.They also gave Artis Pabriks, a centre-right Latvian lawmaker, the mandate to start negotiations with EU member states without the need for passing through a plenary vote for approval.The guard is bound to be operational after the summer.The legislative process has been fast by EU standards. The commission presented its proposal in December 2015. EU ministers rubber-stamped it in April.Pabriks also met with council and commission representatives on Tuesday morning (31 May) to get negotiations under way.The EP negotiator is confident that negotiations will be swift.”There is no member state that isn’t interested in having more advanced and better management of the EU outside borders,” Pabriks told journalists on Tuesday.The proposal would give the council the right to deploy intervention teams when EU external borders are ”under pressure” - for instance, in case of the arrival of large numbers of refugees.MEPs endorsed a clause which gives the council the right to send teams even to a member state that does not want the help. The country’s objections can be overruled by a qualified majority of the other member states.The new guard, with an annual budget of €300 million, will have twice the financial and human resources of the current border agency, Frontex, which it will replace.”If this appears to be too limited, there’s a possibility to grow financial resources until 2020”, Pabriks said.The agency’s pool of 1,500 guards should have the capacity to be deployed ”within days”, he added.The idea to set up a European agency for border guards is not new. It was floated by then-commissioner Antonio Vitorino back in 2002.But member states were reluctant to give the EU too much control of their borders and opted for a more limited approach.They felt more comfortable with Frontex, which only managed operational cooperation at external borders.One and a half year ago, an EU source told this website that the commission was dusting off the idea of a new EU border guard with an independent command and control centre.But it was a long-term plan, the contact stressed, and mentioned 2030 or 2035 as realistic dates for such an agency to open.The reason why everyone, including MEPs, is now endorsing the propoal is the ”very strong pressure at EU borders [with] migration and asylum seeking”, Pabriks said.”Not every country at the EU external border is able alone to face the challenges.”Non-governmental organisations remain sceptical, however. Ecre, the European council on refugees and exiles, told this website the parliament had failed to clarify a number of human rights concerns.In a report published earlier this year with the International Commission of Jurists and Amnesty International, Ecre said: "The division of responsibilities between the agency and member states remains unclear, which is illustrated by tasks being variously described as 'coordination' 'cooperation' 'facilitation' or 'support' without any clear definition of these terms".The parliament failed to clarify responsibility for possible human rights violations, Ecre secretary general Catherine Woollard told EUobserver."We are also concerned about the lack of a strong, independent complaints mechanism, and overall lack of safeguards," she added.Artis Pabriks told this website the EP report safeguarded the right to asylum.He said that since the visit of pope Francis to the European Parliament in November 2014, "we know the EU has the highest standards in the world".He added that the parliament has proposed to strengthen the capacities and budget of the fundamental rights officer who already exists at Frontex.Ecre welcomed the step, and suggested strengthening the role of human rights reporting."The strengthening of the independent complaints mechanism is positive. However it is hard to see how independence will be guaranteed in the model described," Woollard said.The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) told Libe members on Monday (30 May) that refoulement of potential asylum seekers was currently one of its main concerns.
Greece says it cannot fulfil demands for loans By Eszter Zalan and Eric Maurice-EUOBSERVER
BRUSSELS, 30. May, 17:54-Greece has told its creditors it cannot implement some of the extra changes required in exchange for fresh bailout loans.In a letter sent to the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last week, finance minister Euclid Tsakalotos said some of the additional demands could not be fulfilled.The existence of the letter, first revealed by Greek media and Reuters, was confirmed to EUobserver.It could further delay disbursement of much-needed funds to pay off IMF loans expiring in June and European Central Bank bonds maturing in July.After months of negotiations, Greece and its lenders last week agreed on the disbursement of €10.3 billion in two tranches, in mid-June and in September, under the condition that Athens amended laws concerning pensions, privatisation and sale of non-performing loans.In the marathon talks they also agreed to open the way for debt relief, something Greece has been keen to secure.There are two problematic issues for the Greek government.It said it cannot axe aid for small pensions, as required by creditors. It also wants to exempt loans with a state guarantee from the loan sale scheme.Greek daily Kathimerini reported that the governement initially hoped to complete all the necessary changes before the ECB’s governing council meets on Wednesday (1 June).The new target to complete the necessary actions has been moved to Friday.
Assisted dying bill wins approval of House of Commons, now heads to Senate-[The Canadian Press]-Joan Bryden, The Canadian Press-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA - The federal government's controversial bill on assisted dying sailed through the House of Commons on Tuesday, approved by a vote of 186-137."It's an historic day," Health Minister Jane Philpott said immediately following the vote, thanking MPs for passing a bill she said "will essentially transform end-of-life care options for Canadians."Only four Liberal MPs — including Rob Oliphant, the chair of a special joint parliamentary committee that had recommended a much more permissive approach to assisted dying — voted against Bill C-14, as did most Conservatives, all New Democrat and Bloc Quebecois MPs and Green Leader Elizabeth May.But the bill now heads into choppier waters in the Senate, where the government has less control over the agenda and many independent-minded senators are pushing for amendments.It is virtually guaranteed the bill will not be passed by Monday, the day the ban on assisted dying is formally lifted in accordance with last year's landmark Supreme Court ruling."No, no, impossible," said Sen. Claude Carignan, Conservative leader in the Senate.Senators are not dragging their feet; they've agreed to extend their sitting hours and have taken the unusual step of inviting Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould and Philpott to testify about the bill before the entire Senate on Wednesday.However, they must still debate the bill at second reading, send it to committee to hear from some half a dozen witnesses, propose and consider possible amendments and debate and vote on the bill a final time.Carignan said more than 40 Conservative senators want to speak during second reading debate alone and he expects "many amendments" will be proposed. Consequently, he said the bill can't be put to a final vote until the end of next week at the earliest, possibly sometime the following week.Advocates of assisted dying are urging senators to scrap the bill's restrictive eligibility criteria. Without that change "Bill C-14 will be constitutionally dead on arrival," said Shanaaz Gokool, CEO of Dying with Dignity Canada."(That's) a warning the Liberal government has chosen to ignore. We encourage members of the Senate not to make the same mistake."However, a number of disability rights advocates are urging passage of the bill, despite their concerns that it doesn't go far enough to protect the vulnerable. They argued that an imperfect bill is better than no legislation at all.That continued to be the message from Wilson-Raybould and Philpott as they kept up the pressure Tuesday to have the bill enacted by June 6.In the absence of a new law, the Supreme Court's criteria for allowing assisted dying would apply. But Wilson-Raybould suggested that would amount to "one of, if not the broadest assisted dying regimes in the world.""Under an approach where any serious medical condition is eligible, the law would be saying that an assisted death could be an acceptable treatment for a soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder, a young person who suffered a spinal cord injury in an accident or a survivor whose mind is haunted by memories of sexual abuse," she said.Wilson-Raybould also argued there is uncertainty whether the court's criteria would have "the legal effect of completely striking down existing criminal law that prohibits consensual killing and the aiding of suicides outside of an assisted dying context." She did not explain that assertion.In what's known as the Carter decision, the Supreme Court ruled that consenting adults have a right to seek medical help to end their lives if they have "grievous and irremediable" medical conditions that are causing enduring suffering that they deem intolerable.Bill C-14 sets out considerably more restrictive eligibility criteria, allowing assisted dying only for clearly consenting adults "in an advanced stage of irreversible decline" from a serious and incurable disease, illness or disability and for whom natural death is "reasonably foreseeable."Jocelyn Downie, a professor in both the medicine and law faculties at Dalhousie University, said Wilson-Raybould is misrepresenting the Supreme Court ruling.The court said the medical condition must be irremediable, while PTSD and memories of sexual abuse "may well be remediable," Downie said. Moreover, she said a young person's initial response in the days or even months following a spinal cord injury would not be considered "enduring" suffering, as the court required."To suggest that somehow the sky is going to fall on June 6 is specious," agreed NDP justice critic Murray Rankin, noting that medical regulators in every provinces have issued strict guidelines doctors must follow in providing assistance in dying.Unless it's amended by the Senate, Rankin predicted the bill will face court challenges and be found unconstitutional."People who won that hard-fought victory in Carter are going to be back in the Supreme Court in a few months. That's wrong," he said.
IF I RECALL I SAID BACK IN OCT WHEN THE LIBERALS WON THE ELECTION. I FIGURED ONE WOULD RESIGN IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OVER SOMETHING. WELL OUR FIRST LIBERAL HAS RESIGNED OVER DRUG OR ALCOHAL OR PILL ADDICTION OR SOMETHING. I WAS 2 MONTHS OFF. IT WAS 8 MONTHS FOR THE FIRST LIBERAL RESIGNATION.AND ALSO SPEAKING OF LIBERAL HYPOCRITS-WHEN ALL THE SUICIDES WERE GOING ON IN ATTAWAPISKAT INDIAN RESERVE. THE LIBERALS WERE QUICK TO SAY ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO STOP THE SUICIDES BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC SITUATION THERE. BUT THEN JUST YESTERDAY THE LIBERALS PASSED A BILL ALLOWING ANY CANADIAN TO COMIT LEGAL SUICIDE BY DOCTOR. YES YOU CAN NOW KILL YOUR PARENTS OR YOURSELF WITH A DOCTORS HELP IN ALL OF CANADA IF YOU WANT. SAYS THE HYPOCRITICAL LIBERAL-DEMOCRATS. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT LIKE ATTAWAPISKAT. YOU JUST TELL A DOCTOR YOU WANNA KILL YOURSELF LEGALLY-AND ITS JUST FINE. AFTER ALL WE LIBERALS LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
Canadian fisheries minister resigns to deal with addiction-[Reuters]-May 31, 2016-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Cabinet minister Hunter Tootoo, who was in charge of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, resigned on Tuesday to seek treatment for addiction issues.Tootoo, 52, became the first minister to quit Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Cabinet since his Liberal government took power last autumn.Tootoo, a member of Parliament for the sparsely populated northern territory of Nunavut, said he resigned his Cabinet post and would also be stepping down as a member of the Liberal caucus "in order to not distract from the important work of my colleagues.""I have decided to seek treatment for addiction issues and ask for privacy at this time," Tootoo said in a statement.He did not specify the type of addiction.Trudeau said in a brief statement announcing the resignation that Dominic Leblanc would assume Tootoo's responsibilities while maintaining his role as government house leader.(Reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Writing and additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Calgary; Editing by Peter Cooney)
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)
Swollen river feeds flooding near Houston as residents flee-[The Canadian Press]-John L. Mone, The Associated Press-June 1, 2016-YAHOONEWS
RICHMOND, Texas - Residents of some rural southeastern Texas counties were bracing for more flooding along a river that reached a record high Tuesday as more rain was expected in the coming days.Large swaths of suburban communities southwest of Houston were underwater and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes before the Brazos River reached 54.37 feet in Fort Bend County, just two years after it had run dry in places because of drought.National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Roeseler said the 54.37 feet at Richmond early Wednesday was not yet the crest and the river was expected to slowly rise even more overnight.An additional 1 to 3 inches of rain expected later this week could keep the Brazos in major flood stage into the weekend."I'm scared," said Abigail Salazar, standing in knee-deep water outside her home in Richmond, where she was retrieving personal belongings after the city issued a voluntary evacuation advisory. "My kids ask me in the morning, 'Ma, what happened? The water is here.'"During four days of torrential rain last week, at least six people died in floods in Texas.Scott Overpeck, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said that the Brazos will recede in the coming days but that its levels will remain high for up to three weeks, in part because water will need to be released from swollen reservoirs upriver."There's so much water on the Brazos that it's going to take a long time to drain through the whole river and drain out into the Gulf of Mexico," Overpeck said.Four of the six people killed in flooding were recovered in Washington County, which is between Austin and Houston, County Judge John Brieden said Monday. Lake Somerville, one of the Brazos reservoirs, was "gushing uncontrollably" over the spillway and threatening people downriver, he said.About 40 people were rescued Sunday and Monday from low-lying homes in a flooded neighbourhood of Simonton, a Fort Bend County community of about 800 residents. The county had set up a pumping system to divert the water from the neighbourhood, but it was overpowered by the flooding, county spokeswoman Beth Wolf said.Wolf said any additional rain in the region would be a problem."The ditches are full, the river's high, there's nowhere else for that water to go," she said.In the Fort Bend County city of Rosenberg, which is next to Richmond, about 150 households were evacuated and city officials were co-ordinating with the county's office of emergency management to have rescue boats in place, city spokeswoman Jenny Pavlovich said.Heavy rains moved across the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Tuesday. In Hood County, southwest of Fort Worth, several roads were washed out and authorities performed about 15 water rescues, including from homes and vehicles, said Sheriff Roger Deeds. He says they were still trying to determine how many homes flooded.Elsewhere, authorities were searching for the body of an 11-year-old boy who fell into a creek in Wichita, Kansas, and is presumed dead. Relatives have identified the boy as Devon Dean Cooley, who disappeared Friday night.___Associated Press writer Jim Suhr in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.___This story has been corrected to reflect that it's not clear whether the six people who died in flooding were killed along the Brazos and that the 54.37 measure on the Brazos was taken early Wednesday.
Mom of 4-Year-Old Who Climbed into Zoo Pen Defends Herself from Backlash After Zookeepers Killed Gorilla-[People]-staff@people.com (Lindsay Kimble)-May 30, 2016-YAHOONEWS
The mother of the 4-year-old boy who slipped into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo on Saturday – which led to the animal being shot dead – has hit back against online critics who are criticizing her parenting.Michelle Gregg defended herself in a now-deleted Facebook post, writing: "God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him. My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes... no broken bones or internal injuries."Gregg continued, "As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen..."Social media users slammed Gregg for allegedly not paying close enough attention to her son, writing that she was responsible for the death of Harambe, the 17-year-old, 450-pound male Western Lowland gorilla. I am SICK&TIRED of LAZY people who do not WATCH THEIR CHILDREN. RIP #Harambe you did not deserve to die. @CincinnatiZoo I am sorry 4 u also — Just Me (@WutaUlookinat) May 29, 2016 -#harambe was killed because of the stupid and their irresponsible parenting...their picture should be made public.— Liberate Illinois (@liberateIL) May 29, 2016 -Gregg was not the only one to face negative commentary online after the incident – which was captured on video. The zoo released a statement, Saturday, from park director Thane Maynard saying, "We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child's life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made by our Dangerous Animal Response Team."The zoo said that Harambe was violently dragging and throwing the little boy. Maynard explained that tranquilizing Harambe was not an option because "tranquilizers do not take effect for several minutes and the child was in imminent danger. On top of that, the impact from the dart could agitate the animal and cause the situation to get much worse."Many have questioned why an alternative solution was not used."The little boy, once he fell, I don't think the gorilla even knew that he was in there until he heard him splashing in the water," onlooker Brittany Nicely told ABC News, continuing, "The gorilla rushed the boy, but did not hit the boy. He almost was guarding the boy, was protecting him... The gorilla was not, in my eyes being harmful."Animal lovers took to social media to issue their opinions, with one user writing, "An endangered animal should not have had to pay with its life because of a lack of supervision #CincinnatiZoo #Harambe."Mom of 4-Year-Old Who Climbed into Zoo Pen Defends Herself from Backlash After Zookeepers Killed Gorilla| Zoo Animals-An endangered animal should not have had to pay with its life because of a lack of supervision #CincinnatiZoo #Harambe-— Mitch (@mitcheglar23) May 29, 2016 - Rare gorilla #Harambe murdered by @CincinnatiZoo bc kid got in enclosure. Zoo & bad parents shld be held responsible pic.twitter.com/uIQE7L38Ux-— BrettMDecker (@BrettMDecker) May 29, 2016 -In response, Jack Hanna, the director emeritus of Ohio's Columbus Zoo, told Good Morning America of Harambe, "I've seen him take a green coconut, which you can't bust open with a sledgehammer and squish it like this. You're dealing with either human life or animal life here. So what is the decision? I think it's very simple to figure that out."Hanna continued, "I can tell you now, that there's no doubt in my mind the child would not be here today if they hadn't made that decision."The Snuggle Is Real: Bears Acting Like Humans – It's as Glorious as It SoundsAnimal activists have started an online petition called "Justice for Harambe." If the petition reaches 150,000 signatures, it will be sent to the Cincinnati Zoo, Hamilton County Child Protection Services and Cincinnati Police Department to encourage action against Gregg.
Zoo exhibit breaches rare but can have deadly outcomes-[The Canadian Press]-The Associated Press-June 1, 2016-YAHOONEWS
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A 3-year-old boy's breach of a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, leading authorities to fatally shoot the gorilla to protect the child, has focused attention on zoo enclosures and security. Incidents of humans entering enclosures or animals escaping are rare, but can have tragic outcomes:August 1986: A 5-year-old boy lifted up to a wall by his father for a better view of some gorillas falls 20 feet into a pit at a British zoo on the English Channel island of Jersey, suffering a broken arm and head injuries. The gorillas crowd in to watch as one, their patriarch, strokes the boy, who regains consciousness and cries out in fear, scaring away the gorillas. Rescuers then haul him up on a stretcher.___April 1994: An 8-year-old boy wanders into an off-limits area and is attacked when a cheetah scales a fence of a holding pen at the zoo in Jackson, Mississippi, nipping and scratching the child before taking off with his baseball cap. The boy suffers cuts and bruises. The cat is sedated by zookeepers within minutes.___August 1996: A 3-year-old boy climbs a 3-foot railing and falls 18 feet onto concrete in the primate exhibit at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo and is picked up by an 8-year-old motherly gorilla, who carries him in her arms to a gate where zookeepers could get him. Keepers spray water at other gorillas in the exhibit to keep them away from the boy, who suffers only minor head injuries and scrapes.___September 2003: An adolescent, 300-pound male gorilla named Little Joe escapes his enclosure at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston for a second time, injures a young woman and 2-year-old child and roams around the zoo and city streets for nearly two hours before being sedated with tranquilizer darts and recaptured. The girl's grandmother says the gorilla threw the child to the ground.___December 2007: A Siberian tiger escapes from its enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo — apparently by climbing or leaping from its enclosure— then fatally mauls a 17-year-old boy, injures two of his friends, and is shot to death by police on Christmas Day. Police say the attack was partly triggered by the victims provoking the animal.___November 2012: A 2-year-old boy is mauled and dies after lunging from his mother's grasp and falling about 10 feet from atop a wooden railing into an exhibit of African painted dogs at the Pittsburgh zoo. He bounces off a net meant to catch falling debris and trash, then into the exhibit. Some of the attacking dogs are called or drawn away, but police shoot one that's especially aggressive. The boy's family sues the zoo and doesn't disclose details of the resulting settlement.___October 2014: A 3-year-old boy goes over a railing, falls about 15 feet into a jaguar exhibit at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas and is bitten by two of the cats on the neck and foot. The child's father throws objects at the jaguars, and employees use fire extinguishers to further deter them until a worker with a ladder pulls the boy to safety. He is critically hurt but survives.___April 2015: A 2-year-old boy falls about 10 feet into a cheetah exhibit at the Cleveland zoo after his mother dangles him over a railing. The cheetahs don't approach, and his parents jump in and pull the boy to safety. He is treated for bruises.___Source: AP Research.
Criminal charges possible in killing of Cincinnati gorilla-[Reuters]-By Ginny McCabe-June 1, 2016-YAHOONEWS
CINCINNATI (Reuters) - The parents of a 3-year-old boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure in Cincinnati, prompting the killing of the endangered animal in order to rescue the child, are the target of an investigation into the incident, police said on Tuesday.Investigators are focusing their attention on the actions of the parents and family that led up to the incident over the weekend and not the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo, where officials fatally shot Harambe, a 450-pound (200-kg) gorilla, the Cincinnati Police Department said a statement."We are closely reviewing the facts of the case," the department said in a Tweet.Cincinnati police are taking a second look at possible criminal charges in the incident after initially saying no one was charged."Once their investigation is concluded, they will confer with our office on possible criminal charges," Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said in a statement.Police on Tuesday also verified the age of the child to be 3 years old. Earlier reports said the boy was 4 years old.Witnesses said the child had expressed a desire to get into the enclosure and climbed over a 3-foot (1-meter) barrier, falling 15 feet (4.6 m) into a moat. Zookeepers took down the 17-year-old the Western lowland silverback after he violently dragged and tossed the child, officials said.Mounting outrage over Saturday's killing of the endangered species sparked criticism of both the zoo and the child's parents. Online petitions at change.org drew more than 500,000 signatures demanding "Justice for Harambe."The death of the gorilla also prompted the animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now to file a negligence complaint on Tuesday against the zoo with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The group is seeking the maximum penalty of $10,000.The group said in its complaint letter that the child's ability to get past the barrier was proof the zoo was negligent and should be fined for a "clear and fatal violation of the Animal Welfare Act."The boy's mother said on Facebook that the boy suffered a concussion and scrapes but was otherwise fine.Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, on Monday stood by the decision to shoot Harambe, saying he was not simply endangering the child but actually hurting him.Zoo officials were not immediately available for comment on either the negligence complaint or the police investigation but said on Monday the exhibit was safe and exceeded required protocols.The Gorilla World exhibit has been closed since the incident and will reopen on Saturday.Looking at the incident through Harambe's eyes, his former caretaker, Jerry Stones, said that the breach of his habitat was likely confusing."Here is this animal that has this strange thing in his house," Stones said on CNN. "He knew what adult people were but he'd never been around children. It smells similar, it looks similar but 'What is it? Do I play with it? Am I supposed to be afraid of it? What do I do?'"Even Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump jumped into the fray at a news conference, saying, "The way he held that child, it was almost like a mother holding a baby ... It was so beautiful to watch that powerful, almost 500-pound gorilla, the way he dealt with that little boy. But it just takes one second ... one little flick of his finger."In the wild, adult male silverbacks such as Harambe are leaders of groups of gorillas known as troops. They develop the silver patch on their coats as they mature.(Additional reporting by Barbara Goldberg and Gina Cherelus in New York, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Bill Trott and Michael Perry)
